A hundred years ago THIS WEEK, March 18, 1922, Judith Kaplan became the first bat mitzvah ever! This week, we also celebrate another shero: Esther, who saves the Jewish people from annihilation in the Purim story. Both women reached new heights with the encouragement of men named Mordecai in their lives: Judith's father, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan petitioned the leadership at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism to allow her to ascend the bimah and read Torah. Esther's uncle Mordecai encouraged Esther to reveal her true identity as a Jew to get King Achashverosh to overturn Haman's harsh decree. Fortunately, both women succeeded. And, both stories demonstrate the true power of people across genders partnering together for human dignity for all.

Esther and Judith are icons of the feminist movement, and their successes can be celebrated by all who strive against gender discrimination everywhere. 

And, where has gender justice come since these times?

This past week alone, the governor of Florida mandated instruction of an only binary gender construct in schools, and the governor of Texas Greg Abbott mandated that teachers and doctors report parents who are supporting their trans kids. The chilling reality of these cases remind us that is up to each of us to continue to insist that there are no barriers to access, resources, education, and opportunities.

I am proud that in some of our tradition's most ancient sacred texts, including the Torah, Mishnah and Talmud, affirm gender beyond the binary such as the categories of androgyny and timtum. Gender diversity is beautiful and as old as time, and it's time we affirm more than just two expressions. The more we can honor the legacy of Judith Kaplan and Biblical Esther and work to affirm the dignity of all genders, the better the world will be. 

Together, we’re #keepingitsacred…

Rabbi Heather Miller, 

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

A BIT ABOUT… PURIM

The Holiday of Purim this year falls on Thursday, March 17 (also St. Patrick’s Day!). In honor of this day, we will discuss women in Judaism during our Weekly Daf Yomi Talmud Study at 11am PT/2pm ET. Please enjoy this video explaining some of Rabbi Miller’s favorite Purim themes and facts! We will also tie blankets to give to Children at Children's Hospital of Orange County on Sunday March 20 with out interfaith partner communities (see below), and enjoy a gathering for Shushan Purim March 18 (see below as well). Happy Purim all!

IN PERSON GATHERING FOR SHUSHAN PURIM

2:30pm PT Friday March 18, join members of the Keeping It Sacred Community in Southern California as we welcome members Sheryl & David Aronson from Ohio to Laguna Niguel, CA. This happens to be Shushan Purim-- this is a holiday that is an extension of Purim-- and so we will delight in Hamantaschen, and of course mask up during this outdoor gathering. The whole family is welcome to this free event, with a play doh giveaway for anyone under 10 years old desiring it! 

AND, for those who can't make it in person, we will have a special zoom HELLO at 3pm PT/6pm ET. We hope you can join in the fun! Please RSVP to receive the virtual zoom address or in-person celebration street address to to Molly Flanagan at mflanagan@keepingitsacred.com, OR, register here. 

IN-PERSON INTERFAITH PURIM ACTIVITY

The holiday of Purim includes not only fun costumes and a retelling of the Purim story, but also gifts to the poor known as mishloach manor. This year, Keeping It Sacred is joining the Interfaith Council of Greater Rancho Santa Margarita for an outdoor picnic and activity. We will get to know one another as we tie blankets to donate to families at the Children's Hospital. This event will take place March 20 at 3pm PT in person hosted on the campus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Outdoor Picnic Tables. Please let Rabbi Miller know you plan to attend via email at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. For those in our wide KITS community, please find and make plans to volunteer with some project doing good in your area. 

UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BIBLE: A WORKSHOP

Have you ever wondered about the parts of the Bible that are not explained? So did the rabbis! And they filled in the gaps in the text with their own writing and understanding of what happened in a literary art form called midrash. Rabbi Miller will explain the concept and provide examples. Then, together, we will do a close read of selected texts to view gaps in the storylines, and write our own expositions based on our own life experience. Sundays March 20 through April 10 at 10:15am PT/1:15pm ET Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

USC ANNENBERG GUEST LECTURE

On March 2nd, Rabbi Miller was invited by Dr. Rook Campbell to guest lecture in their USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism COMM 204: Public Speaking class. Building on examples of James Fallow's analysis of President Barack Obama's eulogy in The Atlantic, and Democracy Now's feature of Oprah Winfrey's eulogy of poet Maya Angelou, Rabbi Miller shared approaches to convey deep messages with authenticity, purpose and accessibility. The class asked great questions including how to find texts and references that will prove accessible to the audience, how to calm nerves before speaking, and how to balance humor and joy with poignance. 

WELCOME TO THE WORLD!

