This time of year signifies change, loss and transition for many people. As I attend Hebrew College Rabbinical School’s ordination, dozens of other graduation ceremonies will also be taking place in the Boston area. Each of these ceremonies marks a milestone, the beginning of a new journey. Kids are graduating, moving back home or moving away to start careers. Many of my colleagues are starting new jobs. As we mark these transitions, how do we leave behind the roles that have not worked for us? And how do we sustain the capacities and gifts we have cultivated? Regardless of our line of work and where we are in our careers, I hope this time of year reminds us to surround ourselves with companions and guides who can help us act with integrity and nourish our passions. Each day, may we cultivate our inner gardens in order to bring some measure of compassion, curiosity and creativity to our work — and, in turn, to play our unique role in healing this broken world.
Read MoreOver the next few weeks, I will see several friends receive the title “Rabbi." I remember how touching my ordination ceremony was for me, but also how much was unknown outside the walls of the sanctuary where my ceremony took place: What kind of work did I want to do in the long run? How would I continue to thrive outside the community of learning that had formed me as a rabbi? How would I make new friends as an adult? What would “success” look like to me in my rabbinic work?
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