Elul: Shofar, ram's horn blown during Elul and on Rosh Hashana and at Yom Kippur's end
The Jewish month of Elul started last week, and it is a special month in the Jewish calendar.
Shofar in Elul
One does not have have to wait for Rosh Hashana to hear the shofar. Every morning (except on Shabbat) it is blown in the synagogue. If you are fortunate to attend a Jewish day school, you may hear it blown in school. In Elul shofar is an important reminder and symbol.
Repentance in Elul
Elul is known as a month of repentance (in Hebrew: tshuva – more explanation of tshuva would require a whole book). Introspection and reconciliation are themes of this period. For example, I like how the family of Ima 2 Seven is using this as a time to be kind (one would hope the trait will continue beyond Elul).
Mrs. S. reminds us: “Sephardim begin reciting Slichot (the penitential prayers) at the start of the month. Ashkenazim wait until closer to Rosh Hashanah.”
Food in Elul
Ah, finally, you say. Some are already prepping for the holidays ahead (see challot by G6). I’m trying to remember the simanim or symbolic foods to display on the Rosh Hashana table:
Rainbow Bridge by Niagara Falls with a corner of American Falls
Rainbow Bridge spans the Niagara River, connecting the American and the Canadian side. We crossed over the bridge a few times; the above shot was taken by the American Falls.
Rainbow on Rainbow Bridge
And we did see a rainbow on Rainbow Bridge while waiting for Canadian customs. There used to be a bridge here called Honeymoon Bridge, but it collapsed in January 1938, related to a problematic ice floe.
In the above shot you can see more of the Canadian side, including a large red sign that says “inn.” There was a large variety of inns and hotels on the Canadian side. The green structure in the front of the bridge is an observatory on the United States side.
Update: I added one more photo of the Rainbow Bridge; this one is taken from the Canadian side, and you can see the whole bridge in the distance. The building in the foreground (one can see the roofs) is the Canadian visitor center for the Horseshoe Falls.
Back to the ordinary, the mundane, the daily: here is a shot of my kitchen shelf for September, emphasizing bananas. For more first of the month shots, visit:
Plans for future posts: more Niagara Falls photos and a look at Elul, the current Jewish month.
Horseshoe Falls, Canadian Side
There are two large waterfalls at Niagara: the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. Right next to the American Falls is a thin waterfall called Bridal Veil Falls.
American Falls at Niagara Falls
A great way to see the falls is to take a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat. You can get on one of these boat rides from either the American or the Canadian side. It is quite popular, and you wear a plastic rain coat and stand for the whole trip.
Maid of the Mist
Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, Canadian Side
The Canadian side is the touristy side. There is plenty to do and movies about Niagara to see, but you might want to watch your credit card. If you want the less expensive tour, stay on the U.S. side.
From the top of the Ferris Wheel on the Canadian side, we could see the American Falls, the smaller Bridal Veil Falls to the right, and two Maid of the Mist boats.
Horseshoe Falls, taken from the Ferris Wheel
And here you can see the whole horseshoe shape of Horseshoe Falls, taken from on top of the Ferris Wheel.
I’ll save my Cave of the Winds photos for another post: that was my favorite attraction at Niagara Falls. It was my daughter’s least favorite; I think she got scared of the powerful waters.
Niagara Falls, Canadian Side, Rainbow Bridge at Dusk
We just came back from a visit to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. See photos of the falls.
This early evening shot of the Rainbow Bridge that crosses from the U.S. to Canada shows a piece of the urban gardens and nightlights of the Canadian shore in the foreground. The American side is more rustic, as it is preserved as a state forest. We really did see a rainbow on the bridge as we waited at customs on our first day.
As this is straight of my camera, it is perfect for:
Finally, we had a day without oppressive heat and humidity! It’s been raining almost all day, and in the morning I enjoyed photographing raindrops on my raspberries.
Last week my daughter, her friend and I went to the Princeton Art Museum. The museum is in the middle of the Princeton University campus, and it features Roman, Greek, European, modern and American art in its collection. The museum offered scavenger hunts for inquisitive children like my own, and the girls chose between Roman, Greek or American portraiture. We first went to the Roman room. After a few minutes of looking at mosaics and busts of people dead for about 2000 years, the girls declared the collection “creepy,” and we went back upstairs to try the American scavenger hunt.
The section with the American paintings was more appealing to them.
The life-size portrait of Elizabeth Allen Marquand, 1887 by John Singer Sargent is more captivating in real life. I would probably sit for hours and draw her, if I had the chance.
After a few minutes of doing the scavenger hunt, my daughter and her friend decided to use the backs of the hunt papers to draw a distinguished family from the 18th century, The Hartley Family with lovely silk dresses.
There’s sculpture and architecture to be seen outside the museum, on the Princeton campus, but I’ll save the architecture for another post. The statue is of John Witherspoon, 6th president of Princeton and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
