Sitting in a meeting, chewing over some complex sensitive issues, I mansplained a respected female rabbi... and I liked it! Well, not really.
I Mansplained a Woman Rabbi and I Liked It
Israeli Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar Stir Souls with Reform Jewish Kabbalah and Music
Quoting Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), exploring the metaphors of light and darkness, moving with ease back and forth between Israel’s Galilee and California’s Calabasas, Rabbi Or and Feliza Zohar at once teach and transform, explicate sacred texts and invigorate souls.
When Cutting One’s Hair for Chemo
There’s So Much I Don’t Understand about Women (Rabbis)
I confess there is so much I don’t know about women (Rabbis) and the experience of women in the rabbinate. But I’m listening and learning.
Parent-Teen Mental Health and Wellness Summit
The Parent-Teen Mental Health and Wellness Summit realized a dream: to transform our synagogue, Congregation Or Ami (Calabasas), into a truly safe place for teens, their unique emotional journeys, and the parents who love but are unsure of how to protect them.
Shamor v’Zachor – protect and remember – after the shootings, teaches Rabbi Doug Segal
In the wake of the shootings, Rabbi Douglas Sagal taught: On Shabbat, we light two candles. Why two? Twice the Ten Commandments are stated in the Torah; once in the Book of Exodus and once in the Book of Deuteronomy. There are slight differences in the two texts of the Commandments, however. In one, it …
Two by Two: Saving the Children From the Storm of Bullets Raining Down on their Heads
Two by Two, we can save the children from the bullets like Noah’s Ark saved the animals, before we fall back to sleep.
Teen Mental Health: Rolling Darkness into Light
Why did Congregation Or Ami focus our energies on creating a mental health and wellness retreat? Because today's teens are particularly stressed out, overwhelmed by anxiety, buffetted by the emotional turmoil engendered by social media. They crave support and relief.
Rabbinic Super Bowl Rivalry Plays Out on Facebook
Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Rabbi Joshua Aaronson have engaged in a spirited rivalry over Super Bowl LII between the Patriots and the Eagles. Winning Rabbi gets bragging rights, and delicious delicacies for their synagogue's oneg, and the loser donates tzedakah to URJ Camp Newman's #NewmanStrong fund.
Watching Adulthood Emerge on Capitol Hill
Adulthood arrives later than when we were kids. When young people take more real responsibility not only for their own lives, but also for those around them, and for their community, country and world, they begin to manifest a level of maturity that evidences approaching adulthood.
2 Stories and a Blessing for the New Year
Breaking Bread with the Baha’i Community
When Jews and Baha’is sat down to break bread, the similarities were astounding and the discussions delicious.
Responding to the Ventura Fires with Shabbat Dinner for 120
How Congregation Or Ami Answered the Call to Feed and Care for a Temple Facing the Ventura Fires
When the Sadness is so Deep: After Fires Burned Down Camp Newman Buildings
When sadness over the fires at Camp Newman fill you with sadness, remember that we are a resilient people.
Open Letter to Camp Newman Teens, Staff and Alumni from Rabbi Paul
An open letter to Camp Newman teens, staff and alumni from Rabbi Paul Kipnes about getting through after the fire. (Okay to share with adults too)