It has rained all weekend here in Southern California. The scorched earth is being nourished, and soon, the leaf-barren trees will bud anew. This week, Jewish tradition encourages us to celebrate this rebirth with the Birthday of the Trees, the holiday known as Tu B’Shvat. 

This holy day recognizes that growth in the physical world mirrors growth in the spiritual world. In fact, the first Tu B'Shvat order of service was found in a pamphlet in 1728 in Venice, Italy and pulled heavily from the spiritually centered kabbalistic tradition. It recognized that just as the physical world can be famished, so can the spirit. And, just as the physical world can be rejuvenated, so can the spirit. Judaism celebrates these dual realities in this holy day where we recognize the natural cycles of each, and celebrate the season that brings us new life.

Many people plant trees or other vegetation to mark this day. And it is a little known fact that if you plant parsley this week, it should be ready to place on your seder plate by Passover. What a powerful idea: the tending to one's spirit can lead to liberation for all. 

Just as the natural world is on a cycle of renewal, so may we each find rejuvenation at this season!

Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

Rabbi Heather Miller, 

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

This week, Rabbi Miller spoke to students of the "Managing Inter-religious Non-Profits" class at Chicago Theological Seminary. Professor Najeeba Syeed invited Rabbi Miller to share of her experiences in non-profit inter-religious spaces. Rabbi Miller shares:

"I spoke with just around 20 students, each a leader in their community. We discussed the importance of inter-religious organizing, and the skills needed to effectively manage non-profits seeking to engage in this sacred work. Of highest importance are the values of commitment to one another, solidarity, and inter-religious understanding. I shared a few organizing principles that guide me:

-we are always planting seeds of understanding,

-our job as religious leaders is to frame encounters with various faith communities,

-we are responsible to keep hearts open to appreciating one another,

-we must always move forward, no matter how incremental the movement is,

-we can model authentic friendships,

-we can search out and know those with whom we partner,

-we can rejoice in differences, and model appreciation for where the other is coming from,

-our work should center upon those to whom we are accountable (values, God, people who keep us focused), and not worry about the rest, and

-we must show up for one another."

May the students of the class be fortified in their work!

SANTA MONICA OBSERVER

Lovely Little Weddings, which provides small Los Angeles-based weddings and has partnered with Rabbi Miller, is featured in the Santa Monica Observer this week. Check it out!

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: Demystifying Denominational Differences.

Reform? Conservative? Orthodox? Renewal? Reconstructionist? Non-denominational? Learn the history, philosophy, and cultural characteristics that define these branches of Judaism. Learn from Rabbi Miller who has extensive leadership experience in institutions across the spectrum. No experience necessary. All are welcome.

Full class lineup personally designed by Rabbi Miller. Classes are FREE and have a suggested contribution of $25/class, or $180/session. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

The next program is THIS Sunday, 1/31 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.

Currently, we are 83 members strong from 17 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.

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.  

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:

1/31 Demystifying Denominational Differences

Reform? Conservative? Orthodox? Renewal? Reconstructionist? Non-denominational? Learn the history, philosophy, and cultural characteristics that define these branches of Judaism. Learn from Rabbi Miller who has extensive leadership experience in institutions across the spectrum. 

2/7 The Flavors of the Holy Books

You may have heard words like Torah, Bible, Mishnah, Talmud and others thrown around. But what are they about? How old are they? How can we understand them in context? This class will give you a deep appreciation for the canon of Jewish Sacred Literature. 

2/14 One for Every Mood: The Jewish Holidays

Did you know that there is a Jewish holiday for every mood? We have aescetic days and days of wild rejoicing and everything inbetween. Get a comprehensive sense of the Jewish calendar, and discover your favorites. It is no coiincidence that this class is taught on Valentine's Day-- did you know there is a specific Jewish holiday celebrating love, too? Come to the class to learn more. 

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 improtant 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 quatlities 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!

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...

And now on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, RadioPublic, PocketCasts!

We'd love for you to forward this to a friend to invite them to sign up, too!

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...