Many years (decades lol) ago, I was blessed to learn of a Sufi teaching that all of the world’s religions are like different colored beads with the same string of truth running through them…
As life evolved, I began to create my own renditions of this same teachings… perhaps all of the world’s great Wisdom teachings (religion, psychology, science…) were like different colored stained glass panels, and G!d’s Light shone through each of those uniquely, and that the window was beautiful but without the Light it was dark… and indeed, many stained glass windows had the different colors held together with material that did not let Light through, because they were glue, and they served a function in the here and now, to ensure the beauty of the art piece, but they did not carry the Light, and indeed, the Light did not need the stained glass window at all, because if we could leave the buildings we were in (metaphors for this earthly realm), then we would see that outside Light was everywhere, but so long as we were inside of the building we got the Light through the windows, but we should not mistake the entirety of the window as the Light… and that sometimes we saw walls as well… and no Light came through, but the walls made us feel safe…
The metaphor could go on (and trust me! I have indeed done so on many an occasion :-))… but my point today, is that all religions contain the capacity to shine Light brightly and beautifully… and this has been a fundamental tenet to my life and to my ministry/rabbinate/sense of Calling…
I sometimes prefer the metaphor of language… we all are trying to express the Inexpressible, and I have often sought to serve as a translator… showing how psychology or religion or politics or life are actually intertwined and inform one another…
This is a very elaborate introduction to this post… which is about my reflections on Mardi Gras (tonight) and Ash Wednesday (tomorrow)… the start of Lent and preparing for Easter… religious holidays that are not Jewish… but that teach certain ideas that are also shared by Judaism… we have our own holidays coming… Purim, which shared many similarities with Mardi Gras in some ways, and Passover, which is liturgically related to Easter for Christians…
In many ways, these are dichotomies- Purim, Mardi Gras… these are times for excessive celebration while Ash Wednesday, Lent and Passover are times for penitence and deprivation… fundamentally, the juxtaposition of these remind us of how extremes can disturb our equilibrium- our beliefs about the world and ourselves- and cause us to question our ego… and look past what we think is true, to begin to reflect on what is truly real, beyond the illusions of this world… and that fundamentally, this is what teaches us about liberation and redemption.
And so it is, as the world is careening toward the potential of a world war, the likes of which we can not even allow ourselves to imagine, because the potential for destruction is too terrifying… and as the world is still reeling from a pandemic that continues to kill too many people… even then… countless people are distracting themselves and trying to feel powerful in the face of our inherent helplessness… by trying to control other people… trying to warp the word of G!d to assert a sense of order and dominance… trying to find refuge in easy theologies that talk about “us” versus “them” and “good” versus “bad”, and like most fairy tales, promise a happy ending if everyone just does what they are supposed to do…
But finding refuge in simplistic binaries only reinforces the dynamics that cause us to fear one another… that eclipse the Light that is right there… seeking to illumine our hearts and minds, if only we can look away from the walls and toward the window… toward the beauty…
As I join so many of you in praying for peace, I welcome the liturgical opportunities our respective calendars provide, to reflect upon the ways in which we can come together as One and assert our unity in the face of those who seek to divide…
Therefore, I am honored to have been invited to preach, tomorrow, March 2nd, at Queer Spirit Church, here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the occasion of Ash Wednesday… and in so doing, I pray that I can contribute to those that are seeking to share Light in a world that desperately needs it… The service is available online for those who wish to attend:
Originally from Montreal, Canada, I studied in Jerusalem at several Orthodox yeshivas, prior to beginning my studies as a Reform rabbi at Hebrew Union College. I am a second generation Holocaust survivor, and early on, wanted to do whatever I could to build a world where hatred and prejudice would never again have the upper hand.
For me, studying Judaism from traditional perspectives was crucial because “it was important to understand what we are reforming”. I believe in making educated choices from the rich set of resources provided by Jewish tradition, in order to ensure that every ritual and prayer is meaningful. I was a founding board member of the Society of Classical Reform Judaism (now Roots of Reform), due to my unwavering commitment to advocacy for interfaith families and the creation of inclusive Jewish communities that are unconditionally welcoming of all spiritual seekers, regardless of their religious background, relationship status, identity or Hebrew speaking ability.
In addition to nearly two decades working in synagogues, teaching, counseling and participating in life cycle events, I am also a social worker, psychotherapist, mediator and trained as an interfaith chaplain. I worked with the American Red Cross after 9/11, providing counseling and support at the family assistance center, Ground Zero and the morgue. My doctoral research was focused on burnout and compassion fatigue, as part of my years of work in hospice and palliative care. My life experiences have taught me hope and how to cultivate resilience and wisdom.
This blog reflects my attempts to distill rabbinic wisdom into insights that can speak to all people. I have dedicated my life to healing and spiritual alchemy. I first began the writings that formed the basis of this blog as part of my role as Vice President of Mission for KentuckyOne Health, an interfaith hospital system that brought together Catholic, secular and Jewish hospital systems, in order to bring wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved. I began my weekly reflections on the Torah portion, in order to share some of Jewish Hospital's heritage and values with staff that may not have known much about Judaism. These reflections were then shared by staff with others who asked to be placed on my blind copy list, as well as by the system mission leader of Catholic Health Initiatives to his own reader list, along with his own reflections.
I have been profoundly humbled by the reactions to these writings, and as more people have asked to have access to them, I eventually worked to overcome my discomfort with the internet in order to publish them online. I realized that Jews and non-Jews were drawn to my inclusive interpretations of the biblical text, and my reflections on how to apply these in our every day. I believe that, much like the Sufi teaching that describes all the religions of the world like different prayer beads, with the same string of truth that runs through each of them, so too can these ancient spiritual and mystical teachings can come to life, when we reflect on the echoes of other world traditions and by contemporary psychological theory.
As my professional journey has continued to evolve, and I have found myself transitioning from pulpit rabbi to community rabbi, to who I am becoming as I seek to move beyond all labels, I have found that this site remains an important way for people to get to know me, and understand my theology.
I am fundamentally committed to the sacred act of translation- seeking to discern the Divine through text and life, and to translate those words of Torah and wisdom into reflections that can speak to people of all faith traditions... and in so doing, hopefully encouraging others to do the same. We are all created in the Image of G!d, and as such, each of us has our own unique understanding of the Sacred. In the same way as the rabbis teach that if even one letter from the scroll of the Torah is missing, the entire Torah has lost its sacredness (is no longer kosher), so too is this world diminished so long as people silence themselves. For too long, organized religion has been used as a weapon, to keep people silent and to teach shame... my quest as a rabbi, and indeed, as a human being, is to work to translate religious teachings into redemptive and healing truths, to seek to liberate s/Spirit and to work toward "tikkun olam" (the healing of the universe).
My current rabbinate is dedicated to teaching and mentoring other rabbis, and working with interfaith families, as well as those traditionally marginalized from mainstream Judaism. In the same way as the holiness of the Jewish prayer shawl (tallit) can be found in its fringes (tzitzit) so too do I believe that the most important contribution I can make to the Jewish people is "Keruv" (helping people find their way home), and to the broader world is "shleimut" (helping people to find wholeness). I also serve G!d as a social worker, doing what I can to work for justice for all people.
It is my prayer that the insights in this blog will bring healing and insight to others, and encourage others to find their voice and path. Thank you for your time reading my work.
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