Jewish Journeys
An Israeli teen visiting Toronto recently told me, “It is easy to be Jewish in Israel but hard to be Reform. In Canada, it is hard to be Jewish but easy to be Reform.” I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. When I arrived in Toronto 10 years ago, wearing a kippah (head covering) was not part of my practice, nor did it seem to be for most women. I decided the best way to teach young women they could wear one was to begin to do so myself. In time, it became a reminder of the holiness of my work as clergy, from enjoying laser tag with youth group kids to chanting Kol Nidrei. In... Read More
I was born Jewish but married into Judaism. That is to say, I grew up in a Jewish family, in which we lit Hanukkah candles and were inspired to make the world a better place. But it wasn’t until my twenties that I truly became enchanted by the rich practices, deep structure, and community experience of Judaism. I met my husband-to-be on Shavuot, a holiday I’d never heard of until a few days earlier. At synagogue services, I watched the people around me out of the corner of my eye to see when to stand up and sit down; he didn’t have to look. While I sounded out the Hebrew words of the... Read More
Every year in the Passover Haggadah (telling), we read, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” These words have taken on deep meaning for me as I came out of the closet, got married, and had kids of my own: Our freedom and redemption are founded on being inclusive and welcoming. The story of the Exodus from Egypt is so axiomatic in the Jewish tradition that the Torah commands us to tell it to our children four times (Exodus 12:26, 13:8, 13:14, and Deuteronomy 6:20). According to the rabbinic tradition, we must tell it in ways that can be understood by those asking the questions. The... Read More
I’ve lived a fantastic life. I come from a wonderful family, and I’ve had the opportunity to travel all around the world. I’ve danced the cobbled streets of Prague, welcomed the new year with Army buddies in London, and sat on southern porches surrounded by family and love. I’ve also had my heart broken, served in Iraq, and survived some of the most heinous kinds of childhood trauma. People often comment that they’re amazed at who I am in the Jewish community. They’re shocked that I found Judaism despite being raised by Christians, being Black, and inheriting the memory of Jim Crow. It’s... Read More
I know I am; I am a Jew, Know how good this is to be. But how now this Jew to be good and true, As these living trials stride through? I know, this reflection, can never, Reach God’s perfection, Goodness through dust till dust. But I try, just try, try just to be just. Not the perfect Jew, that I am not. Perfectly try I try to help what I see, I can do this now to achieve. Can I be some truth, By doing this good, Being a blessing with mercy and faith? Just an image am I, walking through this life, Approach God now with nearness each step, So I know, I am not the just perfect... Read More
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