10) With awe we welcome the Divine: "With trumpets and the sound of shofar, call out in the presence of the King, Almighty  (_{Psalm 48:6)}

May the cry of the shofar summon us to a life of responsibility and stir us to respond, as did Abraham "Hineni" (Here I am)

May the cry of the shofar penetrate our hearts;

May the cry of the shofar bring blessing to us,  the people that hearkens to its call.                   _{Mahzor Lev Shalem}

Before You all the secrets, all the hidden things of the ages are revealed. 

  For You there is no forgetfulness; from You nothing is concealed. 
  You remember all deeds; and their authors are not forgotten by You. 

To You everything is clear, O Lord our God; 
You foresee the generations to the end of time. 

    From the beginning You made this known; in ancient days 

    You revealed it to us.

Blessed is the person who does not forget You,
who draws courage and strength from You.
    For those who seek You shall not stumble;
    those who trust in You shall not be put to shame
    when the record of all deeds is set before You and You examine every action.
You remembered Noah in love,
mercifully saving him when you brought the flood
to destroy all creatures because of their evil deeds.
     Because the record of his righteousness was known to You,
    Lord our God.                _{The New Mahzor}

Like those around me, I bring my own concerns and yearnings to this place, hoping to find expression in the time hallowed words of my people 
and in the traditions cherished by generations before me,

May I bring the best of my energies to these Holy Days, 

approaching this spiritual work with an open heart and mind, sincerity, 
and sustained focus on the deep question of the season:

This night I take up the challenge of the days of Awe:

cheshbon hanefesh - a searching examination of my life, 
a moral inventory of my deeds, words, and thoughts.

Taking comfort in your promise that I am always free to change, released from staleness and routine,

May I gain strength as I share this task with those around me, united by our common purpose:

tikkun middot (improving our characters) and tikkun olam (repairing the world)

 now prepare myself to pray - one soul amidst this holy congregation. _{Mishkan Hanefesh}

   We do this knowing She did not mold us like other peoples, 

   did not incline us easily to be family among them:

but has given us something different, something that has fashioned us, martyred us, and sustained us.
   So we pause and allow ourselves to wonder at the Holiest one, 
   The Source whom, we bless and sanctify, 
   for nurturing the world and cradling all living things.

Radiance shines from heaven and bubbles up from the earth.

Her home is a quiet corner of the perceiving soul.

   This is our God, our beginning and our end.

   Besides God there is nothing more.
Thus do we always hope to catch glimpses of You and

    It would be enough to put evil to flight and our false gods in their place.

   That time will find all our voices understood and all our knowledge harmony.
Your presence will make nurturers and wonder workers of us all,        
and we will find the right song to sing to You.

All:   On that day we will truly see You as One, and Your name will be Unity. _{Havurat Shalom Siddur Project}

Blessed are You, Adonoy, our God, King of the Universe Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar. 

Blessed are You, Adonoy, our God, King of the Universe Who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season. 

Make groups of 3 and find a spot for your group - outside weather permitting. Form a circle and face each other. Consider Steps 1a & b then...

1) One person begins: 

a) This is an affirmation that in the year since last Rosh Hashanah, I did _____________________, 

it was  great/tough/worthwhile __________ 

for me and I feel __________________ for having done it.

b) An aspiration (b'li neder - without vowing) that I have for the year beginning today and ending next year on Rosh Hashanah is  __________________________.

2) The other two people in the group say "Hatum!" ( Sealed! )

3) The next person  begins with step 1 adapted Chaim Stern

For this is the time for truth.

Did we fill our days with life

Or were they dull and empty?

Was there a real companionship with our children

Or was there a living together and a growing apart?

How was it with our friends:

Were we there when they needed us or not?

Did we live by false values?

Did we deceive others?

Did we deceive ourselves?

Did we acquire only possessions

Or did we acquire new insights as well?

Did we mind only our own business

Or did we feel the heartbreak of others?