When Rest Isn't Restful
- Rabbi Heather Miller
- Jan 25
- 16 min read
Updated: Jul 29
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, or with a headache. It’s not cute.
Everyone needs to rest, and Jewish tradition codifies a day of rest in our tradition - that is of course the weekly holy day of Shabbat. It is a time meant to unplug and reconnect with God, ourselves, and our community.
But many times now, and many more throughout history, the sabbath day has been desecrated and become a day of high alert, anguish and terror. The Shabbat of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, Poway, Colleyville. October 7. And this past Saturday, when ICU nurse and healer Alex Pretti, may his memory be for a blessing, was executed by ICE officers as he was attempting to tend to a woman who had been pepper sprayed and shoved into a car. In the context of the recent killings of Keith Porter and Renee Good (and world history) this understandably sends a shiver down our spine.
And these are just a few of the recent tragedies that occurred on days meant to be days of rest but instead were turned into days of unrest. For weeks after such events, I feel as though I am playing catch up with my body’s need for rest, but the events keep cycling in my heart and mind demanding attention and energy because of their scope and scale and the fears about what they mean for our future.
What happens when rest isn’t restful?
I know many of you have been struggling with this question. Feeling like our ability to rest has been desecrated. And it has been. We can't catch a break and definitely can't catch our breath. So, we have to get really intentional about how we spend our time. How to focus and do the things that lift us up. Not things that will drain us of our precious energy-- at least not all of the time.
Part of our challenge these days is to guard our waking hours carefully; to prioritize what matters, build lives of meaning with communities doing so, and finding room for gratitude. Even for the small things.
If you are feeling spiritually discouraged, I invite you to join our Healing Circle to find community, give voice to the challenges we face as individuals and as a community. If this activity doesn't itself lend hope and calming, this, I find, fights the additional fear of feeling alone. And this community making is how we're keeping it sacred.
Together, we're #keepingitsacred...
Rabbi Heather Miller
Founder, Keeping It Sacred
SPIRITUAL GENTLENESS BOOK CLUB
FEBRUARY 9TH 4PM PT/7PM ET – Are you interested in holding spiritual space for healing through reading and community? Then please consider joining our KITS Spiritual Gentleness Book Club (SGBC) led by members Ashleigh and Tracy.
The SGBC explores books in monthly meetings, with topics and discussions centered on the questions that arise for those who are new to Judaism.
With a collaborative approach to book discussion, we envision this book club as a place to make new friends, have nuanced and meaningful discussions, and deepen our relationships with Judaism.
We are now reading Heart of a Stranger by Angela Buchdahl. We will review Chapters 7-19 on February 9th. Please join us.
MORNING SHABBAT
FEBRUARY 28TH 10AM PT/1PM ET – Give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate in community with monthly Shabbat Services. Rabbi Miller and possibly Max Winer will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. This month we are mixing it up, and meeting on Shabbat morning instead of our regular Friday night-- we are hoping to do a hamantaschen bake that day-- mmmm! This will precede a kids singalong service.
10am Hamantaschen making and baking
10:30am Shabbat Singalong for Kids of All Ages (online portion of the program)
Eating Hamantaschen immediately to follow.
Enjoy some chill time in community. Join us! No experience necessary.
If you plan to join in person (with schmoozing afterwards), please email Rabbi Miller at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com.
And if you plan to join us online, please know the service is interactive so plan to participate via the text chat and by keeping your camera on if possible-- to do that, register here:keepingitsacred.com/upcoming (https://www.keepingitsacred.com/event-details/morning-shabbat)
IN LOVING MEMORY OF JEROLD BERGER, Z"L
Our cherished Keeping It Sacred member Jerold Berger, z”l, recently passed away. He is survived by his loving wife, Jody, son Michael, and Michael’s wife and kids. Rabbi Miller officiated the funeral Sunday, and there, he was remembered as having a deeply compassionate, kind heart, and a brilliant mind. He was loved for his dedication to those around him, and enduring service to the community.
He captivated and amused those around him with the phrasing of his words, and his earnest attempts at camping- especially that time he tried to stuff all of his newly purchased camping gear into a tiny Le Car. His dedication to helping those around him included caring for an ailing cat and raising many birds, serving his clients with great devotion as an LA County Public Defender, and helping various community organizations with legal expertise.
He was committed to teaching his son’s mock trial team for four years, and to bonding over creating stock portfolios and the intense research and quant analysis it required. He loved his time in the Navy, tai chi, sailing, and especially dancing with his loving wife, Jody.
