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KITS blog

Intermarriage Positioning

“What do your parents think about you marrying someone who’s not Jewish?” her soon to be father-in-law asked her. Without skipping a beat, she retorted, “Probably just about what you think about your son marrying someone who is." Oooh. Zinger. Good one! The soon to be bride was my mother. The soon to be father-in-law was my grandfather. They were talking about my mom and my dad’s interfaith relationship. You see, since the time of Romeo and Juliet, and really much, mu

Love is a Fingerprint

Does Jewish tradition celebrate love? YES! Romantic love is celebrated tomorrow night with the holiday of Tu B’Av. It was a day when couples would pair up and the community would celebrate. Fitting, then, that I officiated a great celebration of love with a wedding yesterday, and will marry another wonderful couple Friday. But in Judaism, love is also celebrated as the love of family and the joy of gathering in community. That’s why we often begin services with the singin

Global Connections

Newsletter July 20th, 2025. Together, we're #keepingitsacred... "No way!" "What are the chances?" "Bingo!! I’ll connect you... now" "I have goosebumps! This is a transcript right from a text conversation I had this past weekend with one of our awesome members, Kim. You may remember that she recently moved to be with her new wife, Stacy and family in Canada. So, when I heard another of our families had just moved there, I reached out to her to see if she’d like to connect.

Taylor & Travis & Tzedakah

Newsletter July 6th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What's Jewish about Disability PRIDE month? A seemingly secular celebration, actually holds great Jewish significance. Let’s learn about this holiday from our cherished KITS member, Wendy Stiver: --July is Disability Pride Month! Although not as widely known or celebrated as LGBTQIA Pride , Disability Pride is an important, hard-won recognition of the contributions made by, and challenges faced by people with dis

Disability PRIDE!

America TODAY!

Newsletter June 29th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... At this time of year, my ear worm is Neil Diamond’s “America”: “Far, We've been traveling farWithout a homeBut not without a starFreeOnly want to be freeWe huddle closeHang on to a dream On the boats and on the planesThey're coming to AmericaNever looking back againThey're coming to America…” My family and I would gather yearly to watch our local fireworks show to celebrate America on July 4th, and inevitably

Singing for Our Lives

Newsletter June 22nd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “No homosexuals will go to Heaven.” You know I didn’t say this. Not only because I’m queer, or because I’m Jewish and the Heaven/Hell binary isn’t our theology. But also because we at Keeping It Sacred don’t use religious scriptures to exclude or condemn. Especially not to shame people who express love across the spectrum. These words were scrawled across the wall of a local United Methodist Church that has a Q

Savoring Gameplay

Newsletter June 15th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... "Are you glad you missed it?" I asked my kid after he missed playing in a baseball tournament this weekend where his team lost three games, each by a wide margin. "No, mama! I am not there to win. I am there to play with my friends," he quickly replied. I am so glad my son loves the experience of joining a team, becoming friends, building a gameplan, and giving it their all-- regardless of if his team wins. Of

ReTREAT YOURSELF!

Newsletter June 8th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This past weekend, I attended the “ReTREAT Yourself!” gathering hosted by Adamah. This shabbaton was funded by generous donors inviting Jewish professionals to attend, for free, a weekend of self care. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I needed to go. Fifty Jewish professionals from every sector arrived at Camp Ramah in Ojai, CA ready for some respite from the unique pressures of working as professional Je

ONLY TO BE THERE

Newsletter June 1st, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Do you have a sacred place? A place to simultaneously reflect and contemplate the future. A place to exhale, and also simultaneously, a space that sends a jolt of electricity through your body when you visit? Some of my sacred places include: Standing at the threshold of my grandparents’ former home front door. Bowing at the foot of the Western Wall. Sitting in the upper deck behind home plate at Dodger Stadium.

Waging Peace

Newsletter May 18th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Houses of worship are meeting places of community; intergenerational spaces to lift up lifes' greatest joys, to mourn the deepest sorrows. They are places to offer gratitude for life itself, and to mark time and the seasons with treasured community. They are also places to explore sacred texts, define values, and encourage one another's purpose in life. News of a terrifying shooting at a sacred house of worship,

Unity in CommUNITY

Newsletter May 4th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... In my household, some people prefer fencing and equestrian activities like jumping. These are individual sports where one person usually tries to beat their personal best or institutional records. The rewards can feel personal. But then there are those of us who like baseball, basketball, and rugby. These are team sports where groups of people have to execute plays where everyone’s part is crucial. The rewards ar

The Beat of Our Own Drum

Newsletter May 4th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I have noticed that for so much of my life, I have worked hard to “fit in.” But whenever that has happened, I have found it comes at a cost. Whether in the form of submitting to peer pressure to engage in an awful senior prank in high school that compromised my values, or the simple the pain of blisters on feet from wearing heels. Sometimes trying to fit in is painful. Being the “weird” one or “odd man out” or t

Hearts Holding it All

Newsletter April 20th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “My parents who survived the Holocaust would be appalled at what is going on in Israel right now,” a man I just met confided in me. In speaking with many of you, I know many of us feel this way. Whether we feel appalled that the Jewish people are once again targets of antisemitism and under constant threat of physical violence in Israel and nearly everywhere in the world, or feel appalled by the racist and ext

Intersections of Hatred

Newsletter April 13th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I thought I knew a lot about the persecution of Jews throughout history. My own family feverishly fled the pogroms in Russia, my great grandmother even lying down with dead bodies on the frozen street to escape being killed herself. I went to a Jewish day school we learned about WWII and commemorated the Holocaust yearly. In youth group we went to see Schindler’s List in the theatre. In college, I majored in Pea

Seeing and Being Seen

Newsletter March 30th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... When I lived in New York, people assumed I was a vegan from Brooklyn. In truth, I was a meat-eater who lived downtown. It always puzzled me (and still does) but I guess they thought “lesbian + progressive + rabbinical student = vegan from Brooklyn”?! I don’t know. But I guess that’s just it. When people stereotype and try to fill in the blanks they don’t actually know about you, especially when they get it wron

