three rabbis and a minister walk into a Q&A
The ethics of AI? Staying safe & being a safe haven for others! Disability-adapting spiritual practice? How to tell a pork-loving spouse you're Jew-curious? Much more!
First of all, the January Zoom Salon
for House of Study members is here!
Jan 11, 2-3:30ET/11-12:30PT
We go to a place with other people (or sit on our couch, or stand in our living room, or whatever) and say words. What happens?? What... do they do? What are they supposed to do? Especially if God is not a vending machine and prayers are not a quarter? We'll look at a range of Jewish and other sources with a number of different ideas about this, and hash out the question for ourselves about what all this might be really about.
We're getting spicy with the lineup today! But as usual, I only bring you the A+iest brains there are. Your humble respondents today are:
- Rabbi Becky Silverstein, Principal at Horizon Philanthropy and Co-Founder of the Trans Halakha Project
- Rev. Bromleigh J. McCleneghan, author of Good Christian Sex, When Kids Ask Hard Questions vols 1 and 2, and Hopes and Fears
- Rabbi Megan Doherty, CEO of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg (as usual)
Today as a New Year's present we're answering ALL THE Qs that came in this round!
When searching for religious community, how do you balance having standards with accepting that no community is perfect?
RBJM: Being a part of a religious community is, for me, about being in relationship with other people…. And so, I think the same sort of guidance applies as it does for dating or friendships… You want somewhere where you can belong, can be yourself, that feels good… and if they’re not checking all the boxes – yet -- can they get there?.... Do they treat each other (and you) well? There’s no such thing as soulmates (in my mind) so you’re not looking for the one, you’re looking for a community you can slowly build something with. What are your dealbreakers? Can you articulate them? Among your options, where might you be able to have an impact on the conversation that’s already there?
I want to ask about how you reconcile the fact that we're humans with limited capacity with the fact that there is always more that needs doing to make the world a better place. How do you stop for a break without beating yourself up?