“June is the gateway to summer, when the earth is lush, the days are long, and everything invites you to pause and breathe.”- Jean Hersey
Upon the completion of the counting of the Omer and the celebration of Shavuot, as spring fades and summer begins to take hold, we’re reminded to slow down and take in the natural beauty around us. The Talmud teaches, “One who sees beautiful trees or beautiful creatures should say: Blessed is the One who has such as these in God’s world” (Berakhot 58b). What a gift to notice the everyday offerings of the season—the green trees lining our streets, the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle, the sound of kids laughing as they play outside in the lighter hours of the evening. These aren’t just pleasant details; they’re glimpses of the sacred. Judaism invites us to experience the Divine not only in prayer or study, but also in the quiet presence of the natural world unfolding around us.
Summer also offers space—physical, emotional, and spiritual—for growth. It is a time when schedules may slow and horizons widen, our season most like Shabbat, offering us the chance to reconnect with what matters most. In Pirkei Avot we are taught, “Who is wise? The one who learns from every person” (Avot 4:1). This wisdom can come in quiet conversations under starlit skies, in reading that sparks reflection, or simply in being present with ourselves in the activities we enjoy most with the people we love. Amid so much turmoil in the world, the call for a summer reset feels more resonant than ever. In summer’s relative calm, we’re reminded to make space—for rest, for family, for deep listening, and for the practices that nourish our souls and replenish our strength in difficult times.
And of course, even in this season of hopefully relative ease, we are aware that the High Holy Days are just a few months away. Elul will arrive before we know it, with its call to return—teshuvah—and to prepare for renewal. And thankfully, our tradition teaches that the work of the soul is not seasonal. As Rabbi Eliezer warns in Pirkei Avot, “Repent one day before your death”—and when his students ask how they can know which day that will be, he replies: “Let a person repent every day” (Avot 2:10). Summer is not just a pause; it’s an opportunity. May we carry its warmth into our inner lives, allowing joy, gratitude, and curiosity to guide us gently on the path of calm reflection, enjoyment, and growth.
Shavuah tov, to a good week and a sweet summer season ahead.
— Cantor Emma Lutz