This past week, millions of people from around the world watched as NASA landed a robotic rover on the planet Mars. It was launched this past summer from Florida, and it finally made it to the site of a 3.9 billion year old lake now called Jezero Crater on Mars, 292.5 million miles away. The data showed that toward the end of its journey, the rover traveled through the Martian atmosphere at 3 miles per second, down to 3 meters per second and finally came to a stop safely on Mars. Inside the rover were sensors programmed to pull it out of its chaotic fall to the red planet by orienting itself right-side up. 

Watching these kind of events remind us that we, too, are rapidly spinning on a blue planet, in the middle of space. We, too, need something to help us orient ourselves to the world around us. This week's holiday of Purim does just that.

Purim reminds us that the world is topsy turvy. For most of the story the villain was propped up as the right-hand-man of the king. That kind of injustice is enough to give us the feeling that the world is upside-down. Perhaps that is why, on Purim, we are  commanded to become so disoriented that we don't know the difference between Blessed Mordecai (the protagonist) and Cursed Haman (the villain). 

But here's the thing: in Jewish Gematriya (numerology) the number for Blessed Mordecai is 502, and so is the number for Cursed Haman. So while we are supposed to turn upside-down who is a villain and who is a hero, we realize that in those moments, we are actually invited to look deeper, and to find the solid grounding hidden in plain site. To look for deeper truths about the humanity within each of us and within one another: no one is all-good or all-bad. In fact, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, who lived 1,000 years ago in Spain said that each of us should regard ourselves as inbetween these two poles. We are centered in this way, not susceptible to becoming too self-aggrandizing, nor too self-deprecating. 

In the middle of what often feels like the chaos of life, it is up to us to find our center of gravity through it all. The study of Torah is that centering force for the Jewish people. Please join us as we continue to learn Torah together, helping one another find our center in the chaotic world. 

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred...

Rabbi Heather Miller, 

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

RE(SOUL)UTIONS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR SELF-REAIR

This week, Christians around the world began their intense time of spiritual reflection known as Lent. The Rev. Andrea Paddock recommended Re(Soul)utions: A Practical Guide for Self-Repair by our own Rabbi Heather Miller as a source of inspiration for reflection each day. Here's what she says:

Christianity embraces a season of spiritual repentance and renewal for 40 days before the joyful celebration of Easter. Part of the discipline involves fasting and study. Various sources such as the Bible and commentaries are used.

I was amazed at how well Rabbi Miller’s RE(SOUL)UTIONS: A Practical Guide for Self-Repair commentaries fit the criteria for self assessment that I practice during Lent and Advent. The questions at the end of each page are thought provoking and take time for meditation. It’s a wonderful change for me to embrace a Jewish point of view that uses the Talmud as well as the Torah/ Old Testament for spiritual growth since I know that Jesus studied the Talmud too. Looking at spiritual renewal through a different lens is productive. Try it!

Here’s the book: RESOULUTIONS: A Practical Guide for Self Repair by Rabbi Heather Miller-- now available via ebook through https://www.keepingitsacred.com/the-book

May you use it well.

LENTEN PREACHING SERIES AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH PASADENA

The Rev. Mike Kinman, Rector of All Saints Church, Pasadena, has invited Rabbi Miller to preach in the 2021 Lenten Preaching Series using The Woman’s Lectionary by The Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney. The Woman's Lectionary uses an expansive gender-explicit approach and, in the Psalms, explicit feminine language and pronouns for God.

Church House, the Episcopal press will publish the Lectionary and All Saints is honored to have been given exclusive access to it for the liturgical year which began with the First Sunday of Advent. 

Rabbi Miller will preach at 11:15am PT/ 2:15pm ET for the third week of Lent, Sunday, March 7, and will hang out for coffee online on zoom after as well. Come listen to a Jewish take on the story of Genesis from a proudly feminist perspective.

For more information, see: 

https://allsaints-pas.org/lenten-preaching-series-2021-at-all-saints-church/?fbclid=IwAR2PU5iYJbMHG5PsALXwsX5GDnSZNyNgjCia_X1Zyy2WV4nH1GufUNegoCU

ACCESS JUDAISM CLASSES

Please join Rabbi Miller and a beautiful collection of people who are exploring Jewish learning through the inaugural experience of the Keeping It Sacred Signature Program: Access Judaism. Join for one class, one session, or all remaining classes!

Participants have shared:

"It was such a great group. It was an amazing start to my day. Looking forward to next week."

"It was a pleasure to study with you today. Reading and listening to others' views and understanding of God brings into light my perception of God."

"It was a wonderful class and it seems like it can only get better as we share and learn more about each other." 

"It’s exhilarating."

