We speak with Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, Rabbi of the SAJ: Judaism That Stands For All. Our conversation explores the importance of placing joy and connection at the center of vibrant Jewish community, even (or especially) one deeply committed to social justice and activism. We also discuss the lessons learned from building a start-up congregation, and how they translate into her work at a 98-year-old flagship Reconstructionist synagogue.

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Special Guest: Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann. Support Hashivenu Links:Kol TzedekSAJ – Judaism That Stands For AllHashivenu Episode 15: Singing TogetherHistory of SAJSAJ on FacebookAfter a Hiatus, Jewish Life Returns to West Philly – The Forward — This 2006 article from the Forward chronicles the beginnings of Kol Tzedek.A Reconstructionist Shul Grows in West Philly - Jewish Exponent — This 2018 article from the Jewish Exponent explores the vibrant growth of Kol Tzedek in the years since its founding.

S3 Ep. 3: The Song of Community

Hashivenu is a podcast about Jewish teachings and practice around resilience. Cultivating resilience in challenging times, both individually and collectively, is an essential path to personal renewal. 
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Find out more about the show at About (https://hashivenu.fireside.fm/about), and learn about our theme song at Theme Song (https://hashivenu.fireside.fm/theme-song).
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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org (https://ReconstructingJudaism.org)

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Rabbi Elyse Wechterman recently announced that she will step down from her position as CEO of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) in June after leading the organization for the past nine years. Elyse stops by Deborah’s office to look back on her tenure and look ahead to what’s next. The two longtime colleagues commiserate over the day-to-day realities of leading an organization, including a friendly debate over the pros and cons of “zeroing out” one’s email inbox (4:54). Elyse explains how being willing to let some things go in order to focus on what’s important has helped her decision making as a leader (9:21). Elyse reflects on how the RRA has changed over the last nine years and on the accomplishments she’s most proud of, such as increased collaboration amongst rabbinical associations (15:30). Deborah and Elyse discuss the nature of change and how although it can be scary, it is often a positive (26:22). Finally, Elyse shares her favorite verse from the Talmud and why it’s resonating with her as she approaches this transition (34:00). 

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Special Guest: Rabbi Elyse Wechterman. Support Hashivenu Links:Stay up on the latest from Reconstructing Judaism by signing up for our weekly Virtual Shabbat Box emailWatch the panel disccussion, "Democracy and Judaism: Does one need the other to thrive?" Listen to Elyse's recent appearance on the Evolve podcastLearn more about the RRAFrom the NY Times, "Happy 20th Anniversary, Gmail. I’m Sorry I’m Leaving You"PIVOT! PIVOT!

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, CEO of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Rabbi Deborah Waxman welcomes Cheryl Cook, CEO of Avodah, for a wide-ranging conversation. The two longtime friends and hevrutah partners recall their early conversations about Israel and Palestine (3:00). They discuss the nature of leadership in general as well as their own perspectives as women in leadership (10:10). They touch on the importance of resilience in how they have been able to navigate the turbulence of the last 10 years (12:10). Cheryl lays out the mission and work of Avodah (16:30). Later, Cheryl asks Deborah to reflect on the role of gender in leadership and Deborah shares how her feminist ideals shape her approach (18:15). Cheryl talks about stepping into the role of CEO in 2015 as a mother of young children and how she is making the effort to model a different kind leadership for other women (23:00). They close by looking ahead to future generations of leaders that they hope will include not only women, but Jews of Color and people from underrepresented groups as well (33:03). At the start of the show, Deborah catches us up on all things Hashivenu and previews her upcoming 10th anniversary celebratory event “When Women Lead" (happening Wednesday, April 3rd at 7pm EDT). You can find ticket information here. 

