• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Overview
    • Our History
    • Our Values and Vision
    • LGBTQ Inclusive
    • Our Board
    • Our Sacred Objects
    • About Reconstructionist Judaism
    • Jewish Ann Arbor
  • What We Do
    • Shabbat and Holidays
    • Learning
    • B’nei Mitzvah
    • Tikkun Olam
    • Join our Mailing List
    • In the (Washtenaw Jewish) News
  • Religious School
    • Beit Sefer (Religious School) Overview
    • Beit Sefer Staff
    • Enroll your child in Beit Sefer
  • Blog
  • Membership
    • Overview
    • Renew your membership
    • Thinking about joining?
    • Member Area
      • Overview
      • Get involved!
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

reconstructionist judaism

A Joyous Mimouna!

April 28, 2022 by Gillian Jackson

The conclusion of Passover this year was marked with a joyous Mimouna celebration at the house of Jeff and Rena Basch. The Mimouna bonfire echoed a tradition that originates in Morocco as a cultural holiday and is celebrated in Israel with picnics and barbecues in the park. The weather was warm and everyone was so glad to be spending time together, releasing the constriction of the passover holiday by eating carbs and sweets! (pictures below!) The event was such a success we are hard at work planning more outdoor social gatherings for the summer, if you are interested in hosting something- let Gillian know!

The origins of the holiday vary depending on who you’re talking to. For some, Mimouna celebrates the yarzheit of Maimonides. For others, it began as an interfaith celebration of community and liberation in Morocco. The nation of Morocco is home to many Sephardic jews and Muslims; on the final night of Passover, these two communities would come together and share a meal filled with sweets and carbs. It was a time that Muslim neighbors could expect to be invited into the homes of their Jewish friends to celebrate the conclusion of the holiday. Many communities around the world have used this tradition to reconstruct opportunities to celebrate community and interfaith friendships.

At our Mimouna bonfire, Clare Kinberg shared a beautiful Mimouna family tradition. Clare blessed people with mint leaves dipped in buttermilk and dates and shared a blessing of fertility. This blessing was shared from her Moroccan relatives. The fertility blessing was not limited to childbirth, Clare encouraged everyone to think about what aspects of their life they would like to ‘fertilize’ or nourish. This could be something like a garden, a career, a relationship etc. It is a beautiful tradition that we were lucky to share on this beautiful evening. To learn more about the tradition, check out this article written by her niece, Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg.

photo credit: Emily Eisbruch

Filed Under: Event writeups Tagged With: community, Mimouna, reconstructionist judaism

Resources for Learning More About Reconstructionist Judaism

May 10, 2021 by Gillian Jackson Leave a Comment

How does Reconstructionist Judaism define itself? We are a movement that draws on Jewish history, ritual, and practice to build meaningful and meaning-filled communities. We strive to be inclusive, casting a wide net to draw in previously marginalized Jews and provide them a home to practice Judaism in ways that feel relevant and comfortable.

To learn more about our diverse community, a good place to start is the online home of Reconstructionist Judaism, reconstructingjudaism.org. We have also gathered additional resources below; please comment on this blog if you have any questions or comments.

Resources for engaging with Reconstructionist thought, belief, and ritual:

Hashivenu podcast: A podcast full of Jewish teachings on individual and collective resilience and renewal. The podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism, the central organizing arm of the Reconstructionist movement.

Evolve: An online platform with conversation-sparking essays from thought-provoking Reconstructionist rabbis, leaders and creators. Explore essays on key social, ethical, and political topics, as well as curricula, sermon sparks and videos that apply the best Jewish thinking to contemporary questions.

Ritualwell: A website that offers thousands of curated rituals for every moment in a Jewish life, from birth to death, celebration to loss to spiritual renewal, and everything in between. Ritualwell is an example of how we can create meaningful rituals that are relevant to us as modern Jews. This is a great place to start if you are looking for ways to mark a special life event — and you’re invited to contribute your own ritual creations, as well!

Books/articles for learning more about Recon:

Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach: A great introductory text that offers a brief history of the Reconstructionist movement, as well as what makes the movement unique in its approaches to God, Jewish chosenness, prayer, and contemporary social issues. An accessible and important read.

A Guide to Jewish Practice, Volumes 1-3: This comprehensive series provides a guide to Reconstructionist Jewish thought and its take on contemporary ethical issues, the Jewish calendar year, and the Jewish life cycle.

The Radical American Judaism of Mordechai M. Kaplan: This book focuses on Mordecai M. Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist movement. Drawing on Kaplan’s 27-volume diary, author Mel Scult describes the development of Kaplan’s radical theology in dialogue with the thinkers and writers who mattered to him most, from Spinoza to Emerson and from Ahad Ha-Am to Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan as an American Thinker: This article is quick read that how Reconstrucionist Judaism was shaped by and shaped in turn liberal American Judaism.

We hope that you enjoy these resources!

Filed Under: Reconstructionist Movement Tagged With: reconstructionist judaism

Primary Sidebar

Join Our Mailing List

Sign up for our twice a week newsletter to get details on upcoming events and catch up on our latest news.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Follow AARC

  • facebook
  • youtube

Upcoming Events

  • 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, February 11, 2023 – Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service
  • 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, February 24, 2023 – Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Service
  • 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, March 11, 2023 – Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service
  • 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, March 24, 2023 – Fourth Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Service
  • 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, April 8, 2023 – Second Saturday Shabbat Morning Service

Latest News

  • AARC as Ecosystem in Feb. 2023 WJN February 1, 2023
  • The Golem January 30, 2023
  • Mollie Meadow’s Dvar Torah: Shmot January 18, 2023
  • Isaac Meadow’s Dvar Torah: Shmot January 18, 2023
  • Reconstructing Judaism Movement Votes to Support Reparations to BIPOC Communities That Suffered Due To American Colonization January 12, 2023

Search

Tags

Adult Learning Bar mitzvah bat mitzvah Beit Sefer book club Challah community community learning covid-19 Elul food/land/justice Hanukkah high-holidays-2020 High Holidays High Holidays 2021 High Holidays 2022 Human rights immigrants interfaith jewish learning Michael Strassfeld Mimouna mitzvah new members Omer Passover Psalm 27 Psalms Purim Rabbi Alana Rabbi Debra Rappaport Rabbi Ora recipes Reconstructionism refugees Rosh Hashanah Shavuot Shmita Sukkot Sukkot Retreat Tikkun Olam Torah tu b'shevat Washtenaw Jewish News Yom Kippur

Categories

  • Articles/Ads
  • Beit Sefer (Religious School)
  • Books
  • Community Learning
  • Divrei Torah
  • Event writeups
  • Food
  • Mail Bag
  • Member Profiles
  • Poems and Blessings
  • Posts by Members
  • Rabbi's Posts
  • Reconstructionist Movement
  • Sacred Objects
  • Simchas
  • Tikkun Olam
  • Uncategorized
  • Upcoming Activities

Footer

Affiliated with

Register/Login

  • Log in
  • Register (for members only)

Copyright © 2023 Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation