About Us
Live Jewishly. Live Meaningfully.
We’re About Community
Living Jewishly believes a strong Jewish community is one that wraps its loving arms around all who come. It’s one that recognizes the essential Judaism, one not rooted in politics, religiosity or denominational nuance, but one that is embedded in meaningful experiences and personal discovery.
A strong Jewish community is one that you, your children and grandchildren want to be a part of because it prioritizes meaningfulness, inspires pride and self- esteem, practices inclusion without judgement and creates space for individuals to have voices with impact.
Our goal is to inspire you to actively interact with our content (read, listen and react to our blogs and podcasts, participate in our events, enroll in our educational programs and support our social impact initiatives) so that together we can explore the extraordinary values that make Judaism so compelling, and love being Jewish too.
Rabbi Yossi Sapirman
Rabbi Yossi Sapirman, is one of the most compelling and influential Rabbis in North America today. He believes the role of Living Jewishly is to take “the traditions of Jewish spirituality and translate them into very contemporary messages”. This approach empowers individuals to embrace the Jewish narrative in a very personal and relevant way. Innovative programing, unconventional thinking, caring and warmth are hallmarks of his success and popularity.
For 20+ years, Rabbi Yossi was most recently the Senior Rabbi of Beth Torah Congregation, a synagogue that transformed into a hub of dynamic and progressive Judaism under his leadership. Young and old alike find his style and enthusiasm to be a breath of fresh air as he makes Judaism relevant and enjoyable. We know you will too.
Contact Rabbi Yossi Sapirman at yossi@livingjewishly.org
Our Contributors
Our contributors are dedicated to making your connection with Judaism meaningful, relevant and inspirational. No matter who you are and what your background, we offer you wisdom that is empowering and practical.
Dr. Elliott Malamet
Bio
Dr. Elliott Malamet, a renowned contemporary Jewish thinker, is known for pushing his audiences to think beyond the conventional. He creates a sense of emotional and spiritual connection that attracts individuals to lead an informed, meaningful and inspirational life, underpinned with Jewish values.
Elliott was a lecturer in Jewish Philosophy in Canadian universities for 20 years, and was the Department Head of Jewish Thought at TanenbaumCHAT secondary school. He currently lectures in Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and many other Israeli institutions.
Betty Gaertner
Bio
Betty’s career includes executive roles within the airline, loyalty marketing, disability management sectors, and 3 years with a high profile social enterprise in the sustainable development arena. It was during this last experience that she witnessed the powerful way empathy and community can create quantifiable social impacts.
Rabbi Bluth
Bio
Bluth, as she is commonly known, graduated from McGill and then received orthodox smicha (rabbinic ordination) in 2019 from Beit midrash Har-El in Jerusalem. After smicha, she backpacked around the world connecting with different devotional communities and was elected to a standing commission of Religions for Peace, a multi religious global network, working with the UN. Bluth made Aliyah in 2015, and founded Achvat Amim Ruchani, an educational Israeli-Palestinian peace and justice initiative. Bluth, completed the IPCRI Women Entrepreneurs Leading Change program, promoting female empowerment and economic access as a basis for Israeli Palestinian peace building.
Bluth is also an artist and a soferet, a calligrapher and makes Ketubahs and guides people through Jewish lifecycle events.
Our Thinking
Judaism is a very wise tradition, and it can also be an exhilarating life adventure. We seek to discover the essential Judaism, one not rooted in politics, religiosity or denominational nuance, but rather one that is embedded in meaningful experiences and personal discovery. It’s about animating the values reflected in our history, and learning by doing, feeling and living.
Our Goals
The articles, videos, conversations and experiences we present, are meant to inspire and empower an experiential approach to living a more meaningful life. We do not attempt to fit the experiences we offer into a specific political, social, religious or spiritual space but rather to provide content that inspires and empowers Jewish people of all ages to want to come back for more as they confidently engage in their own sense of being.
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Founding Donors
Living Jewishly is grateful to Jean Wagner and Family, our founding donors. They are committed to advancing Living Jewishly in memory of their parents and grandparents, Morris and Ruth Wagner, who were stalwart supporters of Jewish education, Israel and many worthy Jewish causes.
Learn what inspired them to help Living Jewishly get started, below.
We three were the luckiest of children.
My sister, my brother and I were raised by parents who loved each other, respected one another and appreciated the gifts they were granted.
They understood how to love, not just us, but their extended families and their community.
They knew how to give, and they gave what they could graciously and with humility, grateful to be able to share what they had.
When my parents passed away, I asked myself how I could honor them. What would please them the most?
I knew my parents wanted their traditions and their legacy to continue.
They were proud to be Jewish and to live traditional Jewish lives , but they were also wise enough to know that times change and the way we live needs to adapt to how the world evolves.
My Father used to tell me, flexibility is the first priority. He’d say that those who don’t bend, break and he’d often remind me that the Torah was meant for us to LIVE by, not to be restricted by. He wanted us to feel embraced and welcomed by our traditions; he wanted Judaism to be sweet for us.
And so, for me, the concept of LIVING JEWISHLY began with how my parents raised me and realized itself when I met Rabbi Yossi and joined his Shul, Beth Torah.
Rabbi Yossi’s openhearted, non-judgmental approach to his congregants , and most importantly, his relationship with the next generation and their children, solidified my understanding of how to go forward.
My parents, Ruthie and Morris Wagner would be so proud of what their legacy is giving birth to.
Thank you, Rabbi Yossi, for the privilege of accompanying you on this journey. May LIVING JEWISHLY continue to grow from strength to strength and be a welcoming light to our generation and to those who come after us.
Jean Wagner