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This past Friday afternoon, we hosted the third in our series of #ReimagineRitual Twitter chats, this one on #ReimagineLoss. We discussed ways to remagine Jewish mourning rituals, touching on subjects such as how ritual provides structure for our grief, making sense of the phrase "Baruch Dayan Ha-emet," and grieving practices in Jewish interfaith families. We appreciate the many voices represented in this chat. The aim of these chats is to be the first step in ongoing conversations.

While I have always found Jewish mourning rituals to be meaningful, providing a structure through which to process one of life’s most difficult moments, I have also noticed over the years a few areas in which these rituals could be augmented to mark significant moments for the mourning family and the community that supports them. As someone who is deeply involved in organizations that specifically address Jewish mourning practices, I am particularly interested in seeing creative additions to the repertoire of Jewish mourning rituals.

At the end of

Typically when we think of access in general and in Jewish community specifically, we first default to thinking about physical access—is the

This past Friday afternoon, while Twitter experienced a "glut" of tweets recognizing #NationalDonutDay, @Ritualwell had a slightly different agenda. We hosted the second in our series of #ReimagineRitual Twitter chats, this one on #ReimagineDisability. Following a successful first chat on #ReimagineBnaiMitzvah, this chat started a conversation on ways in which the Jewish community can become more inclusive of folks with disabilities.

Judaism is as much a community as a religion, and as such it is deeply rooted in ritual and tradition. This communal nature is cemented by speaking and singing in unison, commingling individual voices within a rhythmic repetition of sh’ma

As part of a ritual we created to say farewell to our foster daughter, Dafna, below is the story of my family's history of fostering across the generations, from escaping the Nazis to offering shelter to teenagers fleeing Vietnam. We read this during the goodbye ceremony. Photo by Nomad Nirvana Photography

On a recent Saturday evening, I found myself in a small artsy theater in downtown Seattle for the debut of an original animated film. When the film ended, the young filmmaker, Frieda, was greeted with thunderous applause. Afterward, she joined me on stage for a Director’s Q&A session, where I interviewed her about both the content and the making of her movie. The topic of the film? Parashat Beshalakh.

In Kabbalah, the current month on the Hebrew calendar, Iyar, is the month of healing. Its spelling—aleph, yud, yud, resh—corresponds to the first letters of the words “Ani Yud-Yud Rofecha,” “I am G-d your Healer.” As I prepare for the Jewish Healing Circle I lead each month at my synagogue, I am struck by what a powerful healing tool it has become.

I felt totally in my body, my mind quiet, connected to the tree, nature, and the Oneness of the Universe. I felt rooted between Heaven and Earth.