Podcasts about Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

“Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out.” The idea is deceptively simple and strongly rooted in Jewish tradition. To change society, individuals must first address their own attitudes, biases and inner lives. Easy to say, much harder to carry out. With funding from the Wabash Center, Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Rabbi Alex Weissman decided to try this approach at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which is committed to anti-racism. Working with faculty, Lawson and Weissman led a year-long process grounded in mussar (Jewish ethical practice.) The work was set to begin in earnest on Oct. 17, 2023. In this episode, Weissman and Lawson talk about how the attacks of Oct. 7 and subsequent war cast a shadow over the project but ultimately led to some important insights about how racism has impact Jewish institutions. They also address why, in an age of skyrocketing antisemitism, it's as important as ever for Jewish communities to address racism. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guests: Rabbi Alex Weissman and Rabbi Sandra Lawson.

This episode of A People's Theology is sponsored by United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Receive a $1,000 scholarship when you apply and are admitted: unitedseminary.edu/apeoplestheology Use this link to register for Q Christian Fellowship Conference 2025 and use the discount code "THEOLOGY" to receive 10% off your ticket. Watch full episodes of A People's Theology: youtube.com/@APeoplesTheology Mason chats with Rabbis Ariana Katz and Jessica Rosenberg. They talk about Anti-Zionist Jewish theology, why they are in support of Palestinian liberation, and the radical Jewish tradition. Guest Bios: Rabbi Ariana Katz is the founding rabbi of Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl, a warm and joyful congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg is an organizer, activist, and writer based in South Minneapolis. She is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and core organizer of the Radical Jewish Calendar project. Check out their book here. Get connected to Mason: masonmennenga.com Buy merch of your favorite tweet of mine: masonmennenga.com/store Patreon: patreon.com/masonmennenga Twitter: @masonmennenga Facebook: facebook.com/mason.mennenga Instagram: masonmennenga Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not easy to talk about and process the first anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, when war continues to widen, hostages remain in Gaza and a ceasefire seems less and likely. This episode aims to model such a conversation. In a wide-ranging interview featuring Rabbi Mira Wasserman, Ph.D., interim vice president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Elliott Glassenberg, senior educator at BINA: the Jewish Movement for Social Change, they and Bryan discuss Oct. 7 and how Israeli and American Jews have been impacted. They also explain the relationship between RRC and BINA and how it may be more important than ever for rabbis serving in the Diaspora to devote time to better understanding the dynamics of Israeli society. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guests: Elliot Glassenberg and Rabbi Mira Beth Wasserman, Ph.D..

Send us a Text Message.Episode 469- Finding Faith in Recovery: Rabbi Michael Perice's Story of Redemption and ServiceJoin me and Rabbi Michael Perice, who have an inspiring discussion about the his journey. Michael's  story is incredible and one you won't want to miss. As a nationally recognized rabbi in the addiction and mental health space, Rabbi Perice is making a profound impact on the lives of individuals seeking to overcome addiction. Rabbi Perice:Began recovery from opioid addiction in 2011Ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2020Served as senior rabbi at Temple Sinai in Cinnaminson, New JerseyAppointed senior rabbi at Beit T'Shuvah, a Los Angeles-based addiction recovery community, treatment center, synagogue, and educational instituteNationally recognized rabbi in the addiction and mental health spaceAdvises non-profits, major health institutions, and congressional legislators on addiction and recovery issuesSpeaks at synagogues, medical schools, and community spaces to raise awareness and access to addiction treatmentUses his own story of recovery to inspire others and reduce the stigma around addictionRemember to reach out to your doctor prior to getting sober. Be sure to connect with Busy Living Sober! Patreon: https://patreon.com/busylivingsoberpodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/busylivingsoberpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busylivingsober YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethchance  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@busylivingsoberwithec X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BusyLivingSober   Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elizabethlchance/busy-living-sober/     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance/ Sign up for email updates: http://eepurl.com/iDtRnw  For more information, feel free to reach out to me at elizabeth@elizabethchance.comIf you want to reach Rabbi Michael Perice Email: pericemichael@gmail.comLinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-perice-49b96159/   Instagram:  Michael Perice (@rabbimichaelperice)Thanks for listening! Always remember, you're not alone! Remember you can reach out to me at elizabeth@elizabethchance.com You are NOT ALONE I PROMISE! Wishing you a happy, happy!Love, Elizabeth aka Bizzy

Professor Elsie Stern shares how Acharei Mot acts as the bridge between the two sections of Vayikra. Elsie Stern is Professor of Bible at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She received her BA from Yale University and her M.A. and PhD from the University of Chicago. Stern is the author of From Rebuke to Consolation: Exegesis and Theology in the Liturgical Anthology of the Ninth of Av Season. She is also General editor of a new torah commentary for the Central Conference of American Rabbis. 

Author Rabbi Michael Strassfeld encourages us to reorganize our thinking about—and reengage our lives with—Judaism. Rabbi Michael Strassfeld has served the Jewish community for over five decades, in numerous capacities, including as an educator, writer, editor, rabbi, and community leader. He is the author of Judaism Disrupted, which is being published on the 50th anniversary of his breakthrough best-seller that sold over 300,000 copies, The Jewish Catalog. Rabbi Strassfeld, the son of a Modern Orthodox rabbi, was ordained as a rabbi over 30 years ago by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He served as rabbi for a decade at Congregation Ansche Chesed and for 14 years as Rabbi for The Society for the Advancement of Judaism. For nearly 20 years he was the leader of High Holiday services at Congregation Ansche Chesed. He also was their director of programming and development for four years, and their executive director for three years. He served as a member of the faculty of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality for 15 years, the executive director of the Jewish Counter culture Oral History Project for three years, and the founding chairperson of the National Havurah Committee for three years. He also was a founding vice-president of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, a board member of Beyond Shelter, a coalition of Manhattan synagogues concerned with homelessness, and a founding chairperson of Learning, a young adult education brochure of seven Manhattan synagogues. He has had articles published by Tikkun Magazine, Shma, Hadassah, CLAL, Response Magazine, and other publications. He also edited the Second and Third Jewish Catalogs (1975,1979), authored The Jewish Holidays (1985), co-authored A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah (1999), and authored A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice (2002). He recorded Songs to Open the Heart: Contemplative Niggunim (2003). He also edits a free weekly newsletter about Judaism, available on his website michaelstrassfeld.com.

Armin Langer is a DAAD Visiting Assistant Professor at the Center for European Studies. Prior to joining CES, he was a Visiting Research Scholar at Brandeis University's Schusterman Center for Israel Studies in Waltham, MA, a Transatlantic Partnership on Memory & Democracy Fellow at the Center for German Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and worked for the Center for Jewish Ethics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, PA. His research interests are migration, identity politics and populism in Europe and the US. He is author of a monograph on German-Jewish integration, co-edited an anthology on Jewish-Muslim entanglements and published several articles in edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals, including the German Studies Review (SSCI, AHCI), Studi Irlandesi. A Journal of Irish Studies (ESCI) and Journal of Jewish Ethics (ESCI). He has received various prizes and grants, such as the Western Jewish Studies Association's Baron Award or the University of Notre Dame's Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism Grant. Armin holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Humboldt University of Berlin. He also studied philosophy and Jewish studies in Budapest, Jerusalem, Potsdam, and Washington, D.C., and graduated with two M.A.'s and two B.A.'s. He was ordained as a rabbi by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has had teaching and pulpit positions in Jewish communities in the US, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Hungary.

Rabbi Sandy Eissenberg Sasso served with her husband as Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, IN from 1977- 2013. She currently is the director of the Religion, Spirituality and the Arts Initiative at Butler University and the Christian Theological Seminary. In 1974, she became the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PA. Rabbi Sasso earned her B.A. and M.A. from Temple University and her Doctorate of Ministry from the Christian Theological Seminary. She is the recipient of several honorary doctorates: Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; DePauw University; Butler University; Franklin College; and Christian Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Sasso has been active in the arts, civic, and interfaith communities of Indianapolis and beyond. She has written and lectured on women and spirituality. Her rabbinic and interfaith work has helped to shape her interests in the discovery of the religious imagination in children and the connection between spirituality and the arts. She is the author of several nationally acclaimed children's books, including her latest—I Am Not Afraid. Website: http://www.allaboutand.com/Gems:Jewish family life is important.G-d must be part of the conversation.Help children see that G-d is there for us.Find ways to explain G-d that relates to a child's experience.Aid children in finding their understanding of what is holy and Divine.Give children the tools to think on their own.Continue the conversation as the child grows and their experiences change.Look for ways to help children grow spiritually.Teach students about why we do the things we do.Give our children experiences of joy.Students must see why what they're learning matters.Allow children to come up with their own prayers in addition to the liturgy.Bring holiness into our everyday lives.Children learn best through play.Help students take the first steps and guide them along the way.Give children the building blocks that they can build upon.Create positive, strong experiences.Provide children with a deeper faith.Create moments of joy, inspiration, and times of celebration for children.Engage in a conversation with your students.Take complex ideas and share with children via a story. BookstoreAmazon We receive a small commission for any items purchased through my Amazon link.Parenting On Purpose This course will help you better understand your child and build a deeper connection.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Have you ever struggled to explain racism to your kids? Flubbed conversations at the dinner table? Unsure how racism and antisemitism fit together, or how to process the 2020 racial reckoning and subsequent backlash? Then be sure to catch our conversation with Buffie Longmire-Avital, Ph.D., a psychology professor who identifies as a Black American Jewish woman. She shares her research about Jewish families as well as her own perspective as the mother of two biracial sons. She shares the implications of a recent incident at her son's school, in which white and Black students split into opposing football teams, leaving her son on the sidelines. She offers advice on how parents, especially white Jewish parents, can better prepare their kids to respond to microaggressions and make Jewish communities more embracing spaces. Her research is part of a Reconstructionist Rabbinical College project called “Race, Religion and American Judaism.” At the top of the episode, Rabbi Mira Wasserman joins to explain the project and the importance of Longmire-Avital's research. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guests: Buffie Longmire-Avital, Ph.D. and Rabbi Mira Beth Wasserman, Ph.D..

