Thanks for the memories #CCAR11

@FrumeSarah, @jazzrabbi, @imabima, @lizwood1982 tweeting at the convention

There are two things you MUST know about me at the outset of this post:
1) I am a joiner
2) I like people. I'm a people person.

So you can imagine how spectacular a five day long rabbinical convention is for someone like me. Connecting and reconnecting with colleagues on a professional and social level, interesting and stimulating programs and sessions, meaningful worship experiences, rejuvenation and renewal. It was exhausting and overwhelming and energizing, all at the same time. It is ALMOST too much to process. So I've provided a list for you of my TOP TEN moments at the 2011 Central Conference of American Rabbis Convention in New Orleans:

10) T'fillah - imagine in a grand ballroom with hundreds of your closest colleagues, raising your voice as one in prayer. Pretty spectacular!
9) Session on Congregational engagement - there's a neuroscience behind how people adapt to change and how we more easily help people break free of comfortable and predictable patters to innovate. VERY COOL!
8) NEW ORLEANS - Our opening keynote speaker Scott Cowan, President of Tulane University, spoke of the history and resiliency of New Orleans. What an incredible city. Not to mention all the amazing food and culture. Beignets at Cafe Du Monde, Etouffee at Cafe Bon Temp, Riverwalk restaurants on the Mississippi River....okay, maybe just the food!
7) Seeing old friends and reliving memories together. There is NOTHING like remembering inside jokes and stories from years gone by and laughing harder than you ever thought possible. It is the best!
6) Meaningful dialog with colleagues. Whether in a session, a momentary soundbite, or a meaningful hour-long discussion, these are the ways in which we process all the things we do in our jobs, our lives, and our Jewish movement. Invaluable.
5) The Women's Rabbinic Network dinner - an organization near and dear to my heart that promotes and upholds the distinct issues that women face and address as rabbis. It is uplifting and affirming, always.
4) Jazz on Bourbon Street - let's face it, you cannot go to NOLA without heading to Bourbon street and hearing some great music. The moment that Dixieland brass starts playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" you cannot help but get up and dance and sing!!! I know, I did :)
3) TECHNOLOGY - This is a biggie! From the CCAR smart phone app to visual t'fillah, to tweeting, blogging, texting, and more. Never in my life have I understood the importance of technology more than when I made such INSTANT connections with the colleagues that I've gotten to know well online (and not previously in person).
2) Environmental Justice Tour - I was hesitant to spend the majority of one of the days away from the hotel sessions, but this trip was unbelievable. I learned all about the injustices that the greater NOLA community faces (bayou depletion, fence-line communities, effects of Katrina, etc) and the organizations that work to rectify these issues. *Next blog post to follow on this most important learning experience*
1) Networking - This one is so important to me. I love people (see above) and to get the chance to learn with, meet, and connect with colleagues and friends throughout the country is hugely important to how we build communities, bounce around and share ideas, and support one another. Old and new connections are made and remade. Old and new experiences are lived and relived. I am so blessed to love what I do, to love those with whom I do it, and to be reminded of just how very lucky I am to do this sacred work and to share it with my professional community, my congregational community, and the Jewish world.

Why a Blog?

In this world of e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, one might ask - why blog? If you want to let people know what you're doing, tweet about it. If you want to share pictures, links, articles, and notes, post them to your Facebook page - which is much like having a personal webpage that is constantly being accessed by all your friends. And if you don't want everything to be so public, but you need to get information out, e-mail is the answer! So, again, why blog?

I have to admit one thing - I've always thought that blogging is somewhat self-indulgent. Only a narcissistic ego-maniac could possibly imagine that everyone on the Internet would want to hear about what they think. But then someone pointed out to me that people are already doing that through other social media sites - constantly sharing their beliefs, their thoughts...even what they ate for breakfast. I had oatmeal and carrot juice, if you're curious.


But a blog (a shortened version of the word "weblog") is a unique chance for people to access more than a twitter post of 140 characters, more than a status update, and more than a personal email. It is a chance to really dig deeper into an issue, develop some points, and come away with some new and interesting information, hopefully. Recently, I took place in the CCAR's webinar on technology and the rabbinate, which was excellent, and they discussed the ideas of social sermons, outreach, and tools for engagement. That's when it hit me. Social media is a tool for having casual conversations with our "congregants" and the like. It's a way to get information out there, let people know what's going on, and reach greater audiences than ever imaginable. Blogging is much like sermonizing - only with the potential to reach a far greater audience than the people sitting in the pews.

And, you know what? It's really caught on! One of my dearest friends, Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, was one of the first Jewish professionals to really get into the blogging world several years ago when it was just catching on. People didn't always understand what she was doing, but she did it anyway. And now, she's well-known for her technological and blogging skills on Judaism and parenting (two issues on which she's quite experienced and knowledgeable!) My good friend, Rabbi Geoff Mitelman, was recently featured in the Huffington Post for his blog "Are Rational Religious People all that Rare?" And the URJ features a fantastic blog with contributions from Jewish professionals, layleaders, clergy, and the like. Their subjects run the gamut of Israel, ritual and worship, interfaith issues, food, news, and living as Jews in the 21st century.

