Did you know there are at least 5 types of biases women leaders face: likeability, performance, attribution, affinity, and maternity. (Google them!) For instance:
The double bind women leaders face with regard to likeability:
If women leaders are too likeable they will not be taken seriously as rabbis, but if women leaders are too authoritative/effective, they will be seen as too assertive and commanding.
There are a host of biases relating to motherhood and assumptions about child rearing; even when studies show that women rabbis and men rabbis take parental leave at the same rates, the perception is different.
When it comes to evaluating men versus women candidates in hiring, men’s strengths will be used as the criteria that counts giving them the advantage.
Women on average have less support from managers, and less access to senior leaders.
When women continue through these challenges, we say, “nevertheless, she persisted.” Today is the 46th day of the Counting of the Omer, we are contemplating netzach shebemalchut/ the persistence of the feminine.
Have you considered the implicit biases that you hold? How do you keep them in check? How do you inspire others into a reflective practice that helps eliminate implicit bias?
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM SHISHA V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM SHISHA SHAVUOT V’ARBA’AH YAMIM LA’OMER.
#women #bias #leadership #motherhood #doublebind percetption omer night46 keepingitsacred
Genesis 1:1 relays the beginning of the life of the universe itself. “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth—“ Since this division, humans have contemplated this fine line which also distinguishes the beginning of life from the finality of death, consciousness from unconsciousness, the spirit from the body. The line is thin and we are all on the edge.
Aerosmith sang about Livin’ on the Edge. Lady Gaga wrote a song, Edge of Glory, about her grandmother sitting with her grandfather in his final days, in this luminal moment between life and death.
We each live on the precipice between life and death.
Sometimes fighting for life can feel like challenging immortals as is relayed in Bava Metzi’a 85a.
Today is the 45th day of the Counting of the Omer, we are contemplating tiferet shebemalchut/ the spirituality of the world. That is, the line between the heavens and the earth: the known and unknown, the earthly and the supernal.
It is a day to contemplate this line. A day to discern between potential for life and quality of life.
It is a day to contemplate, too, then miracle and fragility of life. It is truly, fully, and completely, The Great Mystery.
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM HAMISHA V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM SHISHA SHAVUOT U’SHLOSHA YAMIM LA’OMER. #omer #night45 #contemplate #fragilityoflife #edgeofglory carefullofeanddeath keepingitsacred
Today is the 44th day of the Counting of the Omer, and as such we are contemplating shebemalchut/the strength of creation.
During these days, we have been taking more walks. Without travel, our worlds have gotten smaller. But at the same time we have shifted our focus the the local. And for the first time we walk our block noticing the smell of the flowers- hues of white and red and orange. The variants of birds that chirp or squak or whistle. The insects on the ground that we avoid stepping on- pincher bugs and ants and spiders and roly polies.
We look to the rainforests at the incredible biodiversity there. But see that there is great variation in our own backyards, too.
Strength in creation. It’s is all around us.
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Creator of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM ARBA’AH V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM SHISHA SHAVUOT U’SHNEI YAMIM LA’OMER.
Today is the 44th day, which is six weeks and two days of the counting of the Omer.
Once, in the 90s, Rabbi Josh Katzan led a meditation minyan in which he brought in an orange and sliced it up in wedges. He told us that we would appreciate creation that day.
He gave us each a slice to look at carefully and smell for five minutes. We noticed things we hadn’t truly seen before: the waxy peel with fragrant squirts shooting out of the skin, the abundant pockets of juice and spongy surrounds.
Then, he gave us five minutes to taste it. We felt the sweet juice explode from the juice sacs and the bitter white exterior.
Finally, we would have five minutes to look at the remains afterward. We smelled the orange fragrance prodding us to alertness and saw the simultaneous destruction of the wedge for the sake of our own nourishment.
In all, we were inspired to express gratitude, having appreciated creation in a new way— close up.
How many miracles of nature do we pass by every day without truly noticing? What could we gain from an intentional practice of taking in the world in all of its majestic detail?
Today is the 43rd day of the Counting of the Omer, we are contemplating chesed shebemalchut/ the love of creation, in all of its glory.
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM SHLOSHA V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM SHISHA SHAVUOT V’YOM ECHAD LA’OMER.