“So, Rabbi, in your more than forty years in the rabbinate, what are those things that surprised you – those things that you never expected, or that you once expected that didn't actually come to pass?” There would be a long list, but here is the one that moves me in particular. Forty years ago, we never would have expected that so many Jews would turn to God as the location of their Jewish energies – that trend that we call Jewish spirituality. In particular, we never would have expected that so many people – Jews and gentiles alike – would flock to the study of the teachings of Jewish mysticism – what we sometimes sloppily lump together into a bulging file folder called kabbalah. My guest on today's podcast – talking about Jewish mysticism, and Hasidism, and neo-Hasidism, and Jewish spirituality – is one of the veteran teachers – may I say rebbes, even gurus? – of the new Jewish spirituality – Rabbi Arthur Green. At the age of 82, Art Green is nothing less than a living legend. Consider the chapters in his Book of Life: In 1968, he founded Havurat Shalom, an experiment in Jewish communal life and learning that birthed the Havurah movement. (Check out this podcast with another pioneer of that movement, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld). He taught in the Religious Studies Department of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1984 he became dean, and then president, of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. In 1993, he was appointed Philip W. Lown professor of Jewish Thought at Brandeis University. And then, obviously needing yet another rabbinical seminary to lead (because they're like potato chips -- you can't have just one!) -- he became the founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston.  We are talking to Rabbi Green today because of his new commentary on the Jewish prayerbook -- "Well of Living Insight: Comments on the Siddur." You will never read another commentary quite like this one -- a book that focuses on phrases that are filled with light, and which speak to our inner lives. Because that is who Art Green is -- a teacher who helped create the GPS of the inner life of the Jew. Listen to the podcast, and join us as we talk about Art's childhood; his earliest influences; how contemporary Judaism became stale, and how it can awaken; how we dropped the ball on God; and what it means for us to be seen by God. And another thing (which I discussed in my review of the new work by Paul Simon): how we need more metaphors for God. It is not as if we need to invent them, as Paul does (fun fact: Paul Simon and Art Green are precisely the same age). Rather, Art reminds us that the metaphors for God are already there, embedded in Jewish mystical literature. God as sea, garden, soil, river -- even Jerusalem. My partial solution to the crisis in Judaism: We need more metaphors for God. Let's find them. The Jewish people depends on it. And maybe, even God.

Rumi Forum, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, and Washington Theological Consortium presented the 4th Interfaith Leadership Forum: “Interfaith Engagement with the Environmental Crisis” on May 31, 2023. The program featured keynote speaker Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, an interfaith panel, and an opportunity for small group dialogues. Keynote by: Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, D.Min. started at Adat Shalom when the synagogue was only eight years old, and meeting at the JCC – he was still in rabbinic school, Founding Rabbi Sid was part-time, Shabbat morning services were every other week, and cell phones hardly existed. Upon ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1997, he became its first full-time rabbi and has joyfully served here ever since. Rabbi Fred currently serves as Chair of the National Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life and is on the boards of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment and Interfaith Power and Light (The Regeneration Project). Fred has also been deeply engaged in social and racial justice (including Jews United for Justice), multi-faith (a past board member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington), and Israeli-progressive (J Street and more) efforts. Panelists: Sevim Kalyoncu: Growing up in Alabama surrounded by woods and creeks, Sevim Kalyoncu discovered early that her most direct connection with God came through nature. To this day, she still finds peace in natural surroundings and holds a deep concern regarding humankind's responsibility as vicegerent of the earth. She is involved with multiple local climate action groups and is dedicated to helping educate youth about the importance of environmental awareness for spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. She holds a B.S. from Georgetown and a master's degree from the University of Chicago and has many years of nonprofit experience in Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also a naturalist interpreter and a yoga instructor. Rev. Dr. Gilson Waldkoenig: Rev. Dr. Gilson Waldkoenig teaches methods for understanding ministry in context and applied theology rooted in the resilient grace of Christ. As Director of the Town and Country Church Institute (TCCI), Dr. Waldkoenig teaches courses in rural and Appalachian ministry and is sought out by synods, judicatories, and other seminaries for consultation and teaching. His research has included multiple-church ministries, environmental ministries, and a variety of other topics, all reflecting his practical theology of “means of grace and scenes of grace.” He belongs to St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. His books include Cooperating Congregations and Symbiotic Community, The Lost Land, and his reviews appeared in Agricultural History, Journal of Appalachian Studies, Journal for Study of Religion, Nature & Culture, Christian Century, and others. Dr. Rajwant Singh: Dr. Rajwant Singh is the founder and President of EcoSikh, a global organization working on the climate crisis facing the planet. It has engaged the worldwide Sikh community to take action on environmental issues. He also co-founded the National Sikh Campaign, an initiative to inform Americans about the Sikh identity. Dr. Rajwant Singh is also the Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), an organization that has worked with the White House and the members of the United States Congress. He organized a large gathering of the Sikhs to interact with political and elected leaders at Capitol Hill. He was instrumental in organizing the first-ever celebration of Guru Nanak's birth anniversary at the White House in 2009. Kristin Barker: Kristin Barker is co-founder and director of One Earth Sangha, whose mission is cultivating a Buddhist response to ecological crises. She graduated from Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader program and now teaches with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. As a co-founder of White Awake, Kristin has been supporting white people since 2011 with a Dharma approach to uprooting racism in ourselves and in our world. With a background in software engineering and environmental management, she has worked at several international environmental organizations. She is a GreenFaith Fellow and serves on the advisory board of Project Inside Out. Kristin was born and raised in northern New Mexico and currently lives in Washington, DC, the traditional lands of the Piscataway people. The Interfaith Leadership Forum (ILF) presented its 4th program during Days of Unity, entitled “Interfaith Engagement with the Environmental Crisis”. Rumi Forum and its partners were glad to collaborate with the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) for the 4th ILF, which coincides with their 6th Annual Days of Unity during the month of May 2023.

It all started with a nightmare. The Midwest had been obliterated by a nuclear attack. Sallie Gratch awoke and realized it wasn't too late and got to work in the anti-nuclear movement. Gratch is the recipient of the 2023 Keter Shem Tov, or “Crown of the Good Name” award, given at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College's graduation. In in this interview, Gratch traces her path as an activist, detailing her first encounters with Jews in the Soviet Union. She shares the story of the organization she founded, Project Kesher and its mission to empower Jewish women in the former Soviet Union and how it has been forced to pivot in response to war in Ukraine. More than that, Gratch explores how she got the confidence to believe she could be part of change, and the role that Jewish values have played in shaping her activism. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Sallie E. Gratch.

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Learn more on Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com Copyrighted by Meryl Aine and Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Learn more on Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com Copyrighted by Meryl Aine and Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Learn more on Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com Copyrighted by Meryl Aine and Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Professor Joel Hecker shares the mystical meanings of manna. Prof. Joel Hecker is Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He received his Ph.D. in Judaic Studies from New York University in 1996, and his rabbinic ordination and a M.A. in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University in 1990. He is the author of Volumes 11 and (with Nathan Wolski) Volume 12 of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition and is the author of Mystical Bodies, Mystical Meals: Eating and Embodiment in Medieval Kabbalah (Wayne State University Press, 2002). 

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein came to Buffalo in the Fall of 2008 to serve as the rabbi of Temple Sinai, now called Congregation Shir Shalom. He brings warmth, creativity, and compassion to the role of synagogue rabbi. A trained chaplain and gifted teacher, he is actively engaged in all aspects of communal life, from helping people with their everyday struggles, to intricate details of synagogue governance. Rabbi Alex is a respected leader in the Buffalo area, serving on many local boards including the Buffalo Board of Rabbis, the Network of Religious Communities, Jewish Family Services, the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Jewish Community Center, and the Coalition of Economic Justice. He is currently serving as president of the Network of Religious Communities. He is also on the national board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association out of Wyncote, Pennsylvania. He works with leaders of all faiths, to improve the quality of life in Western New York and beyond. A 2004 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College he also holds Masters's and Bachelor's Degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary, as well as a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University. Before coming to Buffalo, he served as rabbi of Temple B´nai Abraham in Bordentown, New Jersey, and directed the Community Partnership Program for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. He currently resides in Amherst, with his wife Ashirah, and three young children, Jarah, Boaz, and Noam.  Listen to this insightful Whinypaluza episode with Rabbi Alex about how he helps guide his congregants through the highs and lows of all the stages of their lives. Here is what to expect on this week's show: How Alex became a Rabbi and why it is his true calling. How Rabbi Alex guides people through the cycles of their lives and how he helps his congregants through stress and hard times. Special guidance he gave during covid times, and how he saw amazing things despite the added stress. Removing expectations from outsiders drastically reduces your stress when planning special events, like a bar/bat mitzvah. How he approaches guiding and supporting couples when they need help connecting and working at their relationship. Grief comes in many forms, and Rabbi Alex has helped many people through myriad situations. Having his own family, Rabbi Alex can give sage advice for parents. How does he manage all the things he does in a day, on top of having a family? Rabbi's Advice: You aren't here to be superhuman. You are here to be human. What resonates most with him about Judaism. How can we contribute to creating a world with more acceptance and love. Why he wrote a book and how he hopes to help others. How to fit your religious commitments into your kids' busy lives. The impact of removing guilt from your life. Advice on navigating the ever-present Christmas season, when you are Jewish. Connect with Rabbi Alex: https://shirshalombuffalo.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/ShirShalomBflo Facebook https://www.facebook.com/experiencejewishbuffalo/ Going Above and Beyond https://www.amazon.com/Going-Above-Beyond-Exceeding-Expectations-ebook/dp/B09SVJM469 Follow Rebecca Greene Blog  https://www.whinypaluza.com/ Book  https://bit.ly/WhinypaluzaBook Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/whinypaluzaparenting Instagram https://www.instagram.com/becgreene5/ @becgreene5 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@whinypaluzamom?lang=en @whinypaluzamom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, former head of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, discusses his new book, Where Are You? A Beginner's Guide to Advanced Spirituality. [Read more...] The post Seekers of Meaning 10/21/2022: Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz appeared first on Jewish Sacred Aging.

