jewfem.com - Spirituality

That time the rabbi nearly made the study hall collapse -- or Talmudic lessons in compassion

Written on December 26, 2017.

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I gave my first session in Talmud this week at HUC, in my Introduction to Talmud...

Are Jews really chosen? Or are all religions really the same?

Written on November 23, 2017.

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I watched a captivating little video clip today about a man who has tried out six...

Rabbi Tamar Elad Applebaum used her Friday night sermon to talk about #MeToo. Wow. #GamAni

Written on November 19, 2017.

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“If we can’t talk about sexuality and sexual abuse in the synagogue community, then...

The HUC Ordination Ceremony: A celebration of the Jewish human spirit

Written on November 17, 2017.

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Rabbi Naamah Kelman had a really busy day yesterday. As Dean of the Hebrew Union...

Are women really desperate to get married? Rereading the Talmud, at my own risk.....

Written on November 10, 2017.

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It was as if I knew this was coming. It was almost fate speaking to me. After I...

What does it mean to really listen in prayer?

Written on November 09, 2017.

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Yael Vurgen, a classmate of mine at HUC rabbinical school and a fellow-Modi’in...

And another gift today, a glorious poem from Elke Weiss

Written on November 09, 2017.

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In addition to the gift I received last night in the form of an unambiguous reminder...

So a funny thing happened to me when I posted about the editor of the Talmud; or, what to do when people think you’re crazy

Written on November 04, 2017.

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Once again, I’m recovering from The Internet. Specifically, from the Jewish...

What happens when we mistake humans for God; or, an ode to editors

Written on November 02, 2017.

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This week in Talmud class, we read a debate among rabbis about who has a bigger...

The Rabin Assassination and the Binding of Isaac: A powerful sermon by HUC Rabbinical Student Osnat Elder

Written on November 01, 2017.

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To commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the Rabin assassination which falls this...

From Weinstein to Trump to the Talmud: Lessons on being a woman in this world, then and now

Written on October 29, 2017.

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Don’t embarrass important men. Don’t ruin things – for others, for yourself. And...

When rabbis don’t know right from left; or, learning to listen to the God within

Written on October 26, 2017.

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There is a fascinating debate in the rabbinic literature about how far rabbinic...

Returning to the Talmud, on my own terms

Written on October 23, 2017.

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I’m studying Talmud again. It’s been a while since I learned at the full-time Drisha...

Breaking worlds: Noach, Trump, Meredith Grey, and me

Written on October 22, 2017.

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“ Sometimes doctors have to break things before they heal them ,” Meredith Grey...

Women dropping out of shul

Written on October 10, 2017.

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One Friday night in an Orthodox synagogue in Jerusalem 10 years ago, a woman was...

News or cautionary tale? When an Orthodox feminist becomes a Reform rabbi

Written on October 09, 2017.

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My decision to become a reform rabbi is apparently newsworthy. It was reported in a...

Being joyful is not a commandment; It is a life hack

Written on October 08, 2017.

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Ever since I embarked on studies to become a Reform rabbi, I have been inundated...

Are the High Holidays a celebration of women?

Written on September 25, 2017.

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Fourteen years ago this week, I gave birth. My beautiful daughter, Meital, arrived...

How I learned the significance of OYs and AYs in Rosh Hashana liturgy, Jewish life, and the human spirit

Written on September 19, 2017.

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This morning in class, I think I was dreaming about Tevye. I was listening to Rabbi...

Where are women allowed to think and feel for ourselves? That is my question

Written on September 16, 2017.

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Around this time last year, I had an exchange here on FB about head covering which...