The ENTIRE Keeping It Sacred community welcomes to the world, Ziv MiBeit Simcha Aharon u'Betany! He was named in a ceremony in Agoura Hills, CA, on a gorgeous day surrounded by dear family and friends. He is a bundle of joy and he really loved wearing his yarmulke and mini-tallit and enjoying his birthday vegan donut! It was an extra special joyful reunion for Rabbi Miller with his parents & their family, as all gathered together for their wedding just a few years ago. May they keep going from simcha to simcha-- MAZAL TOV to all!

KEEPING (OUR WEBSITE) SACRED

This week, we premiered our new website featuring new navigation options and a new intro video- check it out- you may recognize some familiar faces there.

SUPPORTING OUR FUTURE

If you have been looking for a way to show appreciation for the quality writing, webcasts, holiday celebrations and educational opportunities provided by Keeping It Sacred, we have news to share: thanks to those who have asked about supporting our work with a regularly scheduled monthly contribution, we are now set up to receive recurring contributions. Simply contact our Digital Marketing Manager, Molly Flanagan, who has done the research and is prepared to help anyone who is interested in setting up their Zelle account online (through their bank) to do so. You may simply contact her at mflanagan@keepingitsacred.com with 3 dates and times you're available and she will respond with one that works and a link to zoom. 

Your regularly scheduled contribution helps us plan our programming for the year ahead, and more importantly, helps power the accessible, relevant, and empowering programming we offer.

For additional opportunities to give, you may also check out keepingitsacred.com/our-future or contact Rabbi Miller directly at 818-312-8388 rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com.

Many THANKS for your consideration!

Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

BAT MITZVAH AT 100

This photo above is of our esteemed Keeping It Sacred member, Laurie Brown, at her bat mitzvah. We share it here in honor of the centennial anniversary of the first public bat mitzvah ceremony in the US which first took place March 18, 1922!

In honor of this event, our Keeping It Sacred Shabbat Service in March will be dedicated to the topic of the bat mitzvah. Please share your reflections on the significance of your bar/bat/b'nai mitzvah, or the ceremony itself (including pictures!) with Rabbi Miller at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com and mark your calendar for 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET Friday night March 25. Register HERE.

Also, for additional impactful programming around this anniversary, see the Jewish Women's Archive here: https://jwa.org/stories/batmitzvah-at-100.

ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE REVIEW

Rosh Chodesh is the celebration of the new month. And over the next six months, our Rosh Chodesh Racial Justice Review series will take time to explore 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook by Patrisse Cullors. Each month, we will discuss two chapters of this work which will simultaneously address transforming our inner personal lives and also the institutional infrastructures of injustice around us. 3pm PT/6pm ET: 3/3, 4/2, 5/8, 5/31, 6/30 and 7/28 Register at: 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 100 members strong from 28 different states and 8 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:

"Yesterday's class was superb!! I remain impressed by so many things that you do! You are able to keep us on track, share (some of) your knowledge with us, make all sorts of connections to the Jewish and secular worlds, and meet each of us where we are! Kudos to you!!"

"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. 

Keeping It Sacred programs are free for all because we uphold the value of keruv/accessibility; voluntary financial contributions to help offset the cost of these programs are greatly appreciated.

To join and of these gatherings, please register HERE. Also, DM Rabbi Miller on Facebook HERE to be added to the closed, secret group where we question and discuss. And look for us on Instagram daily 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.  

3/18 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEETUP & VIRTUAL GATHERING

2:30pm Friday 3/18, join members of the Keeping It Sacred Community in Southern California as we welcome members Sheryl & David Aronson from Ohio to Laguna Niguel, CA. This happens to be Shushan Purim-- this is a holiday that is an extension of Purim-- and so we will delight in Hamantaschen, and of course mask up during this outdoor gathering. The whole family is welcome and free, with play doh for anyone under 10 years old desiring it! RSVP for address to Molly Flanagan at mflanagan@keepingitsacred.com

3/20 UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BIBLE

10:15am Sundays March 20-April 10 Have you ever wondered about the parts of the Bible that are not explained? So did the rabbis! And they filled in the gaps in the text with their own writing and understanding of what happened in a literary art form called midrash. Rabbi Miller will explain the concept and provide examples. Then, together, we will do a close read of selected texts to view gaps in the storylines, and write our own expositions based on our own life experience. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

3/20 INTERFAITH PURIM SERVICE OPPORTUNITY

3-5pm PT locally and in person, KITS will join the Interfaith Council of Greater Rancho Santa Margarita outdoors. We will get to know one another as we tie blankets to donate to families at the Children's Hospital. This event will take place March 20 at 3pm PT in person hosted on the campus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Outdoor Picnic Tables. Please let Rabbi Miller know you plan to attend via email at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com.

