My Personal Judaism

Meet our founder, Cantor Debbi Ballard

Meet Cantor Debbi Ballard | Rockstar - Independent Spiritual Leader serving today's modern Jewish lifestyle - SHOUTOUT MIAMI We had the good fortune of connecting with Cantor Debbi...

Shabbat Shalom, MPJ community! We love you!

Many choose to discuss parashat Korach for its challenging depiction of the Earth “swallowing up” Korach and his peers for their opposition to Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership. Though it may not be the most pleasant story, parashat Korach teaches many lessons. Perhaps we can learn how to communicate discontentment with our leaders by not following Korach’s negative example; we might also internally reflect on finding a lesson to learn in everything (even things that might be hard to process). What are some strategies that you use to find the learning and growth in challenging situations?

Want some fun reading material for the last day of ? Check out this fun explanation of how the Talmud supports gender diversity!

https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/text/genderqueer-and-jewish-how-talmud-makes-me-feel-at-peace

Instead of saying goodbye to your loved ones, you can say "l'hit'ra'ot", "'til I see you again!"

This weekend may have been tough for some of us. If you know someone who's in need of a little extra care, here are some Jewish ways that you can show up for them.

Shabbat Shalom, chaverim (friends)!

As Moses and the Israelites approach the Promised Land, the people fear the challenges that lie ahead. God explains that if they trust God’s instructions, those who never saw Egypt will lead the future generations to prosperity in the Holy Land. This week’s parasha reminds us that we can overcome almost any struggle so long as we focus on our paths and empower our communities. How can you support your community to overcome challenges?

In the spirit of , check out this beautifully Jewish interpretation of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag provided by Rabbi Brian Denker (.brian)!
https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/education/lgbtq-pride-2021

Next time you want to complement someone, why not tell them that they are "shayna"!?

Can you believe there are so many commandments in the Torah? Good thing they're written down so we don't have to memorize them all!

It’s that time again! What time, you ask? Time to have a wonderful Shabbat!

Parashat Beha'alotcha concludes with Miriam being stricken with leprosy. Moses pleads, “El na refah na lah...”... “Oh God, please heal her” (Numbers 12:13). After seven days of isolation from the rest of the community, Miriam recovers and all of the Israelites continue. If the Israelites had continued without ensuring Miriam's health, they couldn't benefit from her leadership. If Miriam did not take the time to care for herself away from the community, she couldn't serve them adequately. This Shabbat, may we remember to care for ourselves so that we can care for our loved ones. May we care for our communities so that we may lean on them in our own times of need.

If you spend enough time in the Jewish community, you'll learn that there are certain lifecycle events that are the foundation of Jewish communal life. To learn more, check out this collection of resources put together by our leader, Cantor Debbi Ballard ()!

https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/lifecycle/lifecycles

Fun fact: in Jewish tradition, wishing someone refuah shleimah applies to both physical and mental health! It’s effectively the Jewish “get well soon”!

We Jews sure do love our minhag (“tradition” or “custom”)!

Shabbat shalom, dear friends! We hope you have a beautiful Shabbat!

Parashat Nasso, which means “lift up”, explains that to wrong another person is considered “breaking faith with Adonai” (Numbers 5:6). To repent for such wrongdoing requires an addition to the standard sin offering in the Holy Temple. However, before someone could bring their offering to the High Priest, they first had to acknowledge their guilt “in their soul” (Numbers 5:7). Even though Jews no longer bring offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem, parashat Naso still teaches us a valuable lesson about forgiveness: that it has to come from within.This Shabbat, we hope that parashat Nasso remind us to reflect internally, because it is always the right day to begin to take steps toward righting our wrongs.

In honor of we're resharing a piece of content from last year called "5 Ways to Make Your Jewish Spaces More Inclusive"! Check it out at https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/food-culture/5-ways-to-make-your-jewish-spaces-more-inclusive!

What Torah do you have to share? Let us know in the comments!

Regardless of why you didn’t celebrate becoming b’nei mitzvah at age 13, just know: it’s never too late!

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach! We hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with light and joy!

Parashat Bamidbar -- literally "in the desert" -- opens the Book of Numbers, and is also its namesake (fun fact: the Hebrew name for the Book of Numbers is Bamidbar!) In this parasha, the end of the Israelites wandering through the desert is finally in sight; they begin to lay the foundation of their new society that they will build in the Promised Land. To create this society, Moses and Aaron take a census of the eligible members of each tribe and assign different tasks that serve the community. Through this delegation of important work, we acknowledge that each tribe’s, and each person's, contribution to the world may differ. This Shabbat, this Pride month, and every day, may we all utilize our individual skills to serve our communities and allow others to use their unique gifts to do the same.

Have you been wondering what we're talking about as we've been getting excited about Shavuot? Check out this brief overview of the ancient holiday, provided by our very own Rabbi Cantor Risa Askin ()! Link below!

https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/holidays/shavuot

Erev Shavuot is on Saturday! Who's ready!?

Can you believe it? Shavuot begins this Saturday!

Shabbat Shalom, MPJ friends!

Parshat Behar outlines the details of the jubilee year, when every fiftieth year on Yom Kippur, we blow the shofar to announce a year of liberation across the land. All people, rich and poor, cease their work, and are particularly encouraged to treat others with nothing but kindness. What might happen if we were to implement something like a jubilee year in our lives? What if we took a moment to pause, to breathe, to practice self-care?

Can you believe we're almost finished counting the Omer?! Take a look at this thoughtful reflection on this period, provided by Jodi Kaufman () and Rabbi Heidi Cohen () of HaNefesh () and Jew By You ()!

https://mypersonaljudaism.com/browse/holidays/every-moment-counts

Today is the 32nd day, which is 4 weeks and 4 days of the Omer.