Jonah and Noah
“Who will I be / as this stormy year unfolds?”
Tisha B’Av
“I will teach you the melody
of my Echa,
together we will sit on the ground
and mourn for the peace of JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled..”
Coming Back Home, to Jewish Learning
Sometimes, the inspiration for writing a prayer or a ritual comes from the most unexpected places. As I was preparing for teaching my Ritualwell Immersion in early July, gathering resources, […]
The Problem with God’s Body Isn’t God’s Body
also how dare I use such an antiquated, male-sprung, /
power-overed, trite & treacly term? And I agree, yes, /
how dare, how dare I? Well, I answer, I do. Dare.
Hiking Time: Two to Three Hours
I walk the trail back to its origins /
towards the slow pulse of life /
flowing within contorted trunks /
honey-colored limbs scarred by lightning
Blessing
The power to bless is the power /
to choose.
An Offering
You offered to walk with me around Queen Anne Hill, holding my hand /
You offered to take me out again. /
What was the meaning of these offerings? /
Kaddish Yatom (Mourner’s Kaddish)
The Reconstructionist version of the Mourner’s KaddishThe Aramaic memorial prayer for the dead. Mourners recite this prayer at every service, every day, in the presence of a minyan (prayer quorum) over the course of a year (for a parent) or thirty days (for a sibling or offspring). The prayer actually makes no mention of the dead, but rather prays for the sanctification and magnification of God's name..
Tisha B’Av 2024
“Did they praise / the G-d that brought about their / most brutal response to devastation? / Or did they lament?”
An Eve Ritual for Rosh Hashanah
A new Rosh HashanahThe Jewish New Year, also considered the Day of Judgment. The period of the High Holidays is a time of introspection and atonement. The holiday is celebrated with the sounding of the shofar, lengthy prayers in synagogue, the eating of apples and honey, and round challah for a sweet and whole year. Tashlikh, casting bread on the water to symbolize the washing away of sins, also takes place on Rosh Hashana. ritual honoring Eve’s role in the beginning of our human story