3/25 SHABBAT SERVICES

Friday night, 8/27 at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET, give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate with monthly shabbat services. Rabbi Miller and Jeffrey Silverstein will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. Together, we will lift up anniversaries, birthdays, and honor remembrances of our loved ones. This program runs the last Friday night of every month. Please email Rabbi Miller your important dates so we know when to honor your sacred times (birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances) at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. And please register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

3/27 UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BIBLE

10:15am Sundays March 20-April 10 Have you ever wondered about the parts of the Bible that are not explained? So did the rabbis! And they filled in the gaps in the text with their own writing and understanding of what happened in a literary art form called midrash. Rabbi Miller will explain the concept and provide examples. Then, together, we will do a close read of selected texts to view gaps in the storylines, and write our own expositions based on our own life experience. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

4/2 ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE REVIEW

3pm PT/6pm ET, join Rabbi Miller for a discussion of Patrisse Cullors' latest book, 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook. Explore how to transform yourself and the world around you amidst thoughtful, committed, tender-hearted community members. All are welcome. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

4/3 UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BIBLE

10:15am Sundays March 20-April 10 Have you ever wondered about the parts of the Bible that are not explained? So did the rabbis! And they filled in the gaps in the text with their own writing and understanding of what happened in a literary art form called midrash. Rabbi Miller will explain the concept and provide examples. Then, together, we will do a close read of selected texts to view gaps in the storylines, and write our own expositions based on our own life experience. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

4/10 UNTOLD STORIES OF THE BIBLE

10:15am Sundays March 20-April 10 Have you ever wondered about the parts of the Bible that are not explained? So did the rabbis! And they filled in the gaps in the text with their own writing and understanding of what happened in a literary art form called midrash. Rabbi Miller will explain the concept and provide examples. Then, together, we will do a close read of selected texts to view gaps in the storylines, and write our own expositions based on our own life experience. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1

4/29 SHABBAT SERVICES

Friday night, 8/27 at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET, give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate with monthly shabbat services. Rabbi Miller and Jeffrey Silverstein will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. Together, we will lift up anniversaries, birthdays, and honor remembrances of our loved ones. This program runs the last Friday night of every month. Please email Rabbi Miller your important dates so we know when to honor your sacred times (birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances) at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. And please register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

5/8 ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE REVIEW

3pm PT/6pm ET, join Rabbi Miller for a discussion of Patrisse Cullors' latest book, 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook. Explore how to transform yourself and the world around you amidst thoughtful, committed, tender-hearted community members. All are welcome. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

5/27 SHABBAT SERVICES

Friday night, 5/27 at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET, give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate with monthly shabbat services. Rabbi Miller and Jeffrey Silverstein will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. Together, we will lift up anniversaries, birthdays, and honor remembrances of our loved ones. This program runs the last Friday night of every month. Please email Rabbi Miller your important dates so we know when to honor your sacred times (birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances) at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. And please register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

6/24 SHABBAT SERVICES

Friday night, 6/24 at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET, give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate with monthly shabbat services. Rabbi Miller and Jeffrey Silverstein will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. Together, we will lift up anniversaries, birthdays, and honor remembrances of our loved ones. This program runs the last Friday night of every month. Please email Rabbi Miller your important dates so we know when to honor your sacred times (birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances) at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. And please register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

6/30 ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE REVIEW

3pm PT/6pm ET, join Rabbi Miller for a discussion of Patrisse Cullors' latest book, 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook. Explore how to transform yourself and the world around you amidst thoughtful, committed, tender-hearted community members. All are welcome. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

7/28 ROSH CHODESH RACIAL JUSTICE REVIEW

3pm PT/6pm ET, join Rabbi Miller for a discussion of Patrisse Cullors' latest book, 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World: An Abolitionist’s Handbook. Explore how to transform yourself and the world around you amidst thoughtful, committed, tender-hearted community members. All are welcome. Register at: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

7/29 SHABBAT SERVICES

Friday night, 7/29 at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET, give yourself the gift of space to reflect and rejuvenate with monthly shabbat services. Rabbi Miller and Jeffrey Silverstein will lead the community with Jewish thought and sacred song. Together, we will lift up anniversaries, birthdays, and honor remembrances of our loved ones. This program runs the last Friday night of every month. Please email Rabbi Miller your important dates so we know when to honor your sacred times (birthdays, anniversaries, remembrances) at rabbimiller@keepingitsacred.com. And please register here: keepingitsacred.com/upcoming-1.

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...

GIFTS TO KEEPING IT SACRED

All of us at Keeping It Sacred would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to each and every person who has extended a financial gift to the KITS community this past year. You power the work and ensure that quality relevant & empowering programming and resources remain accessible for all regardless of economic capacity. 

If you like what we're doing and would like to make a meaningful gift in this new year of any amount, please visit our contributions page at:

keepingitsacred.com/our-future

Thank you for #keepingitsacred...

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