Devoted, history-holding, once-in-a-blue-moon-visiting friends are a transcendent gift from God.
History-holding Friend is a Gift from God
Strangers at the Shiva Minyan
Seeking to extract meaning from the shiva minyan, we held onto the stories that brightened that house of mourning.
Addressing Homelessness: One Synagogue’s Journey to Justice
47,000 people are living homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. The Bible mandates we "give shelter to the homeless" (Isaiah58:7). A Reform Jewish congregation with a long history of taking on troublesome social justice issues. Measure H, a ballot measure designed to end homelessness, is endorsed by both democratic and republican leaders.
Authors Night at Calabasas Library: Rabbi Kipnes and Michelle November on Jewish Spiritual Parenting
Authors Night with Host Karyn Foley at the Calabasas Library. Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Michelle November, MSSW, who co-authored the book, "Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness," explore spiritually nourishing approaches to help you foster essential Jewish values like gratitude, joy and honesty in your children.
Why Judaism cannot be anti-abortion
At the local Mosque: Sharing Love with our Muslim Neighbors
Holding signs of support, we Jews gathered at the local Muslim mosque as part of an interfaith group of the faithful and other community leaders.
Text To My Children, On the Inauguration
How to Fix the World: Wisdom from Men’s Night Out
A group of men gathered at Congregation Or Ami's Men's Night Out, and took up Dr. King's challenge. We asked "What are our responsibilities as men to our community, our country and or world?"
Helping the Heart See What the Eyes Cannot Perceive
Think how much of life we miss when we cannot really see! Though our eyes may function quite well, our hearts and minds may impede their ability to find blessing in what is before them. This is precisely what happens to our patriarch Jacob.
Delivering Sufganiot to the Whole Congregation: Why We Do It
Why do we spend a Sunday morning just before Chanukah driving all over the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys delivering boxes of sufganiot to every Congregation Or Ami household?
Celebrating the Risk of Caring: Childspree
Child spree: They were at-risk youth, searching for something new and not risky, to clothe them and keep them warm.
We were comfortable suburbanites, seeking something meaningful and momentous, to clothe us in compassion and warm us from the chill of indifference.
When the Lights Went Out during the Bar Mitzvah
Adin becomes a Bar Mitzvah by candlelight when the power went out. And the lessons learned were powerful.
Prayer for After the Election
Mitzvah Day Video – Are you Ready to Volunteer
Volunteering to pack comfort bags on Mitzvah Day for children entering the foster care system is one step on the path to peace. Show up at Congregation Or Ami on November 6th.
Holding Torah During Kol Nidre
Brad Halpern of Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA reflects on the meaning of holding Torah on Kol Nidre.