This Saturday night Askenazic Jews will start reciting the distinctive pre-Rosh Hashanah Selichot prayers — see first and last articles (Sephardim have been reciting them for three weeks already).
Get ready for the last Shabbat of year 5777! — This is a chance to make up for and fix anything lacking from the previous 50 or so.
The date of Shabbat on the Hebrew calendar is 25th Elul, the exact anniversary of the first day of Creation when the Creator said, "Let there be...." (Rosh Hashanah, five days later, is the anniversary of the sixth day of Creation, when G‑d said, "Let us make Man.") Learn all about it in the 2nd article.
For insights into Shabbat itself, see the 3rd article.
Next week: Special Rosh Hashana issue