Spirituality Archives

Going Virtual Has Completely Changed My Relationship With Judaism

When I was first asked to write about how Jewish ritual has changed for me during these last challenging,...

Identity, Religion, Religious Education, Shabbat, Shabbat Rituals, Spirituality

What Happens to Ritual Between Marriage and Babies?

From my conversion to our Japanese and Jewish wedding to my bat mitzvah at 33, I’ve been fortunate to have celebrated...

Baby Planning, Marriage, Newlywed, Religion, Spirituality

Image of two sets of feet wearing hiking boots and walking in the woods with the sun shining through the trees.

How Do We Bring Two Faiths into Our Everyday?

By Laura Drescher

Often couples of the same faith join a religious community together after getting married. As an interfaith...

Identity, Religion, Religious Life, Resources, Spirituality

How I Came to Embrace My Important Role in Judaism

By Kristin Eriko Posner

On Saturday, March 10th, 2018, in front of my family and community, I became a bat mitzvah at 33. The service...

Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Conversion, Identity, Jews of Color, Race, Religion, Spirituality, Synagogue

Is the Jewish Community a Mean Girl?

By Rabbi Samantha Kahn

“The organized Jewish community is nothing more than the mean girls from high school.” What?! I think I literally...

Identity, Religion, Religious Life, Spirituality, Synagogue

How Do We Talk About Hate as a Family?

By Elizabeth Vocke

A couple of weeks ago, as we were going to sleep, my husband said, “I’m sorry there are people out there who...

Family, Parenting, Spirituality

Getting Married and Keeping Our Religions

By Laura Drescher

As a Catholic teen and young adult, I never imagined I would be planning an interfaith wedding. Even though...

Christian Jewish Wedding, Ketubah, Religion, Spirituality, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Weddings

Having a Yahrzeit For My Lutheran Dad

By Tara Worthey Segal

I formally converted to Judaism one month after I lost my father and two weeks before getting married. I hadn’t...

Parenting, Parenting Stories, Spirituality

Should We Pray for Bad People?

By Jane Larkin

Shortly before the inauguration in mid-January, I was contacted by a Chicago Tribune reporter about a story...

Spirituality

How to Pray with Two Faiths

By Anna Keller

Our family has had a hard few weeks. Every day we open the news to a different headline about hatred and anger....

Parenting, Parenting Stories, Religion, Spirituality

Why a Raisin Has Never Tasted So Good

By Rabbi Mychal Copeland

I always spend some time as Rabbi in Residence at Camp Tawonga in California each summer, and it is always...

Camp, Parenting, Religion, Spirituality

Many Paths Up the Mountain

By Stacie Garnett-Cook

In college, I was a Jewish representative on the student Multi-Faith Council. I have always been fascinated...

Family, Marriage, Religion, Spirituality

The Mikveh Is Better Together

By Kelly Banker

As a young Jew raised in a secular home, I never imagined that being in a committed relationship with someone...

Dating, Mikveh, Relationships, Spirituality

Bernie Sanders: American Jew, Not the Other Way Around

By Jane Larkin

As my son and I watched coverage of Super Tuesday, I mentioned that regardless of whether or not Bernie Sanders...

Identity, Spirituality

When sacred text hurts others, how do we apologize?

By Rabbi Mychal Copeland

This essay was reprinted with permission from J. Weekly. Earlier this month I was the rabbi at the Fellowship...

Religion, Spirituality

Who Gets to Criticize Your Religion?

By Rabbi Mychal Copeland

I remember the day I introduced our kids to The Prince of Egypt. I loved this movie, and I was excited...

Blessings, Religion, Religious Life, Spirituality, Synagogue

The New Mikvah for The New Inter-Faith Wedding; Spiritual Readiness in the Modern World

By Ryan Mount

In many religious communities, it is customary for men and women to spiritually ready themselves before they...

Mikveh, Religion, Spirituality, Wedding Planning, Wedding Ritual, Weddings

Own Your Judaism

By Rabbi Ari Moffic

Sometimes Jews who don’t live their lives by the rubrics of Jewish law feel inauthentic in their identity or...

Identity, Ketubah, Officiant, Religion, Spirituality, Wedding Ritual

Getting Lost and Remembing Important Details of Wedding Planning

By Ryan Mount

With so much planning even a wedding of our size, it is easy to get lost in the details. There are the fun details...

Christian Jewish Wedding, Ketubah, Religion, Spirituality, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Planning, Weddings

Finding a Rabbi for Two

By Ryan Mount

Lisa and I attending the New Members Dinner at Temple Sholom A question that all soon-to-be married couples...

Family, Race, Religion, Spirituality, Synagogue

You Shall Be Holy

By Rabbi Ari Moffic

I will be speaking as part of Diversity Shabbat on Friday, April 25. The Torah portion for this Shabbat includes...

Religion, Spirituality

Treat Others with Honor

By Joshua Troderman

“Ben Zoma asks, ‘Who is worthy of honor? The one who treats others with honor.’” Pirkei Avot (4:1) My wife and...

Religion, Spirituality

It’s OK to Go Alone

By Marilyn Wacks

Yesterday my husband asked for my advice about how to help a friend of his. His friend wanted to know how he...

Extended Family, Family, Religion, Spirituality, Synagogue

How to Be Inclusive

By Wendy Armon

A few weeks ago, my son was reading Torah at a Saturday evening service. It is a very small service of 15-20...

Family, Marriage, Religion, Spirituality

Spirituality

Stay in the know.