The entire global Keeping It Sacred community wishes him fairwinds and following seas. In loving memory.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF RABBI MARTIN COHEN, PHD, Z"L
From Rabbi Miller:
One of my beloved professors, Rabbi Martin A. Cohen, Ph.D. (who signed all of his emails "MAC"), recently passed. More about this bio below. But he was a great historian and encourager of each of his students. He would always insist on scholarship, pride in being Jewish, and kindness. His classes were a bright light in my education, and anytime I speak on Proto-Rabbinic Judaism, Sephardic Traditions, the Portuguese and Spanish Expulsions of Jews, or Talmudic Reforms, he encouraged my learning on these topics. I am grateful for his influence. We are all his students. May he rest in peace.
From HUC: Rabbi Martin A. Cohen, Ph.D. (1928–2026) was a distinguished historian, rabbi, and educator whose many decades of scholarship and teaching shaped generations of students at Hebrew Union College. Born in Philadelphia, he earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania before receiving rabbinic ordination in 1957 and a Ph.D. from Hebrew Union College. A member of the Hebrew Union College faculty since 1955, he served the New York campus as the Adolph S. Ochs Professor of History from 1962 until his passing.
Rabbi Cohen was a beloved scholar and a recognized authority on Jewish history, theology, and Sephardic studies. His publications included The Martyr, Two Sister Faiths, Sephardim in the Americas (a special double issue of the American Jewish Archives journal), and a celebrated English translation of Samuel Usque’s Consolation for the Tribulations of Israel. He also held visiting professorships at institutions including Antioch College, Temple University, and Hunter College.
KITS CREATIVITY CLUB
FEBRUARY 8TH 9AM PT/12PM ET – Calling all creative people and people who want to create! Enjoy a chance to hang out with other Keeping It Sacred community members, get to know each other better.
On February 8, we are going to experiment with shapes. Bring paper, pencil, and either colored pencils, paints, markers, or something to add color with. While we create, we can do what we love most, chat.
Please join us. Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming
REPRO RIGHTS STUDY SESSION
FEBRUARY 13TH 10AM PT/1PM ET – Save the Date! Keeping It Sacred joins dozens of communities around the US for a discussion on the intersection between Jewish values and Reproductive rights. Come explore what the sages had to say about the start of life, protecting the health of the pregnant person, and more.
Please join us. Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming
ADAR ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE BOOK REVIEW
FEBRUARY 19TH 9:30AM PT/12:30PM ET – Rosh Chodesh means “head of the month” and celebrates the new moon ushering the new Hebrew calendar month. So, at Keeping It Sacred, we are committed to beginning each month with a compassionate, principled vision of racial justice.
During this session we will continue with chapter 3 of our study text,
In Open Contempt by Irvin Weathersby Jr.
Please join us. Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming
2026 CONFERENCE ON THE JEWISH LEFT
We wanted to bring you news of this conference. If you are able to attend please contact Rabbi Miller at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com so that she can connect you with others going.
Founded in 2024, Boston University’s annual “Conference on the Jewish Left” gathers together scholars, students, and global partners of the Jewish left. At a time when foundational principles of justice and democracy are under attack, the conference provides an educational space to bridge the academic-community divide, and to explore the Jewish left’s values, institutions, and impact.
The conference aims to tackle pressing public questions and to empower the next generation of leaders to make a real-world difference in the critical challenges facing humanity and the earth today. Register here: bu.edu/cura/recent-news-and-happenings/the-jewish-left-2026/
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Location (unless otherwise noted): George Sherman Union • Boston University • 775 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston.
Attendees can register to attend the conference in-person or via livestream.
WRN NAMES RABBI RACHEL VAN THYN AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Recently, our own Rabbi Miller wrapped up service on the Hiring Committee for the Women's Rabbinic Network. She was asked to serve in this capacity since she had served on the group's Board of Directors for 5 years.
The search for a new Executive Director recently concluded and Rabbi Rachel Van Thyn, known as RVT, has been named!
A chaplain, educator, and entrepreneurial rabbi, RVT brings broad experience to a changing rabbinate. The Women’s Rabbinic Network announced the news this week. She will assume the role in July. Read more here!
Mazal Tov to the hiring committee and to the entire WRN community!
ONLY 500 PAGES OF DAF YOMI LEFT!
Only 500 pages of Daf Yomi left. A sacred journey, nearing a sacred milestone.Since January 5, 2020, we have read page of Talmud each day. As of this last week, we have read 2,211 pages which means we only have 500 pages left! We are on the home stretch!
HEALING CIRCLE & TALMUD TEXT STUDY EVERY THURSDAY
JOIN our healing circle EVERY THURSDAY at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET holding space for all looking for prayers for healing.
Immediately following that: at 11am PT/2pm ET, join us as we jump into a conversation with the rabbinic sages of old. We enjoy studying a page of Talmud every day and reviewing together every Thursday, adding our perspectives and the relevance to our own lives as we go along. We enjoy participation from participants across the world who span the spectrum of race, gender, class, age, and connection to Jewish thought.
