MEET

Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Every Jew stood at Sinai, including the souls of all Jews who would ever live. (Shevuot 39a)

This means that each of us has an inalienable connection to Jewish learning and Jewish community. But sometimes we get saddled with the belief that we’re ‘not a good Jew'--not knowledgeable enough, not halachically observant enough, or not connected enough. This can make Judaism seem distant, dismissive, or like a burden.

I want something different for us: Judaism as a source of deep wisdom to help us make sense of the world we're living in. Judaism as a site for meaningful spiritual and moral wrestling. Judaism as a wellspring of weird ritual, unexpected connection, and endless curiosity. Together we can explore questions like:

How do I live--fully, and with integrity--in a time of climate change?
Why does the Jewish God feel unrelatable?
What are some rituals I can turn to (or create!) to ground my day?
What does our tradition teach about joy, fear, anxiety, despair, love, or delight?
Why was I taught that Jews don’t believe in magic, heaven, or hell when there are all these Jewish rituals to ward off demons and promote reincarnation and become one with the moon??

I currently work as a climate change chaplain; in the past, I’ve served as a congregational rabbi (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College 2016), hospital and prison chaplain, and yoga and meditation teacher. Originally from Toronto ON, I live with my partner Asa and our beloved dog Tuna in New Haven CT.