A naming ceremony welcoming a child of any gender with or without circumcision.

If we treat people humanely, got closer, and learned their stories, we would see that they and we are only and always similarly human, all descended from one individual prototype, made in God’s image.

Stories matter. The stories we tell about ourselves and the stories others tell about us can shape the way we are perceived, seen and welcomed (or not) into a community. Stories shape other people’s perceptions and expectations, especially if they have little or no context to understand the complexities of our lives.

The reality is that America (except for our Native American brothers and sisters) has always been, is always becoming and will always be a nation of people who arrive in myriad ways and are trying to make new lives. Some were forced here as slaves, some came huddled in boats carrying all their belongings on their backs, some came with papers in hand, some came under the decks, and some walked off first-class plane cabins. But they had one thing in common. Like everyone in this room, they were human beings.

Guilt and shame are appropriate reactions to injustice – they remind us of our empathetic core that taps into a desire for justice and mercy. And yet, left to fester, unaddressed and unresolved, guilt hampers creativity and action, ultimately paralyzing us completely.

Most of the world’s gemstones are sourced from war-torn countries where the gems have underwritten the cost of ongoing civil war, or are processed in the sweat and blood of child laborers, or mined using methods that leave paths of ecological devastation. Human rights abuses and unsafe working conditions abound in the gem industry around the world. Knowing this, can we still enjoy those beautiful stones?

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association was founded in 1974 to serve as the professional association of the small but growing number of rabbis affiliated with the Reconstructionist movements. These rabbis were trained with a very different approach than their peers in other movements. Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, the RRA’s CEO for roughly the past decade, discusses the transformation of the rabbinate and why it matters to everyone who cares about Jews and Judaism.

Two longtime colleagues commiserate over the day-to-day realities of leading an organization, including a friendly debate over the pros and cons of “zeroing out” one’s email inbox (4:54). Rabbi Elyse explains how being willing to let some things go in order to focus on what’s important has helped her decision making as a leader (9:21). Deborah and Elyse discuss the nature of change and how although it can be scary, it is often a positive (26:22). Finally, Elyse shares her favorite verse from the Talmud and why it’s resonating with her as she approaches this transition (34:00).