Monterey Bay Aquarium
if i look back, i am lost
Love Begins
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todays bird
trying on a metaphor
Janaina Medeiros
Peter Solarz
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
tannertan36
KIROKAZE
Andulka
tumblr dot com
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Cosmic Funnies
shark vs the universe
cherry valley forever
JBB: An Artblog!
art blog(derogatory)
izzy's playlists!
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@coffeeshoprabbi
Exodus / Exegesis
Somewhere in the world, in each generation, A Pharaoh is born Who never met Joseph: Who has no compassion, Who loves gold and power, Who hates helpless creatures Like dogs and little children, An irrational hate For industrious immigrants. Somewhere in the world, in each generation We have to say, “Pharoah! Let those people go. Let them go where they will They are not hurting…
Prayer in a Time of War
A prayer written for my community as we pray for a resolution to the war between Israel and Hamas, and all those who are suffering because of it.
Image: from http://pixabay.com. Holy One of Blessing, we pray for all those who feel trapped,those who long to live in freedom and peace, but who find only imprisonment and violence,those who are wounded, those whose wounds fester,those who have lost loved ones, and those who do not know where their loved ones are held. Please comfort the frightened, strengthen the fearful, and give nourishment…
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Choices Have Consequences: Behar-Bechukotai
Image: An Antarctic glacier calves into the surrounding sea, as even the coldest places in the world warm and cause the ocean to rise. Image under copyright. Parashat Bechukotai records blessings and curses for keeping or breaking the commandments. At first blush this is oversimplified Deuteronomic theology: “Be good, and good things will happen. Be bad, and you will be sorry.” This theology…
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Ask the Rabbi: Why did my bishop ban Christian Seders?
Image: A Seder in a private home. People are talking animatedly around a large silver Seder plate. Photo by Rabbi Ruth Adar. I recently received a very nice letter from an Episcopalian friend asking why her bishop had banned the practice of Christian Seder meals. This is my reply, with a few edits: Dear Lucinda, great question. I have mixed feelings about bans, too, but I appreciate your…
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Our Holy Places: Parashat Terumah
Image: Two birds sit on the edge of a birdbath. It looks as if they are communicating. Many synagogues have words from Parashat Terumah somewhere in their structure: “Let them build me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8) or, to incorporate the Hebrew more directly: “Let them build me a mikdash, so that I may use it as a mishkan.” The Mishkan in Torah is a visible sign for…
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Grief
Image: Gabi and I at the computer in 2013. I have started to write a new message 25 times, and I keep stalling out. The only thing I know to do is to write about the thing that is keeping me from writing: my dog died. Many of you who follow the blog have followed our adventures over the years. I joked about the “rabbinic assistant” who would sit by my side as I wrote and taught but the truth is…
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Registration for "Intro" is Open!
Registration for “Intro” is Open!
Image: Two hands fit two puzzle pieces together, with the words “Introduction” above and “To the Jewish Experience” written below. Artwork from pixabay, modified by R. Adar. THE NEXT CLASS BEGINS ON JANUARY 8. Register via Eventbrite BEFORE CLASS BEGINS January 8. No late registrations! Introduction to the Jewish Experience, or “Intro,” is a 24-week online class in Basic Judaism. The series is…
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Adventures on the Internet
Adventures on the Internet
Image: A compass stands upright on a map of the world. There are pins in the map, as if someone is marking a journey. (Shutterstock, all rights reserved.) I haven’t had this kind of fun in a long time, since the early crazy days of the Internet. Twitter went over to the sitra achra, aka the Dark Side, and I skedaddled (see Bye, Bye, Birdie if you want details.) Found my way to Mastodon, a…
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Intro Class Registration is Open!
Image: Hands putting puzzle pieces together, with the heading “Introduction to the Jewish Experience.” Are you seeking an online class about the basics of Jewish life? I’ve been teaching just such a class for over 10 years. Introduction to the Jewish Experience will be starting a new cycle of classes beginning on October 23, 2022 under the sponsorship of Jewish Gateways in Albany, CA. Register…
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Prayers for June 24, 2022
Prayers for June 24, 2022
Image: A table ready for Shabbat blessings, with candlestick, challah wine and salt. (Shutterstock) I facilitate a Kabbalat Shabbat minyan (welcoming Shabbat prayer group) on Friday evenings for Jewish Gateways. This week there were special challenges since we had prepared for a LGBTQ Pride Shabbat, and this morning the news of the Supreme Court decision came down. Folks in the minyan asked me…
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Chametz Abatement Time!
Image: Person in Hazmat gear by MetsikGarden from Pixabay.com. Passover is SOON, coming at sundown on April 15, 2022. If you haven’t started preparations, it’s time. If you are not sure what that means, or if it makes your hair stand on end, read this: We Begin in Egypt. It’s a little different for us this year: we are preparing for Passover by getting rid of a different kind of chametz. Where…
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Holy moly! It's Adar Bet.
A reflection on Adar and the apparent commandment to rejoice.
Image: A woman lifts her hands and grimaces in surprise. By Engin Akyurt / Pixabay It’s March 1, and Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet. If the latter term is unfamiliar, read Why Two Months of Adar? In leap years, when we have an Adar Aleph, I tend to zone out for that month. There are no holidays, and not much happening. I reassure myself that it is a l-o-n-g way to Passover. Then come, Rosh Chodesh, I…
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Registration is open for Intro to the Jewish Experience: Traditions of Judaism
Registration is open for Intro to the Jewish Experience: Traditions of Judaism
Image: Two hands fit puzzle pieces together, with the heading “Introduction to the Jewish Experience” Registration is open for the Spring Term of Introduction to the Jewish Experience. The spring topic is “Traditions of Judaism.” We will look at the things that unite Jews worldwide, and at the vast diversity of Jewish practice and experience. This is an eight week course, beginning March 6 and…
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Jewish Book List, 5782
This is a list of books I recommend to my students taking Introduction to the Jewish Experience.
Image: A drawing of a range of library shelves, loaded with books. By Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay. This is a list of books I recommend to my students taking Introduction to the Jewish Experience. The only required texts for this class are listed as such. The rest are suggestions for the student who would like to go deeper into a given topic. Required Text for Intro to the Jewish…
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Vayechi: Last Wishes
Image: Adult family members having a discussion. (Shutterstock: Zinkevytch) This parshah, the crown and close of Genesis, offers us two end of life accounts: the end of the stories of Jacob and Joseph. In their deaths, they leave a legacy not only for their immediate descendants, but for all of the Jewish People. Both Jacob and Joseph are models in that they are clear about their wishes while…
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Registration for Winter "Intro" Now Open!
Registration for Winter “Intro” Now Open!
Image: Two hands fit two puzzle pieces together, with the words “Introduction” above and “To the Jewish Experience” written below. Artwork from pixabay, modified by Rabbi Ruth Adar. On January 2, 2022, Introduction to the Jewish Experience will begin its winter session. There will be two separate classes offered every Sunday afternoon, Pacific Time: Jewish History Through Texts What is the…
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Chanukah 2021: Lights in the Darkness
Chanukah 2021: Lights in the Darkness
Image: The rabbi, on her scooter, enjoying the Chanukah lights outside her house. Yes, she knows this is a nontraditional display. Chanukah arrives on the 25th of Kislev as always — this year, that’s Sunday evening, November 28, 2021. I don’t know about you, but I approach this holiday season feeling rather beat-up and disillusioned. This has been a year of personal, medical and professional…
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