Category: Spirituality

Redirecting My Heart to God: My Powerful Sh’ma Intention

Through using this personal kavannah, a spiritual intention, the recitation of the Sh'ma is transformed, and so am I.

Rabbi Marcus Rubenstein August 30, 2024 Evening Service (Ma'ariv) Every Day

Temple Envy

This an exploration of my "temple envy" through the emotions of grief, wonder, and desire for Jewish unity during a recent vacation to Nikko.

Rabbi Alex Hamilton May 22, 2024 Every Day Holidays

How to Write a D’var Torah

There are many ways to write a d'var Torah. Read how this rabbi thinks about giving divrei Torah and what she thinks about while writing.

Rabbi Sydni Adler Rubinstein December 26, 2023 Every Day Learning

Psalms for this Time of Crisis in Israel

Seven psalms as a liturgical response to our individual and collective emotions, including grief, fear, rage, desperation, and others.

Rabbinical Assembly October 19, 2023 Hebrew Bible Israel

Deja Jew, or, Asking the Question Yet Again: Why Be Jewish?

Dig deeper into Jewish identity, memory, spirituality, and wisdom, exploring more into the question: "Why Be Jewish?"

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson August 13, 2023 Daily Living Embodied Prayer

What do I do if I can’t go to minyan when saying kaddish?

Saying Kaddish for a loved one is a cherished and prized custom, but it is not the only way to remember and honor the lives ...

Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone May 19, 2023 Death and Dying Every Day

Prayers of the Matriarchs of Agency, Choice, and Action

Despite the odds, when things feel out of your control, when you feel abandoned – do not despair and do not simply pray – ACT.

Jacquelyn S. G. Pruet February 15, 2023 Liturgy Personal Prayer

Life Exists in Relation

If we try to look past the tangible, if we focus on the other, in relationship, we can come to see the Divine, even if ...

Ariel Ya’akov Dunat (they/them) January 27, 2023 Every Day Learning

Blessings and Bodies: Praying Without the Book

Jewish spirituality doesn’t live in a book. Our bodies can guide our awareness and blessing. What could this practice look like in your life?

Rabbi Susan Leider January 5, 2023 Blessings Daily Living

Mikveh: Not Just for Niddah Anymore

Moving well beyond niddah, mikveh is now used to mark any and all transitional and transformative moments.

Rabbi Julie Schwarzwald December 27, 2022 Every Day Lifecycles

What is the Jewish Afterlife?

What does Judaism say about the afterlife? Exploring the inherent conflicts between the different ideas and why that's a good thing.

Emily Jaeger December 25, 2022 Death and Dying Every Day

A Contemporary Understanding of Mitzvot

Rabbi Bradley Artson explains how Mitzvot function as an indispensable manifestation of a meaningful Jewish life.

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson June 21, 2022 Learning Mitzvot

Havdalah Solo: My (Slightly Awkward) Spiritual Self-Care

My Havdalah candle, wine, spices, and I did my own Havdalah ceremony all alone in my backyard. It was my own form of spiritual self-care.

Marion Haberman April 27, 2022 Havdalah Shabbat

Blurry image of cleaning supplies with the words Spirtually Cleaning the Hametz within our souls

Spiritually Cleaning the Hametz Within Our Souls

With all of this physically taxing work, it can be easy to miss the spiritual preparation for this celebration of our collective redemption.

Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz March 31, 2022 Passover Preparing for Passover