I believe in repurposing. But when the Jewish Milestones Torah scroll arrived in a cardboard box made for a SONY television, even my Berkeley-born-to-recycle kids were disconcerted.

After the Torah was removed, I noticed the tagline emblazoned on the box: “Imagine the possibilities: The Centerpiece of Your Home.” The TV? Not so much. But the Torah….

Exposure to “the possible” is at the core of Milestones’ approach to Jewish life: Wide-Angle Judaism aims to broaden the definition of an authentic Judaism by revealing Judaism to be infinitely bigger than any institution, denomination, or historical moment.

It can also be said that, as an organization, Jewish Milestones itself has been exploring the possible. The demand for our programs and services greatly exceeds our small organization’s capacity. We’ve recently made use of another wide-angle lens, this one focused on our local organizational landscape, and looked for broader platforms for our ideas, and open spaces for our programs to proliferate and flourish.

This is both an ending and a beginning. The original vision of Jewish Milestones, with all things Jewish ritual — from training facilitators, convening think tanks, developing and disseminating resources and, above all, making connections between Jews and their ritual lives — remains and will continue to grow and develop. However, the convergence of all our work under one organizational roof is coming to an end.

I’m delighted to announce that, beginning on August 1, 2011:

• The Education and Referral Service Resumes! The Jewish Milestones Education and Referral Service is being re-launched after a year on “standby.” This unique, high-impact service will resume in collaboration with Kevah, (www.Kevah.org) a thriving start-up with a complementary mission, under the direction and leadership of Jewish educator and social entrepreneur Sara Heitler Bamberger. We are thrilled that Jewish educator extraordinaire Deb Fink will once again be running the Education and Referral Service (deb@jewishmilestones.org). Deb will be providing expert guidance and offering considered referrals to Bay Area Jews who seek support in marking a major life transition in a way that is authentically Jewish and personally meaningful.
  
• The Ritual Resource Lending Library Relocates! The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (www.jccsf.org) will become the new home of the Jewish Milestones Ritual Resource Lending Library. This extensive collection contains materials — both informational and inspirational — on contemporary Jewish lifecycle rituals, as well as Jewish ritual objects (including a Torah scroll and portable ark) that are loaned to individuals for ceremonial and educational purposes. The one thing that the collection has been missing is foot traffic and, with 30,000 people walking through the JCCSF’s doors every week, we fully expect that the library will prosper in this new location. In addition, the project formerly known as the “Chemo Siddur” will be brought under the auspices of the JCCSF where its continued development, under Rachel Brodie’s guidance, is assured.
  
• Rachel Brodie is taking a job at the JCC in San Francisco! The Co-founder and Executive Director of Jewish Milestones for the past seven-and-a-half years is very gratified that the work of Jewish Milestones, and two of its core services in particular, will continue. Rachel is taking all her experience from Jewish Milestones and her passion for teaching and learning to a broader platform, as she assumes the newly-created position of CJO (Chief Jewish Officer) at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (www.jccsf.org). The JCCSF is being proactive about meeting the needs of San Francisco’s Jewish residents in the 21st century by re-envisioning the “J” in the JCC. The goal is to expand an already robust institution’s capacity to support a diverse population in their quest for health — spiritual, mental, or physical — by highlighting the Jewish values and wisdom that are the heart and soul of the whole endeavor. The JCCSF’s press release can be accessed here. After August 4, 2011, you can reach Rachel at rbrodie@jccsf.org.

The opportunities for continuing the work of Jewish Milestones in new settings mark a beginning — made possible by the commitment of the board, staff, and so many of you to continue this critical and compelling work.

I’ll be in touch again in the coming weeks to keep you informed about the progress of this major transition, as well as to share some thoughts about the history and growth of Jewish Milestones. For now, I hope you’ll accept our gratitude for all the support you have given us over the years, as you share in our excitement about the future.

— Rachel