The Room Where It Happened

Newsletter March 23rd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... As a descendant of Aaron Burr, yes the guy who tied with Thomas Jefferson for the presidency before Alexander Hamilton smeared his name and the house elected Jefferson; not to mention that incident at Weekawken, NJ), reluctantly I watched Hamilton (the play). And there’s that really catchy song, “The Room Where It Happens,” all about the importance of being there, participant in history. Many times in my life,

Shark-Infested Waters

Newsletter March 16th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Yesterday, I spent the night at the home of my high school best friend, Maayan. Earlier that day, her 2 year old daughter had learned how to swim, and I was the one who got to tell her how awesome of a swimmer her mom is-- I personally saw her swim across the San Francisco Bay in 2019. When I showed her the picture above, her eyes widened. My heart jumps when I see this picture, too. I feel the pang of fear tha

Reflecting on International Women's Day

Newsletter March 9th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Today, I officiated the funeral of an amazing matriarch whose family lovingly called her “M.” She was a beautiful, determined, and affirming human, encouraging her daughter and granddaughters to have gumption (or chutzpah in Yiddish), style, and a healthy dose of mischief. In fact, she made me promise to put in my newsletter a little joke one of her granddaughters made – “Just like men, women also remove chin hair

Holding It All Together

Newsletter March 2nd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Purim is here! This weekend we celebrated the fun holiday that colors the whole month of Adar as one filled with joy- it is called z’man simchateinu: The Season of our Joy! We baked hamantaschen and some wore costumes and got silly and sang songs including Max Weiner’s Father's Purim version of Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Some communities observe the custom to get drunk* so that they can’t tell the evil character in th

Delicious Mystery

Newsletter February 24th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... It takes about a year to wrote a Torah scroll. There are over 600,000 letters to write by hand using a reed or feather, taking great care to make sure each line and curve is formed properly. Of any part of the letter is missing or malformed, the ink from the water-based letter must be gingerly scratched off the oil based klaf (specially treated animal hide), and rewritten. Unless it is a letter forming God’s n

Leader-full Legacies

Newsletter February 17th, 2026 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This morning we learned of the peaceful passing of civil rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson. His son, Jesse Jackson, Jr., has shared that he would like his father to be remembered first and foremost as someone who cared for others. Indeed, in his life, he demonstrated care for those working for civil rights for the Black community in coalition with those from all racial and ethnic groups, care for those in the

Painting the Picture

Newsletter February 9th, 2026 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... There's a public speaking motto: "Don't tell them, show them." Showing people what you're talking about helps people's imaginations understand what you're trying to convey. Last night, Benito “Bad Bunny” Antonio Martinez Ocasio masterfully showed every one of the estimated 135M+ viewers of his Super Bowl Halftime Show a blissful vision of a utopian future he is working towards. (View it HERE). His musical and v

Sometimes It Doesn't Rain

Newsletter February 2nd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Yesterday was my birthday, and it didn’t rain! It felt like a little miracle considering this has only happened a handful of times in my 47 years. Usually, like clockwork, the calendar page turns to February 1, and the skies open up and pour.But not yesterday. And I almost didn’t know what to do with myself. I was able to enjoy a delicious breakfast by the sea with my family, sitting outside as the high tide oc

When Rest Isn't Restful

Newsletter January 26, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Sometimes, I just can’t sleep. Usually when I am stressed or overthinking a situation. Sometimes because of something that happened during the day or something that triggered a deep memory of something unpleasant in the past. A real rest is supposed to help calm and rejuvenate. It’s a time when the body repairs and resets. When I can’t sleep, I can lie in bed for hours but rise in the morning groggy, listless,

Until We Are All Free

Newsletter January 19, 2026 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and in honor of that, our beloved Keeping It Sacred member and expert in trafficking, Wendy Stiver,* has written the following to raise awareness on the subject. Today is also the birthday of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and he was dedicated to lifting people out of oppression into the fullness of human dignity. In his honor do we also share these rema

Deep Fried Oreo

Newsletter January 12, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Have you ever had a deep-fried Oreo cookie? I haven't, but was offered one at the Mississippi State Fair in October of 2005. I was there with a minyan of fellow rabbinical students who had flown down to help with the Hurricane Katrina Relief effort of the Union for Reform Judaism. While there, our hosts summoned the best of Jewish and Southern hospitality as we worked for a week unloading truckloads of goods dona

No Pain, No Gain

Newsletter January 5, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... There is a rabbi named Ben Hey Hey. Yes, that’s his name, and his teachings from 1800 years ago were recorded in the Mishnah. And he said: “According to the pain is the reward." (Mishnah Pirkei Avot 5:23) Sounds like “no pain, no gain,” to me! But I don’t think he was talking about exercise routines. In fact, 1,000 years ago, the great rabbi named Maimonides expounded upon this saying. He insisted that Ben Hey Hey

New Year Predictions

Newsletter December 29, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... So, how are you feeling about the new year? I mean, we are about to be in 2026. It’s pretty surreal, isn't it? I just read an article on CNN.com that talked about a 1998 study out of Cornell University’s Roper Center. That study asked participants to predict the then distant future: what would 2025 look like? The results? Very interesting— some right predictions, some not so much. Read the study HERE to see

Ripples Across Oceans

Newsletter December 14, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The moment I stepped off the plane and jumped into the rental car, I headed to the one destination I’d been dreaming of for 34 years—Bondi Beach. Bondi Beach was the top destination I had wanted to visit ever since writing a report on Australia in 7th grade. I knew it as a place of surfing and dining, a place of shark sightings and the “other” side of the Pacific Ocean. And it didn’t disappoint. It was a beaut

The Veil

Newsletter December 8, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Today is Leo's birthday! And what an awe-some experience it was to witness his first breaths, the first moments he opened his eyes and found me there to welcome him to the world. After the doctor, of course! I remember distinctly my first words upon seeing him, after a huge gasp, were, "He looks just like Melissa!" It was so incredible. Yesterday, I replayed the video footage from his first 20 minutes alive and

World AIDS Day

Newsletter December 1, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The US Government doesn’t want anyone to commemorate World AIDS Day. The State Department issued an email last week to its grantees instructing them to, “refrain from publicly promoting World Aids Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging.” But we will commemorate it here at Keeping It Sacred. We will because our deeply held Je

