“How do we find the space where people can come and carve out a Jewish identity free from expectations, free ideological considerations, just to taste and experiment?”

— Dr. Elliott Malamet

When does identity become not a means of differentiation, but a cumbersome weight that prevents creativity, curiosity, and adaptability?

What would it look like if we could create a space for young people to carve out a Jewish identity that spoke to their own human, emotional experiences?

In this episode of the Living Jewishly podcast, Dr. Elliott Malamet interviews Ruth Chitiz about her journey of learning and how she ultimately came to think about her own Jewish practice.

Jewish texts and teachings ought to pay homage to the integrity of the human being as a whole — and Ruth believes that the High Holy Days are perfectly positioned to explore this human dimension, particularly the story of Passover. “We’ve taken a lot of creativity when it comes to Haggadah writing, and I think we should use that as a model to build more Jewish texts and feel empowered to not beholden to the texts of the past,” she says. “The writers of the Talmud were very creative.” Without jettisoning our rich denominational history, she would love to see Jewish leadership become more bold and curious, and to take more risks.

The Jewish Calendar is ideally set up in a way to access emotional, human experiences that we may not otherwise tap into in our secular lives. It’s up to us to make Rosh Hashanah about more than pouring honey on an apple and sharing a meal with family. How do we make it an enriching and deeply meaningful experience?

In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌

• The hidden emotional tensions underlying Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
• How to make the High Holy Days more spiritually meaningful
• Why so many people feel emotionally disconnected from the liturgy — and how we can better relate

“If I could ask for one thing to be changed … it would be to have my Jewish practice reflect the rich, emotional experience of being a person.”

— Ruth Chitiz