WORDS THAT BREATHE

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.

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.

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?

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.

Adin becomes a Bar Mitzvah by candlelight when the power went out. And the lessons learned were powerful.

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.

Brad Halpern of Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA reflects on the meaning of holding Torah on Kol Nidre.

Wouldn’t your heart soar too, if children left the High Holy Day children’s program and services kvelling? When older teens lead and mentor younger teen leaders, they felt energized as they passed on the responsibility of Jewish educational leadership to their younger peers?

Lessons learned while taking their last breaths. Reflections on bikkur cholim (visiting the sick) with David and Jerry. A Yom Kippur sermon.

Be Chesed. In the midst of this election, choose unlimited overflowing love as your response. My Rosh Hashanah sermon

The history of Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the United States, offers lessons about social justice and religious tolerance that resonate even today. Video written & directed by Seth Front: http://sethfront.com "Shalom Rav" Performed by Nancy Linder: http://nancylinder.com Music by Jeff Klepper & Dan Freelander

The clergy of Congregation Or Ami (Calabasas) share their vision of the synagogue as a sanctuary of kindness, your second home.

My Shabbat video message: on blessings and curses

On our Shabbat hike, we experienced a different connection with God, a deeper connection that allowed us to experience God as our ancestors did. In the wilderness, without walls, without man-made things, it seemed easier to feel God's presence.

Leading your own synagogue Shabbat Hike is incredibly easy. In just 10 steps - simple but effective - you can embark on a moving spiritual experience. And, as we discovered on Congregation Or Ami's own Shabbat Hikes, the journey is inspiring and refreshing . They say that exercise is good for the soul. I think Shabbat in the wilderness is good for the soul too and if you can add in a hike, well – even better! To worship in an environment where you can hear the birds, feel the

In this video, Moms and Dads reflect upon the joyous, warm experience of being parents at Congregation Or Ami.

My First Music Video! Mi Chamocha, a new version written by Sheryl Braunstein, Daniel Braunstein and me (Rabbi Paul Kipnes).

Guest Blogger Rabbi Julia Weisz reflects on taking 8 teens to Washington DC for the L'taken Social Justice Program, transforming their lives and intensifying Congregation Or Ami's teen program.

Our heartstrings resonated with story after story of those touched by mental illness, Alzheimer’s, homelessness, domestic violence, drugs, peer pressure, suicide, and the fear caused by terrorism. We discovered that alone we feel overwhelmed and powerless, but together we can become a source for change toward justice.

How does a parent survive the death of a child? Charlotte Klein, an 81-year-old wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, reflects and offers wisdom.