Guest Info/Bio:This week we speak with the incredible Rabbi Arthur Green PhD. Rabbi Green is one of the preeminent authorities on Jewish thought and spirituality. He was the founding dean and is currently rector of the Rabbinical School and Irving Burdnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion at Hebrew College. He is Professor Emeritus at Brandeis University, where he occupied the distinguished Philip W. Lown Professorship of Jewish Thought. He is both a historian of Jewish religion and a theologian; his work seeks to form a bridge between these two distinct fields of endeavor. Educated at Brandeis University and the Jewish Theology Seminary of America, where he received rabbinic ordination, Dr. Green studied with such important teachers as Alexander Altmann, Nahum N. Glatzer, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory. He has taught Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, and theology to several generations of students at the University of Pennsylvania, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (where he served as both Dean and President), Brandeis, and now at Hebrew College. He has taught and lectured widely throughout the Jewish community of North America as well as in Israel, where he visits frequently. He was the founder of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1968 and remains a leading independent figure in the Jewish Renewal movement.(Selected) Published Works: Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition; Ehyeh: A Kabblah for Tomorrow; See My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology; & Judaism's Ten Best Ideas: A Brief Guide for Seekers.Guest Website/Social Media:http://artgreen26.comhttps://soundcloud.com/rabbiartgreenTheme Music by: Forrest Clay “This Water I am Treading & You Must Go” found on the brand new EP, Recover.You can find Forrest Clay's music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere good music is found!This episode of the Deconstructionists Podcast was edited, mixed, and produced by John Williamson Stay on top of all of the latest at www.thedeconstructionists.com Go there to check out our blog, snag a t-shirt, or follow us on social mediaJoin our Patreon family here: www.patreon.com/deconstructionists Website by Ryan BattlesAll photos by Jared HevronLogos designed by Joseph Ernst & Stephen PfluigT-shirt designs by Joseph Ernst, Chad Flannigan, Colin Rigsby, and Jason Turner. This episode is brought to you by Dwell. Dwell lets you listen to scripture the way that fits you. It's an app that reads the bible for you! Go to www.dwellapp.io/deconstruct for 10% off your annual subscription or 30% dwell for life!Starting your own podcast? Try Riverside! https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=john-williamsonOur Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code deconstruct50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“The wound is the place where light enters you.” – Rumi   At 25, Chloe Zelkha, a community organizer, chaplain and educator for young adults, suddenly found herself in the role of a first-time caregiver. Her husband sustained a debilitating injury from a car accident. Soon thereafter, her hale-and-hearty father passed away from an aortic aneurysm. Facing sudden death and dis-ease in her family, everything Chloe had learned from her academic religious studies went from conceptual to lived. From this period of tremendous trial, she emerged with a guiding question: How do we stay wide awake to the precariousness of life in and around us, and also walk in the world unafraid? Rather than running from grief, Chloe chose to lean into death and dying. She trained as a hospital chaplain at the University of California San Francisco hospitals, offering spiritual care to the ill, the dying, and their families. “Our death-denying culture,” she remarks, “insists that we look away from mortality, look away from pain.” Instead of the conventional chaplaincy response as “fixing” spiritual crises, she stepped into her role as “more of a student, sitting at the feet of the real masters,” and understood grieving as a “courageous act.” During her chaplaincy, she realized the paucity of grief programs supporting young adults. So, with some friends, she put together ongoing events, like weekend sleepover retreats for young adults who lost a parent, friend or loved one, focusing on peer connection and community — circles of sharing stories, workshops, bonfires, song and silence — instead of clinical care. When the pandemic hit, Chloe responded similarly, cofounding the COVID Grief Network, a mutual aid organization that offers free community and grief support to young adults who lost someone to COVID-19, especially in hopes to heal the isolation. From a young age, Chloe had been supported to feel that her ideas mattered — whether in rebounding from setbacks, or actualizing fresh and novel intentions. She attended Ohlone Elementary School in Palo Alto, California, where the project-based, participatory, mixed-age, whole-child pedagogy taught her to relate to her surroundings with curiosity. She kept a “teaching ideas journal” and often pitched creative curriculum ideas to her teachers (“usually unsuccessfully,” she adds with a chuckle). As she grew, the raucous discussions she initiated at her family’s dinner table on teaching and learning would come to incorporate how people unlearn, and eventually, “how learning spaces can be transformative, even sites of spiritual transformation.” Chloe’s parents also helped nurture her enterprising spirit. Her father, an Iraqi Jew raised in Iran, emigrated alone to the U.S. when he was 16. An entrepreneur, he would embrace with equal joy the failures and successes of his ventures. Her mother was a labor and delivery nurse who, having supported and witnessed countless mothers giving birth, became adept at “midwifing new ideas.” Although their family didn’t observe the religious dimensions of their Jewish culture, Chloe was enrolled in Hebrew School for becoming a bat mitsvah. It was then that she began identifying with the spiritual practices of Judaism, and for the first time in public, she sang. In St. Augustine’s words, “Those who sing pray twice,” and Chloe’s voice became one of her favorite expressions in liturgical contexts. Beyond grief work, Chloe’s work also focuses on community and healing in other sectors. Even before her chaplaincy training, she had helped design transformative group experiences for young adults (from retreats to DIY rituals to performance arts). She was an organizer with The Food Project, a youth employment program that gathers a diversity of teens to grow food, learn about oppression and liberation, and bridge differences. She also served as Fellowship Director at Urban Adamah, a Jewish farm in Berkeley, where she integrated spirituality, farming, mindfulness and social justice. Chloe's social justice interests at a young age had inspired her to study religion at Carleton College, because it “helped me understand the ways people make meaning.” Her diverse coursework included offerings like Religion and the Black Freedom Struggle; Taoism; Religious and Moral Issues in the Holocaust; and a study abroad program in Mexico on Catholic Liberation Theology. She then trained as a community organizer through the JOIN for Justice Fellowship in Boston. At Harvard University, she earned a Masters in Education, focusing on transformative experiences. Currently, she is studying toward rabbinic ordination at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. Her guided offerings draw from her widely inclusive approach to faith — combining song, Buddhist insight meditation, and Jewish scripture and spirituality. For anyone interested in more singing or contemplative prayer videos, she offers a whole playlist! Join us in a conversation with this experimental educator helping to transform grief into wisdom, and designing powerful spaces for collective learning and unlearning.

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Learn more on Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com Copyrighted by Meryl Ains and Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Learn more on Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com Copyrighted by Meryl Ains and Authors on the Air Global Radio Network

Meryl chats with Rabbi Sandy Sasso about her mission of engaging the religious imagination of children through her books, and her career as one of the first women to become a rabbi in America. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso. They were the first practicing rabbinical couple in world Jewish history. Following 36 years of service to Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis, Indiana, she is now its Senior Rabbi Emerita. She is an internationally known award-winning children's author who has published twenty-five children's books and two adult books. Active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities, she has written on midrash, women, and spirituality. Rabbi Sasso's website: www.allaboutand.com People of the Book is a copyrighted work © of Meryl Ain and Authors on The Air Global Radio Network.

Studying Jewish tradition as an expression of the Jewish purpose. Rabbi Helen Plotkin is co-founder of the Beit Midrash at Swarthmore College, where she taught courses in Biblical Hebrew and classical Hebrew texts for 20 years. She is founder and director of Mekom Torah (pronounced McComb Toe-RAH), offering deep Jewish study opportunities for adults and teens that transcend the boundaries of the various Jewish movements. Mekom Torah is committed to a radically ancient vision of Judaism as a culture of learning in which study is not a preparation for Jewish life, it is Jewish life. Rabbi Plotkin also teaches in the Beit Midrash at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Rabbi Plotkin holds a BA from Swarthmore College in Philosophy and Linguistics, an MA from the University of Michigan in Ancient Chinese Language and Thought, and rabbinical ordination from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She is editor and annotator of the recent book, In This Hour: Heschel's Writings in Nazi Germany and London Exile, and she writes for online journals including Tablet Magazine.

Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., has been among the Reconstructionist movement's most influential thinkers, writers and teachers over the past 50 years. Yet, on the eve of his bar mitzvah, Jacob – raised in his Orthodox home – decided that Judaism just wasn't for him, he didn't believe in any of it. In this special episode celebrating his career, guest host Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., president and CEO of Reconstructing Judaism, traces how Jacob went from being a secular college student, intent on pursuing a literary life, to the rabbinate. As we learn about Jacob's embrace of Reconstructionist Judaism, his years at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College – when it was an unaccredited, startup institution – to his decades on the faculty and leadership, we learn a great deal about the development of Reconstructionist Judaism over the decades. The two friends of nearly 30 years discuss some of what is most important to them as rabbis and human beings. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversions: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D..

This is our first special guest! Tova and Elianna interview Shira on the many journeys: her rabbinate, jewish-spiritual life, parenthood and more! Rabbi Shira Stutman is a nationally known faith-based leader and change-maker with more than twenty years of experience motivating and inspiring groups large and small, most recently as the founding rabbi of Sixth & I in Washington DC. She teaches and speaks nationally on topics including growing welcoming Jewish spiritual communities; building the connective tissues between different types of people; and the current American Jewish community zeitgeist. She also is writing a book on the blessing of interfaith couples. Next month, she and the actor Joshua Malina will launch the PRX podcast “Chutzpod,” which aims to provide Jewish answers to life's contemporary questions and help listeners build lives of meaning. She was named one of “America's Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Forward, among other awards. She graduated from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where she was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. 

In today's episode, host Donna Truong answers "What Even is Hanukkah?" with What Even Is...?'s first returning guest - Rabbi Greg Hersh of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, MA!They speak about:the Hanukkah menorahthe Hanukkah story that started it allHanukkah meaning in HebrewHow long does Hanukkah lastand more!Prior to graduating from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Greg Hersh earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religion at George Washington University. After college, Rabbi Hersh lived in a Buddhist monastery in Southeast Asia and explored the Buddhist and eastern philosophies. After, Rabbi Hersh found Reconstructionist Judaism and decided to become a rabbi.He now is the rabbi of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield and works part-time at the Burning Bush Adventures, where he takes Jewish people out in the wilderness.Check out the Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield website (https://www.wakefieldtemple.org/) and the Burning Bush Adventures website (https://burningbushadventures.com/).Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And, follow us on Instagram to get updated on our latest episodes and have easy access to DM us about a topic that makes you wonder "What even is that?" Thank you to Joseph McDade for letting us use his song Elevation as our theme song!

Alexandra Corwin is native Chicagoan rooted in her Jewish, Ashkenazi, Peruvian, and Quechua heritages. A graduate of DePaul University and Harvard University's graduate school of education, where she also received the selective Urban Scholars Award, Alexandra is a former Avodah Justice Fellow, JewV'Nation Fellow, Moishe House resident, 7th and 9th grade teacher, instructor at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and Teach for America director. Today, Alexandra is the President of Continued Learning Group LLC where she leads diversity, equity and inclusion audits for nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Tune in to hear Alexandra's experience with reclaiming her Ashkenazi and Quechua heritages, and how her grandmothers--her abuelita and bubbe--taught her to love without borders. 

Rabbi Michael Perice made a startling revelation to his congregation: For four years, he'd been addicted to opioids. Now, celebrating 10 years of liberation, Perice decided it was time to share his story with his community and the wider world. His goal: to lift the stigma surrounding addiction and bring further attention to the epidemic within the Jewish community and beyond. In this interview, the 2020 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate shares the circumstances that found him dependent upon a highly addictive substance, how he finally recognized his life had spiraled out of control and how he has approached his recovery. He also discusses his youthful disillusionment with Judaism when his childhood rabbi, Fred Neulander, was arrested and ultimately convicted for the murder of his wife. And we talk about how he re-engaged with Judaism in the early years of recovery while working for his family-run funeral home. Rabbi Perice also highlights several Jewish leaders and organizations concentrating on addictions and argues more needs to be done. A transcript to this episode is forthcoming. Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversions: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1 This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Rabbi Michael Perice .

