Spiritual fasting. That was our study topic at last night’s interfaith iftar. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. Daily fasts end at sunset with iftar, an evening fast-breaking meal. Last night, the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Delta BC invited the local multi-faith community to their Iftar. They created an evening of learning. Ten speakers…
Category: Jewish Practices
Afterlife: Wisdom Hidden in Plain Sight
The Afterlife: Hidden Wisdom The afterlife. That’s what I’ve been researching for the past month. “How can you research the afterlife?” you’re wondering. “Only dead people have firsthand experience.” Turns out, though, a lot of data is available. Accounts of the afterlife in key Jewish texts. Great literature reviews of those texts by Simcha Paull…
Havdalah: Your Priestly Responsibility
“Havdalah” means “division.” But the havdalah ritual does not divide Jews — from other traditions or from each other. Before Havdalah at Limmud Vancouver Before the havdalah ritual at Limmud Vancouver, I’ll be presenting on a inter-faith topic. Sacred Texts: Three Religious Traditions in Twenty-Five Words or Less. What can we learn from common themes in Torah,…
Passover: A Workaholic's Holiday
Holiday cooking for 50 guests. That’s how my Passover began. Of course. How else does a workaholic celebrate her holiday? You know I’m a workaholic. Juggling way too many projects. Seven days a week. So I’m aways behind schedule. And sometimes I drop a ball. Which means: I’ve let someone down. I’ve failed. Yes, I feel…
Reconciliation: Elijah's Message for Canada
Reconciliation takes many forms. Today, I’m thinking about David. He came to our synagogue occasionally, on Shabbat. He was quiet and a bit odd. Our interactions had a ritualized pattern. First, he would compliment me, saying, “You’re beautiful inside and out.” Next, he would ask for what he wanted. Lunch. A Safeway gift certificate. Or an opportunity to tell…
Offering Worship: Did Moses Make It All Up?
Offering as a form of worship. Take a look at Leviticus. God offers some weird instructions for worship! Like a precise system of offerings. Specifically, butchering and cooking. Such rituals seem out of place in our modern urban society. They probably weren’t relevant to the earliest human beings either. Torah itself says they were vegetarian. Offering at the…
Chant: Multi-faith Spiritual Exploration
Chant. A weekend of multi-faith learning at the Bethlehem Centre. Forty-two enchanted hours of spiritual elevation. Five leadership teams, each opening us to a dimension of chant. Chant is Holy Play: Trio SaySo Trio SaySo — Allannah Dow, Leah Hokenson and Tina Jones — tossed us into the world of chant. We all have voice,…
Psalm 148: Nature's Rap
Psalm 148: what a beautiful vision of creation! Spiritual beings sing God’s praise. Sun, moon, and clouds sing. So do animals and plants. Along with people of all ages, genders, and social classes. Why? Because God created them. God loves them. And God praises them, too. Psalm 148: what a great way to start the…
Hanukkiah: "I'm Here To Tell You Resistance Never Ends"
Hanukkiah. The eight-branched menorah we light at Hanukkah. What Does the Hanukkiah Mean? The prophet Zechariah never heard of a hanukkiah. But he can help us understand its meaning. In synagogue on Shabbat Hanukkah, we read Zechariah’s vision of the menorah. It’s a good choice, right? We light a type of menorah, so we read about a…
Sukkot: Our prophets recommend interfaith outreach
Sukkot is a great time for interfaith outreach. Twelve students are taking my graduate course on “Ritual and Sacred Ceremony” at the Vancouver School of Theology. They represent nine distinct religious traditions. Our family has invited the whole class to visit our sukkah. Students will enjoy the best of Jewish ritual: home based, food filled, seasonally attuned.…