offering Jewish ritual and learning that engage the heart, mind, and soul
I have devoted most of my adult life to the promotion of humanistic, progressive values. For years, I pursued that objective as a teacher in public schools, trying to open larger worlds to children through the development of intellectual curiosity, the quality of simply wanting to know more, and empathy, the ability to understand someone else’s feelings. At the same time, I was immersed in Jewish life and learning, and I came to realize that the values I believe most important are central elements of liberal Judaism. At midlife, I decided to shift my efforts into a Jewish context, finding places where I could bring together a progressive spirit with the beauty of Jewish ritual and liturgy.
Today my work focuses on communicating liberal Judaism’s commitment to positive human values through traditional and not-so-traditional ritual, through holiday celebrations and meaningful prayer, through learning experiences that bring people together with ideas and with one another.
Where is God in all this? Pretty much everywhere. In the spirit of Reconstructionist Judaism, however, I leave who God is or what God is to the individual.