Elul Circles

Dear friends. Sorry to state the obvious, but — it's going to be a heckuva Fall. Political news is coming at us fast and furious. War continues to roil Israel and Gaza. This year's Simchat Torah will be an aching anniversary, and a yahrzeit for too many.

Luckily, we have the Hebrew month of Elul — a period of spiritual self-reflection as we count down toward the High Holidays. This year, let's slooooow September down and do a little learning. 

We've got everything you need to take a few weeks in September, invite a friend or ten, and do some study. If you’re anything like us, talking with other folks about the stuff that matters with some added wisdom makes life a little more bearable. This is our humble offering for us all, to help us make this Fall count.

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What & Why
Bekiyut is a project of IYUN. Bekiyut Circles gather a small group of folks, who meet to connect with one another and to process the complexities of life while exploring ideas, texts, and wisdom from Jewish tradition. Bekiyut is structured as a 4-part series, for 90 minutes each conversation, with a group, led by a facilitator (that’s you).

We provide a turnkey toolkit that includes everything needed for you to build and lead a Bekiyut Circle. This includes: 
  1. Fully editable facilitators guides and participant source sheets for four conversations, each of which probes the themes and the essential human questions at the heart of this season. 
  2. Marketing materials and plug-and-play recruitment templates 
  3. A personal educational consult with our faculty, to help make this work for you, in your unique setting, for your people. 
While we generally license full IYUN Circle materials for several hundred dollars, for just this month Elul Circles are (this is the Oprah moment, people, look under your chairs...) free.

To run an Elul Circle, you agree to:
  1. Start your Circle anytime before Rosh Hashanah.
  2. Recruit at least 6 participants, using a registration form we’ll supply.
  3. (For first-timers) Book a 20 minute educational consultation with our team before you begin!
Frequently Asked Questions

You may be wondering...
  • Who should I include in my Bekiyut group? Is this for a particular age group? A particular background with Jewish learning?
    Bekiyut is designed for adults, and you can use Bekiyut with anyone. No prior knowledge or experience is needed. This is a way to bring together any group of people who could use some space to process their right-now and want to do it in a Jewish way. In our experience, groups work best with 8-20 participants.

  • Okay, I’m convinced. But how does this actually work?
    Here’s the basic gist: We send you everything, from facilitator’s guides to source sheets to a registration form to suggested tapas and a playlist. Think about who you want to gather. Pick some dates. Invite them. Learn together. Boom.
  • What’s in the curriculum?
    Here’s the syllabus.

  • How do I pronounce ‘Bekiyut?’
    It’s like this: “beh-kee-YOOT.” If you’re Ashkenazi, you could say “beh-KEE-yuhss.” Long story short, some say there are two approaches to Jewish learning - iyun and bekiyut. Our team’s primary offering is IYUN (which means to delve deeply). This project is an adaptation of IYUN — a taste, a little bite. Hence: bekiyut.

    Btw, you don’t have to call it "Bekiyut" with your participants if you don’t want. We know it doesn’t completely roll off the tongue for everyone.

  • But I’m so busy.
    This project is run by a team of moms, so we know from busy. It’s going to be simple, we promise. That’s the point!

Okay, I'm ready to start an Elul Circle!
Let's do this.
First and Last Name *
Email Address *
Phone Number *
How did you hear about Bekiyut: Elul Circles? *
Required
In what setting do you plan to run your Bekiyut Circle? *
e.g. the name of your community or affiliated institution, if you have one!
City *
(and state! e.g. "Bethesda, MD")
What date do you plan to start your 4-part Elul Circle? *
Elul starts September 3rd. We ask that you start your Circle anytime before Rosh Hashanah, which begins the night of 10/2. Share with us your very best guess!
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What date do you plan to conclude your 4-part Elul Circle? *
Again, give it your best shot! This helps us make sure you're supported and that we check in at the right times.
MM
/
DD
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Time to schedule your 20-minute educational consult with a member of our team! Book it here now.
 *
We'll take you on a personal tour of the curriculum and materials, as well as think with you about how to make this successful in your unique setting. If you've run a Circle with IYUN before, this is optional.
Freestyle: anything else you'd like us to know?
For Folks New to IYUN
If you're already part of our IYUN Chevra, skip ahead and press 'Submit!'
Please share your bio with us, to be showcased on our website.
Or, simply post a link to your bio elsewhere on the internet — and we'll go get it!
Please send us a photo to be showcased on our website. You can email it to team@iyun.us.
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Take a look at the quirky descriptors next to people's names on our website. We want to highlight you in the same way! Please share your 3 descriptors below. 
e.g. Tarot Lover, Dog Mom, Foccacia Baker
You made it! Let's roll.
After you press submit, we'll follow up within 1-3 business days with a Welcome Packet that includes everything you need! We look forward to seeing you at your 20-minute Educational Consult with our team, so we can show you around the materials and get you all set up. 

Any questions? We're all ears: team@iyun.us.
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