The author in her grandma’s lap, with three generations of matriarchs (Miami Beach, 1976) Growing up in a Conservative congregation, I wasn’t allowed to attend yizkhor on Yom Kippur. The special memorial service occurs four times each year – Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret (at the end of Sukkot), Passover, and Shavuot. My parents adhered to Read More
Category: Spiritual Seeking
Opening Up Through Elul
The Spiral by Dori Midnight Join us throughout the month of Elul for conversations and activities designed to help you prepare for the Days of Awe. Draw inspiration from Joanna Macy’s (z”l) Work That Reconnects together with the study of sephirot from mystical Jewish tradition to reflect on the year gone by and gear up for Read More
Meet Léah Miller: Our 5786 High Holiday Spiritual Leader
This fall, Kehilat Sukkat Shalom will proudly welcome another student of Jewish spiritual leadership to guide us through the High Holy Days. Over the past five years, our Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur prayer services and social gatherings have been enhanced by the presence of these guests who bring new ideas and unique perspectives on Read More
Celebrating Small Moments of Revelation
Yesterday, we came together to celebrate Shavuot. As with many Jewish holidays, Shavuot is a holy day which has gained new meanings and interpretations over time. The ancient Hebrews marked this day (50 days after the barley reaping) as the start of the wheat harvest. In temple times, the priests tied this period with calls for Read More
*Celebrate* Passover & Count the Omer as Acts of Resistance
(Image: Drawing of footprints leading to legs covered in stars taking a step into a vibrant red, orange, pink, and yellow circle of light with a rainstorm in the center and sun in the upper right corner. From the author’s 5783 Omer journal.) I’m writing a lot of quotes and affirmations on post-it notes these Read More
Finding Our People Across Time and Space
Preamble: I started writing this post in November 2024, in the wake of an election that’s left many of us feeling fearful about the future. I intended it to be an alternate narrative for the times. I am finishing it in February 2025 when many of our fears are coming to fruition. While the daily Read More
You Gotta Wake Up.
Ten days ago, I had the honor of leading our Kabbalat Shabbat service at the start of Elul, the current and final month of the year in the Jewish calendar. It’s been three or four years since I started serving as a lay leader in the kehilah, a role I never imagined I would take Read More
Preparing for the 5784 High Holy Days of Awe: Week 7
Chesed: Channeling Love for Ourselves, Each Other, and the Worldby Debra Seltzer NOTE: This is the 7th and final post in a series written by KSS members linking social and environmental justice issues to the 7 sephirot of the Omer cycle. To read the past six posts, please check our blog archive. We have come to the last week of Read More
Preparing for the 5784 High Holy Days of Awe: Week 1
R’ Alan Lew suggested that we need to prepare ourselves if we expect to embrace the full potential of the High Holy Days of Awe. Thanks to KSS Social Action Team Leader Debra Seltzer for spearheading our activities this season. This is your formal invitation to join Sukkat Shalom for another seven week cycle of self-reflective provocations in Read More
Home is a Shelter of Peace
As we move into Adar, we are reminded to find those things in life that bring us joy. This month’s blog post, from longtime KSS member Yutan Getzler, highlights the joy we find at home – with our own families and when we invite community in to join us. I know now as an adult Read More