NEWSLETTER September 21, 2020 |
|
|
In the Daf Yomi/daily reading of the Talmud on Rosh HaShanah, we read about Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri who stated that, "the body follows the head." Here on this Rosh/ "Head" of the Year, what we do this week will lead the rest of the year. So it is wise to consider our actions: What do you want to do today? What nourishes you? What feeds your soul and will for the remainder of the year? This week, would you like to connect with a friend? Walk outside? Spend quality time with family? How do you want to spend these next few days? This week is important, but really all the days of our lives, we are planting seeds that over time will yield fruits. What fruits do you want to plant today and what will they yield in the new year ahead? If exploring the sacred texts of the rabbis is on your list of activities you'd like to participate in, please consider joining our daily Daf Yomi group, or participating in any of our Keeping It Sacred programs or viewing videos on our YouTube Channel. And, of course, if you haven't already, please consider joining our Sweet & Sacred Season High Holy Day programming; a video of some of the highlights of our Rosh HaShanah Services can be found HERE. This coming Sunday night, beginning at 6:30pm PST/9:30pm EST, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Jeffrey Silverstein and I, along with violinist Rigel Eklund will open the holiest day of the year together for an unforgettable Kol Nidrei Service. Then, Monday, join us for services at 10am PST/1pm EST, Yizkor/Memorial Services at noon PST/3pm EST, and finally Ne'ilah/Closing Services at 5:40pm PST/8:40pm EST. Everything will be LIVE, so you know you have our complete attention and responsiveness. We will be praying WITH you in real time. We will be together in the digital space, elevating it to be a place of sacred convening during this Sweet & Sacred Season. You may register here (and share this link with loved ones you want to jump into the new year with): rabbiheathermiller.com/high-holy-days Wishing everyone a happy and healthy, sweet and sacred new year; may we make it so! Thank you for #keepingitsacred... Rabbi Heather Miller, Founder, Keeping It Sacred |
|
|
WE ARE PROFOUNDLY CONNECTED: RABBI MILLER'S ROSH HASHANAH SERMON |
|
|
Check out Rabbi Miller's Rosh Hashanah Sermon, We are Profoundly Connected, here. And, while you're there, find other offerings from our Keeping It Sacred YouTube channel including a series of spiritual reflections for this season, as well as highlights from Rosh HaShanah morning services. A version of this sermon was also shared with the My Jewish Learning Community on their YouTube Channel as part of their Days of Awe Sermon Slam 2020 here. |
|
|
For a bit more on the High Holy Days, please click here: |
|
|
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR THOSE IN MOURNING AT THIS SEASON |
|
|
It can be difficult to enter into this season of hope with grief weighing heavily. Here, Rabbi Miller has a special message for those in mourning at this season. |
|
|
KOL NIDREI YOM KIPPUR EVENING |
|
|
This coming Sunday night at 6:30pm PST/ 9:30pm EST, join Rabbi Miller, Rabbi Schmelkin, Jeffrey Silverstein, and violinist Rigel Eklund (playing his and Rabbi Miller's great-grandfather's violin). Gather on the holiest night of the year for a Kol Nidrei, with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful reflection. Together, over a LIVE Zoom gathering, we will usher in this most sacred day of the Jewish Year. Register for programming HERE. (75min.) |
|
|
YOM KIPPUR MORNING, YIZKOR, AND NE'ILAH |
|
|
MONDAY, 9/28 YOM KIPPUR YIZKOR*12pm PST/ 3pm EST Join us for a Zoom experience designed uplift the essence of the Yizkor Memorial Service with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful interaction. Register for programming HERE. (75min.) MONDAY, 9/28YOM KIPPUR NE'ILAH & VIRTUAL BREAK-THE-FAST* 5:40pm PST/ 8:40pm EST Join us for a Zoom experience designed uplift the essence of the Ne'ilah Service with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful interaction that will close out the most sacred day. Following this, let's break bread together (virtually)! Register for programming HERE. (75min.) |
|
|
