Newsletter October 12, 2020 Together, we're #keepingitsacred... |
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This past weekend, Jewish communities everywhere celebrated the REWIND of the Torah. Our yearly cycle of readings began anew again on the holy day called Simchat Torah which translates roughly to "rejoicing with the Torah." This year was special for our family as our eldest son is now of the age to enjoy Consecration-- that is a formal entrance into the age of Torah study. As I handed him the miniature replica Torah, flashes of all of the Torah learning I have enjoyed over the years poured over me. First reading the name of God embedded in the Shema and feeling connection with our people and the Secret of life. Being enchanted by the book of Genesis and the formative years of the creation of the universe, family systems, and relationship with the Divine. The values of Torah found in the liberation story of Exodus leading me to understand the world around me and see the world that I want to help create. The laws of Torah providing me with structure in a world filled with chaos. The poetry of the Song of Songs and Lamentations expressing emotive spirituality. Reading of Psalms in times when I needed strength the most. What a gift Torah is in our lives. And, that's not even saying anything about the vast treasure trove of rabbinic literature we have that spans the ages. To be able to literally hand Torah to another human being, knowing what a gift it is, is the best feeling. Please check out many opportunities to engage with Torah with the offerings below, and may we all rejoice with Torah together. Together, we're #keepingitsacred... Rabbi Heather Miller, Founder, Keeping It Sacred |
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PEOPLE KEEPING IT SACRED! |
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IT IS HERE! All 7-episodes of our NEW web series, People Keeping It Sacred, is now LIVE on YouTube! Begin with the preview here. The series features Rabbi Miller interviewing some truly inspiring people who are Keeping It Sacred in the world. And, it is edited by Wellesley's own Molly Flanagan (who you now know from the High Holy Days)! Each week, through November, we will highlight one of our esteemed guests. Many thanks to our friends at GoldenDreidle.com for their support! Let us know what you think? And, if you would like to inquire about sponsoring episodes for season 2, please contact Rabbi Miller at rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com. |
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AN INTERFAITH CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY |
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All-Saints Church in Pasadena hosted a panel on Queer Faith in honor of National Coming Out Day 2020. Our own Rabbi Heather Miller was featured on this panel which discussed a range of topics including: -Current challenges the LGBTQ community faces -Where to find hope -Texts to wrestle with and texts to inspire -Scriptural themes that center our justice work -Personal coming out experiences And there were some incredible questions from viewers that included: -How can we continue to show up for the Queer community as it has shifted over time? -How can we find acceptance within ourselves? The recording from this LIVE Facebook webcast will soon become available and when it is we will announce the link in a forthcoming issue of this newsletter, so please subscribe if you haven't yet so you don't miss it. |
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TEXT STUDY WITH FRIENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA |
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Join us October 28 at 10:30am PST/1:30pm EST for an unforgettable text study across 10,000 miles! Cape Town Progressive Jewish Congregation in South Africa has invited our global Keeping It Sacred community to engage in Torah study together via zoom. Rabbi Miller will be teaching hosted by her friend and colleague, Rabbi Emma Gottlieb, the first full-time female Rabbi in Cape Town. Here's the session description: TAKE A SEAT AT THE TABLE:The Great Democratization of the Talmud. The Jewish custom of studying the Talmud is not new. But studying a page of Talmud every day on a cycle, where the entire global community is synced up and can join in, has only been around since 1923 when Rabbi Meir Shapiro proposed the plan. With technology now, we can jump into conversations with the sages and breathe new life into the texts- come see what the excitement is all about or share your experiences. To register, please indicate your interest by contacting Rabbi Miller HERE. |
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VOW TO END CHILD MARRIAGE |
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Every year, more than 12 million girls are married before they turn 18. Some are as young as 8 years old. Child marriage happens across countries, cultures and religions. It is a human rights violation that deprives girls of an education and locks them into a lifetime of poverty. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. This week, Rabbi Miller and Keeping It Sacred joined many other wedding professionals to address the chilling problem of child marriage by taking the vow to end child marriage at vowtoendchildmarriage.org. VOW gives couples, companies and the public the power to help end child marriage. Their slogan is: When a couple says “I Do,” we make it possible for girls elsewhere in the world to say “I Don’t” or “Not Yet. This action dovetails the recent discussion of the film Knots: A Forced Marriage Story by the Women Drivers Interfaith Group, of which Rabbi Miller is a part. Please see the film and discover the stories of three survivors and witness the fight to end this human rights abuse in America. Yes, America-- this phenomenon is legal in 46 states in the US. |
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Happy new week! The reflection called "The Power of Words," on this week's Torah Portion Bereishit, Genesis 1:1-6:8, can be found HERE: |
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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. New visual depictions of the pages with thoughtful commentary are available every day on Instagram @keepingitsacred and Facebook. Every Thursday, we discuss the past week's selections in real time via zoom, too! The more varied the participants the deeper the conversations. Currently, we are 79 members strong from: Canada, England, Brazil, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Upstate NY, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Washington, Indiana, Missouri, Maryland, Vermont, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia. We are: Professors of Jewish Studies People interested in becoming Jewish Members of various Jewish denominations as well as transdenominational Some are Reconstructionist Rabbis Reform Rabbis Jewish Professionals Temple Presidents Reform Cantors 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! To join, 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 HERE. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS: 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. Please request a meeting by contacting her at rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com. 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/ 2:30pm Brazil time, 6:30pm London-time. Contact rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com to request the link and password. EVERY THURSDAY: KEEPING IT SACRED-DAF YOMI GROUP MEET-UP As noted above, our Facebook group will host our next virtual meetup via zoom. For the link to attend this meeting Thursdays 11am PST, 2pm EST, 3pm Brazil time, 7pm London time, please contact Rabbi Miller directly at rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com. SATURDAY 10/17: SHABBAT SINGALONG 9am PST, noon EST, join Rabbi Miller and her mini-mes for an uplifting kid-friendly Monthly Shabbat Singalong. Pick up some Hebrew vocabulary and get in touch with gratitude in community! Email rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com for the link and password. TUESDAY, 10/28: TEXT STUDY WITH FRIENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA Join us 10/28 at 10:30am PST/ 1:30pm EST for our text study with friends in South Africa. Rabbi Miller will teach on the great democratization of the Talmud. With technology now, we can jump into conversations across time and space, and breathe new life into the texts- come see what the excitement is all about or share your experiences. To register, please email Rabbi Miller at rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com. 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 rabbiheathermiller@gmail.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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Be sure to follow us on Social Media: | |
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We'd love for you to forward this to a friend to invite them to sign up, too! |
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If you’d like to make sure that this kind of quality programming by Keeping It Sacred continues, please consider making a donation via: PayPal using the link here Venmo username: @keepingitsacred, or Check may be made out to Keeping It Sacred and mailed to: 27068 La Paz Rd. #781, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Thank you for #keepingitsacred... |
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