Our next session is: The Righteous Economic Vision of the Rabbis

What would the rabbis think about capitalism, wealth, and poverty? Lending on interest? Paying workers? How might they think about the world we live in today? Come explore 2,000 year old texts and find your righteous rabbinic muse. No experience necessary. All are welcome.

The next program is THIS Sunday, 2/28 at 10am PT/ 1pm ET. To register, please go to: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

HEALING CIRCLE & TALMUD TEXT STUDY EVERY THURSDAY

Ever want to jump into a conversation with the rabbinic sages of old? Now you can! Join us as we study a page of Talmud every day, adding our perspectives and the relevance to our own lives as we go along. 

The more varied the participants the deeper the conversations. Thursdays 11am PT/2pm ET.

Currently, we are 86 members strong from 18 different states and 3 countries!

We are:

People interested in becoming Jewish

Members of various Jewish denominations

Clergy

Lay leaders

Retired people

People who are not Jewish

We are in our 20s to 80s, and we are everywhere on the spectrum of gender.

Build community affirming of one another’s journey in the sea of Talmud with us! Benefit from the wisdom of Jewish tradition!

What people say:

"Talmud study has opened a window to that world for me. I love the anthropology and sociology of it all."

"The minority opinions may someday count as much as the majority opinions. It reminds us that things change the Halacha changes and we change each year that we read it."

"We have the opportunity to compare the Halacha we are practicing today with the one they were writing and studying in the Talmud... It has been very interesting how things have evolved how we keep the tradition in our own way."

"I feel very close to this amazing group and I'm grateful to Rabbi Miller for conducting it."

AND just prior to our Talmud Study, we hold space for check-ins and healing prayers for loved ones in need, including ourselves. 

To join and of these gatherings, please send Rabbi Miller an email or DM on Facebook to be added to the closed, secret Facebook group and/or the weekly text study group. And look for us on Instagram daily HERE.

PARTNER PROGRAM WITH HUC CONNECT

Keeping It Sacred (KITS) is pleased to announce we have now partnered with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, through their HUC Connect program, to bring world-renowned scholars to the KITS learning programs. Please see below to find opportunities to study some truly fascinating subjects with wonderful scholars and to enjoy access to our exclusive KITS afterparty zoom room where we will debrief the lectures as a community. First up: our Purim program called: Imagining Esther: The Splendid Illustrated Esther Scrolls in the HUC Collection.

Tuesday, February 23, 10am PT/1pm ET, Join us for Imagining Esther: The Splendid Illustrated Esther Scrolls in the HUC Collection. This will be a Guest Lecture by Sharon Liberman Mintz, Curator of Jewish Art, The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary; Senior Consultant/Judaica Sotheby's New York.

Explore the history and art of Esther scrolls created and used for the celebration of Purim, which often feature a cycle of elaborate and fascinating illustrations and the interplay of text and images. While the format of the scroll was maintained for this biblical book, for centuries the artists of these scrolls readily adopted the predominant aesthetic traditions into their decoration, reflecting a rich variety of artistic styles along with the continuity of the scribal traditions. 

Following this program, please join members of the KITS community for a special post-lecture discussion with Rabbi Miller. Please register through HUC Connect at: 

huc.edu/HUCConnect

Join us, Tuesday, March 9th at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET, as Dr. Kristine Henriksen Grarroway, Visiting Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at HUC/Los Angeles shares with us insights about infertility in the ancient world. Through biblical and ancient texts and archaeological finds, explore the reality of infertility as experienced in antiquity by many women and the ways in which they faced this difficult hurdle. While the methods employed to undo infertility might be surprising to the contemporary audience, the pain and struggles faced by ancient women still find resonance today. Presented in partnership between Keeping It Sacred, Hebrew Union College, and Lilith magazine. Discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

REFLECTIONS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLOCAUST MEMORY

Join us as we learn from Sara J. Bloomfield, Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Thursday, April 15 at noon PT/ 3pm ET. How will Holocaust history and memory be sustained and transmitted in perpetuity? Learn about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s impact in preserving the evidence, educating diverse audiences, fighting antisemitism, and preventing genocide, as we honor Sara J. Bloomfield with HUC’s highest humanitarian award, the Roger E. Joseph Prize. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.  

JEWS OF COLOR

Tuesday, May 11 at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET, join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Central Synagogue, New York City, Bruce Phillips, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology & Jewish Communal Service, HUC/Los Angeles, Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President, Moderator-- when the Torah first calls us a People, coming out of Egypt, we are described as an erev rav, a “mixed multitude.” It’s time to refute the definition of Jews as a race – which has been used to justify antisemitism, violence, and even genocide – and adopt a definition of covenant as the foundation of Jewish peoplehood, one that embraces Jews of color and celebrates diversity and inclusion. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

CHAGALL AND THE BIBLE

Tuesday, June 8 at 12pm PT/ 3pm ET, Enjoy this Guest Lecture by Jean Bloch Rosensaft, Director, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, HUC-JIR/New York. Marc Chagall was profoundly inspired by the Bible throughout his career, producing biblical works in a broad array of mediums, including paintings, etchings, sculptures, mosaics, tapestries, stained-glass windows, ceramics, and stage set designs. Discover how memories of his youth in Bitebsk, his 1931 visit to Palestine, the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, his personal religiosity, and his admiration for the old masters informed his imagination to create uniquely modern visual interpretations of the core text of the Jewish people. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

SIYYUM TALMUD TRACTATE PESACHIM!