Amanda Mbuvi, Ph.D., is the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College's new vice president for academic affairs. Mbuvi, a Hebrew Bible scholar and nonprofit leader, is the first Jew of Color to hold such a leadership position at an American rabbinical seminary. We delve into Mbuvi's desire to deepen how people and communities think about diversity and identity. Mbuvi shares her enthusiasm for using the Bible in general, and Genesis and Exodus in particular to explore questions related to community and identity. Mbuvi and Lawson talk what it means to be women of color and leaders in the Jewish community, reacting to the findings of the Jews of Color Initiative's latest study, “Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color.” (Eight in 10 respondents said they have experienced discrimination in a Jewish setting.) “So I think for a lot of people, when they say Jew of Color, they think about it like a child with divorced parents: on the weekends, you're Jewish and then during the week you're Black. It's like, you sort of go from one to the other, but not that you were both at the same time, in the same place as the same person. I think that's just something people have had a lot of difficulty getting their minds around,” Mbuvi says. The episode was recorded the week before Rosh Hashanah and Lawson, Mbuvi and Waxman share their hopes for the High Holidays and the coming year. Subscribe by Email A transcript for this episode is forthcoming. This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Amanda Mbuvi, Ph.D. .

This week, we're talking about food, gratitude, and blessings. For parashat Eikev, we are joined by Reconstructionist Rabbinical College student and cookbook author Noah Rubin-Blose to discuss the intersection of cooking and Jewish values. We also have Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion rabbinical student Melissa Carp, a cook and foodie in her own right, as our Q&A guest. B'tei'avon (Hebrew for “bon appétit”)! To continue the conversation: Noah's Twitter: @MakingtheTable Noah's Instagram: @MakingtheTable Noah's website: MakingtheTable.com Melissa's Instagram: @MeliciousTov Noah's cookbook: indiebound.org/book/9780578831619 Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake: smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/chocolate-olive-oil-cake/ Find us on social media: Facebook: @DrinkingandDrashing Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it's a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Kate Griffin

We continue a period on the Jewish calendar called the Omer — the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that our tradition observes through a practice of counting, day by day, week by week. We imbue these days with meaning by assigning a different theme to each week that encourages self-reflection and self-improvement for the betterment of the whole community. In that spirit, we’re doing a series of interviews featuring people who have made their life’s work an extension of their lives’ purpose.This week, we dive into the fifth theme of the Omer, hod, or humility, with Alexandra Corwin and Tani Prell — co-founders of Continued Learning Group.In this episode, Alexandra and Tani join Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann to talk about culturally sustaining pedagogy, identity, and the hard work of unpacking and unlearning white supremacy and racism. Alexandra and Tani bring personal experience as Jews of color, as well as academic and professional expertise to their work and their lives. Tune in for a conversation about humility the power of envisioning a better future for all.Books referenced in this episode:All About Love by Bell HooksMe & White Supremacy By Layla SaadSo You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma OluoBe sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you.And to stay connected, follow Mishkan Chicago on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about us here!About Our GuestsAlexandra Corwin (she/her) is a graduate of DePaul University with a Bachelor's in Women's and Gender Studies and African Black Diaspora Studies. She has her Master's in Education from Harvard University, and has vast experience in Jewish children’s education. She is an adjunct instructor in education at The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and serves as a board member of Chicago YIVO Society, an organization that centers Yiddish learning for Chicagoans. She is also a Board Member at Mishkan. Tani Prell (she/her) is the Chicago Director for 18Doors, formerly Interfaith Family, an organization empowering people in interfaith relationships — individuals, couples, families and their children—to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices, and encourages Jewish communities to welcome them. Tani is a former high school arts educator, synagogue education director, and fundraiser at the Art Institute of Chicago. She serves on the board of trustees for the Union for Reform Judaism, aiding in their commitments to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and in 2018 she was named one of the Jewish Federation of Chicago’s “36 Under 36.”About Mishkan ChicagoMishkan is a spiritual community in Chicago reclaiming Judaism’s inspiration and transformative essence. Not bound by a particular location, we create radically inclusive spaces for Jewish spiritual practice and community, engaging, educating, and empowering people across the spectrum of identity, background, age, and belief.

Today’s guest is Rabbi Mordechai Liebling. Mordechai is a lifelong co-laborer in the multi-faith movement for justice. He founded and directed the social justice organizing program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College just outside Philadelphia. Currently, he co-labors with POWER, the Faith in Action affiliate in Pennsylvania, directing their reflection and renewal process. Recently, he joined the national board of directors of Faith in Action.  Rabbi Liebling is a mentor and teacher to many and he was part of the community of leaders who helped develop the Theology of Resistance, which became the basis for this podcast. In this episode, we talk about his upbringing as the child of Holocaust survivors and the values of faith-based organizing. And in the face of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racism, and Christian cultural privilege, Mordechai offers hope for those who wish to cultivate our multi-faith solidarity and deepen the practice of Beloved Community.

Join host Donna Truong and Rabbi Greg Hersh of Reconstructionist Judaism synagogue Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield and listen to their discussion of, "What even is Judaism?" In this episode, we go over what it means to be Jewish, anti-semitism, what it means to eat kosher, and, of course, Hanukkah. Prior to graduating from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Greg Hersh earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religion at George Washington University. After college, Rabbi Hersh lived in a Buddhist monastery in Southeast Asia and explored the Buddhist and eastern philosophies. After, Rabbi Hersh found Reconstructionist Judaism and decided to become a rabbi.He now is the rabbi of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield and works part-time at the Burning Bush Adventures, where he takes Jewish people out in the wilderness.Check out the Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield website (https://www.wakefieldtemple.org/) and the Burning Bush Adventures website (https://burningbushadventures.com/).Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And, follow us on Instagram to get updated on our latest episodes and have easy access to DM us about a topic that makes you wonder "What even is that?"  Thank you to Joseph McDade for letting us use his song Elevation as our theme song!

Meet Rabbi Jamie Serber! Rabbi Jamie is currently wrapping up her chaplaincy residency and, in addition to her work as a chaplain, specializes in ancestral heritage, Jewish amulets, and spirituality. After moving from Philadelphia to North Dakota in 2017, Rabbi Jamie came to learn about the rich Jewish history that is in North Dakota dating back to westward expansion and the Jews who migrated out west. In this episode, Rabbi Jamie discusses her journey to attaining her rabbinical ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, some background into the Reconstructionist movement, her experiences living as a practicing Jew and Rabbi in Fargo, North Dakota, and how she connects to herself and those she works with through the spirituality attained through ancestral connection and the ancient art of soul candles. For spiritual guidance, please visit Rabbi Jamie's website at www.myrabbijamie.com **Editor's note: In part one, Rabbi Jamie references her husband's father-in-law. This is actually her own father-in-law. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jewish-today-pod/support

In this event, Rabbi Dr. Mira Wasserman, the Director of Center for Jewish Ethics, Assistant Professor of Rabbinic Literature at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (https://www.rrc.edu/), presents​ her virtual talk "Strangers in a Strange Text: Non-Jews in (and around) the Talmud." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP​​​​ LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/3trWgKC For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash BECOME A MEMBER: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member Valley Beit Midrash is proud to host the Jaburg Wilk Learning Season. Learn more about Jaburg Wilk at: http://www.jaburgwilk.com/

Rabbi Shefa Gold talks with Robert Rickover about the ways in which the Alexander Technique has helped her spiritual practice and her teaching. Rabbi Gold received her ordination both from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and is the director of the Center for Devotional Energy and Ecstatic Practices. She has produced ten albums, and is the author of four books. Her new project is called “Love at the Center”. Before the pandemic she traveled around the world teaching Jewish Spiritual Practice, meditation and chant. Now she does it all on Zoom. You can reach her through the website: RabbiShefaGold.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Robert’s website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

“Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” So said Abraham Joshua Heschel, reminding us of one the key teachings of our Abrahamic Prophets. We are indeed all responsible for confronting and resisting injustice. But how do we do this wisely, effectively, and morally? Rumi Forum and JIDS will bring in two diverse experts to provide insights on this question. Dr. Sophia Pandya is currently a full professor and department chair at California State University at Long Beach, in the Department of Religious Studies. She has written extensively on the topic of resistance efforts in the Muslim world. Rabbi Michael Pollack is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and now serves as the Executive Director of March on Harrisburg. It is our hope that by having an interfaith dialogue led by an esteemed academic and a community activist who fights injustice in the trenches, we can truly honor the spirit of Dr. King in addressing such a hallowed topic.

Welcome to the Two Hundred Eighty Seventh episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michelle Greenfield looks at Masechet Pesachim Daf 28. Rabbi Yehuda is still arguing about burning chametz when his own words are used against him. Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as […]

Welcome to the Two Hundred Eighty Seventh episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michelle Greenfield looks at Masechet Pesachim Daf 28. Rabbi Yehuda is still arguing about burning chametz when his own words are used against him. Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as […]

This episode is SO special because we get to hear from a beautiful soul, Rabbi Sandra Lawson.Rabbi Sandra received ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2018. She grew up in a military family and holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Clark Atlanta University. She has served in the United States Army and owned a personal training business. Rabbi Sandra has also worked as an Adjunct Instructor of Sociology and has served as an Investigative Researcher for the Anti-Defamation League.Her vision as a Rabbi is to help build a more inclusive Jewish community where all who want to come are welcomed, diversity is embraced, and we can come together to learn and to pray. She currently serves as the Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life and the Jewish Educator at Hillel at Elon University, in Elon North Carolina.  In this episode you'll learn:Rabbi Sandra's personal journey toward Judaism and becoming a RabbiWhy it's important to have Rabbis who look like SandraWhat to stop asking Jews of colorSandra's message to White Jewish womenRabbi Sandra's approach to Jewish views of same sex relationshipsConnect with Rabbi Sandra's little corner of the internet:Rabbisandralawson.comFacebook.com/RabbiSandraInstagram.com/RabbiSandraTwitter.com/RabbiSandra 

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Joel Hecker, Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (https://www.rrc.edu/), on the topic of "Learning the Zohar!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

You may notice that I have changed the title of this series slightly. Formerly, I called it Peacemaking. However, I have learned from Rabbi Amy Eilberg's wonderful book, From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace, that many extensively involved in peace efforts make a distinction in those efforts between three terms. 'Peacekeeping' is used to refer to military intervention for the purpose of ending violence and keeping it in check. 'Peacemaking' is used primarily to refer to large-group, national, and international efforts at diplomacy. 'Peacebuilding' however, refers to efforts on any level, but especially on the personal level of developing habits, relationship skills, and relationships that work to prevent violence coming about. This last definition fits more closely what I am seeking to explore in the conversations I am having with peace activists from the different world religions and humanist perspectives. I am wanting to enable you to be aware that there are peace activists in all of the world's different faiths and worldviews. I am also wanting us all to become aware of the peacebuilding resources that come from each of the world's faiths and worldviews. In this episode I look at peacebuilding resources from Judaism. On the day this episode was recorded it was Holocaust Remembrance Day. If there ever is a reason for us to be urgently working at peacebuilding, it is the memory of the Holocaust! The wisdom and resources from Judaism that have come in response to that experience are profound and vital for us all in peacebuilding. My guest for this episode is Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer. Rabbi Kreimer has been involved in interfaith communication and peacebuilding efforts for nearly four decades. She has been so creative, innovative, and extensively involved in so many important peacebuilding conversations and projects, one simply can Google her name and vast information and resources are available. Rabbi Kreimer is a part of Reconstructionist Judaism. She received her rabbinical training at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and is now Associate Professor Emeritus at that College. She earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Temple University. I drew my questions for Rabbi Kreimer from three sources: The book she co-authored with Kelly James Clark and Aziz Abu Sarah, titled, Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace; Her delightful book, Parenting as a Spiritual Journey: Deepening Ordinary and Extraordinary Events into Sacred Occasions; and the Reconstructing Judaism website ( reconstructingjudaism.org ) where you can learn more about Rabbi Kreimer, the projects in which she is involved, and the resource from Judaism that are vital for peacebuilding. The music for this episode is from a clip of a song called 'Father Let Your Kingdom Come' which is found on The Porter's Gate Worship Project Work Songs album and is used by permission by The Porter's Gate Worship Project. You can learn more about the album and the Worship Project at theportersgate.com.