There are synagogues that blog. We have congregants that blog. And you have a rabbi that blogs. There are blogs on Judaism. There are blogs on shopping. There are blogs on music. There are blogs on every subject imaginable if you search for it. Clearly, it's a social medium that is popular, that is ubiquitous, and effective.

Why blog? Because in this age of information distribution and consumption, the blog is one of the most necessary tools in social media, and perhaps, in our engagement with others.

What's Judaism got to do with it?

A few months ago, I posted about Halloween and Judaism. This post elicited a lot of strong reactions about whether or not we, as Jews, should be addressing the celebration of non-religious holidays in our Jewish lives.
Well, here I go again...

Imagine, if you will, a late winter Wednesday religious school classroom, circa early 1990's. February 14th. The long dark brown conference tables have been pushed together across the linoleum floor to create a unified desk amidst the backdrop of yellow painted walls, chalkboards, and bulletin strips. A handful of students are waiting for the rabbi to come and join them to begin that day's lesson. One of the students pulls out her binder and opens it up, handing out Valentine's Day cards to everyone in the classroom. She keeps one in the binder, waiting to give it to the rabbi. "What are you doing?" one student shouts, "You can't give these out in Hebrew school." "Why not? I brought enough for everyone," the student replies as she looks dejectedly at her home-computer-printed cards. "Because, it's a Christian holiday. St. Valentine was Catholic. And we're Jewish!" The girl who brought the Valentines looks as though she is about to cry. The rabbi suddenly walk in to start class. The rabbi never received a Valentine's Day card that day from that girl who had worked so hard to include everyone.

I tell you this story because it left an imprint on my mind. I wasn't any of the major characters, but I sure was there and I witnessed it. And, for years, it left an imprint on me about how we, as Jews, deal with a secular holiday named after a Catholic Saint. If we don't address this issue, perhaps we aren't addressing the questions that many adults have about this type of situation, or how we deal with it when our children come home asking questions.

In modern, American, society, Valentine's Day is a day about love. Tell those whom you love how very much they mean to you, how important they are in your life, and how much you care about them. Certainly this is a Jewish concept - love your neighbor as yourself, honor they mother and father (which we do through loving them), performing acts of gimilut hasadim (lovingkindness). Christianity isn't the only religion that has the market on love - we Jews embrace it! Because love is not about what religion you believe in, how you celebrate a particular holiday, or what's acceptable or not. It's a human emotion.

So, how do we deal with a holiday that is named after a Catholic Saint, been secularized by card companies and flower shops, and still fit it into our Jewish world? We do what we always do - we embrace it!
Spend a minute or two and go to "My Jewish Learning" to learn what they have to say about celebrating it as a Jew. Or, go out there and have fun. Enjoy the day with your loved ones. Many dating sites and organizations (even for Jews) have speed-dating events, get-togethers and parties that night. Or, if you want to educate your children and families, start focusing on Tu B'Av (the Israeli day of love) that occurs during the summer. Start your planning early. The "Jewish Family Fun Book" is a great resource for thinking of creative ways to celebrate love.

Whatever you do - whether you link it to your Judaism or not, whether your question it's place in your life (either as a secular observer or as a committed Jew), or whether you use it as a day just to indulge in chocolate - be sure to remember that it's all about the love. And that value is one we can practice every day!

What's your story?

PEOPLE BECOME THE STORIES THEY HEAR AND THE STORIES THEY TELL - - Elie Wiesel

Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has stories they like to hear. How blessed we are, in the Jewish tradition, to be able to openly embrace our stories and make room for other stories to be told.

Stories come in all different packages and with all different labels. Some are stories we tell around a campfire. Some take place at bedtime. Some are stories we hear from our relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers and rabbis. Others are stories we read in books, magazines, or online. Sometimes we create stories in a class, or on our own and we share new ideas and new concepts with the world in great detail.

In Jewish tradition, we have a Book of Legends (Sefer ha-Aggadah) that come from our Midrashic and Talmudic traditions. Rabbis created Midrashim, or stories, to be able to better understand holy scripture in a way that made sense for their world. Torah text is sacred, and Midrashim gave these Rabbis the chance to try and understand many of the perplexing and challenging issues surrounding our sacred texts. The stories they told were holy and thus became a part of our own holy tradition.

I love telling stories. Whether in a sermon, at a family service, during a holiday, while teaching, or even informally, I find that stories have a means of engagement that go far beyond listing facts and figures. Stories weave together details, fantastical elements, moments of suspense and anticipation to create lessons - - or even just to entertain us. And EVERYONE loves a good story, whether young or old, learned or not, stories captivate our attention and stay with us.

