Author

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed

Rabbi Dr. Karen G Reiss Medwed, is Teaching Professor emerita at Northeastern University. She serves as Interim Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and Initiatives for HUC-JIR. Dr. Reiss Medwed's scholarship includes digital education, higher education leadership, and faith-based education. Dr. Reiss Medwed was ordained by JTS in 1995, and earned her Ph.D. from New York University's Steinhardt School of Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning with a specialization in Jewish education in 2005.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed

Rabbi Dr. Karen G Reiss Medwed, is Teaching Professor emerita at Northeastern University. She serves as Interim Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and Initiatives for HUC-JIR. Dr. Reiss Medwed’s scholarship includes digital education, higher education leadership, and faith-based education. Dr. Reiss Medwed was ordained by JTS in 1995, and earned her Ph.D. from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning with a specialization in Jewish education in 2005.

My Posts

Chasing Away the Darkness: Hanukkah Kavanah

Chasing Away the Darkness: Hanukkah Kavanah

Elevate your Hanukkah candle lighting with this spiritual intention. Read one each night before you light the candles.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed December 15, 2024 Hanukkah Hanukkah Kavanot

Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

Yizkor for the Victims of October 7th

This Yizkor, for the victims of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, attempts to capture the personal details of the people killed on this ...

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed September 20, 2024 Death and Dying High Holidays

The Times of Day for Prayer

A Talmudic Midrash obligates prayer three times a day, instituted in honor of our three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 17, 2023 Every Day Prayer

Prayers and Practices of the Weekday Amidah

The Amidah is considered the central part of daily Jewish prayer, with minor variations in the text based on time of day, year and season.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Afternoon Prayers (Mincha) Amidah

The Interplay of Routine and Intention: Keva and Kavanah

Our prayers are almost always a mixture of both keva (oft-recited text) and kavanah (deeper layers of meaning).

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

What Prompts Change in Our Liturgy?

Changes in liturgy are born out of changes in the theological and historical life of a people, both the individual and the community.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Liturgy

Enhancing Prayer With Body Movement

Movement acts as part of prayer, orchestrated in traditional Jewish settings, thus putting us in touch with the ebb and flow of the liturgy.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

Jewish Prayer Leaders

An individual, Rabbi, Cantor, or volunteer, skilled in singing and well-versed in Torah learning and liturgy, is appointed to lead prayers.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

Creating a Sacred Physical Space

Halakhah demands that we invoke God’s name in prayer only in settings that are worthy of the sacred enterprise of prayer.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

Why Prayer Matters

Tefillah is more than the sum of its parts and encompasses far more than the obligation to recite certain specific daily prayers.

Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, The Observant Life (Book) May 16, 2023 Every Day Prayer

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