The ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship is a six-month intensive program in which leaders—both ordained and lay leaders—within religious communities come together across traditions to promote interreligious understanding, deepen relationships, and cultivate spaces of belonging in order to combat religious bigotry and hatred.
When we started the Congregational Leaders Fellowship, we were asked to bring our most sacred book to a meeting. This exercise caused me to think more deeply about my sacred books and what they mean to me. My rabbi recently did a d’var Torah (introduction to the weekly Torah portion) about the section called Terumah.…
As most fulltime pastors with a congregation of more than 1,200 active members, I am very busy. I can barely find time for myself to relax—to take on another responsibility beyond my pastoral responsibilities is almost unthinkable. Becoming a part of ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship was an act of faith. I was feeling rather uncertain…
“It can be helpful to think of humanity like a pearl necklace. Each human being is a pearl with distinct characteristics, but underneath there is a string that ties us all together, invisible to the naked eye.” (Gudjon Bergmann, Experifaith: At the Heart of Every Religion; An Experiential Approach to Individual Spirituality and Improved Interfaith…
Beginning—Jewish Values—universal Values—collision of beliefs/values/perspectives—onward A Journey through Curiosity/Hakira—asking questions—openness—learning from each other—welcoming each other—my eyes—your eyes—our eyes—see A Journey through Community/Kehilla—new eyes—new words—new experiences—taking steps together—walking—action A Journey through Spirit/Ruach—getting into our center, our core, your core, my core, our core—heart A Journey through Repairing the World/Tikkun Olam—working together, this work to-gether, will make…