Today is the 37th day of the Omer: This daily practice is meant to help us in our healing journey, as we seek to integrate the spiritual Wisdom of our ancestors with our emotions and actions, so that we can feel centered in our faith and integrated in the ways that we live out our faith.
We are taught that we were created in the Divine Image. But we may not always feel like this is true- neither when we think of ourselves, nor when we think of others. There are so many reasons why this is true: trauma, life challenges, relationship worries, work stressors, financial issues and social injustices are just a few of the many influences that may cause us to behave in ways that are out of sync with our beliefs.
A lot of us may feel disconnected from organized religion because it has been weaponized. Many of us look at history and see that what is being preached (love) is very different than what often happens in its name. This can cause most of us to become disenchanted and suspicious- for good reason.
The great Rabbi Yeshayahu Leibowitz wrote about the ways that an unexamined faith consisting of empty rituals and performative gestures can become hypocritical, and indeed, a form of idolatry, when it is used as a way of building walls between people. Modern psychology explains that we hurt others when we are hurt. We project onto others our own unacknowledged or unaddressed issues, and then react to those, rather than facing what we are repressing and working on healing ourselves.
The rabbis instituted the practice of the counting of the Omer to help us in this journey, by inviting us to consider the unique ways in which we integrate different Divine qualities within ourselves. We are supposed to do this every year, after Passover, to prepare for Shavuot. Leaving Ancient Egyptian bondage looks different for each of us, at different stages of our life. It is important to work on healing whatever the sources of our own challenges (the narrowness of our soul is the literal translation of Mitzrayim, which is generally understood to refer to Egypt). Only then, will we be free to hear G!d’s Call to us and learn how to answer it.
The practice of integration that comes with the Omer counting serves as a kind of internal integration and healing process. How can our own searching moral inventory help us to align our espoused beliefs with our operational theology? We can assert our beliefs, but the truest measure of what we believe is seen in our actions. As the popular saying goes; show me your calendar and your checkbook, and I will tell you what you believe.
This Shabbat, the rabbis invite us to work to integrate the ways that the Divine emanations flow through us in the following ways: Gevurah (strength, discipline and boundaries) with Yesod (Love, intimacy and bonding). The Heavens are aligning to facilitate the healing that is possible in this particular area… with the understanding that if we are able to understand and heal this part of ourselves, the healing will radiate out into the world.
This is an invitation to think about the role that discipline plays in our capacity to love… What role do boundaries play? How do discipline, limitation and boundaries help us to focus and operationalize Love, intimacy and bonding?
We think of Love as limitless, but so long as we exist in human form, boundaries help protect us from burnout and compassion fatigue. Shabbat is one such boundary, that protects the soul and heals us. This is the loving foundation that allows us to rest in G!d’s Love and recharge.
Gevurah is also strength… our strength grows each time we practice setting boundaries to care for ourselves…. Others… our world… If we do not set boundaries for ourselves, our strength may falter and we may fail to act in loving ways. If we do not pay attention to our inner core- the foundations that support us- then we will struggle to live in such a way that our beliefs will be manifest in our actions.
When we are burnt out, we often cut corners and lose motivation. Our capacity to be hopeful and compassionate is limited and we may become critical and judgmental. These kinds of behaviors are often signs that our inner self is struggling to connect with the Self in Whose Image we are all created.
May this Shabbat’s discipline of rest and focus inspire us and center us. May we work to stay grounded and to operationalize our stated beliefs so that we can practice what we preach. When we live authentically, we will find ourselves nourished by our encounters with others, as Spirit flows through us and between us. May this enliven us and help us to strengthen the foundations of our lives and our relationships with one another, with ourselves and with the Source of Love in Whose Image we were created.
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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