Seekers of Meaning 9/20/2024: Poet Alden Solovy discusses his latest book, “Enter These Gates”
On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, poet and liturgist Alden Solovy discusses his latest book of poems, Enter These Gates: Meditations for the Days of Awe. Summary of the conversation generated with artificial intelligence In this conversation, Alden Solovy discusses his new book, ‘Enter These Gates: Meditations for the Days of Awe.’ He talks about the inspiration behind the book, which was the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on Israel and subsequent war. Alden shares some of his powerful poems and meditations from the book, including ‘Ela Azkara’ and ‘At the Gates.’ He also discusses the themes of history, memory, and mortality in his writings. The conversation concludes with a reading of Alden’s poem, ‘Walking Toward Sunset,’ which reflects on the journey of life and the acceptance of mortality. About the Book Enter These Gates is a High Holy Day companion for our times, with more than one hundred new poems, prayers, and meditations for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Poet-liturgist Alden Solovy draws from his unique spirit to blend today’s struggles and joys with classic themes, layering a contemporary voice into beloved motifs. Enter These Gates is a vital resource for individual prayer, study, and communal worship. Themes include confession, repentance, forgiveness, and memory, as well as frailty, seeking holiness, and what Solovy calls “the ancient journey.” A companion to the machzor, Enter These Gates offers a fresh yet deeply rooted approach to heightening our experience of the Days of Awe. Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast Now Available on Roku Streaming Service You can add the Jewish Sacred Aging TV channel to your Roku streaming subscription by visiting this page: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/600964/jewish-sacred-aging. You can also watch this week’s show in the player below. The shows now include closed-captioning for the deaf or people with a hearing loss. Click the “CC” button on the video player to activate closed-captions. Listen to the Audio Podcast You can listen to the audio podcast version in the player below, or subscribe to the podcast in one of the popular platforms by clicking one of the buttons below the player. About the Guest (Michele Chabin Photo) Alden Solovy Alden Solovy is a modern day piytan, a traveling poet/preacher/teacher who uses Torah and verse to engage and inspire. Alden embodies the intersection of scholarship and heart. A new voice for ancient yearnings, his writings resonate with the soul and his presence is sought after in Jewish spiritual spaces around the world. A liturgist, lyricist, and educator, Alden offers a fresh Jewish voice, challenging the boundaries between poetry, meditation, personal growth, and prayer.