The 19th-century Rebbe Yitzchak Meir Alter wrote: “The giving of Torah happened at one specific time, but the receiving of Torah happens all the time, in every generation.”

In our time together we'll be exploring a new way to receive Torah – in the broadest sense of the word. We'll begin with an exploration of a new expanded Shavuot practice that will focus on different Jewish texts – moving from the Torah to contemporary liturgy, novels, art, and even films. Held by that conceptual structure, we'll move into a grounding practice of simple movements, a short guided meditation to help us embody the capacity for inward revelation, and then a period of personal reflection and writing, drawing, or both. Our time together will end with an open discussion on what came through you and what is possible for us as a people when we take a new step in our collective journey of celebration in the midst of God’s creation.

Elias Ramer was ordained a maggid in 2012. Under the name Andrew Ramer he's the author of four books of midrash – Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories; Torah Told Different: Stories for a Pan/Poly/Post-Denominational Era; Deathless: The Complete, Uncensored, Heartbreaking, and Amazing Autobiography of Serach bat Asher, the Oldest Woman in the World; and Fragments of the Brooklyn Talmud. He lives in Oakland, California. For more information visit andrewramer.com.

Though live participation is highly recommended, the session will be recorded and sent to the registrants afterward. 

About Ritualwell

Ritualwell is the most extensive online resource that curates original Jewish rituals for Jews and fellow seekers. We publish rituals, ceremonies, prayers and poems to mark sacred moments in Jewish life. Through creating and sharing rituals, hosting Ritualwell Immersions (online learning experiences), curating an online Judaica shop and hosting Rabbi Connect, Ritualwell fosters a supportive environment for Jewish creativity, spiritual growth and discovery. Learn more at www.ritualwell.org.

Ritualwell is committed to offering an accessible space to our community members. We commit to:

1. Providing participants with all the session materials ahead of time
2. Providing automated captions on all live sessions
3. Providing subtitles for all recorded sessions
4. Using the chat function and read it aloud during the sessions
5. Asking for participant accessibility needs and doing our best to accommodate them. Please feel welcome to contact us at ritualwell@reconstructingjudaism.org.