And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Any year that is poor [rasha] and troubled at its beginning will be made rich at its end, for it is stated: “From the beginning [mereishit] of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). The word meireishit is written defectively, without an alef, so that it may also be understood in the sense of rashut, poverty. The verse continues: “And until the end [aḥarit] of the year,” which means that the end of the year will have expectations of good things in the end [aḥarit]. -Babylonian Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b, translation from the William Davidson Talmud (Steinsaltz) as found on Sefaria |
|
|
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. |
|
|
TORAH OF THE WEEK: Happy new week! The reflection called "Awakening the Senses," on this week's Torah Portion on Parashat Ha'Azinu, Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52, can be found HERE: |
|
|
RE(SOUL)UTIONS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR SELF-REPAIR |
|
|
In the month of Elul, leading up to the Days of Awe, Jewish tradition encourages every individual to prepare with deep introspective work. But how are we to take an accounting of our past year in order to clear out energy of the past year to make room for the new? Rabbi Miller has compiled and organized Jewish textual inspirations for each of the 29 days of the month of Elul in her e-book, Re(Soul)utions: A Practical Guide for Self-Repair, available here. NEW REVIEW: 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent day by day 10 minute reflections to prepare for the Jewish new year (or really any time) Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2020 "Rabbi Miller has created an appealing, easy to use, eloquently written guidebook for 'preparing our souls' for the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur - the Jewish new year and day of atonement - the so-called High Holy Days of the Jewish year) which is a Jewish tradition during Elul, the last month on the Hebrew calendar. Intended for daily use throughout this month, Rabbi Miller has selected some gems of Jewish learning, offered insights based on them, followed by questions to prompt our own reflections on our lives and world." Click here to purchase for just $8.99! |
|
|
Some of you have asked about purchasing the Keep It Sacred t-shirt- now you can! And there's a whole collection of other Jewish apparel and products on the new keepingitsacred.com website. Check it out here! |
|
|
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. JOIN US for our Sweet and Sacred Season! This year is different from all other years. But, we at Keeping It Sacred are dedicated to lifting up the essence of the High Holy Day Season: Sweetness and Sacredness. We have designed a comprehensive High Holy Day experience that will emphasize these qualities and uplift the essence of the holy days. Join us for intentional programming rooted in the wisdom of Jewish tradition. All programs below are designed by Rabbi Miller to be accessible, relevant and empowering. All are welcome. To register, click HERE. SUNDAY, 9/27 KOL NIDREI/ EREV YOM KIPPUR* 6:30pm PST/ 9:30pm EST Join Rabbi Miller, Rabbi Schmelkin, Jeffrey Silverstein, and violinist Rigel Eklund (playing his and Rabbi Miller's great-grandfather's violin). Gather on the holiest night of the year for a Kol Nidrei, with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful reflection. Together, over a LIVE Zoom gathering, we will usher in this most sacred day of the Jewish Year. Register for programming HERE. (75min.) MONDAY, 9/28 YOM KIPPUR MORNING* 10am PST/ 1pm EST Join Rabbi Miller and musical guest for a Zoom experience designed uplift the essence of Yom Kippur with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful interaction. Register for programming HERE. (75min.) MONDAY, 9/28 YOM KIPPUR YIZKOR* 12pm PST/ 3pm EST Virtual Yizkor Join Rabbi Miller for a Zoom experience designed uplift the essence of the Yizkor Memorial Service with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful interaction. Register for programming HERE. (75min.) MONDAY, 9/28 YOM KIPPUR NE'ILAH & VIRTUAL BREAK-THE-FAST* 5:40pm PST/ 8:40pm EST Join Rabbi Miller for a Zoom experience designed uplift the essence of the Ne'ilah Service with prayer offerings, stories and lessons from our tradition, and invitations for thoughtful interaction that will close out the most sacred day. Following this, let's break bread together (virtually)! Register for programming HERE. (75min.) 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. 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 |
|
|
Be sure to follow us on Social Media! | |
|
|
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... |
|
|
|
|