On March 23, at 10am PT/1pm ET, those around the world who have been studying a page of Talmud each day (known as the Daf Yomi) will all celebrate the end of Tractate Pesachim. We, at Keeping It Sacred, will host a special celebration. Grab your party hat or other celebratory hat, and register to gather together over zoom. Register HERE. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

iCal USER? 

If you use iCal and would like the complete Keeping It Sacred calendar added to your calendar, click the link at the bottom of the page HERE. This way you won't miss an opportunity to connect via our LIVE activities. 

EVERY DAY

Please enjoy our 7-episode web series and podcast: People Keeping It Sacred on YouTube HERE or on your favorite podcast player (like: Spotify  Google Podcasts, Apple + Podcasts, RadioPublic, Breaker, and PocketCasts). To learn more about Jewish holidays, check out our "A bit about... the holidays" HERE. 

ONGOING: SPIRITUAL COUNSELING

Rabbi Miller is available for 1-on-1 spiritual counseling; pay what you can. Topics are based upon the participant and can include your personal theological understanding of coronavirus, spiritually making space for others in your home, the spirituality of isolation and finding your way back to sacred connection. For more information, click HERE.

EVERY THURSDAY: PRAYER CIRCLE

Join us as we gather Thursdays for a Prayer Circle. Lift up names of those who are ill, and join together for support and community. All are welcome. 10:30am PST/ 1:30pm EST/ 3:30pm Brazil time, 6:30pm London-time. Register for this program HERE. 

EVERY THURSDAY: KEEPING IT SACRED-DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP

Our Facebook group will host our next virtual meetup via zoom. For the link to attend this meeting Thursdays 11am PST, 2pm EST, 4pm Brazil time, 7pm London time. Register for this program HERE.  

TUESDAY, 2/23: IMAGINING ESTHER

Tuesday, February 23, 10am PT/1pm ET, Join us for Imagining Esther: The Splendid Illustrated Esther Scrolls in the HUC Collection. This will be a Guest Lecture by Sharon Liberman Mintz, Curator of Jewish Art, The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary; Senior Consultant/Judaica Sotheby's New York. Following this national program, please join members of the KITS community for a special post-lecture discussion with Rabbi Miller. Please register through HUC Connect at: 

huc.edu/HUCConnect

TUESDAY, 3/9: INFERTILITY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

3/9 at 3pm PT/6pm ET, join Dr. Kristine Henriksen Grarroway, Visiting Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at HUC/Los Angeles as she shares with us insights about infertility in the ancient world. Through biblical and ancient texts and archaeological finds, explore the reality of infertility as experienced in antiquity by many women and the ways in which they faced this difficult hurdle. While the methods employed to undo infertility might be surprising to the contemporary audience, the pain and struggles faced by ancient women still find resonance today. Presented in partnership between Keeping It Sacred, Hebrew Union College, and Lilith magazine. Discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome!

TUESDAY, 3/23: TALMUD TRACTATE PESACHIM SIYYUM PARTY!

3/23 at 10am PT/1pm ET, those around the world who have been studying a page of Talmud each day known as the Daf Yomi will all celebrate the end of Tractate Pesachim. We, at Keeping It Sacred, will host our own celebration. Grab your party hat or other celebratory hat, and register to gather together over zoom. Register HERE. 

2021: ACCESS JUDAISM: ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES

Please save the dates for accessible, relevant, and empowering Jewish learning! Classes will be held at 10am PT/1pm ET via zoom. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

REMAINING Session 1 dates are:

2/21 Jewish Intermarriage: A History

Moses was not the only one who married someone who was not Jewish. Learn about the history of this practice and how it is viewed today. Learn from Rabbi Miller who is the product of an intermarriage, has a HUGE interfaith family, and who wrote her thesis on the decision on intermarriage in the 1844 Rabbinical Convention in Germany. This history is FASCINATING.

2/28 The Righteous Economic Vision of the Rabbis

What would the rabbis think about capitalism, wealth, and poverty? Lending on interest? Paying workers? How might they think about the world we live in today? Come explore 2,000 year old texts and find your righteous rabbinic muse. 