Dr. Kamionkowski’s faculty page is HEREA link to her commentary is HEREDo not forget to check out the online educational site she has! https://kamionkowski-bet-midrash.com  And we talked briefly about Carol Meyes. You can find one of her books HERE.

I'm excited to share this conversation with Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg.. Yohanna speaks about the personal and communal lessons she's learning during the coronavirus outbreak in Washington state where she lives; the loss of her mother last fall and the experience of noticing spring coming to life in the natural world; and the sheer joy she experiences in taking her dogs to the dog park on Saturday afternoons. Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg has served as Congregation Kol Ami's rabbi since 2014 and has worked as rabbi and chaplain in the Seattle area since 2003. Before coming to Kol Ami, she was an assistant rabbi and director of education at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington for 11 years. Rabbi Kinberg is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and a member of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. She is involved with JStreet, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Services, Faith Action Network and a variety of other organizations working towards peace, justice, sustainability, and interfaith connections. Rabbi Kinberg loves working with people of all ages and stages. Children, elders, babies, teens... people who are in the midst of celebration and those who are in the midst of crisis. In addition to providing pastoral care for our members, She offers spiritual direction and small group classes for anyone who wants to study specific topics. Rabbi Kinberg enjoys spending time with her two dogs Yoda and Hansolo. Together they explore the dog parks of the greater Puget Sound. She also love spending time wit her husband, Rabbi Seth Goldstein, and two sons Ozi and Erez. You can often find them eating at the delicious Asian restaurants in Washington State or shopping at an international market for foods and spices from all over the world. Rabbi Kinberg also loves working out at Orange Theory and is always up to date on all of the latest bingable shows on TV. For more info about or to be a guest for an upcoming 5 Questions Podcast, visit www.gabriellekaplanmayer.com. Thank you for listening and please share with your friends! Please take a moment to subscribe, share some stars and a review on Apple Podcasts so we'll reach more listeners~much appreciated. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/5questionspodcast/message

This is the second half of my conversation with Rabbi Nancy. We start with the affects of 9/11 on her multi-faith conversations. Then we move to the way such conversations have influence her career. And we finally talk about the Muslims, Jews, and Christians interpret the Sarah and Hagar narratives in Genesis.Listen—Enjoy—and send me an email!To find out more:Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PARabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

In this episode, we talk about multi-faith conversations and what the benefit is to speaking with people who have different religious beliefs than your own. Rabbi Nancy shares several personal stories about how she ended up in multi-faith conversations.To find out more:Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, PARabbi Nancy’s book Strangers, Neighbors, Friends

Rabbi Alissa Wise is Deputy Director of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and co-founder of JVP's Rabbinical Council. She is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. You can support this podcast by subscribing to Katie's patreon, at http://patreon.com/katiemiranda or by visiting Katie's online jewelry and art store at http://www.katiemiranda.com . Palbox is a nonprofit subscription box supporting Palestinian farmers, artisans and the international solidarity movement. you can subscribe at http://www.palbox.org .

Rabbi Bonnie Koppell earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University, a master’s degree from Temple University and a master’s of strategic studies from U.S. Army War College. She also received a Doctor of Divinity degree and her rabbinical ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She is the associate rabbi of Temple Chai in Arizona.  She had a 40 year career in the US Army Reserves.  Bonnie discusses why she joined up as a chaplin and her experiences.  She talks with Jim Fausone about the challenges of obtaining the Jewish Welfare Board's endorsement, going into the military in the late 70s , and the spiritual counseling and support given to the troops.

Bryan and Rachael sit down with Elsie Stern, Ph.D, vice president for academic affairs at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Stern, who is the daughter, granddaughter, sister and sister-in-law of rabbis, discusses her surprisingly circuitous route to leading a rabbinic training program. Stern explains that rabbis are formed rather than made, and that while some methods to training rabbis are constant, others are being reimagined. Stern also recounts her fascination with the Bible, how it’s been transmitted through the ages and how it is taught and understood in Jewish settings today. “Judaism is what happens at the intersection of Torah and the Jews. Torah is always there as material for us to draw on, and in every generation, the folks who are Jews are changing. It's when those two come together that the Judaism at any moment is born.” Subscribe by Email This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Elsie Stern.

Bryan and Rachael sit down with Elsie Stern, Ph.D, vice president for academic affairs at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Stern, who is the daughter, granddaughter, sister and sister-in-law of rabbis, discusses her surprisingly circuitous route to leading a rabbinic training program. Stern explains that rabbis are formed rather than made, and that while some methods to training rabbis are constant, others are being reimagined. Stern also recounts her fascination with the Bible, how it’s been transmitted through the ages and how it is taught and understood in Jewish settings today. “Judaism is what happens at the intersection of Torah and the Jews. Torah is always there as material for us to draw on, and in every generation, the folks who are Jews are changing. It's when those two come together that the Judaism at any moment is born.” Subscribe by Email This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Elsie Stern.

This episode examines the ways in which identities such as race, gender, and faith tradition intersect in multiple ways to produce individualized experiences for women and girls of color. It features Rabbi Sandra Lawson who received ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in June 2018.

Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg has served as Kol Ami's rabbi since 2014. Before coming to Kol Ami, she was an assistant rabbi and director of education at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington for 11 years. Rabbi Kinberg is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and a member of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. She is involved with JStreet, Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Services, Faith Action Network, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and a variety of other organizations working towards peace, justice, sustainability, and interfaith connections. To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org

Hal Taussig is visiting Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he has taught masters and doctoral level studies since 1998. He also is Professor of Early Christianity at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. He has retired from 30+ years as a United Methodist pastor, and now is specially assigned by his bishop as a consultant to local congregations. One of the favorite stories from the first two centuries of the Jesus movements is the Acts of Thecla, a vibrant story of a young woman who rejects her family and battles the government in order to join the Apostle Paul to become a teacher and healer like him. Hal examines the social and spiritual meanings of this narrative for both the ancient Christ movements and for the 21st century. To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org

Rabbi Green discusses Neo-Hasidism, Kabbalah, the Zohar and the search for a contemporary Judaism. Dr. Arthur Green was the founding dean and is currently rector of the Rabbinical School and Irving Brudnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion at Hebrew College. He is Professor Emeritus at Brandeis University, where he occupied the distinguished Philip W. Lown Professorship of Jewish Thought. He is both a historian of Jewish religion and a theologian; his work seeks to form a bridge between these two distinct fields of endeavor. Educated at Brandeis University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he received rabbinic ordination, Dr. Green studied with such important teachers as Alexander Altmann, Nahum N. Glatzer, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory. He has taught Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, and theology to several generations of students at the University of Pennsylvania, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (where he served as both Dean and President), Brandeis, and now at Hebrew College. He has taught and lectured widely throughout the Jewish community of North America as well as in Israel, where he visits frequently. He was the founder of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1968 and remains a leading independent figure in the Jewish Renewal movement.

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President-Elect of Hebrew College (www.hebrewcollege.edu/) presents her Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Mi Yodea: Humility and Hope in an Uncertain World" for The New Shul(http://thenewshul.org/). ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Sharon Cohen Anisfeld has been Dean of the Rabbinical School since 2006. Prior to assuming this position, she served as an adjunct faculty member and then dean of students at the school. After graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990, Cohen subsequently spent 15 years working in pluralistic settings as a Hillel rabbi at Tufts, Yale and Harvard universities. She has been a summer faculty member for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel since 1993 and is co-editor of two volumes of women’s writings on Passover, “The Women’s Seder Sourcebook: Rituals and Readings for Use at the Passover Seder” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002) and “The Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002). In 2015, Anisfeld was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by The Jerusalem Post. From 2011 to 2013, she was named to Newsweek’s list of Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/The-New-Shul-207398175969503/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President-Elect of Hebrew College (http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/) presents her Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Purim: The Jewish Holiday of Friendship" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Sharon Cohen Anisfeld has been Dean of the Rabbinical School since 2006. Prior to assuming this position, she served as an adjunct faculty member and then dean of students at the school. After graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990, Cohen subsequently spent 15 years working in pluralistic settings as a Hillel rabbi at Tufts, Yale and Harvard universities. She has been a summer faculty member for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel since 1993 and is co-editor of two volumes of women’s writings on Passover, “The Women’s Seder Sourcebook: Rituals and Readings for Use at the Passover Seder” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002) and “The Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002). In 2015, Anisfeld was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by The Jerusalem Post. From 2011 to 2013, she was named to Newsweek’s list of Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcollege Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library

In this episode, meet Mikey and Sandra: two students at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College who are married to loving, supportive partners...who happen not to be Jews. www.jewtoopodcast.com

Sarah Brammer-Shlay is a first-year rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia and a founding member of IfNotNow.  In this interview, Sarah explains how she went from feeling like a "bad Jew" for thinking critically about Israel, to directly confronting the violence of the occupation. As a radical rabbi-to-be, she reflects on the High Holidays, and shares her vision for the Jewish community she hopes to lead. This episode of Unsettled is hosted by Emily Bell. Original music by Nat Rosenzweig. Recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 16, 2017, and edited for length and clarity. Sarah Brammer-Shlay currently lives in Philadelphia, PA and is in her first year of rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Although originally from Minneapolis, Sarah spent the last five years living and working in Washington, D.C. Sarah was a founding member of IfNotNow in 2014 and has remained a leader in the movement with a focus on strategy and action. She also has been both a participant and a trip leader with Center for Jewish Nonviolence delegations in Palestine. She has worked on a variety of justice issues including labor, abortion access, animal rights and marriage equality.  REFERENCES Reconstructionist Rabbinical College IfNotNow J Street "Boys Drawn to Gaza Beach, and Into Center of Mideast Strife" by Anne Barnard (The New York Times, July 16 2014) Center for Jewish Nonviolence "Israeli cops assault American Jewish activists in Jerusalem Day protest" by Natasha Roth (+972, May 24 2017) "Israeli Police Broke My Arm, But They Can’t Stop Me From Resisting — Or Speaking Out." by Sarah Brammer-Shlay (The Forward, May 30 2017) SARAH RECOMMENDS The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood by Rashid Khalidi (2007) The Crisis of Zionism by Peter Beinart (2013) The Gatekeepers directed by Dror Moreh (2012)