The rabbis could never have imagined such a wonderful group considering their thoughts!
What people say:
"Yesterday's class was superb!! I remain impressed by so many things that you do! You are able to keep us on track, share (some of) your knowledge with us, make all sorts of connections to the Jewish and secular worlds, and meet each of us where we are! Kudos to you!!"
"Talmud study has opened a window to that world for me. I love the anthropology and sociology of it all."
"The minority opinions may someday count as much as the majority opinions. It reminds us that things change the Halacha changes and we change each year that we read it."
"We have the opportunity to compare the Halacha we are practicing today with the one they were writing and studying in the Talmud... It has been very interesting how things have evolved how we keep the tradition in our own way."
"I feel very close to this amazing group and I'm grateful to Rabbi Miller for conducting it."
To join, please register HERE. And look for us on Instagram HERE.
ALSO we have been studying the construction of the Second Temple-- check out this awesome link to a tour through a virtual representation of the Second Temple to help visualize what we're studying HERE.
WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT KEEPING IT SACRED?
The best part of our community are our people. So, for our Keeping It Sacred 5 year anniversary, Rabbi Miller asked these members to share their thoughts on our community. These videos were shared at our celebration, and now you have the chance to see what people are saying in full HERE!
Or, you can click on the links below to hear from each of the participants. MAZAL TOV to everyone in the KITS global community for building this community by, with, and for one another!
Together, we're #keepingitsacred...
NOW CASTING RURAL JEWISH INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES!
From a KITS connection (passing on this information for your review): We are seeking Jewish individuals and families living in rural or small-town America to participate in a social media series exploring what Jewish life looks like outside major cities. We're especially interested in people with unique, personal backstories - those living Jewish lives that may be unconventional, unexpected, or shaped by their surroundings. This includes (but is not limited to) individuals and families who are:
In interfaith or inter-cultural relationships
Practicing Judaism alongside other religious traditions
Navigating Jewish identity in places with little or no Jewish infrastructure
Creating community in creative or nontraditional ways
To apply, please submit:
A brief written description of yourself (or your family)
A 3-5 minute self-tape (a video filmed on your phone is perfectly fine!) introducing yourself, sharing your backstory, and walking us through a day in your small-town Jewish life
We're looking for honesty, specificity, and heart - not polish. Just be yourself! Email submissions to: SWCasting1@gmail.com
ADD THE KITS CALENDARS TO YOURS AND NEVER MISS AN EVENT!
Keep up with KITS programming! KITS offers events at least twice a week, make sure you’re in the know by adding the Google Calendar here or
To subscribe on iCal, copy and paste the following link into your calendar app's 'Add Calendar by URL' option: webcal://p164-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/MTAwNTkyMDg4MjcxMDA1OQR0fuSCoir8-IUKE7Pl_mtLL6wCWL8UsFQl0SOGOutaVvSGypiGpw8QpGzN3GB97CHqafkuA4hx2U97b43we1c
LET'S CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Join us online at: keepingitsacred.com, Instagram accounts @hearabbi and @keepingitsacred, our Facebook pages HERE and HERE, YouTube Channel HERE and podcasts everywhere. Join us there for updated Talmud posts, Torah commentary, inspirations and invitations to gather online and in person.
Whether you found us through a friend, neighbor, a listserve or browsing the internet, we are glad you're here!
HELP US KEEP IT SACRED
Love the Newsletter? Help Keep It Sacred!
If you’re reading this, you’re part of the Keeping It Sacred community—no dues, no gatekeeping, just connection, learning, and inspiration.
Many of you tell us how much the newsletter means to you—like this note from a reader:“Rabbi, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of emails that flood my inbox daily. The majority are deleted without hesitation. Then there are those that are work related or personal. Then there are yours. When I read your emails, they fill a void I didn't even know was there. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.”
We’re so grateful to everyone who makes this possible through generous contributions.
If this newsletter brings you insight, comfort, or a sense of belonging, please consider making a donation today to help us keep it going strong.
Give here: keepingitsacred.com/our-future
Thank you for being part of our sacred community.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
iCal USER?
If you use iCal and would like the complete Keeping It Sacred calendar added to your calendar, click HERE. This way you won't miss an opportunity to connect via our LIVE activities.
EVERY DAY
Please enjoy TWO seasons of our 7-episode web series People Keeping It Sacred and our Jewish Holiday series called "A Bit About..." both available on YouTube HERE and via podcast on your favorite podcast player including: PocketCasts, Apple + Podcasts, Spotify and more HERE.