Daily Thanks Challenge

Newsletter November 24, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... In Judaism, Thanksgiving is every day. One of my (many) favorite teachings involves the rabbinic insistence that every person express thanks no fewer than 100 times per day. This seems overwhelming at first. But, then we see the rabbis' thinking. They figure that each service has, built into the prayers, an expression of thanks 33 times. And, since there are 3 services each day, that takes us to 99 expressions o

Living Our Values

Newsletter November 17, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Our community is alive with the power of change. Positive change. This week alone, I attended a film premiere for American Solitaire, starring our amazing member, Gilbert Owour. The film ends with a montage of the impactful work that the organization RAWTools is doing, literally beating guns into gardening tools. In doing so they take guns out of circulation. This work is inspired by the prophetic imperative of

Love Won Again

Newsletter November 10, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Ten years ago, I held my 1 month old baby on a dais of other clergy and laity who united to celebrate the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision that affirmed same-sex marriage on a federal level. We were united across geography, ethnicity, and religion, in favor of love. (I'm second from left in the photo above, with my baby).Today, love won again. The Supreme Court had been faced with the opportunity

Overnight Cancer Survivor

Newsletter November 3, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... It all happened so fast. My pathology report came back positive for Basal Cell Carcinoma at 10:30am Tuesday morning. Wednesday morning by 9:15am the cancer was removed, with clear margins, from my face. Just in time for Halloween, I had my own Herman Munster 1” incision stitched up on my right cheek under my eye. For two weeks, I will sport a bandage. For you TLC fans of the 1990s, instead of “Lisa Left-Eye Lo

You Gotta Be You

Newsletter October 27, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “To thine own self, be true,” wrote Shakespeare in Hamlet. “If I fail, if I succeed, at least I lived as I believed,” sung George Benson before Whitney Houston made it popular in The Greatest Love of All.“You gotta be you, and only you, babe,” insisted Salt N’ Pepa in one of my favorite songs of all time, Expression.What do these famous quotes have in common? A human desire to be true to who we are. To be authent

Go To Yourself

Newsletter October 20, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What happens when you decide to chart your own path? What happens when you decide to lift your head out of the ocean of expectations the world has for you and you direct your own course? What happens? When anyone does this, they thrive. Now, it's not easy at first. Certainly. But, it creates the deepest sense of satisfaction and purpose. I think part of it is that when a person follows that still small voice

Redeeming The Captives

Newsletter October 13, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This daily morning blessing in the siddur has new resonance for us today. Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu Melech HaOlam, matir asurim. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who sets the captives free! This morning Israel time, the remaining 20 living hostages were freed, and the ceasefire seems to be holding. For many of us, releasing those held captive feels like loosening a knot we hav

What We've Built Together

Newsletter October 8, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This past Saturday's gathering for our 5 year Keeping It Sacred Anniversary was a dream. An absolute dream. It will take me time to process how special it was and so I will include bits from the gathering in the next couple of newsletters. Stay tuned! Not only did we have a full house present in person in Studio City, CA, but we also enjoyed the participation of so many of our beloved members online. We heard fr

Navigating These Times

Newsletter September 29, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... A funny thing is happening in Los Angeles Wednesday night. It is true that members of the Jewish community will be gathering in sacred spaces around the city to welcome in the holiest day of the year. But there will also be major traffic delays on the 405 freeway known as the busiest and most congested freeway in the United States. This is the season of repair work which will close up to two lanes on the maj

More of That, Please!

Newsletter September 22, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... In the secular new year, there’s a tradition where people do on New Year’s Day what they hope to do for the rest of the year. For many, that’s gathering with family and friends, and doing acts of care for the world. I love this tradition and I think it’s a great practice for us to think about during the new Jewish year as well. What are the things you want more of in the Jewish new year? What are those th

Overzealousness

Newsletter September 15, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The shofar, originally made from a ram’s horn, was meant to remind listeners of the classic biblical story of the Akedah. The Akedah story is the one where Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on top of Mount Moriah. And what happened? Just as he was about to slaughter the boy, knife-wielding hand raised, a voice called out from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.”

Our Village

Newsletter September 8, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... A Special Message from our KITS Digital Marketing Director, Molly Flanagan: I am so grateful to be celebrating this High Holy Day season with all of you. As we prepare for these sacred days, I wanted to take you behind the scenes to share just how many hands and hearts help bring our celebrations to life. Truly, it takes a village! In addition to the visionary leadership of Rabbi Heather Miller, we are honor

Labor Day

Newsletter September 1, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... For many, Labor Day is a day of rest. And it should also be a day of appreciation for the rights that those in the labor movement have worked to secure so that laborers could rest. Including big wins like the 8 hour work day, minimum wage, child labor laws, and safer working conditions. Maternity leave, paternity leave, or paid family and medical leave are all increasing in availability. But sadly, the facts sho

Hear Our Voices

Newsletter August 25, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Happy Rosh Chodesh— that means Happy New Month! I know, it is August 25, but actually it IS also the first of the month. The first of the Hebrew month of Elul. Which means we are just one month away from the New Jewish Year— Rosh Hashanah! At Keeping It Sacred, we always start our new month with the exploration and affirmation of justice. We host a monthly Rosh Chodesh Racial Justice book review. And, today, I a

A small globe surrounded by shining fairy lights

Happy Anniversary!

Newsletter August 18, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This is a VERY special week! On Thursday, Keeping It Sacred officially turns FIVE years old! Five years of our very special global progressive Jewish community dedicated to exploring texts, standing for justice, and holding sacred space for one another. Five years of accessible, relevant, and empowering programming for anyone across the world interested in participating. Just last Thursday, among our participant

Back to Jewish

Newsletter August 11, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Our family is so intermarried, we are back to Jewish again! This is a fun fact about my family, and I proved it to my kids this past weekend when our French Jewish cousins, who I hadn’t seen in person since 2005, visited us in California. They are (follow this): my Unitarian dad’s, Christian Scientist wife’s, Jewish nieces and nephews. And what did we talk about? The state of being Jewish in our respective co

The Love Sandwich

Newsletter August 4, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I’ve got a question for you: if I asked you “how does God show love to you, and how do you show Love to God?”— What would you answer? And when I say God, I don’t mean an old man in the sky with a beard. I mean God the Divine Energy, Author of Life, the Creator of Time and Space, or however you describe the Life Force in the world. The Indescribable One Without End. How do you express love to That and how do you

