(Formerly The Ritualist)
The BIRTH of a baby.
A BAR or BAT MITZVAH.
The decision to WED.
The need to arrange a FUNERAL.
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Each of these MILESTONES is momentous. Marking the transition with a JEWlSH RITUAL can make it even more meaningful. VISION We envision a future in which Judaism is experienced as accessible, inspiring and vital to the vast majority of Jews. The contribution of JEWISH MILESTONES to the realization of this vision is in harnessing the transformative power of lifecycle rituals, forging a new professional path for facilitators of ritual and encouraging candid discussion of the de facto reality of contemporary North American Jewish life that is lived primarily outside of a synagogue framework. |
MISSION
Jewish Milestones is dedicated to deepening the engagement of Jews with their heritage
by supporting active participation in authentically Jewish and personally meaningful rites of
passage: typically related to birth, maturation, partnering, and loss.
We accomplish our mission by serving as an educational resource to:
- Celebrants who are seeking personalized, educative consultations and ritual-related referrals.
- Ritual facilitators, professionals and lay people, in order to cultivate reflective practitioners, promote best practices and help augment their own capacity to serve in the context of their own communities.
- Jewish communal organizations, researchers and all those interested in exploring the various fields that intersect with our work (such as Jewish practice among non-synagogue members, the needs of interfaith families, innovation in Jewish ritual, etc.)
FOUNDATION
- The Centrality of Education
First and foremost, we see ourselves as educators. Education is our primary task and it defines our approach.
- The Transformative Power of Ritual
We know that ritual in general, and Jewish lifecycle ritual in particular, holds the potential for powerful personal and communal transformation. The process that leads up to the ritual, plus the relationship that is established between the participant(s) and the facilitator, activates this power.
- The Acceptance of Diversity
We believe it is important to accept, if not embrace, diversity in Jewish practice, identification, and association. This is in addition to a fundamental belief in the equality of all people.
- The Development of Lay Facilitators
According to traditional Jewish law (halakhah), lifecycle rituals do not require the presence of an ordained rabbi. We promote the (re)empowerment of educated lay leaders in the provision of religious services, such as the facilitation of lifecycle rituals, and foster the development of best practices for this emerging field.
VALUES
- Tzelem Elohim—respect for the uniqueness and fundamental equality of every human being
- Brit—commitment to forging professional relationships based on well-articulated expectations, clear boundaries, and mutual respect
- Mikadesh Hol—belief in the nearly limitless possibilities of experiencing the sacred
~~UPDATE~~
Jewish Milestones and Mayyim Hayyim present
A MIKVEH WORKSHOP
For Jewish Ritual Facilitators
Bnai Mitzvah Family Camp
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009
4-8 PM IN BERKELEY, CA ~ $36
With ANITA DIAMANT, acclaimed author and founder of
Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh in Boston
and
CARRIE BORNSTEIN, Mayyim Hayyim's Mikveh Center Director.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT JULIE BATZ AT Julie@JewishMilestones.org
With the knowledge that the journey into adulthood greatly impacts the whole family—parents, siblings, relatives and friends—we invited families of children becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the coming year to spend a week together to explore this significant rite of passage through creative arts, experiences in nature, Torah study and peer-group discussions. The weeklong Bnai Mitzvah Family Camp, co-sponsored by Jewish Milestones and Storahtelling, was hosted at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center/ Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality in Falls Village, Connecticut, in late August.
To read all about it, click here
Slingshot // A Resource Guide to Jewish
Jewish Milestones is listed four consecutive years in Slingshot //
A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation, created by 21/64, a division of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies:
".... It is a resource list of 50 of the most innovative [Jewish]
organizations, projects, and leaders across the country, all of them offering valuable projects with different perspectives, strategies and in different locales."
Check it out! Jewish Milestones is in the news again:
A scroll to share: Jewish Milestones dedicates a lending Torah to community
by Stacey Palevsky
J. - The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
and
Jewish Telegraphic Agency - New York, NY 11/13/2008
Op-Ed: Don’t cut support to innovative nonprofits
PDF Version
and
AND A CAMEO APPEARANCE IN...
Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe
by award-winning journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug
and
Snapshot of an Evolving Jewish Landscape
Jewish Philanthropy.com
and
Demystifying the Mikvah: New community bath in Los Gatos reflects changing ritual
by Stacey Palevsky
J. - The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
and
A Note from Rabbi Creditor: Celebrating Equal Marriage in California!
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?
click here to learn more
Starring Jewish Milestones
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. click here to learn more.
Artistic Ketubot
One of the many ways that Jewish Milestones serves as a resource is to function as consultants, not only with individuals and families, but also with communal institutions. One such relationship was forged with the Peninsula Jewish Community Center (PJCC) as they developed a yearlong cultural arts celebration of the Jewish lifecycle.
click here to learn more.
Jewish Milestones has found a home
We're not in Kansas
(or a P.O. Box) anymore!
click here to learn more.
Jewish Milestones is proud to be a founding member of UPSTART
And More....
Click here to read our newsletters: December 2008
November 2008
July 2008
November 2007
September 2007
November 2006
Click here to learn more about the CD "IMMERSED": Music for Mayyim Hayyim!
Jewish Milestones ~ 748 Gilman Street ~ Berkeley, CA 94710 ~ 510.559.3636 ~ 510.559.4646 (fax)
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