From the Rabbi

Words of the Spirit, by Rabbi Liz Bolton, Or Haneshamah's rabbi and spiritual leader

IN THE FACE OF HATE

Sometime this past Sunday night, the exterior wall of Ottawa’s National Holocaust Monument was painted in bright red letters with the words FEED ME. 

News Story, June 9, 2025:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/national-holocaust-monument-in-ottawa-defaced-with-feed-me-graffiti-1.7556179 

On Monday afternoon I was contacted by...Read more...

Going and Learning and Coming Back to Retell

Tze ulemad. Go and learn.

This is how the “long” section of the Exodus story begins in the traditional Haggadah. After the initial blessings and rituals and songs, including the Four Questions and the first “short” answers, the retelling of the escape from Mitzrayim is retold.

As attached as I was as a child to the songs and...Read more...

Jewish practice is often identified by two overlapping cycles – the life cycle and the year cycle. Along with core values and text basics, these rubrics form the topics of our Exploring Judaism program. And it’s likely that most Introduction to Judaism courses make use of these rubrics as well.

Many adult students of Jewish life already come in with some knowledge of the “high” holidays; certainly Passover...Read more...

Words of the Spirit

The Shapes and Forms of Sukkot

Sukkot is, without question, the most embodied of Jewish festivals. Yes, we light candles throughout the year, smell sweet spices, bow and bend in prayer, taste sweet things or varied fruits and nuts, and – how could we forget – hear or sound the blasts...Read more...

Finding The Words

This is a moment when finding the words is hard. Which word first, which heart chamber is pumping what emotion, and in what mode. 

This is a moment both unprecedented and in continuity with the epic, existential, ongoing battle in the state of...Read more...