Rabbi Jill's Recent Blog Posts- Path With Heart Community

The Backstory: RENEW

Last month, the weight of the pandemic felt personally unbearable. A go-to strategy to relieve despair and renew my own spirit is to reach out to see if perhaps others can relate. I hopped onto Twitter with this simple question: “What is one word you’d use to describe your emotional state right now? Mine is …

“I Was Not Silenced”

We are living in history. How the story of this time is told, and what fundamental changes will be made is dependent on us. Each one of us – whether you are marching in the streets or sheltering in place and educating yourself is needed. In 2016, Rabbi Micah Lapidus of Atlanta Georgia wrote the …

Racism: Educate Yourself. Speak Up. Here’s How.

This is the moment to stand up for justice for all and quash systemic racism. Whether you are on the streets protesting, or at home because of Covid19 or other health issues, each one of us can do something. We all watched George Floyd murdered by the police, his life snuffed out of him, as …

What Are You Learning In This Pause?

We stand here, in the pause between the world that was and the world that is yet to be. We are still experiencing the cataclysm of this pandemic, and most of us know that everything has changed. The way we learn, communicate, pray with each other, eat, celebrate, and mourn – everything is and will …

A Blessing In The Midst: We Are Temporary Visitors

We are only visitors here on earth. It seems that nature is delighting in the absence of humans. Or perhaps I am just noticing it more. Yes, it’s spring. But it seems to me that this year is more colorful, active and vibrant.

Blessing For Those Who Stand Up

Bless you for facing the darkness and bringing light, for choosing kindness and reaching out to others who are suffering… Bless you for taking breaks, practicing necessary self-care, and trusting that others in the far-flung community of righteous souls will carry the burden while you rejuvenate.

Settling In: What Might This Mean Now?

It occurs to me that we might learn a lesson from plants right now about settling in, even as we sit in this place of unknowing. I’ll share a story about our foray into gardening yesterday. First, the context that is the background of everything: we do not know how many will suffer and die …

Lay Your Burdens Down For One Day

We are in this time that may seem like one long break. We are not carrying the same, everyday concerns of our previous, before-pandemic lives, but most of us have certainly claimed new worries and anxieties: Grief from the tens of thousands of losses, heart-breaking stories of frontline health workers and other essential people risking …

The Journey You Did Not Choose

We are all on a journey right now. A journey we did not choose, did not anticipate, and did not plan for. We have had trips canceled, weddings postponed, jobs lost.

Simple Breath Meditation

This is a simple breath meditation. It’s 10 minutes long. It is very helpful in stressful times to just do the basics – remember to breathe, sit quietly, walk, listen to a beautiful piece of music. Several times a day as I feel the anxiety arising (we are in California #StayAtHome) I stop what I’m …

Rabbi Jill’s Recent Blog Posts