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, 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 SESSION 2!
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
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!
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEBREW UNION COLLEGE: CONNECT
3/9 Infertility in the Ancient World
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.
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...