3/7 The Kabbalistic Non-Binary God

Were you taught that God was a guy in the sky with a beard? Where did this image come from? What does the bible say? And how did the Kabbalists understand God as non-binary? Discover Divine gender-fluidity. 

Session 2 dates are:

4/11 The Intelligent Design of the Prayerbook

Stand up. Sit back down. Skip 23 pages ahead. Go back. What is with the prayer service? You might be surprised to know there is actually a brilliant order to the service. In just one hour, get a sense of the intelligent design of services, and open up a new way to understand Jewish spiritual practice. 

4/18 Reform Renovations of the Prayerbook

Home renovation shows feature flippers stripping old, outdated homes down to the bare bones only to rework them into beautiful sanctuaries of living. This is essentially what the Reform Rabbis of the early 19th century did to the prayerbook. Learn how they did it thoughtfully, and about the important practice of updating ritual that continues today.

4/25 Rituals as Markers of Transition

Jewish ritual is meant to mark significant life transitions. See how Jewish lifecycle provide structure for living with sanctity. Learn also about contemporary rituals, like those for getting a COVID-19 vaccination, infertility, gender transitions, going into remission from cancer, and more. 

5/2 The Characteristics of a Good Jew

What are the characteristics of a good Jew? Learn about the Mussar movement and get an understanding of the spiritual legacy of mussar. Learn insights on humility, generosity and truth. Find inspiration to cultivate these qualities in your own life. 

5/9 Slam Poetry in the Golden Age

Medieval Spain birthed a Golden Age for the Jews. And, out of this era came a diverse array of poetry that is relevant today. From highly structured sacred praises of the Divine, to short quips about old age, to involved love poetry. Join us as we explore this vibrant literature.

5/16 Bad Theology: Terrible Explanations of Why the Righteous Suffer

Why do bad things happen to good people? We don't know. But we do know a bad explanation when we hear it. Join this class to begin to heal from spiritually corrosive explanations of your suffering, to learn how to best support a suffering loved one, and how to draw boundaries when someone shares an unhelpful word.

5/23 Siblings or Cousins?: Jews and Christians in the First Century

Did Christianity spring forth from Judaism? Or did contemporary Judaism and Christianity emerge together? Learn the roots of both and you decide: Siblings or Cousins or parent/child? We'll make proto-rabbinic Judaism fun and accessible! 

5/30 Before You Die Consider these Rabbinic Thoughts

What are the most important things to think about in life? What will we be held accountable for later? How can we live the best life possible? Learn from the wisdom that was shaped over millenia in the Jewish tradition. 

Please see keepingitsacred.com/accessjudaism and register for, one class, one session, or the whole program HERE. These classes are free with suggested donation of $25/class, $180/session, $300 for the entire program; no one will be turned away for lack of funds. All are welcome!

4/15 REFLECTIONS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HOLOCAUST MEMORY

Join us as we learn from Sara J. Bloomfield, Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Thursday, April 15 at noon PT/ 3pm ET. How will Holocaust history and memory be sustained and transmitted in perpetuity? Learn about the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s impact in preserving the evidence, educating diverse audiences, fighting antisemitism, and preventing genocide, as we honor Sara J. Bloomfield with HUC’s highest humanitarian award, the Roger E. Joseph Prize. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

5/11 JEWS OF COLOR

Tuesday, May 11 at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET, join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Central Synagogue, New York City, Bruce Phillips, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology & Jewish Communal Service, HUC/Los Angeles, Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC President, Moderator-- when the Torah first calls us a People, coming out of Egypt, we are described as an erev rav, a “mixed multitude.” It’s time to refute the definition of Jews as a race – which has been used to justify antisemitism, violence, and even genocide – and adopt a definition of covenant as the foundation of Jewish peoplehood, one that embraces Jews of color and celebrates diversity and inclusion. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

6/8 CHAGALL AND THE BIBLE

Tuesday, June 8 at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET, Enjoy this Guest Lecture by Jean Bloch Rosensaft, Director, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, HUC-JIR/New York. Marc Chagall was profoundly inspired by the Bible throughout his career, producing biblical works in a broad array of mediums, including paintings, etchings, sculptures, mosaics, tapestries, stained-glass windows, ceramics, and stage set designs. Discover how memories of his youth in Bitebsk, his 1931 visit to Palestine, the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, his personal religiosity, and his admiration for the old masters informed his imagination to create uniquely modern visual interpretations of the core text of the Jewish people. Special discussion to follow. No experience necessary. All are welcome! Register at: huc.edu/HUCConnect and to get the link to the discussion afterwards, be sure to cite Keeping It Sacred as the Synagogue/Organization.

THANK YOU!

You are a cherished member of this community and we love to hear from you-- what questions do you have? Reach out to rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com or via phone at 818-312-8388 anytime to let us know what you’re finding meaningful, inspiring and what you’d like to see.

Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

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