Sarah Brammer-Shlay is a first-year rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia and a founding member of IfNotNow.  In this interview, Sarah explains how she went from feeling like a "bad Jew" for thinking critically about Israel, to directly confronting the violence of the occupation. As a radical rabbi-to-be, she reflects on the High Holidays, and shares her vision for the Jewish community she hopes to lead. This episode of Unsettled is hosted by Emily Bell. Original music by Nat Rosenzweig. Recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 16, 2017, and edited for length and clarity. Sarah Brammer-Shlay currently lives in Philadelphia, PA and is in her first year of rabbinical school at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Although originally from Minneapolis, Sarah spent the last five years living and working in Washington, D.C. Sarah was a founding member of IfNotNow in 2014 and has remained a leader in the movement with a focus on strategy and action. She also has been both a participant and a trip leader with Center for Jewish Nonviolence delegations in Palestine. She has worked on a variety of justice issues including labor, abortion access, animal rights and marriage equality.  REFERENCES Reconstructionist Rabbinical College IfNotNow J Street "Boys Drawn to Gaza Beach, and Into Center of Mideast Strife" by Anne Barnard (The New York Times, July 16 2014) Center for Jewish Nonviolence "Israeli cops assault American Jewish activists in Jerusalem Day protest" by Natasha Roth (+972, May 24 2017) "Israeli Police Broke My Arm, But They Can’t Stop Me From Resisting — Or Speaking Out." by Sarah Brammer-Shlay (The Forward, May 30 2017) SARAH RECOMMENDS The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood by Rashid Khalidi (2007) The Crisis of Zionism by Peter Beinart (2013) The Gatekeepers directed by Dror Moreh (2012)

Carin Mrotz presented this Yom Kippur sermon in Minneapolis at the Shir Tikvah Synagogue in 2017 The text as prepared for delivery: In preparing, I asked my self: What do I want to say to you. What do I need you to know, today, on Yom Kippur. And who am I to tell you? I think about that a lot – who am I in relation to this congregation, this community. I’m the director of an organization that serves this community, and also asks a lot of you. And I’m a member of this congregation. It can be hard to hold some of these those roles at the same time. I’m a board member, and sometimes when I usher at Shabbat, I find myself only talking to people about JCA. Or while I’m sitting in the library reading while my kids are in religious school. It can be hard to know how to just BE in the congregation and not feel that I’m working. Sometimes Jewish becomes such a thing that I do that I forget how it feels to just be. So rather than fight all of that, I’m just going to step into it here, and be all of those things here with you. And I look out and see JCA members, board members, and staff. I see the doctor who delivered my son, I look into the choir and see the nurse midwife who delivered my daughter. And I see both of my children here, squirming their way through the adult service just to hear mom speak. I see my husband, who isn’t Jewish, who in making a family with me threw his lot in with mine and joined our community wholeheartedly. I’m accountable to so many of you in this room. We’re accountable to each other. That can feel like a tremendous responsibility, but also, today, on our holiest day and one of not just atonement but forgiveness, it feels like a blessing. And I’m going to talk to you about racial justice and resistance, and our community’s flawed inheritance. But I’ll start with Cain and Abel. To recap, for those who don’t remember or who haven’t yet read, or who just like a good story, Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve after they were cast out of Eden. They had sisters, too, but they were obviously perfect and never did anything wrong, since I can’t think of any other reason the text isn’t about them. Cain is the first birth in the Torah. The first person born to another person. To people who were cursed. His brother Abel follows. They are given roles: Cain tills the soil and Abel tends the flock. The soil Cain tills is, of course, cursed. God cursed the soil before he was even born. When he and his brother approach God with offerings, his is disappointing. Of course it is. Abel has the fattest sheep and Cain has fruit grown from cursed soil. And God accepts Abel’s offering and rebuffs Cain’s. God turns his back on Cain, and furious, Cain kills his brother. The first man born in the Torah becomes the first murderer. He makes his brother the first death. I think it means something that the first man born to a person in the Torah takes the first life. I think his humanity is important. In social justice work, we draw heavily, or lean heavily on the concept of b’tselem elohim, the idea that we’re all made in the image of God. We are all made equally from the divine and are all uniquely valuable. It’s a powerful way to describe what connects us as humans. We use it to build empathy – with victims of police violence, with undocumented immigrants. It’s the way we put words to what we hope we all would just feel – that everyone is valuable, not matter how they got here, no matter what they do. It’s how we articulate what connects us to people we’ve never even met, why we care what happens to them. There’s nothing about being made in the image of God that means we’re perfect. Cain is messy and flawed and his brother bears that burden and loses his life. And they are both made in the image of God. There is so much responsibility in being human and we’re going to hurt each other. We’re going to make mistakes because we were designed to. Cain meets Abel in a field, ready to argue, and he kills him. And God comes to Cain and asks where Abel is. God knows what happened to Abel and doesn’t need to ask. So why does God bother to ask? God wants Cain to tell the truth. Today is Yom Kippur, a day to atone, to reflect, to tell the truth. I need to tell you some truth, too. Like MJ sang last night, I didn’t come to fool you. First. As a community, we’ve done a deep dive into our white privilege in the name of working for racial justice. We’ve gone to trainings – I’ve conducted them – we’ve read books like How Jews Became White Folks, and articles like last year’s As Jews atone on Yom Kippur, we need to confront our White Privilege in the Washington Post. Many of us want to understand who we are and where to stand in the fight for racial equality in America, so we studied our path in becoming white and sought to understand the privileges that were granted us. We’ve haven’t been getting this right. That’s the first truth. I did a training a few years ago with a friend and colleague, also Jewish. A black Jew. And I will never forget this - she held up a copy of How Jews Became White Folks, and said, “I could rub this book all over me and I will never become white.” White Jews need to do the work we’ve been doing to understand how to be allies in fighting white supremacy, but somewhere we mistook the racial identity and privilege conveyed to some of us as individuals as an identifier for our whole community. We’re a multiracial community. Some of us are white. But in generalizing our community as white, we’ve cast ourselves as allies to people who live outside it, and we fall short of supporting - and seeing – Jews of color. Or Jews with origins in the Middle East or South America or Asia. Or Jews whose family history is not one of immigration at all. We’ve simplified our story, taken the Ashkenazi journey to whiteness and made it the story of American Jews. We’ve marginalized members of our own community, made them invisible. I’m sorry we’ve done that. We’re capable as a community of sitting with deeper complexity; we have shortchanged ourselves. Next truth. Even for white Jews, our whiteness does not protect us from anti-Semitism. Our rates of home ownership and college graduation have not made neo-Nazis okay with us. Our privilege is conditional, and if anything, our whiteness makes it easier for anti-Semitism to be brushed aside as not actually very threatening. Our president – sigh – tells the nation that some of those neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were fine people. Can you believe that? A woman was killed. But I’m not just talking about neo-Nazis, in the days following what happened in Charlottesville, some of us felt the sting of having the anti-Semitism erased from those rallies by our own friends. Men chanted “Jews will not replace us,” and yet when our anti-racist partners demanded justice, in some of those demands, we felt forgotten. We were forgotten. Truth. It stung. It hurt. A Jewish friend, a longtime racial justice activist told me it felt like a door had closed. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it because she didn’t want to prioritize her own fear when other communities were experiencing much more urgent attacks, and from systems, from institutions. But the truth is it hurt, some of us felt truly isolated. Last fall, not long after the election, I was attacked by Nazis on Twitter. A neighbor discovered a giant swastika painted on the garage of an abandoned home in North Minneapolis, where I live. A friend of mine, a black organizer, and I went together to clean it off. I went to Home Depot and bought paint remover and we scrubbed together in the cold until it was as gone as it could be, and then because we couldn’t believe that a few hours earlier, there had literally been a giant swastika right there on a house on the Northside, we took pictures and tweeted them. Within a few days, racist and anti-Semitic trolls attacked. They said we’d painted it ourselves for attention, or because leftists are intent on proving hate exists. Look, black women and their Jewish girlfriends don’t have to work hard to prove hate exists. So, exposed as a hoax and targeted for having committed the crime of being black and Jewish and women and publicly fighting white supremacy, we got hammered for days. I received pictures of myself photoshopped into Holocaust memes. My face was zoomed in on and analyzed for my Jewish features. My friend was merely the pet, I was her puppeteer. Some were violent, some explicit. There was one guy who kept tweeting my picture and comparing me to a young Howard Stern. Which is probably fair. But most were threatening, and most focused on my identity as a Jew and hers as a black woman and the fact that we had done this together. My friend told me she didn’t know anti-Semitism existed anymore. She’d thought it was an artifact. Something historical. “I thought you guys were normal white people,” she said. “Right?” I answered. “We did, too.” Cain doesn’t tell God the truth. God asks where is Abel and Cain answers, famously, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Why lie to someone who already knows the truth? I try to put myself in Cain’s shoes and I think about how scary it is to tell the truth when you’re all alone. That’s the function of anti-Semitism – to isolate Jews, to position us as an invisible buffer between the oppressed and oppressor. Conditionally safe. We get privilege but never full acceptance. We are exalted as powerful by those who wish to destroy us because it separates us from the people we think of as our most likely allies in fighting them. If everyone believes that the rich white Jews are funding the anti-racist resistance, white supremacists will blame us while black activists will feel used, controlled, resentful. We end up alone, vulnerable. A scapegoat. I pause here, because the idea of our community being used as a scapegoat is interesting to think about today. The traditional Yom Kippur text is from Leviticus, the expulsion into the wilderness of the scapegoat—the “goat for Azazel,” carrying upon him all the inequities of the Israelites. A literal vessel to carry our sins away from us. Today, though, we’re reading Cain and Abel, a story that does the opposite – pushes us to stand and face our flaws, pushes us to ask ourselves questions we already know the answers to in order to tell the truth. To really atone is to hold our flaws close, not send them away. And if we’ve been made the vessel for others to cast off their sins, a scapegoat, it’s not a role we have to accept. God asked Cain what happened to Abel. God gave Cain a chance to tell the truth. And he couldn’t. Or he just didn’t. And yes, he was alone, but remember, Cain was alone because in his anger at having been handed cursed ground, and in his pain at being rejected by God, he pushed his brother away. He turned inward and destroyed the person that might have supported him. In his pain, he made himself alone. And they were both made in the image of God, and Cain’s destiny was bound together with Abel’s – after he killed Abel, God sent Cain to wander, separated him from the land that was his birthright, never to return. Here’s another truth, or maybe a question. When we’ve found ourselves alone, are there times when it’s because we’ve isolated ourselves? When we have assumed likely allyship based on a historical relationship that we haven’t kept up? When have we been hurt that other communities have scheduled something a date that’s significant to us without understanding why it might be significant to them? When we have criticized tactics without understanding the demands? or wordsmithed statements? or disavowed groups that we never had a relationship with in the first place? When have we relied on an image of Heschel marching with King because we didn’t have a more recent example of solidarity? We’ve been relying on Heschel praying with his feet for more than 50 years. His feet are exhausted. Another truth: B’tselem elohim, the recognition of God in a stranger is not a shortcut to actually knowing them. I can recognize your humanity and fight for you, but we are stronger if we fight together, on equal terms, not because we want to help each other but because our destinies are firmly entwined. We are strongest in relationship. Those take time, and they’re messy. That’s by design – remember, we’re messy on purpose. We need to stay in relationships when it’s hard. When we feel invisible, when we accidentally make someone else invisible. When we’ve found ourselves alone, when has that been an opportunity to make a connection? When I was being attacked by Twitter Nazis, I was scared for my safety. I use my real name on the internet, I am a professional Jew in public, my address is listed. I knew rationally that the anonymity and distance that enabled these trolls to come after me online would also probably protect me from having to encounter them physically in my world. But I was deeply shaken, my anxiety was out of control, I was drained. And I got through it, because of my friends. They took my phone away and blocked the trolls so I wouldn’t have to see all of the tweets. They fed me meals. A dozen of my girlfriends in other states coordinated a donation to JCA in honor of fighting Nazis. From all around, I felt held, and supported. We say that our inheritance as Jews is a broken world. Like Cain inherited cursed soil, we received a world in need of repair. We entered it broken, like Cain, but we can choose to care for it, to tend it. We can choose to bring each other closer, not isolate ourselves. I believe our other inheritance is resilience. Some people think resilience is the ability to bounce back, but I like the way the American Psychological Association defines it – as adaptation in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or stress. I learned that not from a psychologist but from Rabbi Deborah Waxman, the President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. I had the privilege, in a dark moment, to receive some of her teaching on resilience, and I wanted to share just a tiny bit with you. Resilience is not coming back from something terrible, it’s adapting in the current moment to terrible circumstances. I went to a training once, on how to fight racism as people of faith, and the facilitator said, “We talk about safe spaces, but my job is not to keep things from hurting you in this space, it’s to help you be resilient enough to deal with painful things and keep doing the work.” That’s what our community has always done. That’s our job right now – to support each other through challenging times, knowing that sometimes we will be messy. And we will work in relationship, because none of the paths through this moment can be managed alone. The last truth, another question. When we’ve thought ourselves alone, when have we really not been? When have we been guided by our ancestors, our shared story of survival. When have we looked around to find ourselves sitting in a full congregation, in community, on our holiest day, together?

