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REPORTING FROM THE FIELD DECEMBER 2007
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WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU TAKE
1 Hospice Nurse
2 Jewish Communal Professionals
2 Mental Health Professionals
3 Professional Musicians
1 Visual Artist-Arts Educator
and 2 Activists
ON AN INTENSIVE 3-DAY RETREAT
TO STUDY JEWISH WEDDING FACILITATION?
Participant Josh Miller reports on his experience....
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FACILITATING JEWISH WEDDINGS 101
A VIEW FROM THE RETREAT
When Rachel Brodie suggested that I apply to attend the Facilitating Jewish Weddings 101 retreat, I was both honored and excited.
During my career as a Hillel professional and camp songleader, I have had many opportunities to design and lead a range of holiday celebrations and lifecycle events, including several weddings. I always find it deeply fulfilling to work with others to build meaningful Jewish ritual experiences, but have often felt isolated in this aspect of my work. So for me, the idea of attending a three-day retreat with other Jewish ritual facilitators, while honing my skills and knowledge about working with engaged couples, felt like a unique and valuable opportunity.
The program kicked off with a few essential getting-to-know-you activities and then jumped right in with deep Jewish text study around the concept of b'rit (covenanting), followed by a nuts-and-bolts discussion about techniques for working with couples. And so it went throughout our three intensive days together--an expertly planned mix of study, resource sharing, hands-on skills development, and lively conversation about how to work with couples to create a meaningful Jewish wedding experience that is a true reflection of who they are and the relationship they are building.
I also enjoyed getting to know the other participants, and it was through hearing them share their stories that I developed a deeper understanding of what an essential role Jewish Milestones is playing in the Jewish community. With their personalized approach to referral, their seriousness about developing the capacity of both lay and professional ritual facilitators, and their deep understanding of how a meaningful Jewish lifecycle event facilitated by the right person can be a transformative experience, not just for the individual but for everyone involved, I experienced first-hand the ways in which Jewish Milestones is providing critical services to Jews in the Bay Area.
From my perspective, the Facilitating Jewish Weddings 101 retreat was a resounding success. I walked away with a new set of colleagues, many wonderful new ideas for my work with couples, and a fabulous resource binder overflowing with texts, articles, and worksheets that I have yet to fully explore, but which I have already made use of with a couple who met with me last Sunday.
Thanks, Jewish Milestones!
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THE WHOLE GROUP
Back Row (L to R):
Dasee Berkowitz, Risa Wallach, Maggid Jhos Singer, Hannah Dresner, Julie Batz, Deb Fink, Alisa Fineman, Daniela Gesundheit, Steve Einstein, Rachel Brodie
Front Row (L to R):
Lissin Lev Chaya, Margot Meitner, Jewlia Eisenberg,
Ari Lev Fonari, Deborah Newbrun, Josh Miller
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STARRING JEWISH MILESTONES
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Jewish Milestones Executive Director, Rachel Brodie led two "webinars" (web-based seminars) for rabbis, other synagogue professionals and lay leaders from Atlanta, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in late November.
The 17 synagogues are part of STAR's
(Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal) "Calling Synagogue Home" initiative to engage interfaith families through lifecycle events. Rachel's presentation was called, "Before I Can Call Synagogue Home I Need to Know What You Call Me" Engaging the Jewish Partner in an Interfaith Relationship. It was publicized as follows: To say that Noah Feldman's essay-reflecting on his personal experience as an Orthodox day-school-educated Jew who married a non-Jewish woman-in The New York Times Magazine was provocative would be an understatement. Heated debates on interfaith marriages, Jewish education, racism and journalistic integrity were ignited in both public and private spaces. As a Jewish educator I participated in some of these conversations but, in my role as Executive Director of Jewish Milestones, I sat back, observing and listening.
Of the many voices that emerged in the weeks that followed publication, one group of Jews in particular seemed to rise to the surface of institutional consciousness-only to be subsumed by the powerful force of Feldman's representation-the Jewish partners in interfaith relationships. While Feldman's anger resonated with some, others had had very different experiences, reactions, and feelings. Some were able to share their stories and perspectives but in many discussions, online and in print, Feldman is rapidly becoming paradigmatic.
Beyond the demographics, what do we know about the Jewish partners of the interfaith couples and families we hope to engage in our synagogue communities? Mostly that getting to know them and really listening to each personal story must be as much a priority as meeting the needs of the partner from a different religious background.
Our session will begin with the presentation of a traditional frame-the four types of Jews-in-need-of-engagement, a.k.a. the "Four Sons," as presented in the Haggadah-and incorporate anecdotes from interfaith couples Jewish Milestones has worked with over the past four years. We will then open up a discussion about the challenges of this important work.
"At a time when everyone who cares about a vibrant Jewish future has to
engage in outreach, Jewish Milestones creatively fills a void." - Rabbi Hayim Herring, Executive Director, STAR
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HONOR ROLL
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Jewish Milestones
has been chosen for a third consecutive year as
1 of the 50 "most inspiring and innovative" organizations in the North American Jewish community,
by Slingshot: A Resource Guide For Jewish Innovation.
Slingshot praises Jewish Milestones
for being "pioneers" and for having
an impact on "countless unaffiliated Jews."
To learn more about Jewish Milestones and
the services we offer, click here.
To learn more about Slingshot, click here.
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BOTTOM LINE
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If you're excited by the work we do, please consider becoming a supporter of our organization. There are many ways to help us as we grow.... To make a secure , online donation, or to find out more, click here.
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