Jewish Journeys
With Black History Month upon us, a time dedicated to learning about and celebrating the accomplishments of black individuals and movements, I cannot help but wonder about how to use our sacred history to create a better future. As black Jewish leaders in particular, we are tasked to uphold our identities in the face of oppression in the pursuit of tzedek (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). To gain further perspective on this, I consulted my fellow black Jewish leaders, all of whom are alumni of the Union for Reform Judaism’s JewV’Nation Fellowship, to share their insight and... Read More
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 As Reform Jews, we may recognize this beautiful and important verse not only from the Tanach, but also from our siddur (prayer book), Mishkan T’filah. Some of us might remember chanting these words in Hebrew during Shabbat services. This quote has had a long-lasting and important role in my life, going back more than a decade before I chose to convert to Judaism. I grew up in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the first independent black... Read More
When I was 12, I told my parents and my Irish Catholic Nana that I would not be confirmed in the Catholic Church. As a gay kid growing up in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood of Boston, I felt alienated and targeted, and certain that wasn’t going to change. Later, when we moved to a more diverse suburb, I often said I was “atheist” or “agnostic.” I made a lot of Jewish friends, though I didn’t know much about Judaism, and I found myself mysteriously drawn to their foods, customs, and rituals. I dated several nice Jewish boys and just as I began to question why all of that might be, I... Read More
Many people will spend the week writing “New Year's resolutions,” declarations of what they plan to do and who they plan to be in the coming year. Within weeks, diets will begin and new gym memberships purchased. Within less than two months, both and more will be abandoned. Our resolutions will again be thrown upon the pile of discarded and broken promises made in previous years. So caught up in the ritual of deciding what we could be doing, we fail to do it. Why? As John Tierney writes "Carpe Diem? Maybe Tomorrow" in the New York Times: “People can become overly... Read More
When I was little, my parents bought me Sandy Eisenberg Sasso’s book, God’s Paintbrush, which became the cornerstone of every bedtime routine for years. The story paints beautiful interpretations of children’s understandings of spirituality, encouraging children to wonder if God has a lap to sit on like Dad’s, or if God’s arms are warm and loving like Mom’s. These wondrous childhood questions danced me into sleep each night. One afternoon, my mom picked me up after kindergarten, and we went to the local grocery mart. As we passed the fruits and vegetables, I noticed an older gentleman with... Read More
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