https://www.judaismunbound.com/classes

Very awesome collection of mini courses from the #Unyeshiva (from #JudaismUnbound) starting very soon.

I'm taking the class "Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul" taught by Rena Yehuda Newman, but I frankly wanted to take all of the classes they were offering. This particular assortment is really cool.

Tagging: @lexaphus

I'm presenting at this seminar (which is also my capstone project for the certificate program in Unbound #Judaism - from the folks at #JudaismUnbound

The program is free and you can participate via Zoom (thanks to The #SpinozaHavurah), in-person in Oklahoma City (thanks to Joy #Mennonite Church) or via recording.

#ConscientiousObjection #CO #Peace #ShalomSalaam #Judaism #Mazeldon #JewishPeace #PeaceActivism #MilitaryLaw #JewishHistory

I ran out of energy towards the end of #ShavuotLive yesterday, so I didn't keep up my running commentary... but because I don't want to forget some of the insights I gained from the experience, I thought I would share some reflections (post metaphorical "mountain top") from the last few hours of the program:

Hour #17 - I really liked this session by Chava Shapiro called ""G!d, Glitched: Spinoza and the Kabbalists," which served as a good introduction to Baruch #Spinoza, but also as a reminder of the ways that Spinoza's ideas might motivate us to reconsider what the future of #Judaism might look like.

Hour #18 - Danya Ruttenberg's session "Resilience Isn't A Solo Project: The Interdependence Lessons From Ruth" was helpful, particularly in how Danya highlighted the choice that Ruth had in insisting to Naomi that, "no, you can't do this alone. I'm not abandoning you." It really is all about inter-dependence.

Hour #19 - Raye Schiller & Antonia Lassar's session "Why is Gossip Good for the Jews? with the Yenta Podcast" was an absolute riot, illustrating yet again how ANYTHING can be #Torah, even stories about #poop. (and I'm not kidding about this)

Hour #20 - I missed this one

Hour #21 - #ArthurWaskow (yes, that Arthur Waskow)'s session "The Thunder on the Other Side of Sinai" was too beautiful and too tender to reduce down to a short summary, but I very much want to listen to this one again and to engage with the text he shared with us.

Hour #22 - I caught only parts of Miriam Terlinchamp's session "Celebrating our 2024-25 Judaism Unbound #Gerim (#Converts/Jews-By-Choice)" but the parts I heard were SO good, and I was very moved by the amazing people who are new Jews thanks to Judaism Unbound's "Judaism Inbound" program.

Hour #23 - I listened to Dan Libenson's session ("How to Choose Anything: Advice from Moses’s Father-in-Law") while I was biking to the Pride parade in OKC. It was a good listen, but I especially found it interesting that Dan argued that Moshe only followed part of his father-in-law's advice, but not all of it.

Hour #24 - I got to listen to only part of the final Siyum (closing session) because I was riding my bike in the OKC pride parade with my friends from the The Peace House OK, but this felt meaningful to me because a lot of my own understanding of Queer takes on Torah and Judaism has come by way of the Judaism Unbound podcast.

All together, I think I heard 17 of the 24 sessions. It was a good #Shavuot.

#JudaismUnbound

Tagging: @lexaphus

Running a little behind on #ShavuotLive commentary (I did sleep a little --- but left the zoom running in my sleep in the hopes I would get some #Torah inspiration by osmosis).

For hour #11 we heard from Martín Di Maggio (from the The Spinoza Havurah and Humanistic Judaism UK) who spoke about "An Unbound Siddur: How a Person-Centred Non-Theistic Siddur Is Coming Together"

I was obviously biased (I work often with Martin and am a big fan of his liturgy), but session in particular was a delight, especially see fellow participants in the session get to experience, for the first time, hearing non-theistic liturgy that fits the rhythmic structure of the traditional liturgy (making it possible to use traditional nusach and other tunes).

#HumanisticJudaism #Shavuot #Mazeldon #JudaismUnbound #Siddur #Liturgy #Hebrew

#ShavuotLive has started. I'll be giving commentary on the offerings of 24 hours of expanded #Torah learning on the Fediverse, Bluesky, and Facebook, which will be tagged with #Shavuotlive

You can join the fun here: https://www.judaismunbound.com/shavuot2025.

#Judaism #Mazeldon #JudaismUnbound

From: https://spinozahavurah.org/2025/05/28/shabbat-pre-shavuot-service-may-31-2025/

Join the Spinoza Havurah on Saturday, May 31st at 10 am Eastern time for a Shabbat morning service led by James M.Branum, which will include an exploration of the “Ten Commandments of Humanistic Judaism” as well as a fun activity in which participants will complete a short quiz, with the results yielding a list of suggested study topics for Shavuot this year.

