Judaism and the 12 Steps: A Message for Everyone
What can Judaism offer to the spiritual journey in recovery? The more I learn about Judaism and the more a learn about recovery, the clearer the answer becomes. Jewish wisdom enriches the spiritual journey of recovery in many of the same ways Judaism deepens any of our spiritual journeys.
In Jewish recovery author and teacher Rabbi Kerry Olitzky’s discussion with us at Rodeph Shalom last night, “The 12 Steps: A Message for Everyone,” he spoke about how the core foundations of Judaism, Torah, community and God, can support someone in recovery and can support every one of us in the struggles of life we face. I’d like to share some of my take-aways from Rabbi Olitzky’s teachings.Continue reading
Profound Moments: Dena Herrin
By Dena Herrin, RS President
Before I tell you about a profound moment that I had, let me give you some context. As some of you know, my connections to Judaism for most of my life were weak at best. I left Hebrew school, which I hated, at 10 years old and barely stepped in a synagogue for the next 25 years. I occasionally went with my parents for the High Holy Days, but really didn’t understand or engage in the service. The word and concept of God made me very uncomfortable, still does. Our Rosh Hashanah dinners, Yom Kippur breakfasts and Passover Seders were occasions I enjoyed as family gatherings, and to a much lesser extent, cultural events. For me, there really was no spirituality or deep religious context to these holidays. I joined Rodeph Shalom in an effort to find some Jewish connection for my children. We are an interfaith family and my Jewish foundations were simply too shallow to provide relevant content and meaning for my family. I share this background because the moment that I want to tell you about occurred in the sanctuary here, at Rodeph Shalom, at a time when my connections to Judaism and to the synagogue were very superficial.
Wrestling with God: A Profound Moment
by Dan Seltzer, presented at August 19 Shabbat Service
With a sense of relief that comes with confessing, but also in the Socratic spirit of “the only thing I know is that I don’t know anything,” tonight I am going to talk about whether I believe God exists. If this topic makes you feel uncomfortable, I assure you there’s at least one other person in the room that feels the same way. Me. But first, I want to set the stage by describing a profound moment in my life. The summer after graduating college, some friends and I took a week-long canoe trip through the Allagash River Wilderness.Continue reading
Spiritual Luster and Equations: A Profound Moment
by Thomas Perloff, presented at August 12 Shabbat Service
Before sharing a profound moment, I would like to provide some background.
First, I am a numbers guy. In high school, I won the math prize. In college, I majored in economics. In graduate school I pursued economics and was steeped in econometrics, graphs and statistics. For thirty-some years I worked in the low margin foodservice distribution business, where, if you didn’t pay close attention to the numbers, your business was not sustainable.Continue reading
Torah as Our Constant Love: A Profound Moment
Presented by Michael Mufson at August 5 Shabbat Service
When I first remember the concept of God being introduced during my first year of Hebrew School, I can still remember vividly the scene in the class room. The teacher was telling us that God is all around us. You can’t see him/her, smell him/her but you can see his deeds- and also you cannot spell his name, please use a hyphen in place of the o. Already being the mediocre intellect at age 5, I looked around the room and kept trying to locate where this omnipotent, omnipresent god was hiding and how could I come to grips with something I cannot see? Continue reading