More so, each one of us has a story to tell. Our lives may not be as fantastical as the stories we hear, or read, but they are OUR stories, nonetheless. And these stories are just as holy and sacred as our ancient texts.

As we approach this Shabbat, and pause to reflect on our lives (where we've been this week, where we're going), I urge you to think about your own personal narrative. What have you seen, experienced, learned, gained? What do you hope to add to that winding path that will eventually be the fabric of your tale? What is your story and what would you like to tell this world?

A deep, profound loss for the whole Jewish world

I realized something VERY important when I first began my friendship with Debbie Friedman. I realized that she was iconic. Not because she cultivated herself into an icon, or because she prided herself on her multitude of accomplishments. But because she lived deeply.
And out of that depth came a profound love of Judaism, music, and creativity. Her accomplishments made her iconic because she changed the world of Judaism and how people lived in it. She brought them out of themselves to connect to a greater community by singing, praying, and worshiping together in music they could relate to. She was unafraid to infuse Judaism with her own love of folk and guitar music - and the Reform Jewish world over the last 25 years is so grateful to her for that courage.

On Sunday morning, Debbie Friedman died, and I have been trying to get a grip on the many emotions that it is producing both within me and around me. I am deeply saddened to have lost the friend that I really got to know a few years ago. I am reliving my precious memories of her, sometimes crying and often laughing to myself.

But more than my own personal memories and feelings, I am astounded by the outpouring of emotion that her death has caused. I see it on Twitter, on Facebook, on blog posts, in articles. Whether or not people knew her personally, in passing, or were simply touched by her music, her legacy is everywhere in this Jewish world. The URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) is collecting tribute submissions on their homepage. Her funeral service will be streamed live on Tuesday morning. And NPR did a segment on her this evening, including some of her music.

Debbie was an inspiration for me musically, but also personally. She once commended me on singing her "Halleluyah" at a service she was at, commenting how hard it is for people to perform in front of composers. "That took guts - but you nailed it." As I developed a friendship with her, she would so often hear about my desire to pursue Jewish music and she would say to me, almost annoyed, "So what's holding you back? Do it already. If you love something, don't throw it away..."

Debbie, for me personally, inspires me to live courageously, to live fully, to love my music and Judaism, and my spirit all in the same breath. To thousands that have known her or heard her music, she allows us to live deeply, and to be courageous with ourselves. She changed the picture of Jewish music and really the face of Judaism in the latter half of the 20th century. And she will continue to live on in our hearts, our memories, our voices, and our breath.

"You are gentle, you are kind. And you may not know this, but it's you...."

To pray

I woke up today with two thoughts in my head:
1) Why do we pray "for" something when we can literally try to *pray* something?
2) If life is all about the big picture, why do we focus so much on the details? How do we find a good balance?

I lay in bed this morning (the luxury of being on vacation) for about an hour thinking over these two things.
I meditated about the things that I want to actively pray - goodness, kindness, love, empathy, compassion, justice, health, peace. I want to pray, rather than pray for, so that the way I act in this world is felt rather than heard. Perhaps prayer does not require us to focus or direct our attention somewhere, but rather to be something, to transform ourselves into the best part of who we can be.

I also took time to think about the details. Sure, my head was swirling with the details of work that I must attend to in the next few days when I get back from vacation. But I also thought over the details of my life. I thought about my own personal resolution this year that has much more to do with who I am internally and the way I treat myself rather than some superficial promise. It's about improving who I am and the way I feel about my existence in the world. And I realized that this bigger picture begins with the details of my life.

As I got out of bed and checked my email, I found an evaluation from a master's class vocal performance. And NOTHING says details like an evaluation from a music school about your every sound, your every letter, your every breath. It was wonderful. The pieces I sang were great, but there were improvements that could be made in the details. There always are.

So, too, do we have lives made up of details that create a bigger picture of who we are, who we strive to be, how we choose to live. This morning, I pray love and understanding, knowledge and acceptance of the details in our lives as they transform who we are to who we will be.

Love Love. Hate Hate

One of the things I love most about working in a synagogue is that we get unique opportunities to bring innovative, exciting, meaningful, and significant programs and speakers to our community members. This Friday is no exception.

On Friday evening, at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills, we will be featuring a guest speaker: Christine Quinn who will be speaking about an important public service campaign that is designed to celebrate diversity and combat hate crimes called "Love Love. Hate Hate." Christine Quinn is the Speaker of the New York City Council and an avid anti-hate crimes proponent. We are lucky and honored to have her in our congregation and our community this Shabbat. Services will begin at 8pm.

I am so excited to hear about this new campaign, what she has to say about how NY is trying to combat hate-crimes and work on legislation that is FAIR and EQUAL for everyone, and to see how our community welcomes her and challenges her on important issues. You can bet there will be a follow-up blog....stay tuned!!! Or better yet...see you at services!