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Special Guest: Cheryl Cook. Support Hashivenu Links:Get tickets to Deborah's 10th anniversary virtual event, "When Women Lead"Stay up on the latest from Reconstructing Judaism by signing up for our weekly Virtual Shabbat Box emailAvodah: Sparking Jewish Leaders, Igniting Social ChangeLearn more about Avodah's Jewish Service CorpsFrom The Forge: "Building Resilient Organizations" by Maurice Mitchell

Cheryl Cook, CEO of Avodah

Weeks ago, Rabbi Deborah Waxman and founder Yoshi Silverstein scheduled this discussion about embodied Jewish practice and antiracism. Did it make any sense to have this conversation in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israeli civilians and hostage taking, the subsequent and unfolding war and its tremendous toll on Palestinian civilians? After pausing to consider, they decided that such a conversation is more important than ever, both to themselves and listeners. Silverstein, founder and director of the Mitsui Collective, explains that in difficult times like these, embodiment practices can help us understand and name the extent to which strong emotions are having an impact on us. Awareness and practice are key to being able to respond to stressful stimuli in a healthy way. He outlines several simple practices that can help, including orienting and box breathing, and quotes Viktor Frankl, the psychotherapist and Holocaust survivor whose writing deeply informs how humans understand trauma. "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Special Guest: Yoshi Silverstein. Support Hashivenu Links:Deborah teaches box breathing techniqueLearn more about Mitsui CollectiveRitualwell resources speaking to the current momentExplore groundbreaking essays on EvolveReconstructing Judaism on the web

How to become our fullest, most expressive selves? Practice, practice, practice

In ancient times on Yom Kippur, the high priest of Israel presided over an elaborate, mystical service atop the Temple Mount. Today, many traditional synagogues recount this ritual with the avodah service. In this episode, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., speaks with Rabbi Vivie Mayer about what the avodah service — which they acknowledge is mainly attended by the “die-hards” — can teach us today. “What Yom Kippur is really enacting and celebrating is collective release,” Mayer says. The two discuss what it means to move from the most intense, holy day of the year to the mundane business of daily life and how to bring insights from the former to the later. They delve into the differences between individual and collective atonement and responsibility; wondering about the collective release and catharsis offered by practices of the Second Temple era. They also lift up a contemporary Israeli song, “Seder Ha'Avodah” by Ishay Ribo.  

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Special Guest: Rabbi Vivie Mayer. Support Hashivenu Links:Listen to "Seder Ha'Avodah" by Ishay Ribo and follow along with the English translation Rabbi Deborah Waxman's High Holiday Video Teaching exploring the avodah serviceExplore Reconstructing Judaism's High Holiday ResourcesHigh Holiday Resources on Ritualwell From Evolve: "Breaking Open: A Paradigm for Jewish Prayer" by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar 

Yom Kippur: A Celebration of Collective Release

In this special episode, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D and Rabbi Sandra Lawson discuss their respective processes of preparing for the High Holidays. This isn’t about leading services, but about how, as human beings, they undertake an accounting of the soul, leading to repentance for their own actions and forgiveness toward others. The two friends and colleagues delve into Maimonides as interpreted by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg in her new book On Repentance and Repair. (Among his many contributions, Maimonides, a medieval Torah scholar, philosopher and physician, outlined five steps needed to make true repentance.) Rabbi Sandra describes her difficult relationship with her late mother, and the forgiveness needed to truly care for her mother during illness. The two widen the lens and examine repentance from a societal point of view: how can society account and repent for harms caused to so many groups: Blacks, indigenous Americans, Asian Americans and so on. The two agree that an American reckoning with its troubled legacy is needed. “I think about teshuvah and when it comes to racial justice work, my focus first of all, is primarily within our Jewish spaces,” Lawson says. “I have found that many Jews who benefit from white privilege tend to continue to look outward on racial justice in the larger world, which is fine. But that also needs to be with our own internal work.” 

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org. Support Hashivenu Links:On Repentance And Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Rabbi Danya RuttenbergMaimonides and Repentance"Rabbi Sandra Lawson: The Souls in My Life" for Interfaith America"Modeh Ani as a Means for Cultivating Resilience" by Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. "Opposites Attract" by Paula AbdulThe newly redesigned ReconstructingJudaism.orgThe newly redesigned Ritualwell.orgEvolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations

S3 Ep. 3: The Song of Community

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