WORDS THAT BREATHE

Congregation Or Ami united to support Scott Sorrentino’s search for a kidney donor, inspiring hope, compassion, and the power to save a life.

Why did God create us with two kidneys if one is enough? Through a rabbi’s imagination and a Jewish midrashic lens, this reflection explores how generosity may be built into us from the very beginning—and how one person’s gift can become another person’s miracle.

When someone we love dies, Judaism offers the gift of shiva. But what happens when family, work, travel, health concerns, or distance make traditional shiva impossible? Rabbi Paul Kipnes explores meaningful Jewish practices that can help mourners honor a loved one, embrace grief, and find comfort when sitting shiva is not possible.

A heartfelt prayer for those caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, offering words of compassion, strength, and hope. It asks for patience in the face of loss, love that endures beyond memory, and the grace to cherish what remains.

Reflections When the Rabbi Feels Trauma in CCAR’s Journal of Reform Judaism (Fall 2019) By Rabbi Paul Kipnes So That’s What Rabbis Do: A Rabbinic Student Reflects on a Synagogue’s Fire Response By (then Rabbinic Student, now) Rabbi Elana Nemitoff-Bresler After the Fires: Celebrating Thanksgiving When Homes are Lost or Damaged By Sally Weber MSW and Rabbi Paul Kipnes How To's Rabbi’s Disaster To Do List: 10 Community-Restoring Actions from the SoCal Fires By Rabbi Paul K

A mass shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue.A mass shooting in the local dance bar.A raging fire, forcing the evacuation of the synagogue and 75 percent of our congregation. This is the story of when the rabbi experienced trauma after these events.

Write a letter or a make a video to your future self who will exist five or six months from now. Remind yourself about the silver linings you want to continue to embrace. Maybe, just maybe, you will listen to yourself.

A Jewish prayer finding strength in the responses of our ancestors to the trials in their lives. Specially written for during the Covid-19 outbreak

A video that explores what it feels like to be a mourner, featuring my poem - The Secret Life of a Mourner.

A video that explores what to say to a mourner. Of particular significance for me since my father Ken Kipnes died.

A poem about what a mourner experiences, hidden away from the rest of the world, sometimes hidden even from friends or community members

Imagine having to make this decision: to fly home to hold your wife’s hand as she buries her mom on the West Coast or to remain on the East Coast to oversee the diagnosis and care of your mother who just had a major stroke. What would you do?

How might synagogues and Jewish communities respond to the needs of teens to express their inner turmoil and to learn new techniques for managing stress and emotional exhaustion?

Rabbinic Student Elana Nemintoff reflects on the role of the rabbi during the immediate responses by Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, to the Woolsey fire.

How does a Rabbi deal with the trauma of a fire and some shootings? Here's another peek into the journey.

Facing the trauma after the fires. If it can happen to the rabbi, it can happen to you too...

When circumstances out of our control - like fires or other disasters - affect our ability to hold our Thanksgiving rituals in our usual way, we can become distraught. When life intervenes – like fires destroying homes or forcing a loved one to be absent – what happens to the ritual? By Sally Weber MSW and Rabbi Paul Kipnes

In the aftermath of the shooting in Thousand Oaks, Congregation Or Ami sent these resources - for solace, support, action and talking to kids - to all our congregants.

It’s Surreal: A Spoken Word Commentary. Seeking ... Something, after Rabbi Aaron Panken’s death

When Cutting One’s Hair for Chemo: A Prayer/Blessing/Drash/Spoken Word Rap