ONGOING: SPIRITUAL COUNSELING
Rabbi Miller is available for 1-on-1 spiritual counseling; pay what you can. Topics are based upon the participant and can include your personal theological understanding of coronavirus, spiritually making space for others in your home, the spirituality of isolation and finding your way back to sacred connection. For more information, click HERE.
1/29 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
1/29 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
2/08 CREATIVITY CLUB
Enjoy a chance to hang out with other Keeping It Sacred community members, get to know each other better, and create. Bring your favorite form of creativity to work on, Art, Baking, Craft, Dance, etc. and share inspiration. Some weeks will include someone teaching how to do a project/technique, other weeks will be purely socializing while we do our own things.
2/09 SPIRITUAL GENTLENESS BOOK CLUB
Are you interested in holding spiritual space for healing through reading and community? Then please consider joining the new KITS Spiritual Gentleness Book Club (SGBC) led by members Ashleigh and Tracy! Gatherings held on the second Monday of the month at 4pm PT/7pm ET.
2/12 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
2/12 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
2/13 REPRO RIGHTS STUDY SESSION – 10AM PT -- Save the Date! Keeping It Sacred joins dozens of communities around the US for a discussion on the intersection between Jewish values and Reproductive rights. Come explore what the sages had to say about the start of life, protecting the health of the pregnant person, and more.
2/19 ADAR ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE BOOK CLUB
We will be reviewing our study text, “In Open Contempt" by Irvin Weathersby Jr. Rosh Chodesh means “head of the month” and celebrates the new moon ushering the new Hebrew calendar month. So, at Keeping It Sacred, we are committed to beginning each month with a compassionate, principled vision of racial justice. During this session we will continue with chapter 3 at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET.Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming
2/19 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
2/19 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
2/22 CREATIVITY CLUB
Enjoy a chance to hang out with other Keeping It Sacred community members, get to know each other better, and create. Bring your favorite form of creativity to work on, Art, Baking, Craft, Dance, etc. and share inspiration. Some weeks will include someone teaching how to do a project/technique, other weeks will be purely socializing while we do our own things.
2/26 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
2/26 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
2/28 MORNING SHABBAT
Give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate in community with monthly Shabbat Services. Rabbi Miller will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song every month. This month we are mixing it up, and meeting on Shabbat morning instead. The service is designed to be tight but meaningful and interactive. Join us! No experience necessary.
3/05 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
3/05 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
3/08 CREATIVITY CLUB
Enjoy a chance to hang out with other Keeping It Sacred community members, get to know each other better, and create. Bring your favorite form of creativity to work on, Art, Baking, Craft, Dance, etc. and share inspiration. Some weeks will include someone teaching how to do a project/technique, other weeks will be purely socializing while we do our own things.
3/09 SPIRITUAL GENTLENESS BOOK CLUB
Are you interested in holding spiritual space for healing through reading and community? Then please consider joining the new KITS Spiritual Gentleness Book Club (SGBC) led by members Ashleigh and Tracy! Gatherings held on the second Monday of the month at 4pm PT/7pm ET.
3/12 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
3/12 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
3/19 NISAN ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE BOOK CLUB
We will be reviewing our study text, “In Open Contempt" by Irvin Weathersby Jr. Rosh Chodesh means “head of the month” and celebrates the new moon ushering the new Hebrew calendar month. So, at Keeping It Sacred, we are committed to beginning each month with a compassionate, principled vision of racial justice. During this session we will continue with chapter 4 at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET.Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming
3/19 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
3/19 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
3/20 QUEEN'S SHABBAT
Give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate in community with monthly Shabbat Services. Rabbi Miller and Max Winer will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song the last Friday of every month. Rabbi Miller is our rabbi! And, Max Winer is a storyteller, song leader, and musician who uses these creative expressions to help create community, facilitate learning, and inspire a love of Judaism.
3/26 HEALING CIRCLE
Thursdays at 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET. Join us as we gather every Thursday for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill and join together for support and community. All are welcome.
3/26 PAGE-A-DAY OF TALMUD DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP
Thursdays at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join us as we review the past week's Talmud readings in sacred international community. No experience necessary but be ready for some interesting discussions. Bring what you know about Torah, but also what you know to be true from your own life. Your insights are appreciated.
THANK YOU!
You are a cherished member of this community, and we love to hear from you-- what questions do you have? Reach out to rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com or via phone at 818-312-8388 anytime to let us know what you’re finding meaningful, inspiring and what you’d like to see.
Together, we're #keepingitsacred...
For more information, please see the full newsletter and our full newsletter archive at keepingitsacred.com/news
And to sign up for the newsletter every week, please sign up at the bottom of the page in the purple boxes-- we just need your name and email address.
Thanks for your interest, and thanks for #keepingitsacred…