#beautyallaround #look #findbeauty #seethegood #lookcloser keepingitsacred omer night43
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Today is the 42nd day of the Counting of the Omer, we are contemplating malchut shebeyesod/ the foundation of the world.
Just as we cannot determine the circumstances of how we enter this world, so, too, can we not determine the circumstances of our exit.
Isaac the patriarch taught us this. When he was old, in Genesis 27:2, we learn:
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֖א זָקַ֑נְתִּי לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי י֥וֹם מוֹתִֽי׃
And he said, “I am old now, and I do not know how soon I may die.” The rabbis taught us this as well when they listed the things that a person cannot know, and one among them was the day of death.
The best we can do is make each day count. What did you do today that you count for good? How can you make tomorrow matter?
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM SHNAIM V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM SHISHA SHAVUOT LA’OMER. #ambulance #endofdays #unpredictable #neverknowforsure #livelife keepingitsacred omer night42
Organizers! @libertyhillfoundation #libertyhill50 @keepingitsacred Wow am I lucky to have organized with these folks SINCE 1998!!! Happy 50th Liberty Hill with endless thanks to the founders! Grassroots LA is a strong and vibrant community. (Part 3)
Organizers! @libertyhillfoundation #libertyhill50 @keepingitsacred Wow am I lucky to have organized with these folks SINCE 1998!!! Happy 50th Liberty Hill with endless thanks to the founders! Grassroots LA is a strong and vibrant community. (Part 2)
Organizers! @libertyhillfoundation #libertyhill50 @keepingitsacred Wow am I lucky to have organized with these folks SINCE 1998!!! Happy 50th Liberty Hill with endless thanks to the founders! Grassroots LA is a strong and vibrant community. (Part 1)
Today is the 41st day of the Counting of the Omer, we are contemplating yesod shebeyesod/ the foundation of foundation.
But more than that, yesod on the kabbalistic chart /tree of life is the funnel that channels all of the other sefirot/aspects of life, bringing them into the world. All of the judgement AND the compassion, all of the varied attributes of Gods existence, introduced into the world.
Within each person lies a universe — complexities upon complexities. Limitless depths and contours of spirit and emotion and intangible capacities that present themselves in different ways as life is lived and experienced.
We each have joyful highs and heartbreaking lows, feelings of confusion, stagnancy, elation, hope, strength, humility and boldness. We each tell our stories through our facial expressions and more, through the layers peeled back in real conversations. Heart to hearts are the ways we lasso our higher realm emotions and bring them down to earth, giving them life In words and sometimes tears— the foundation of the foundation of lived human experience.
Here’s to those who know and see us as we are, and keep coming back for more of the full truth of who we are.
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM ECHAD V’ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM ARBA’AH SHAVUOT V’SHISHA YAMIM LA’OMER. #cosmic #universe #universe #kabbalah #feelings thoughts spirituality beinghuman countingtheomer omer night41 keepingitsacred
Yesterday was the 40th day of the Counting of the Omer, where we are contemplating hod shebeyesod/foundations of stepping back.
What a joy it is to step back from one’s own work in the world to celebrate that of others. I participate in several interfaith councils to recognize and help celebrate the good works that occur in many communities. There are other times when we step up to share Jewish holy days or address items of Jewish concern as well. This is part of shared partnership and reciprocity. We have built a true bond, supporting one another in times of challenge and lifting one another up in times of celebration.
In partnerships and relationships (interpersonal and institutional) there is this give and take - a rhythm of stepping up and stepping back. Seamless motion. I am grateful to do this dance with so many incredible ecumenical partners. May we each learn this art, a celebration of life and diversity. Thank you friends.
BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
HAYOM ARBAIM YOM SHAHEM ARBA’AH SHAVUOT V’HAMISHA YAMIM LA’OMER.
#dance #interfaith #ecumenical #celebrate #samestep leap foundation stepback partnership truebond keepingitsacred omer night40
Another hallway. Another test. Another reminder that healing takes courage.
Read more in this week’s Keeping It Sacred newsletter, Heroes Hoping for Healing, HERE:
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And link in bio.
Together, we’re #keepingitsacred…