Lamentations

Newsletter July 28, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... In my first year of rabbinical school, I took a class on Zionism with a very special professor. It wasn’t just a history class, it was led as an exploration of what the Zionist enterprise means to us: rabbinical students and cantorial students and Jewish educators. The biggest takeaway was that there were many approaches to the enterprise. My professor allowed students the space to wrestle, critique, affirm and chal

Sacred Books

Newsletter July 21, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Jewish sacred books are like a magical portal into the world of Jewish thinkers across time and space. They transport the reader into a whole new sacred space. Not a physical sacred space, but a sacred space of the spirit. Of the heart. Of the mind. Through the pages, the reader is given new insights into Jewish morals and values and ethical considerations. And the most precious part of older Jewish books, parts of

A Broken World

Newsletter July 14, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Back in 2020, after decades of advocacy working to address the very flawed carceral system in Los Angeles, Measure J, finally passed. I had joined the movement for justice in those last years before the vote after seeing with my own two eyes and hearing the pained stories of family members whose loved ones were brutalized by the system, and was just one of thousands of Angelenos who put countless hours and boatloads

Heroes Hoping for Healing

Newsletter July 11, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Another day, another medical test. Yesterday morning I was handed a hospital gown and loaded onto a gurney to go on what I like to think of as a $3,000,000 ride: a trip inside the CT machine to measure the calcium in my heart. Results won’t be ready for 3-5 business days. It was just another test in a long list of many. I know the drill. Arrive early because parking is usually a beast. Wait in line for my turn. H

Rabbi On Set

Newsletter July 7, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I’m consulting for a movie studio bar mitzvah scene — the tallit is draped over actors’ shoulders, a Torah is rolled out on the amud/table, Hebrew murmured in the background. It looks and sounds…almost right. But to my trained eye I see: the prayerbook isn’t one typically used for a bar mitzvah. The blessings are slightly out of order. The kippah? Inside out. These may sound like small things. But in Judaism, our

Two Kinds of Mighty

Newsletter July 6th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... One thing I remember vividly from my (simulated) trip to the moon and the training that goes into it though the official US Space Academy's Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama in 1994, was that it took a herculean effort of thousands of people across centuries to understand atmosphere, space, flight, thermodynamics, hydraulics, chemistry, biology, and more to send humans into space. And one of the most delicate par

Celebrating Love

Newsletter June 30, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... As PRIDE month comes to a close, we settle in on July 1- this is also a date of importance for the LGBTQ+ community. On Wednesday, June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court (in United States v. Windsor) removed the limit of federal recognition of marriage to heterosexual couples only, which allowed for legal marriage to couples regardless of gender in California. This meant that the licenses would become widely availabl

A futuristic, high tech glowing piece of computer hardware

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Newsletter June 23, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... A global thinker on the topic of Articificial Intelligence recently shared that there is nothing intelligent about artificial intelligence. Why? Because it is simply based upon predictive text-- and not actual thought. And yet it can be an incredibly powerful resource and tool in the human yearning for efficiency and productivity and even entertainment. For instance, one can ask AI to share a chapter from the Talm

Stepping Back

Newsletter June 16, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... When my kids need a haircut and we have a few extra minutes in a day, I’ll take them to the closest place. Recently, this scenario led us to a Black-owned barber shop. As my kid pointed out, we were the only non-black people in the business and this point was definitely noticed by the staff as well, who immediately changed the rap music video on the television screen to a Marvel movie of action heroes. Did they chan

Self-Imposed Sabbatical

Newsletter June 9, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Usually, rabbis take sabbaticals after every 7 years or so for about a year. This is in alignment with that sabbatical cycle known as "shmeitah"/"release" outlined in the Torah that would let the land rest every seven years. A time to lay fallow. To regenerate and be restored. I have never taken a sabbatical, though I have now been a rabbi for 17 years. So, this year, I decided to take 10 days out to try this time-

A Traditional Jewish Wedding

Newsletter June 2, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “What a beautiful fully traditional Jewish wedding - I loved it!” commented a woman after a gay wedding I once officiated. She was in her 70s and from New York, and she said it with a smile. She loved the wedding-- her energy and warmth made me know she did love it, but it was her cheeky use of the words “traditional Jewish wedding” strung together at a gay marriage that really tickled me. In truth, each ritual e

Keeping AI Sacred

Newsletter May 26, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... When my grandma Kit (may her memory be a blessing), whose 105th birthday would have been today, was about 92 years old, I took her to her very first Korean BBQ restaurant. And she was totally up for it and loved it. It’s never too late to try new things. I have always admired those who invent and reinvent themselves. They try new things. Learn new skills. Put themselves out there. And find new iterations of who they

On Mourning and Memory

Newsletter May 19, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I decided to take a walk to think about writing this newsletter. I knew I wanted to share some thoughts on memory making and mourning in honor of the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend. And in the midst of walking and jotting down some notes via voice to text on my phone, I came across these gorgeous roses in the front yard of a home nearby. I instinctively stopped to proverbially smell the roses. Scientists say that smel

Working for Workers

Newsletter May 12, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... When government officials are elected into office, they enter into a sacred contract with the people—all of the people, not just those who voted for them. A significant part of that contract relies on their ability to recognize that money is green energy and to use it for good—and make policy that is fair to all of those who deal with money. They are tasked with the sacred obligation to grow institutions that create

Meeting Hate with Love

Newsletter May 5, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day that commemorates the courage and resilience of the Mexican people. While often misunderstood or commercialized in the U.S., this day marks a powerful moment of pride—the Mexican resistance and unexpected victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It invites us all to honor the strength of communities that have stood up against overwhelming odds. This year, it feels especially meaningful

Love and Loss

Newsletter April 28th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This week has been a week of mourning for many with Pope Francis' passing. Catholics from around the world have leaned on memorial rituals developed over thousands of years to move through their grief and ready themselves for a new pope via a conclave. As I watched the news, I have been thinking a lot about our own rituals of life and death in the Jewish tradition. I have thought about this lately, too, because w

