Each year, Jews around the world spend the month leading up to the High Holidays preparing themselves for the yamim noraim, the "Days of Awe". This year, many of us are unsure of what our world will look like in the new year. We are seeking connections with each other and with our tradition to give us a sense of stability and community. During this year's Elul cycle everyone will learn the same course with their havruta during the four weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah. We will kick off with a live virtual lecture with Rabbi Avi Strausberg, and then dive into learning about the Days of Awe with your havruta, or learning partner, over four weeks. Our learning will conclude with another live virtual lecture. The days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are filled with awe and anxiety. As we cultivate a stance of trembling before God, fearful of God’s awesome power and what the year may bring, we are challenged to reflect on the place of fear in our lives. In this four-part course, through the study of texts from Tanakh, Talmud, Mussar, and Hasidut, we'll explore the questions: how is cultivating a posture of fear in our lives helpful? How might it be harmful? What is the correct place of fear in our lives?