Shana Tova!! Rabbi Deborah Waxman teaches us about adopting “Yes, And” in Judaism Sweet and Happy New Year! For the podcast this week, I talk about how I organize large dinner parties at home and the tools I use to delegate to my guests some of the cooking to make things easier. They don't always like it… I reflect on spirituality and what it means for me, and how my daughter, Maya, influences me. And together we learn from Rabbi Deborah Waxman, who is the head of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Jewish Reconstructionist Communities. Rabbi Waxman is the first woman to hold these positions simultaneously. We learn what Recontructionist Judaism is and the items that Deborah feels need urgent attention. And we get our own private lesson for the new year. You can learn more at: www.jewishrecon.org www.ritualwell.org Thank you to the Strong Women who listen to the podcast! Have a healthy and strong year! L'Hitraot

Guest Info/Bio: This week we speak with the incredible Rabbi Arthur Green PhD. Rabbi Green is one of the preeminent authorities on Jewish thought and spirituality. He was the founding dean and is currently rector of the Rabbinical School and Irving Burdnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion at Hebrew College. He is Professor Emeritus at Brandeis University, where he occupied the distinguished Philip W. Lown Professorship of Jewish Thought. He is both a historian of Jewish religion and a theologian; his work seeks to form a bridge between these two distinct fields of endeavor. Educated at Brandeis University and the Jewish Theology Seminary of America, where he received rabbinic ordination, Dr. Green studied with such important teachers as Alexander Altmann, Nahum N. Glatzer, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory. He has taught Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, and theology to several generations of students at the University of Pennsylvania, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (where he served as both Dean and President), Brandeis, and now at Hebrew College. He has taught and lectured widely throughout the Jewish community of North America as well as in Israel, where he visits frequently. He was the founder of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1968 and remains a leading independent figure in the Jewish Renewal movement. (Selected) Published Works: Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition; Ehyeh: A Kabblah for Tomorrow; See My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology; & Judaism’s Ten Best Ideas: A Brief Guide for Seekers. Guest Website/Social Media: http://artgreen26.com https://soundcloud.com/rabbiartgreen Special guest music on this episode provided by: Wild Earth Facebook: @wildearthmusic Twitter: @wildearthmusic Instagram: @wildearthmusic https://wildearth.bandcamp.com/ Enjoy the songs? The songs featured on this episode were: “Of Peace, Amen, Gardens, & Be Still” from the brand new album “Holy Fools.” Wild Earth’s music is available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere good music is sold! The Deconstructionist’s Podcast is mixed and edited by Nicholas Rowe at National Audio Preservation Society: A full service recording studio and creative habitat, located in Heath, Ohio. Find them on Facebook and Twitter or visit their website for more information. www.nationalaudiopreservationsociety.weebly.com www.facebook.com/nationalaudiopreservationsociety Twitter: @napsrecording Donation: If you’re digging what we’re doing here consider making a small donation. Maintaining a podcast isn’t cheap and every dollar donated helps us to keep this thing going. Money donated goes to helping to purchase research materials, maintenance of the website, storage of episodes, etc. Click the link below to donate: https://squareup.com/store/thedeconstructionists Brand new T-Shirts now available! An original design by Joseph Ernst (@joernst1 on Instagram), this limited edition uni-sex t-shirt is soft and durable poly/cotton in charcoal grey with white screen printed graphic. Grab one to support your favorite podcast and remember when you embraced the beauty of your deconstruction. https://squareup.com/store/thedeconstructionists Find us on social media! www.thedeconstructionists.com Twitter: @deconstructcast Facebook: deconstructionistsanonymous Instagram: deconstructionistspodcast Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of Hashivenu: Jewish Teachings on Resilience, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., (https://jewishrecon.org/profile/rabbi-jacob-staub-phd) talks about one of the deepest and best known of Jewish practices, Shabbat. We read about this ancient practice in Genesis, with God creating the world in six days and then resting on the seventh—and from that, we get the concept of a day of rest. Rabbi Staub is a professor of Jewish philosophy and spirituality at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (http://www.rrc.edu). He’s written widely on many topics, including a beautiful extended chapter on the Jewish Sabbath in “A Guide to Jewish Practice, Volume 2 – Shabbat and Holidays,” published by the RRC Press (http://stores.jewishreconbooks.org/guide-to-jewish-practice-three-volume-set/). You are invited to review the chapter by clicking on the link under Episode Links, below. Find out more about the show at About (https://hashivenu.fireside.fm/about), and learn about our theme song at Theme Song (https://hashivenu.fireside.fm/theme-song). Subscribe by Email This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org). Special Guest: Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D..

Hal Taussig is Visiting Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where he has taught since 1998. He also is Professor of Early Christianity at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. He has retired from 30+ years as a United Methodist pastor and now is specially assigned by his bishop as a consultant to local congregations. Among his 14 authored books is the recent A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts. Learn more about Holden Village: www.holdenvillage.org Listen to more from Hal Taussig: http://audio.holdenvillage.org/node/8807

Ariana Katz is the host and creator of Kaddish the podcast. Ariana is a rabbinical student at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. She is a member of the Philadelphia Reconstructionist Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society), a volunteer chaplain and board member at Planned Parenthood of South East Pennsylvania, and a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council. Ariana is in training to become a soferet, scribe of sacred Jewish text. Kaddish is a monthly podcast hosted by Student Rabbi Ariana Katz that focuses on mourning ritual and customs, features first person storytelling and interviews, uses Jewish tradition to contextualize and deepens themes of the show, and holds space at the intersection of life and death. Kaddish aims to build a network of listeners and friends that will contribute stories and build online community.This show includes topics like mourning chosen family, reproductive loss, illness, ritual writing, suicide, queer and trans burial, tattoos and conversion status, state violence. Also guests talks about their specific interests and storytelling from folks about loss or grief and healing.There is a dearth of death education, and there is a romanticising, exoticizing, and sexualizing of death. Kaddish aims to stay in the muck, the complicated, unsexy, terrifying places, because those too are a part of grief.

"Walking in Two Civilizations: Jewish and American" - discussed by Rabbis Amy Bernstein, Steven Carr-Reuben and Nick Renner of Kehillat Israel and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Sandra Lawson, described in a recent article as "an African-American lesbian who converted to Judaism, eats vegan, and is now studying to be a rabbi at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College," joins Dan and Lex in a discussion on the present and future of Judaism. She offers her take on issues ranging from race, sexuality, and intermarriage to the future of synagogues and emerging forms of digital Jewish life. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here!

Rabbi Jacob Staub, Chair, Department of Medieval Jewish Civilization, Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Spirituality, and Director, Jewish Spiritual Direction Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wynnewood, PA, is the guest on this week's Jewish Sacred Aging Podcast. [spp-player] About the Guest Rabbi Jacob Staub Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., graduated from RRC in 1977. Staub has served on the RRC faculty since 1983; he served as the College's vice president for academic affairs and academic dean from 1989 to 2004. He was instrumental in developing RRC's Spiritual Direction Program and has taught Jewish spiritual direction across North America, including at Spiritual Directors International and the Spirituality Institute of Metivta. He is also a faculty member at Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality. His prior teaching experience includes appointments as assistant professor of religion at Lafayette College and as a Mellon Fellow in Jewish Philosophy at Washington University. He has served as rabbi of Bristol Jewish Center in Bristol, PA, and of Congregation Beth Shalom in Arlington, TX. Staub has served as chair of the Academy for Jewish Philosophy, of which has been a fellow. He has been vice president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and served on its board until recently. Jacob also has chaired the RRA's Gevulot Committee and its Committee on Intermarriage. Staub earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Master of Arts and doctorate in religion from Temple University, where he specialized in medieval Jewish philosophy. He trained as a spiritual director at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He completed certification in Mindfulness Leadership Training with Sylvia Boorstein and teaches meditation and contemplative practice at RRC. Staub served as editor of The Reconstructionist from 1983 to 1989. He is the author of The Creation of the World According to Gersonides (1982) and “A Guide to Jewish Practice: Shabbat” (forthcoming in 2013), and the editor of Reconstructionism: Denominationalism That Works?” (2010). He is co-editor with Jeffrey L. Schein of Creative Jewish Education: A Reconstructionist Perspective (1985) and co-author with Rebecca T. Alpert of Exploring Judaism, A Reconstructionist Approach (1985, revised edition 2000). Among the awards he has received are RRC's Gladstone Award for Fine Teaching (1997), the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation's President's Award (1989), the RRA's Yedei Emunah Award (2001, 2013) and RRC's Keter Shem Tov (2004).

