Author

  • Rabbi Malka Michel

    Malka Michél was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the proud daughter of an Ashkenazi father and Sephardic mother with Converso roots. She was a fellow in the first cohort of the Exploring Judaism's Writer's Fellowship. Malka regards her upbringing on the western extreme of the American Jewish Diaspora as having an enormous influence on her outlook as a Jew and the deep spirituality she cultivated as a child. As an intuitive and highly creative and soul, it was natural for Malka to pursue degrees in Western Classical music and performance. Seeking to reclaim a critical part of her Jewish identity, Malka taught herself Hebrew and then completed three years of cantorial school at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and New York. During that time, Malka fell in love with Hazzanut but longed to know more about the rich, beautiful and often challenging world of Jewish text. So, in 2020 Malka began her journey at the Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Malka sees her circuitous journey to the rabbinate as essential in shaping her as a person and a rabbi.

Malka Michél was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the proud daughter of an Ashkenazi father and Sephardic mother with Converso roots. She was a fellow in the first cohort of the Exploring Judaism’s Writer’s Fellowship. Malka regards her upbringing on the western extreme of the American Jewish Diaspora as having an enormous influence on her outlook as a Jew and the deep spirituality she cultivated as a child. As an intuitive and highly creative and soul, it was natural for Malka to pursue degrees in Western Classical music and performance. Seeking to reclaim a critical part of her Jewish identity, Malka taught herself Hebrew and then completed three years of cantorial school at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and New York. During that time, Malka fell in love with Hazzanut but longed to know more about the rich, beautiful and often challenging world of Jewish text. So, in 2020 Malka began her journey at the Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Malka sees her circuitous journey to the rabbinate as essential in shaping her as a person and a rabbi.

My Posts

Pharaoh’s Hardened Heart and the Nature of Free Will 

Pharaoh’s Hardened Heart and the Nature of Free Will

Free will gives us a lot of responsibility. But the sages teach we're still able to make mistakes and the teshuvah to repair them.
Honoring and Involving Friends and Family in Your Jewish Wedding

Honoring and Involving Friends and Family in Your Jewish Wedding

Here are some recommendations on how (and when) to involve and include your loved ones in your Jewish wedding.
What to Do and What to Expect at a Shiva

What to Do and What to Expect at a Shiva

The purpose of the shiva is to comfort the bereaved individual or family, there are a few basic steps for when you attend one.
Confronting the Myth of Consent in Circumcision: Five Perspectives

Confronting the Myth of Consent in Circumcision: Five Perspectives

We are charged with passing the Torah to the next generation and teaching them to value it. Circumcision is a powerful symbol of that.
Does God Punish us Looking Deeper at Deuteronomy's Theology

Does God Punish Us? Looking Deeper at Deuteronomy’s Theology

Unpacking Deuteronomy's Theology: How could such a loving God allow us to suffer? Does God want us to suffer? Is it a punishment?
I was just offered an Aliyah to the Torah: What do I do?

I was just offered an Aliyah to the Torah: What do I do?

What do I do when I'm offered an aliyah to the Torah? What is it? This special honor gives us a front row seat at ...