See Me in Action
Videos of Me in Action
What Are We Actually Praying Shabbat
When I pray, it is important to me to understand the words I’m praying and interpret them in a way that is meaningful to me. In this service, I shared some of my interpretations to elevate the prayer of my community. In addition to my passion for prayer, I am also passionate about mentoring the next generation of Jewish leaders who take interest in leading with me. In this service, I worked with a teen songleader and 4th grade aspiring songleader. I am who I am because people supported my growth. It is important to me to pass that on.
What Are We Actually Praying Shabbat, Part 2
In this part of the service, I teach about Shema and how our individual relationships with God can all be part of the same one God. Sometimes it can be hard to find meaning in something which feels so detached from our logical understanding of the world. One of my goals as I lead prayer is to make the abstract ideas and metaphors of prayer more accessible and meaningful in our lives today. I like to encourage people to find their own meaning in these words of our tradition.
What Are We Actually Praying Shabbat, Part 3
One of the beautiful parts of our prayer service is the way prayers flow from one to the other in a carefully thought out, intentional structure. In this part of the service, I described the structure of the first three blessings of the Amidah and offered the community a way of embodying the themes as we prepared to pray.
Mi Sheberach, a Prayer for Healing
I am consistently inspired by the impact a community can have when they come together to support each other. When we pray for healing, we remind ourselves of our own role in the healing of our loved ones, the power we have to reach out and remind them that they are not alone.
As a leader, I am also not leading alone. I am connected with my community, my co-leaders, and my fellow musicians to craft a meaningful prayer experience for all of us.
Guitar Circle Shabbat
Music can be a powerful vehicle for connection. When I organized this guitar circle service, one of my goals was to bring people with common interests together and inspire a connection between their passion for music and their Jewish community. This first guitar circle inspired these musicians to continue to come together and make music with each other. Music is part of what inspired my deep connection to Judaism and my communities. I love facilitating opportunities for others to connect through music as well.
Yom Kippur Morning Dvar, Parshat Nitzavim
One of my favorite ways to interpret Torah is by wondering how the people in the story may be feeling or experiencing their situation. Moses giving a long speech to the Israelites about laws and consequences may not feel particularly relatable to us today. However, it becomes much more accessible when we consider how Moses may have felt in that moment of transition. When we can connect our own experiences to Torah, we open ourselves to a long tradition of learning from the same texts and stories as the