To register for the zoom session, please visit: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/8hKKMDW-Sn2kg_O-pLWX9A

We also want to remind everyone that this weekend will start the Shavuot Live! program from the folks behind the Judaism Unbound Podcast. It will be happening from:

Saturday, May 31st, 8 pm ET/12 pm GMT until Sunday, June 1st at the same time, but we are especially excited that our own Martin Di Maggio will be presenting at 6 am Eastern (Sunday) / 10 pm GMT on the topic of “An Unbound Siddur: How a Person-centered Non-Theistic siddur is coming together”

To sign up and to get more information, please visit: https://www.judaismunbound.com/shavuot2025

#Shavuot #ShavuotLive #Shavuot2025 #JudaismUnbound #HumanisticJudaism

Tagging: @lexaphus @lexaphus@bird.makeup

https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-447-zvika-krieger

I really liked this episode of the #JudaismUnbound podcast for many reasons. Here are a few (sorry this will be a long ramble), along with some more general HH ( #HighHoliday ) thoughts:

1. It was refreshing to hear Dan & @lexaphus say what I increasingly feel --- a deep disconnect with the theology of much of the traditional Jewish High Holiday liturgy.

2. I never knew about the tradition of "side reading" (bringing other things, including even novels) with one to HH services, so as to be in the room with the community during many of the services, even while one is reading something else. --- Part of me thinks that is a wonderful idea, another part of me feels uneasy about it (but I can't explain why). I'm curious if others have thoughts about or experience with this practice.

3. I forgot who said this (the guest or the hosts), but someone mentioned that it was unfortunate that so many Jews only attend services at the HH's, because they are getting a really distorted view of the idea of "God" from these services, that doesn't reflect the more open conceptualizing of the divine that is more common in many liberal-leaning Jewish #Shabbat services. I strongly agree with this sentiment.

4. I am more strongly feeling that I want to rethink the HH's, but especially Yom Kippur. I won't try reviving the famous "Yom Kippur balls" of the early Jewish anarchists, but there is a part of me that wants to find a way to express some contrariness in a semi-respectful way in how observe YK this year.

5. I'm of course, thinking a lot about Israel/Palestine in the midst of all of this, the horrors of terrorism and war (especially with the one year anniversary of the Hamas attacks and the subsequent war), and the challenges of collective teshuvah (repentance) in the midst of ongoing collective tragedy. These complicated feelings are coloring much of my HH thoughts this year.

6. Thanks to the remodeling of our synagogue here in #OKC, our synagogue is have its services at Crossings-Mayfair (formerly the Mayfair Church of Christ). It is a wonderful welcoming thing for Crossings-Mayfair to do this (and is a conveniently perfect given the COC's long iconoclastic approach to church architecture --- no big crosses, stained glass windows, etc.) --- But there is another part of me that dreads being in a COC-oriented space due to my past not-so-great history in this tradition.

7. My favorite HH of recent years was at the height of the COVID pandemic. We had services early under a Sukkah (erected a month early that year). I know this didn't work for many (as the attendance numbers were much lower than at normal HH services) but I wish there was a local synagogue that offered as many services as possible outdoors. I would be there every week if there were, but I would especially love it during the HH's.

#YomKippur #HighHolidays #RoshHashanah #HumanisticJudaism #JewishAnarchism #Mazeldon #Judaism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMms_B2edLY

Very excited to share this full concert by #ElianaLight, a powerful liturgist and musician.

I also had the joy of participating in her "Prayer Unbound" at the #Unyeshiva (the school ran by the #JudaismUnbound folks).

Lastly --- I will mention for my Humanistic Jewish friends - that while her music does focus a lot on the idea of "God" (or rather as she would say "G?d") she does it in a very unconventional way.

#Judaism #HumanisticJudaism #Theology #Music #JewishMusic #Tefilah #Prayer

I'm very excited about the next round of short courses from the #Unyeshiva (the school ran by the same folks behind the #JudaismUnbound podcast), but especially the class by #Humanistic rabbi Tzemah Yoreh of the City Congregation for #HumanisticJudaism in #NYC!

Find out more at: judaismunbound.com/classes

#Torah #Mazeldon #Jewish #Jewniverse #Judaism

tagging: @lexaphus

https://www.judaismunbound.com/podcast/episode-439-rena-yehuda-newman

Sharing this very special episode of #JudaismUnbound, that discusses the #Unyeshiva's certificate program in #UnboundJudaism.

I'm sharing it for two reasons:

1. I'm hoping that many of my friends consider applying for the certificate program, as the application deadline for the second cohort is almost here. My experience is part of the first cohort has been transformational. I would love for more people to have this opportunity.

2. Rena Yehuda mentioned my capstone project that I'm currently working on, a project to train and support draft counselors to be ready to support Jewish conscientious objectors if a draft is called in the USA (but also to be ready to support current Jewish servicemembers who are struggling with issues of conscience)!

I very much appreciate the shoutout!

continued...

#Mazeldon #ConscientiousObjection

Tagging @lexaphus @ehasbrouck