David Bowie's 1972 classic touched a national nerve. Change is inevitable: we can only "turn and face the strain." (Others quote Bowie's refrain as "turn and face the strange," to similar effect.) Soon the 45th President of the United States will take office amidst social and political upheaval. Many either acclaim or fear this changing of… Continue reading Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes
Author: velveteenrabbi
R. Rachel Barenblat has been blogging as the Velveteen Rabbi since 2002.
Saying No to Silencing: The Jewish Duty to Speak Out
Spirituality is biography. Jewish spirituality and Jewish biography both demand a duty to speak out, reject silencing, and stand up against any power that would silence another. Such is the call of Chanukkah and this moment of meaning for Jewish life. I come with skin in the game. As a judicial officer, my state’s judicial ethics code bans me… Continue reading Saying No to Silencing: The Jewish Duty to Speak Out
I Have a Dream
If you're a dreamer (we all are), read on: this post is about you. "I have a dream." With these words, dreamer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. propelled the American nation along the arc that bends toward justice. With these same words, in this week's Torah portion (Vayeishev), dreamer Joseph propelled Jewish history along the… Continue reading I Have a Dream
Wrestling in the Dark Night
The human mind is a marvelous machine – always scanning and planning. Among the mind's "programs" is worst-case thinking, wrestling to assert control over potential threats. Maybe you do this: I know I do. A delayed diagnosis could be an incurable disease! A work mistake could cost my job! An encounter could ruin a relationship! If we're honest, we might… Continue reading Wrestling in the Dark Night
The Cosmic “Why Me?”
If you or someone you love ever suffered, you probably asked why. "Why me" is a constant echo in history and the human psyche – and it doesn't matter whether the echo is spoken aloud or asked silently within. The human heart wants to know why, even if the mind knows that there's no knowing… Continue reading The Cosmic “Why Me?”
(Thanks)giving — A Thanksgiving for the Rest of the Year
Happy Thanksgiving! For many, Thanksgiving gathers us with family and friends, inviting us to reflect gratefully on our blessings. For others, Thanksgiving can be a day of quiet despair and even shame for those who don’t feel grateful and festive. Like all holidays, Thanksgiving espouses values that resonate during the rest of the year. Its deeper… Continue reading (Thanks)giving — A Thanksgiving for the Rest of the Year
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
DVAR TORAH Pardes Hannah Ann Arbor, Michigan November 12, 2016 Shabbat shalom. Rabbi Rachel and I are delighted to be with you as visiting family from ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. I've wanted to visit Pardes Hannah since I became Reb Elliot's student back in the year 1845 – really just seven years ago – but I… Continue reading Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
The Day After
The glass shattered. We can't stay: we've already been ejected from our land, the place that made us, our ancestral home. We don't know where we're going or how we'll get there. Today physically may look much the same as yesterday, but nothing is the same. We already left. We don't know where we're going… Continue reading The Day After
What’s in a Name?
Odds are good that you know your names. You received one or more names at birth, and maybe you changed name at marriage, divorce or another formative moment. Maybe you also have one or more nicknames, private terms of endearment with a partner or friend, childhood monikers, familial titles ("Mom," "Uncle," "Grandma"), and professional… Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Vote Your Privilege
Odds are that you're a U.S. citizen with many privileges, including the privilege to vote. (And if you're Jewish, your privilege to vote also is a mandate to vote: under Jewish law, you have a duty to vote – and here's my teshuvah proving it.) There's more I want to say about Election Day, but don't ask me… Continue reading Vote Your Privilege
Spiritual Hangover: Coming Down From the Mountain
Here’s a one-question pop quiz, and everyone gets an “A.” Now that this year’s Jewish High Holy Days are done, which of the following four statements most accurately describes how you feel? a. Huh? What’d I miss? b. Thank goodness! I’m so done. c. Wow! I feel refreshed and renewed. d. What a… Continue reading Spiritual Hangover: Coming Down From the Mountain
Joy Like Our Lives Depend on It
Dvar Torah Sukkot Shabbat Congregation Kol Haneshamah Sarasota, FL October 20, 2016 Shabbat Shalom and moadim l'simcha! I hope your Sukkot has brought joy for this season of joy. It's a joy for me to be with you tonight. I'd like to ask everyone a question (and offer a special Shabbat blessing for being completely… Continue reading Joy Like Our Lives Depend on It
The Big Lie – Yom Kippur 5777
The title of my talk is "The Big Lie." And even though it's Yom Kippur, the holiest day of our spiritual year, I'll start with a whopper. Before Erev Rosh Hashanah, I read a New York Times op-ed by iconic NBC journalist Tom Brokaw. He wrote, "For most of my adult life, I've answered the… Continue reading The Big Lie – Yom Kippur 5777
Balancing the Scales
Amidst hopes for a good and sweet new year, this week's Torah portion (Ha'azinu) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur brings the swan song of Moses as he prepares to die. It's no coincidence that these two poignant moments come together now. In a sense, Moses' preparation to die evokes our own. Each year, tradition… Continue reading Balancing the Scales
Erev Rosh Hashanah 2016/5777 – The Renewal of Hope
Shanah tovah! Welcome to this New Year 5777 that we hope will be full of sweet goodness and opportunity for everyone. Tonight we join together to renew a journey that is timeless. It’s a journey for Jews worldwide, and a Jewish take on a universal journey for all people everywhere. These Days of Awe, from Rosh… Continue reading Erev Rosh Hashanah 2016/5777 – The Renewal of Hope
Just Do It: A High Holy Day Call to Action
As High Holy Day tides approach and soon over-wash with their poignant waters of joy, awe, solemnity and introspection, it’s tempting to imagine that this season is only for emotional and spiritual internals. This season of teshuvah (returning, repairing, forgiving) is for thinking and feeling teshuvah – but mainly as springboards for action. It’s good to think teshuvah in our minds and feel teshuvah in our hearts. It’s healthy to… Continue reading Just Do It: A High Holy Day Call to Action
The Gratitude Virus
As we approach Rosh Hashanah, here's a reminder that our spiritual ancestors knew what neurobiologists only recently figured out. Emotion is catchy – and a good thing, too. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that the brain is wired with mirror neurons that fire when we perceive others' emotions. These neurons mirror in us what we sense others experiencing,… Continue reading The Gratitude Virus
“If!” — Walking Backwards into Elul
Today is September 1, and this weekend begins the Jewish month of Elul, doorway to the High Holy Days of awe, meaning, introspection and transformation. Yes, it’s that time. Tradition adds to daily liturgy Psalm 27 to focus us – body, heart, mind and soul – on our spiritual journey anew. And hidden in Psalm 27 is a word… Continue reading “If!” — Walking Backwards into Elul
This Too is For Good: The Power of Hope
Perhaps nothing seems more obvious than what's "good" or "bad" – or, as this week's Torah portion (Re’eh) puts it, what's a "blessing" or "curse." At this time in the Jewish calendar, when the approaching High Holy Days prod us to examine "good" and "bad" in our lives, a famous story challenges our sense of… Continue reading This Too is For Good: The Power of Hope
It’s Your Turn
The secular calendar says mid-summer, and my Northeast home swelters for an umpteenth day above 90 degrees. The timing is right: on the Jewish spiritual calendar, the great gear shift has come. It's time to start turning inward towards the heat of our hearts and souls. Probably few of us instinctively respond with delight. After… Continue reading It’s Your Turn
David Evan Markus 