Wild Dreams

Newsletter April 21st, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Lately, I have had all kinds of wild dreams eve everything from terrible fights for survival, to grand visions of enjoying conversations with deceased loved ones. And I’m not alone. Some of you have told me about dreams involving great feasts, and even a dream about me rapping at your upcoming wedding! That would certainly fulfill a dream- for me and for you! Ha! Is it a season of dreams? Maybe. The Jewish pe

Passover is Compassion Week

Newsletter April 14th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... My grandfather used to say, about giving public speeches, tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you told them. When we look at the elements of the Passover story, we can clearly see the message that is being conveyed— it is a lesson on compassion. During the Seder, in the section known as maggid/“the telling” we read the story of Passover from the end of the book of Genesis. It is

The First Seder

Newsletter April 7th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The pandemic caused a global shutdown 5 years ago, and that first Passover forced a lot of Jewish questions. Do you remember the context? All flights cancelled? Hospitals overrun with scores of people struggling to breathe? The makeshift morgues made from ice trucks? It was deeply distressing and we were overcome emotionally. During that time, we began to ask: Is it moral to force in-person gatherings when it

Flexible Like the Reed

Newsletter March 31st, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Judaism is counter-cultural. Or at least counter-intuitive. That’s what I love most about it. It can take one seemingly obvious idea and turn it on its head. And from this, extract great teachings. For example, Pirkei Avot/the Ethics of the Fathers- chapter four Mishnah 1 reminds us that the one who is wise is not the one with four college degrees. Rather, it is the person who learns from everyone. The one w

Shabbat in LA

Newsletter March 24th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This past weekend, my cousins were visiting from out of town. Accordingly, Melissa and I planned a solid itinerary of Los Angeles' iconic visitor spots. Santa Monica, TCL Theatre, The Grove, Malibu's Zuma Beach, the California Science Center, the Hollywood sign, and more. And the food spots! Deeelish. The best part? Our kids were most excited about a ton of quality time together. Time to play in a tent we put u

Holy Toast!

Newsletter March 17th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... There’s an Irish word used to toast as if to say "cheers!"— and that is “sláinte!” But it it is pronounced “slawn- cheh” and it means “health!” Sound familiar? In Jewish tradition, we toast “l’chayyim!” Meaning: “to life!” A few times now, I have officiated weddings where the couple toasts both l’chayyim! and sláinte! because they have Jewish and Irish roots. This happens when I am officiating for an Irish J

Esther and Herstory

Newsletter March 10th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Melissa and I met at Wellesley College, an institution of higher learning that welcomes the education of women, non-binary, and genderqueer people. Environments like this are critical as the weight of misogyny inhibits the full potential of people in these communities. And wow, was Wellesley a beautiful place for us to flex our leadership skills, delve deep into subject matter, and study free from the heavy inf

Connecting with Biblical Characters

Newsletter March 3rd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The Oscars were celebrated here in Los Angeles last night. The epic evening honors those who bring to life stories. Stories of challenge and triumph. Stories of tragedy and comedy. Stories of journey and soul-searching. Stories that connect us to our humanity. In the ancient world, there were no TVs or movie theatres— so what filled this purpose was scripture. There, a person could find tales of biblical heroes

Black Joy

Newsletter February 24th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The photo above is of me in 2001 at our Wellesley College Africana Studies majors dinner out in Boston. As part of the fulfillment of my degree, I took classes on Environmental Justice, Black Psychology, Media Studies with a focus on Race, African Religions, The Sociology of Domestic Work, The History of Jazz, and more. Each one of these classes gave me greater insight into the Black experience, an affirmation

Sacred Leadership

Newsletter February 17th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This past weekend was President’s Day weekend. Officially, federally, the holiday is known as Washington’s Birthday which celebrates the first US President’s birthday on the third Monday of February, even though his actual birthday is February 22. Interestingly, biblical scholars recognize that Moses’ birthday (and death day) was the 7th of the month of Adar which falls around the end of February normally as

Cross-country Compassion

Newsletter February 10th, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Twenty-two years ago, I began the first year of my rabbinic journey. And that first year, I was brought into community with people for whom Judaism was a deeply inspiring and lived experience. People who felt that love and affinity for the Jewish story, Jewish texts and values, and Jewish rhythms of time, and wanted to create ways for Jewish life and the Jewish people to thrive. I met people from Arkansas and

Joy as Resistance

Newsletter February 3rd, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Billy Crystal spoke at the Fire Aid concert this past week about the importance of humor- even amidst devastating life experiences. He learned this in 1963 when a beloved uncle employed humor at the shiva gathering following Crystal’s father’s untimely death. He saw how humor can help people move through awful experiences of loss. Humor helped him process the tragedy of 9/11 and humor is helping him and hi

Birth and Rebirth

Newsletter January 27, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... My birthday is this Saturday. (Celebrating this Friday night at services with Keeping It Sacred, register HERE). But really, I have had so many births and rebirths over the course of my life. Haven't we all? We are not the same person born into the world; we have pushed through challenges, we have endured unmentionable hardships, we have found our limits, and we have awaken to our loves and purpose. Our human e

Living Torah

Newsletter January 20, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... No one should ever feel like the Torah is a dusty old book with no relevance to today. Take the readings of last week, this week, and next week, for example. Headlines that echo today's news stories. Exodus 1:8: וַיָּ֥קׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖ש A new leader rises to power in Egypt; just as with the US inauguration today. Exodus 3:2: וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל׃ A bush is bur

City of Angels

Newsletter January 13, 2025 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The smoky air in my neighborhood from the fires cleared up yesterday, so I took a walk with my youngest. We held hands we talked and processed the evacuation and the news coverage we had seen, until we stopped in our tracks when we encountered a bobcat. It was majestic as it crossed the street in front of us, and I was in awe at its instinct to survive. Along with the caterpillar that I noticed later that crossed

It's a Small World

Newsletter January 6, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “Wherever you go, there’s always something Jewish,” goes the famous song by Rabbi Larry Milder. And, I’ll tell you, when my family and I travelled from Los Angeles to Manila, cities 7,300 miles apart, it was such a joy to meet up with Jewish folks in the Philippines. There’s a beautiful center in the capital city in a part of town called Makati. The building is two-stories of familiarity- from the administrative

