Tehillah Talks

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we read The Art of Blessing the Day, by Marge Piercy, as a jumping off point to talk about blessing and the upcoming High Holidays

We discuss:

Seeing blessing in the every day

The challenge of appreciating and being in the moment

Looking to young people for inspiration to act in the world

Challenges of modern communication as it relates to missing the mark in the way we communicate, in particular in relation to Yom Kippur

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we say hello to new members of our conversation, Helena and Bernie. We continue to hear the voice of Julian.

We discuss:

The connection between Jewish values and agriculture

Balance between economics and ethics

Awareness of the interplay between humans and the environment

The importance of taking small steps

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we say goodbye to our rabbinic intern Jay Stanton as he leads a conversation about growing up in an Interfaith family. We also welcome Gideon, age 9, to the conversation with our regulars Julian and Jasmine.

We discuss:

What it means to embrace your Jewish identity

Having multiple identities

How having a background that cannot be neatly defined is an asset, allowing access to the complexity of the world

Breaking out of defined boxes, challenging norms

How to own one’s identity

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we say goodbye to Jasmine as she gets ready for college.

We discuss:

Whether there is really such a thing as an ending or a beginning

How endings prepare us for beginnings

Why knowing who you are and what you believe in matters

Acknowledging those who are different and really listening

How the Torah gives us support and examples for change and transition

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we discuss mental illness and how it is viewed in society.

We discuss:

Stigma surrounding mental illness

Lack of adequate mental healthcare

The importance of therapy

Biblical representations of mental health

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we discuss how we can relate to the seder and the Passover story.

We discuss:

How the seder can be interpreted to provide meaning in today’s world

The implication of being chosen

Why we need to take care of widows, orphans and strangers

The seder as a didactic and dramatic event – shaped by the leader

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we discuss our understanding of community with Jasmine, Julian, Helena and Bernie.

We discuss:

What a community means to our teens and what it feels like to be part of our community

The importance of inclusion; finding common ground across differences

The difference between communities we choose vs. communities into which we are placed

Circumstances that prompt people to build community

How community can help address fear and work to overcome a common struggle

How trust and unity build community

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

This is the second in this two-part episode of Tehillah Talks, where Jasmine and Julian ask Rabbi Linda about her path to become a rabbi.

We discuss:

What it’s like to be Jewish in a dominantly Christian culture

When one feels the presence of the Divine

What characterizes our Rabbi and Congregation

How random acts of kindness can create powerful, intimate connections without words

A woman’s perspective within spiritual leadership

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

We turn the tables in this two-part episode of Tehillah Talks, where Jasmine and Julian ask Rabbi Linda about her path to become a rabbi.

We discuss:

Rabbi Linda’s journey to the rabbinate

Julian asks Rabbi Linda about her relationship to and understanding of the Divine

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.

In this episode of Tehillah Talks, we reflect on being Jewish when violence is an everyday occurrence.

We discuss:

Examples of violence around us – in Pittsburgh and Kentucky

How recent anti-Semitism seems the same and different from Kristallnacht

With a legacy of oppression, why it is important to stand up for others

Why it is easier to be part of a solution to oppression when we stand together as part of a Jewish community

Learn more about our community that is committed to an environment in which all are welcome wherever they or their families find themselves on their Jewish journey, inclusive of any age, race, orientation, gender identity, ability and economic status at www.congregationtehillah.org and https://www.facebook.com/Congregation-Tehillah-59324635843/.