Why should we care about Hebrew? Rabbi Weinberg examines Hebrew as the carrier of culture and a window into Judaism. Rabbi Josh Weinberg is the President of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America. He was ordained from the HUC-JIR Israeli Rabbinic Program in Jerusalem, and is currently living in New York. Josh previously served as the Director of the Israel program for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and as a faculty member of NFTY-EIE High School in Israel teaching Jewish History. Josh is a reserve officer in the IDF spokesperson’s unit, has hiked the Israel-trail, and came on Aliyah to Israel in 2003. Originally from Chicago, he has a B.A. from University of Wisconsin in Hebrew Literature, Political Science and International Relations, and an M.A. at the Hebrew University in Jewish Education.

On the June 3, 2016 edition of the Jewish Sacred Aging Podcast, Rabbi Address speaks with Rabbi David Teutsch Ph.D., director of the Center for Jewish Ethics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wynnewood, PA. Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D. is a man in motion, a multi-tasker with many interests. Trained as a rabbi, he earned his doctorate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; is past president of RRC; and currently leads RRC's Center for Jewish Ethics. Teutsch has spearheaded several projects devoted to Jewish leadership and its ethical basis in Jewish texts. His 2009 book, Making a Difference: A Guide to Jewish Leadership and Not-for-Profit Management, was based on a 15-month training program he led in Baltimore for future Jewish organizational presidents; the program, called Acharai!, combined course material on nonprofit management with lessons from Jewish texts on leadership and values. "To be a Jewish leader (as opposed to just a leader in a Jewish organization or a leader who just so happens to be Jewish) means to act like a mensch," Teutsch says. "It means you must guide by Jewish virtues and values, including integrity, courage, humility, gentleness and empathy. "Especially in these tough economic times, congregational and organizational leaders--whether staff or volunteer--should ask themselves: If everyone acted as I do, would the organization be a success? Would it help to build relationships and community? Would the Jewish community's commitments to Jewish learning, spirituality and social justice be what I would like them to be?" Looking back on Acharai!, Teutsch recalls a class in which he discussed the nuances of exercising power, authenticity and leadership. To make the discussion accessible to participants, he described the implications of the biblical story of Gideon, who, against all odds, succeeded as a military leader and then decided not to become king. The lesson: Good leadership is different from self-aggrandizement. "Ultimately, the goal is to integrate Jewish values and text with a sophisticated approach to leadership in the nonprofit environment," Teutsch says.

In this episode of the Jewish Sacred Aging Podcast, Rabbi Address has a conversation with Philadelphia-based rabbi and spiritual director, Rabbi Dayle Friedman. Rabbi Friedman consults on spirituality and aging through her web portal, GrowingOlder.co (no “m” at the end, just .co).   About Rabbi Dayle Friedman Rabbi Dayle Friedman Spiritual care professional: board certified by Neshama Association of Jewish Chaplains; founding director, chaplaincy services, Philadelphia Geriatric Center; trainer and mentor of clergy from all streams of Judaism. Rabbi: inspiring worship leader; innovative ritual facilitator; creative interpreter of classic Jewish wisdom in a contemporary context. Teacher: faculty, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (1989-2011), mentor to rabbis, chaplains and clergy from all streams of Judaism; consultant to professionals and organizations Social innovator: founder, Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; founding director of chaplaincy services, Philadelphia Geriatric Center; founding co-director, CONNECT, 92nd Street Y, NYC. Listed among 2008 Forward 50; and 2010 Sisterhood 50; winner, 2011 Religion, Spirituality and Aging Award, American Society on Aging Spiritual guide: participant in think tank on spiritual direction and member of founding spiritual direction team, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; spiritual director to individuals and families on the journey of later life and end- of-life medical decision-making. Adjunct faculty member, Morei Derekh Spiritual Direction Training Program Writer:  author, Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older: Finding Your Grit and Grace Beyond Midlife (Jewish Lights, 2015), Jewish Visions for Aging: A Professional Guide for Fostering Wholeness (Jewish Lights, 2008); editor, Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources (Jewish Lights, 2nd edition, 2010). Published over 40 articles in journals and periodicals Recording and post-production services for the podcasts is provided by the Professional Podcasts division of The Lubetkin Media Companies, which also manages this website. Now, you can subscribe to an RSS feed for either of Rabbi Address' podcast series separately.   Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Jewish Sacred Aging podcasts.   Subscribe to the RSS feed for Boomer Generation Radio podcasts.     Subscribe to both of these podcast series in the Apple iTunes Music Store. [spp-optin]

Beginning this week exclusively on Radio Chavura, we launch our annual series on preparing for the High Holidays. This year we are proud to feature another prominent group of Colorado spiritual leaders, starting with Rabbi Evette Lutman, the spiritual leader of B’nai Havurah, the Denver Reconstructionist Congregation that serves more than 240 households. B’nai Havurah is an egalitarian and participatory community, open to multiple perspectives and forms of religious expression. Rabbi Lutman, who is affectionately called “Rabbi Evette” by her congregants, was hired in July 2010 upon her rabbinic ordination for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, PA.  She has a law degree from Ohio State University. Our interview with Rabbi Lutman was conducted in June 2014, just prior to her departure for Israel.  The rabbi is passionate about Israel and urges her congregants to visit and stay engaged. Rabbi Lutman discusses her personal and congregational preparations for the High Holidays, which begin this year on Wednesday evening, September 24th.   In future segments, we’ll feature Rabbi Daniel Rapp, visiting professor of Talmud and Associate Dean of Students at Yeshiva University (East Denver Orthodox Synagogue); Rabbi Raphael Leban, The Jewish Experience; and Rabbi Brian Field, Judaism Your Way. Although the rabbis represent a variety of approaches and Jewish denominations, each rabbi shares insights certain to make 5775 relevant and inspirational.  Fresh episodes of Radio Chavura are available on Sunday evenings at 6:30 pm at Chavura.com as well as from the iTunes store. The program is hosted and produced by Maxwell and Dean Rotbart.

Welcome to the Two Hundred Eighty Seventh episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Michelle Greenfield looks at Masechet Pesachim Daf 28. Rabbi Yehuda is still arguing about burning chametz when his own words are used against him. Rabbi Michelle Greenfield is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  She currently serves as […]

Rabbi Dayle Friedman, a pioneer in forging a Jewish spiritual response to the challenges and blessings of later life, is Rabbi Address's guest on this week's Boomer Generation Radio program. She is the founder of Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which works to foster vibrant aging in the context of multigenerational community through professional education, scholarship and spiritual resources for elders and their caregivers. Rabbi Friedman is the moderator of the web resource GrowingOlder.co (the “.co” domain is correct — not the usual “.com.”) Boomer Generation Radio airs on WWDB-AM 860 every Tuesday at 10 a.m., and features news and conversation aimed at Baby Boomers and the issues facing them as members of what Rabbi Address calls “the club sandwich generation.” You can hear the show live on AM 860, or streamed live from the WWDB website. Subscribe to the RSS feed for all Jewish Sacred Aging podcasts. Subscribe to these podcasts in the Apple iTunes Music Store. Biography Rabbi Friedman is the author of Jewish Visions for Aging: A Professional Guide for Fostering Wholeness, (Jewish Lights, 2008). She edited Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources (Jewish Lights, 2nd edition, 2005), which has become a standard reference in the field. She was founding director of chaplaincy services at Philadelphia Geriatric Center, where she fostered Jewish life and spiritual care for a community of 1100 elders from 1985 to 1997. She has mentored rabbis and chaplains from all movements in Judaism. She was included in the Forward 50, a listing of influential American Jewish leaders, in 2008. She was previously a guest on the Jewish Sacred Aging podcast, which you can hear at this link.

The George Washington University's Marc Lynch, director of the Project on Middle East Political Science, speaks with Ilan Peleg, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Government & Law at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is an Adjunct Professor of Israeli Society at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute. Additionally, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Israel Studies Forum. His publications include: Begin's Foreign Policy: Israel's Turn to the Right, The Peace Process in The Middle East, Negotiating Culture & Human Rights, Democratizing the Hegemonic State: Political Transformation in the Age of Identity, and the forthcoming The Foreign Policy of George W. Bush. Lynch and Peleg discuss Israeli politics and the implications of the January 22, 2013 election, identity politics, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The George Washington University's Marc Lynch, director of the Project on Middle East Political Science, speaks with Ilan Peleg, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Government & Law at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is an Adjunct Professor of Israeli Society at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and an Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute. Additionally, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Israel Studies Forum. His publications include: Begin's Foreign Policy: Israel's Turn to the Right, The Peace Process in The Middle East, Negotiating Culture & Human Rights, Democratizing the Hegemonic State: Political Transformation in the Age of Identity, and the forthcoming The Foreign Policy of George W. Bush. Lynch and Peleg discuss Israeli politics and the implications of the January 22, 2013 election, identity politics, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In the fourth Jewish Sacred Aging podcast, Rabbi Address discusses "Growing Older: A Sacred Journey," with Rabbi Dayle Friedman, a pioneer in forging a Jewish spiritual response to the challenges and blessings of later life. Rabbi Friedman is the moderator of the web resource GrowingOlder.co (the ".co" domain is correct -- not the usual ".com.") She is the founder of Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which works to foster vibrant aging in the context of multigenerational community through professional education, scholarship and spiritual resources for elders and their caregivers. Rabbi Friedman is the author of Jewish Visions for Aging: A Professional Guide for Fostering Wholeness, (Jewish Lights, 2008). She edited Jewish Pastoral Care: A Practical Handbook from Traditional and Contemporary Sources (Jewish Lights, 2nd edition, 2005), which has become a standard reference in the field. She was founding director of chaplaincy services at Philadelphia Geriatric Center, where she fostered Jewish life and spiritual care for a community of 1100 elders from 1985 to 1997. She has mentored rabbis and chaplains from all movements in Judaism. She was included in the Forward 50, a listing of influential American Jewish leaders, in 2008. Visit www.jewishsacredaging.com for future episodes in this podcast series. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Jewish Sacred Aging podcast. Subscribe to these podcasts in the Apple iTunes Music Store.