Sharing Our Light

Newsletter December 30th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Last week, I wrote about how we are each navigating the darkness alone... and together. In this way, we are uplifting each other with our light. And, this whole Hanukkah week, we have shared light from our members around the world as they have kindled their menorahs -- from Wales to Arizona, from England to Los Angeles, from North Carolina to Ohio, France to Georgia. See the videos on our Instagram page HERE

Defiantly Kindling Lights

Newsletter December 23rd, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What must it have been like for the Maccabees, retaking control of the Temple after it had been defiled in 165 BCE? I imagine it all unfolding like a movie. The Maccabees shimmy through a broken door, and squint their eyes. With no electricity, and no lit menorahs, the Temple would have been pitch black. They stumble around in the darkness, feeling their way through, tripping on overturned benches and discarde

Publicize the Miracle

Newsletter December 16th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... One of the great Jewish traditions during Hanukkah is lighting the menorah (or Hanukkiah) in the window with the explicit intention of publicizing the miracle. But why is this act so important? Why must the miracle be shared with the world? And what significance does publicity hold in Judaism? In the Talmud (Shabbat 23b), Rava teaches that if a person has enough money for either Hanukkah candles or Shabbat k

What's in a Number?

Newsletter December 9th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... There are so many numbers packed with meaning in Jewish tradition: 1 is our monotheistic idea of God 2 are the two tablets (on which the 10 commandments were written) 3 are the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) 4 are the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah) 5 are the books of Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) 6 are the sections/seders of the Mishnah (known by the acronym

It Was Not Consumed

Newsletter December 2nd, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The first time Moses speaks to God, the encounter is described as talking to a blazing fire out of a bush. But when he looked, Moses noticed that the bush was aflame, yet it was not consumed (Exodus 3:2). This verse offers us profound insight: the Divine is not some distant figure in the sky, but as close to us as fire—mysterious, yet warm and comforting. It encourages us to be like Moses and honor holiness i

Thanks Amidst Struggle

Newsletter November 25th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Four people must offer thanksgiving: Those went down to the sea, Those who journeyed in the desert, Those who were sick but recovered, and the prisoners who have been set free. This is what Rav Yehudah said in the name of his teacher known as Rav, 1,750 years ago, as it was recorded in the Talmud (Berachot 54b). I am fascinated by the reasoning behind this mandate. The rabbis insist that each journey has r

The Value of Integrity

Newsletter November 18th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... How much is your integrity worth? I recently went online and ordered a print job at a local print shop with a 50% off coupon. When I went in to pick up the order, the cashier noted that she would apply their promotional 50% off coupon to the bill. "That's so nice of you, but I already got 50% off online," I disclosed, knowing full well that it might mean that I would lose the break on the bill. Wasn't my int

Sources of Spiritual Strength

Newsletter November 11th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... For a long time, I’ve said that therapy is a lot like prayer. That’s because, like therapy, prayer inspires introspection, analysis, exploration of feelings, hopes, and, eventually, growth and gratitude. The only difference is that therapy is prayer but also out-loud and to another person. Both have long been practices used for spiritual health and wellness. But prayer and therapy aren't the only tools in o

Qualities of Leadership

Newsletter November 4th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Among much required reading in rabbinical school, there is a book that is mandatory reading for rabbinical students (at least it was in my day) called, Rabbi As Symbolic Exemplar by Jack H. Bloom. The book aims at preparing those who would go into the rabbinate for the societal expectations placed upon rabbis. There is a fishbowl type experience where everything one does as a rabbi is examined carefully. Of cou

Looking Into Our Hearts

Newsletter October 28st, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... First of all, my heart is fine. I just went in for a regular check-up to make sure that everything that was supposed to be open was open and everything that was supposed to be closed was closed (as the Asher Yatzar prayer encourages us to appreciate each day). Everything is working properly, and for that I give thanks. It is truly is a miracle that our hearts beat each day of our lives. But as I was sitting t

Joy Through Fragility

Newsletter October 21st, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... People often ask why I smile a lot. The answer was simple: I survived a major tumor when I was 9 and ever since that time, I’ve exuded joy and appreciation for being alive. That gratitude is written all over my face. At that young age I learned that life is fragile. One minute I was rollerskating around my apartment complex with the wind through my hair. The next I was laid up in a hospital bed with a 5” in

We Did That. Together.

Newsletter October 14th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... So much gratitude for the entire Keeping It Sacred community who gathered for the high holy days-- we sang and read, studied and shared, asked ourselves hard questions and offered hopes for the year ahead. Our incredible team made it all possible! Cantorial Soloist Rachel Rothman lifted up the most beautiful musical prayer offerings, including TWO heart-stirring numbers with her beloved Tracy Cox, an incredible

Yom Kippur Edition

Newsletter October 7th, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Yesterday, members of the Keeping It Sacred community gathered online and in person for a beautiful Tashlich ritual of casting physical representations of our spiritual heaviness from the past year into the ocean. Many thanks to all who participated. The Holiest Day of the Year begins this Friday night. It is not only Shabbat but Yom Kippur is also known as the Shabbat of Shabbats. Meaning: if we reflect on ho

Rosh Hashanah Edition

Newsletter September 30, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The Jewish new year known as Rosh Hashanah begins Wednesday night! This is a time to pause and appreciate the creation of the world. The sky and stars and trees, oceans, mountains, animals and plants. We take in the beauty and abundance all around. At this season, pomegranates famously ripen on the bush. And in Judaism, the pomegranate symbolizes this time of year, and it also symbolizes our learning. How? B

Auspicious Animals

Newsletter September 23, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... When my stepdad, Mike, diagnosed with terminal cancer, lay on his deathbed, I noticed something beautiful. There was a stoic little green praying mantis perched outside on the front door . It stayed there for the last week of Mike’s life, and was a great source of comfort for our whole family as we visited dutifully day in and day out. A symbol that we were all surrounded by prayer, perhaps? A symbol that natur

The Days of Awe

Newsletter September 16, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... We are in FULL SWING over here preparing for the High Holy Days. Digital Marketing Director Molly Flanagan, Cantorial Soloists Rachel Rothman and Max Winer, Lecturer Kimberly Duenas, KITS Creativity Club leaders Sheryl Aronson and Wendy Stiver, and I have all been working to bring you an experience that is thoughtful, moving, empowering, and ultimately (hopefully) transformative. We all want you to have a great

