Each seder gathered a constellation of color and courage: Blacks and Jews, Black Jews and people of color—Bishops and Rabbis, churches and synagogues, choir singing, and the cacophony of connection and contemplation— We were a veritable mosaic of Moses’ people, linking arms, lifting hearts, lamenting and loving in equal measure.
Category: Spoken Word Poetry
Sanctuary in a Jazz Club
A jazz club. A Torah whisper. A T-shirt with a prophet’s promise. Reflections from the CCAR rabbinic convention on listening for the sacred in unexpected places—and improvising our way toward hope.
From Tohu VaVohu to Tikvah
A spoken word poem about facing the reality before our world
A Prayer for the Secular New Year
As we step into the tides of tomorrow, this prayer invites us to treasure the gift of time, uncover holiness in the everyday, and return to kindness, generosity, and wisdom. May the new year be one of gratitude, growth, and peace in all its forms.
A Prayerful Invocation for Calabasas: Celebrating Leadership and Community
Rabbi Paul Kipnes of Congregation Or Ami offers a heartfelt invocation at the Calabasas City Council Reorganization Meeting, celebrating the installation of Mayor Peter Kraut. Reflecting on leadership, unity, and the city’s vision, the prayer calls for compassion, courage, and a commitment to community care.
Parenting: The Challenging of Letting Go (spoken word poetry)
In this spoken word poem, explore how Abraham's parents might have felt as he went off from Haran to the Promised Land, in search of his future.
A Psalm for Cities on Fire
A Psalm for our cities on fire, after the killing of George Floyd
Dear Jewish Leader, Are You Up to the Task?
An open letter to Jewish leaders about how to lead through Covid-19 present and future.
Prayer for Rising Waters: Getting Through Covid-19
A Jewish prayer finding strength in the responses of our ancestors to the trials in their lives. Specially written for during the Covid-19 outbreak
It’s Been Weeks Since I Wrote ‘bout My Dad
A poem providing insight into mourning during the in-between times.
You Won’t Be There these High Holy Days
A poem about facing the moments over the High Holy Days - small but meaningful - when my dad won't be there.
Lazy Mourning Morning
A poem about those moments when I'm not feeling the sadness in the midst of the mourning.
A Friend’s Shiva Visit
Poem about when a friend visited me during my dad's shiva.
Standing for Kaddish That First Time
Standing for Kaddish that first time is surreal. This poem captures the multitude of feelings as I stood in temple to recite Kaddish for my father Ken Kipnes.
I Guess. I am. Still. a Mourner. (Thirty days since Dad Died)
I am still a mourner. A poem about how my body - tears, trembling shoulders, welling up of emotions - remind me that I am still a mourner. Remembering my father, Ken Kipnes.