Rabbi Rachel Bearman

#BlogElul Day 16: Understand

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” - Albert Einstein

#BlogElul Day 15: Learn

This is my first year as a rabbi. Each day brings unforseen situations, unpredicted phone calls, unprepared for moments. It is humbling...

#BlogElul Day 14: Remember

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." — Martin Luther King Jr.

#BlogElul Day 13: Forgive

I don't have the answers... but I do have questions... How do we earn forgiveness? Is it something that we should expect? If forgiveness...

#BlogElul Day 12: Trust

"Sometimes a shadow falls over the moon, and it looks dark. The light's still there, it's just covered up for a while. You got that...

#BlogElul Day 11: Count

Because I greatfly prefer archival records to math, I've decided to define today's prompt, #count, as "keeping track of" rather than...

#BlogElul Day 10: See

What a beautiful sight to #see.

#BlogElul Day 9: Hear

When I was in Middle School, I became convinced that I was going deaf. I was certain that I was missing parts of conversations and was...

#BlogElul Day 8: Believe

I believe that our families should always be our first priorities. I believe that we each have the ability to define what family means. I...

#BlogElul Day 7: Be

Sometimes a line from a book leaps off the page and attaches itself to your soul. For me, this is one of those lines. I remind myself...

#BlogElul Day 6: Search

Searching is exhausting. Honestly, even thinking about today's #BlogElul prompt wore me out. I'm not even sure that I like the idea that...

#BlogElul Day 5: #Know

I used to think of knowing as an absoulte state. I believed that learning was a journey that culminated with the accomplishment of...

#BlogElul Day 4: Accept

Accepting the magic of a weekend off with family and friends. #Accept

#BlogElul Day 3: Bless

Jewish tradition tells us to begin each day by thanking God for the every-day miracles that we experience. It’s a beautiful idea, and...

#BlogElul Day 2: Act

As Reform Jews, we have the amazing opportunity to shape our own concept of observance. We have the customs, texts, and beliefs of our ...

#BlogElul Day 1: Do

As I prepare for my first high holiday season as an ordained rabbi, I am struck by the sheer number of things that need to be done. Over...

Preparing for the High Holy Days

The High Holy Days will be here soon! In fact, Elul, the Hebrew month that precedes Rosh Hashanah, begins next week. During Elul, Jews...

Hashkiveinu: Praying for Comfort and Peace

Our Shabbat service on July 18th was inspired by an inscription in one of TBC's copies of the 1908 Union Prayer-Book for Jewish Worship. ...

"True service to God is service to one