Ebb and Flow

Newsletter September 9, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “A time to be born, a time to die…. There is a season to every purpose under heaven.” These are the famous words of the book of Ecclesiastes, made popular by The Byrds in 1965, and they still move us today. They remind us of the cyclical nature of life. As a rabbi, I have an up-close view of these rhythms. One weekend a funeral, the next a baby naming. Add in b-mitzvahs and weddings and we have a full cycl

Hearing With Our Hearts

Newsletter September 2, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... While in rabbinical school in New York, I served a community known as the Hebrew Association of the Deaf. It is a community of people who have reduced or no capacity to hear – which understandably made the recitation of the Shema difficult to lead. Why? Because it is known as the “watchword of our faith” but is really more of an instruction to: “Hear O Israel, Adonai is Our God, Adonai is One.” The instruction t

The Power of Welcome

Newsletter August 26, 2024 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... The Great Rabbi Shammai would say, “greet everyone with a cheerful countenance.” The Mishnah (Pirkei Avot 1:15) recorded this important maxim from over 1800 years ago that is still good practice today. Shammai encourages a welcoming presence when meeting others. This sage wisdom was definitely a theme of this past weekend. It began Friday, with my eldest welcoming a classmate new to the school to our KITS S

A Time to Celebrate

Newsletter October 2, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Happy Sukkot! It is a great time to get out into the great outdoors and appreciate the gifts of the natural world. It is also a great time to get into our sukkah and celebrate members of our community. Since it is National Hispanic American Heritage Month, what a fitting time to celebrate the beauty, creativity, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino Jewish community. I am so proud that KITS has enjoyed le

Grateful & Connected

Newsletter September 25, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... This High Holy Day Season, I am certainly feeling grateful & connected: to my souls' inner workings; to the natural world around; and to our incredible Keeping It Sacred community. We may be thousands or even tens of thousands of miles apart, but we are connected. Connected in our authenticity and sincerity. Connected in our love of the exploration of all things sacred. Connected in our.... joyful nerdiness!

The Halfway Point

Newsletter September 18, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Mazal tov to all the Daf Yomi scholars- this Wednesday, we will have officially completed our 1356th page of Talmud, with only 1355 pages left to go! That’s right, we will hit the halfway point of over 44 months of consecutive study! We are halfway through this marathon and that's something to be proud of. We are making our way through the sea of Talmud one day at a time, one page at a time. And that takes d

The Oregon Trail

Newsletter September 14, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... In the '80s a video game called The Oregon Trail became wildly popular. It had been written by an 8th grade history teacher to teach kids about "the realities of 19th-century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail." The built in challenge of the game was that players' video game characters would often die along their travels to the coast, usually of some tragic disease. The trail became legendary especially to folks

Weights and Measures

Newsletter September 4, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... All across Los Angeles this summer, workers went on strike. Hotel workers, screen actors, script writers, UPS drivers, sanitation workers, lifeguards, and others took a stand against unfair labor practices. The cost of living has become much higher than the minimum wage, leaving folks with no choice but to strike. I have spent countless hours at labor strikes over the year, and this summer felt different. It f

The Report Card

Newsletter August 28, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Today is the 60th anniversary of the March On Washington, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech (listen to it HERE). A day that would call upon millions of people to notice the prevailing racial injustices and imagine a world of equity and inclusion. It would inspire folks to act for desegregation of lunch counters and schools and pools, it would work for equity in hiring

And One for Good Luck

Newsletter August 21, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Shalom! Today is our Keeping It Sacred community 3rd birthday- do something to celebrate yourself! On our cake would be 3 candles plus one for good luck-- I always appreciated that extra "one for good luck" candle. An extra blessing for goodness and the promise of good things to come in the year ahead. Mazal Tov literally, actually, translates to "good luck"-- (mazal meaning "luck" and tov meaning "good"). In Je

Setting A Refresh

Newsletter August 14, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Robert Fulghum wrote a book called, All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten. I always loved this observation-- because it rings so true. Kindergarten is where we learn to play fair, clean up our own mess, and say you're sorry when you hurt someone. And also, I would add, we learn to take a break as the calendar includes intentional times of Winter break, Spring break, and Summer break. Now, as Summe

Fear of Joy

Newsletter August 7, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Did I ever tell you about that time when I was in a Party City with my eldest buying decorations for his birthday party, and a Pointer Sisters song came on? Standing in line to pay, I began lip syncing the song. Other patrons in line say this joy and joined me. And there we were, grown adults belting out “I’m So Excited,” on a random Tuesday afternoon, uniting folks across generation and race. One participant was h

A Forever Kind of Love

Newsletter July 31, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... They were just joking around. Sharing laughs and talking exchanging I love yous, which became I love you MOREs, and finally, he said, "I love you forever!" But he said it in this cartoonish voice. Which she insisted he say again, but this time she would record it. And this voice would be played back again and replayed at various moments across their life together. At silly moments, at tense moments, and at moments

A Bag of Fun

Newsletter July 24, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... “You’re a bag of fun.” “You always keep things interesting.” “You keep me on my toes!” These are all things doctors have said to me. Why? Because of the oddities of my medical history. Beginning in my youth with a rare teratoma tumor on my ovary, through all kinds of challenges with my nose and lungs and uterus and toe and most recently with my esophagus. Yes, last week I was diagnosed with something called eosino

Farewell Tour

Newsletter July 10, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Last night, Elton John played his final concert of his Farewell Tour. Before ending, it is reported that he expressed gratitude for the experience of pure joy making music for people over the years. He dedicated his hit, “Don’t let the sun go down on me” to his band and crew. Chris Martin, of the band Coldplay, was there and took a moment to thank Elton John on behalf of all of the artists he inspired. One might

Sweet Innovation

Newsletter July 3, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Call us the funfetti challah over here! (Yes, this is an actual picture of a challah our esteemed KITS Community member, Diana Yin Braker baked for our Shabbat gathering this past Friday night). Why are we the funfetti challah? Because we are doing things differently. We are giving ourselves the freedom to think about expressions of Jewish life in ways that speak to us today-- with color, joy, sweetness, and yes, t

