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Rachel Barenblat
Rachel Barenblat became a rabbi in January of 2011, and has been blogging as The Velveteen Rabbi since 2003.
Interests: Judaism, religion, ecumenism, poetry, motherhood, Christianity, Islam, liturgy, prayer, midrash, fandom.
Recent Activity
The Slonimer on serving, even from within the cloud
The mishkan (the dwelling place for God) wasn't just an external thing our ancestors built in the wilderness way back when. It's also something we're each called to build and maintain in our own hearts. And just as the mishkan... Continue reading
Posted 4 days ago at Velveteen Rabbi
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In your shoes
When I shot up like a weed our feet stopped matching. Our tastes diverged too: once I moved out I chose Docs, clunky Mary Janes. When you got sick your shoes languished, replaced by scuffs and slippers. Two days after... Continue reading
Posted 5 days ago at Velveteen Rabbi
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And our faces, my heart, brief as photos
Posted Jun 16, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Blackbird
My son's dance performance opens with a song you used to play. I weep for how you rolled these chords. I can still hear you singing "I need someone to love and understand me," the way you'd slow for emphasis... Continue reading
Posted Jun 13, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Revelation
On the night before Shavuot I fall asleep thinking about revelation. In my dream you give me a necklace, a cluster of charms on a long chain. Some are golden plates engraved with the words we'll say about you at... Continue reading
Posted Jun 8, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Fragments: digital ghosts, gratitude, and grief
Posted Jun 7, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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See you at Sinai
Posted Jun 6, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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You're welcome to use any of my poems (by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat), and I'd love to see your oratorio setting when it's complete.
I don't know about the other authors whose work appears in this handout; presumably you'd need to reach out individually to each of them.
Commented Jun 3, 2019 on Poems of Ruth - for Shavuot at Velveteen Rabbi
Poems of Ruth - for Shavuot
Chag sameach! I hope you're having a wonderful Shavuot so far. I promised I would share the poems I taught last night at the tikkun leil Shavuot co-created by my shul and the shul up the road in Bennington. Here you go -- enjoy! Poems of Ruth woodcut by Jacob Steinhardt Shavuot 5772 / 2012 Po...
Making Everyone Count at Builders Blog
Posted Jun 2, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Walking in God's Paths, Everywhere We Go
Posted Jun 1, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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The old new, and the new holy - a d'varling for Kabbalat Shabbat
Posted May 31, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Pedicure
I got a pedicure the day you died. I was numb and shocky, couldn’t bear to bury you without looking as good as I knew you'd have wanted me to be. In the chair I blurted out, "I'm going to... Continue reading
Posted May 28, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Walking the Walk at Builders Blog
Posted May 27, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Ring
It's a simple circle of pink coral, set mid-century modern in silver and gold. There's a spiral of tape on the bottom, wound around and around to shrink the band. Most of your rings had that, artifact of fingers growing... Continue reading
Posted May 26, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Peonies
After your mother died you used to visit her on her birthday with flowers, Texas yellow roses you'd leave on her grave. Were they her favorite or just local color? I wish I'd asked. You loved peonies best: their big,... Continue reading
Posted May 23, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Apologies, there seems to be a typo here; that's from PIrkei Avot 2:9.
Commented May 21, 2019 on The bonfire of the expansive heart at Velveteen Rabbi
The bonfire of the expansive heart
I ought to be lighting a bonfire tonight, since we've entered the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer. In Hebrew, the number 33 is spelled lamed-gimel; the two letters together are pronounced Lag, and the 33rd day of the Omer is called Lag b'Omer. And on Lag b'Omer, people light bonfires. Why? ...
Making Time Holy - a d'var Torah for Emor
Posted May 18, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Being a woman in America
Posted May 16, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Looking forward to a Shabbat in Buffalo
Posted May 14, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Mother's Day
It's a year of firsts and most of them hurt. Hallmark doesn't sell a card designed to be burned so smoke can ascend to reach the afterlife. And why didn't I save every card you ever sent me so I... Continue reading
Posted May 13, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Holiness lessons
Posted May 11, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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How to be holy: boundaries come first
I studied the most gorgeous text this morning from the Netivot Shalom (also known as the Slonimer, a.k.a. Rabbi Shalom Noach Berezovsky). It's on the verse קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ / kedoshim tihiyu, "y'all shall be holy." The Slonimer teaches: the way... Continue reading
Posted May 9, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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After the death
"God spoke to Moses after the death..." Those are the first words of this week's Torah portion, Acharei Mot. God speaks to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, and gives instructions on how to be safe, and how... Continue reading
Posted May 4, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Five days of a gift
Posted May 3, 2019 at Velveteen Rabbi
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Peter, the last line of your comment makes me think that I have not communicated what I intended to with this poem.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your daughter. May you be comforted along with all who mourn.
Commented May 1, 2019 on I don't mind at Velveteen Rabbi
I don't mind
Today someone asked how I am and I said fine and meant it. Maybe I'm growing accustomed. Maybe all those years of bracing for your death paid off. Maybe it's just the sunshine. It's easier to be honest now than it was when you were alive. I don't have to worry that I'm disappointing you. And if ...
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