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I am a adopted by a Jewish family
At two days old I went home with my new parents who were both Jewish. I was raised in a pretty secular but clearly Jewish-identified home in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles, with my older brother. -
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Jewish experiences in a mostly secular family
Growing up, we never belonged to a synagogue. Our family practice at the Yamim Noraim was, with my father's encouragement, to fast on Yom Kippur and, with my mother's encouragement, to go as a family to the beach for a quiet day. (A kind of mashup of Yom Kippur and Tashlich). -
Tashlich at Zuma Beach
Zuma Beach is where I remember trying to work out my parents explanation of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I also remember trying to connect with God. -
פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ - Having babies
Clichés become that way for a reason . . . having my first live child was a powerful spiritual experience for me. The thought that remains with me is a somewhat surprised "oh, THAT'S what you mean by Divine, something REAL!" -
We joined a synagogue.
We moved to Pittsburgh and joined a synagogue when Jake was a year old. This was the first synagogue that my husband, Bill, or I had ever belonged to. We were encouraged to join by my Presbyterian mother-in-law who had close friends at the shul. -
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School
Our wonderful rabbi and friend, Sharyn Henry, answered so many questions for me at many meetings in her study. She encouraged me to take some classes (something that I didn't know existed) and I began my formal Jewish education with the Florence Melton Adult Mini-school curriculum -
Rosh Hodesh with the Jewish Women's Center of Pittsburgh
The amazing women of the JWC helped me to explore the discomfort with traditional Judaism that my mother passed down, allowing me to reclaim text and ritual through creativity. They provided the safe space for my to explore leading Jewish ritual and prayer for the first time. -
Hava Nashira - the Jewish songleader's workshop
I went to Hava Nashira for the first time in 1999. My world was forever changed. My eyes were opened to a powerful purpose in my life. It felt like I had found my people and my Rebbes: Debbie Friedman, Danny Maseng, Jeff Klepper, Craig Taubman and Ellen Dreskin . . . and all of the participants. The Shabbat experience was my first ecstatic religious experience. -
I am inspired by a cantor, a teacher.
At Hava Nashira I learned from the kind of cantor I hope to be. With humility, humor, singing, storytelling and a devotion to text she shared her Torah, bringing it close and helping us find our own. That wide skill set invited my full participation as a learner. Learning was like a big present that we all unwrapped together. -
Institute for Jewish Spirituality - 2nd Cantorial Leadership Cohort
My connection to IJS began as I talked my way into the 2nd cantor's cohort as a cantorial soloist. Every practice spoke to me deeply; prayer, yoga, chant, Hassidic text study, silence and the idea of retreat for the sake of greater engagement. Studying with Nehemia Polen was to lead me to Hebrew College.