Labor Justice

Newsletter June 26, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... More than 17,000 hotel industry workers in Los Angeles are on the verge of a major strike. And last Thursday, they led a demonstration at LAX to voice their concerns. Their minimum wage is around $18/hr, but the problem is that a living wage in Los Angeles is $39/hr. Because of this gap between minimum wage and living wage, many hotel industry workers have moved outside of the county to find more affordable housin

Ethics into Action

Newsletter June 19, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Keeping It Sacred is a multiracial community committed to the unwavering pursuit of social justice and a radically inclusive ethic. So what does that mean in terms of our practice? How do we turn our ethics into action? This is a critical question in an age where corporations can virtue signal with lovely mission statements and glossy advertisements that include a diverse set of models, but then who exploit worke

Taking the Dare

Newsletter June 12, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... I was dared to do it. Okay, really it was more like a challenge. A rabbinic colleague of mine who I have met several times now online, and have gotten to know and respect greatly, challenged me to write a blessing for when we actually meet LIVE in person in 3D. This is what a rabbinic dare looks like! BLESSING FOR MEETING IN PERSON: Baruch Ata Adonai, Blessed are You Creator of All, who gave humanity the ability t

The Deep Pause

Newsletter June 5, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Before a person shares a truth about their life, there's a moment of deep pause that happens. The pause may last a split second or decades, but in that moment, a person calculates if it is safe to share more of who they are authentically. In the queer community, that moment precedes their courageous truth-telling, correcting false assumptions society makes on their gender or orientation. That moment can be terrifyi

Illuminated by Torah

Newsletter May 29, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Rabbi Yohanan was known to have a glow about him-- from Torah. The Babylonian Talmud Bearchot 20a tells us that he was so radiant that his appearance before pregnant women would yield beautiful offspring. Berachot 5 described the light from his arm as filling the entire house. Jewish tradition teaches us that Torah scholars are vessels for the pure light of Torah. Receiving revelation is measured in illumination.

Marking Sacred Time

Newsletter May 22, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... At the heart of every Jewish ritual is the marking of sacred time. Its purpose is to attune ourselves to the transformational power of the changes in our lives however big or small. Whether celebrating the new week or a new baby, rituals give us pause to appreciate precisely where we are in life and our existence. We take a moment to pause: Where are you in your life right now? What kinds of transitions are you p

The Rhetoric of Innovation

Newsletter May 15, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What does innovation look like? At the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion ordination ceremonies yesterday, my dear friend and colleague Rabbi Jocee Hudson shared a vision. She was at a local park where she and her kids discovered that their favorite park play structure had been crushed by a giant fallen tree. Rather than bemoan the fact that global warming and the recent storms had left the swings an

Bringing In the Love

Newsletter May 8, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Hate groups often liken themselves to storms. I can think of several groups and publishing venues that use some form of this moniker (but I won't publish them here because of the way internet algorithms work). Let's just say that naming the perennial villains in the Star Wars franchise as "stormtroopers" is fitting. Storms blow in, clouding skies, ruining bright, sunny days, and warm weather. Storms ruin picnics. They

Making a Rabbi

Newsletter May 1, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What makes a rabbi, a rabbi? Is it on the day of ordination when it is declared in front of all assembled? Is it when the first contract with a congregation is signed? Or at the publishing of the first book, or first wedding officiated, or first funeral led? Is it earlier, perhaps at the first calling to pursue the rabbinate as more than a vocation, but a way of life? This Thursday marks my 15th year since my ordi

Connecting Pains

Newsletter April 24, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Charting rap artist Meek Mill visited Auschwitz this past month. He joined over 10,000 people on the March of the Living, a program most famous for encouraging young adults to understand the dangers of hate through an exploration of the death camps. A CNN article noted: “Mill said he went to Auschwitz to ‘see this for myself and learn about it for myself,’ describing what he saw there as ‘terror, pain, something yo

Sacred Resistance

Newsletter April 17, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Tonight we light a candle for the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. For the five million also killed who were people with disabilities, or those who were Catholic or queer or Roma, or who were killed for their political beliefs. And also for those who fit many of these categories all at once. We also know that the Holocaust has never only been about victimhood. Unwieldy amounts of power and hate

Fan Fiction

Newsletter April 10, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... They say we’re the people of the book, but really we are the people of the question. The Jewish people love questions and even when we disagree with someone, we are supposed to phrase it in the form of a question, like some sort of Jeopardy-inspired challenge. We love questions--especially during Passover. That’s why during the Seder we have four questions build right into the order of the service dictated by the

Going Under

Newsletter April 3, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Today, I’m having surgery. Just a small outpatient procedure, that requires full anesthesia. A journey that invites all the questions. Not just the medical “whys” but the theological ones, too. Why is this happening? Why now? Why me? Questions that I began asking at the tender age of 9 years old when I was diagnosed with a 16cm teratoma tumor on my left ovary. At first, I tried to answer with scientific explanations

Making Visible the Invisible

Newsletter March 27, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... How can you tell someone’s intentions? You can’t. Not unless they back them up with action, making the invisible visible. If you have been paying attention to international news lately, you will have been flooded with information about the mass protests taking place in Israel right now. Reports have indicated that 200,000 dedicated Israelis flooded the streets in Tel Aviv with 430,000 more gathering in Jerusalem

The Most Daring Things

Newsletter March 20, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... What is the most daring thing you have ever done? This was a question that showed up one year on the common application for colleges to get to know high school applicants. Readers read though thousands of answers. Some cited volunteer work they had done in far-away countries; other described the courage they mustered before a scholastic competition, a glorious act of bravery in the course of an athletic performa

Unlocking Genius

Newsletter March 13, 2022 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... A 17th century Yemenite poem by Jewish poet Saleem Al-Shabazi was recorded by iconic Israeli singer Ofra Haza and reached Europe’s Billboard top-20 chart in 1986. Hear it HERE. The lyrics (אם ננעלו דלתי נדיבים דלתי מרום לא ננעלו /Im nin'alu daltei n'divim daltei marom lo nin'alu ) insist on the theological idea that even if humans lock gates, the gates of Heaven are always unlocked. I, and apparently many Euro