Ketzirah

That's me officiating a wedding

That’s me officiating a wedding

Kohenet

A Kohenet is a Jewish Priestess, a new (and ancient) form of Jewish women’s spiritual leadership.

In July 2009, I received smicha as a Kohenet through the Hebrew Priestess Training Institute founded by Rabbi Jill Hammer, Holly Taya Shere and Shoshana Jedwab, after three years of training.   As a Kohenet I focus on an embodied, woman-honoring form of Jewish spirituality that respects the earth and G!d/dess in all forms that s/he appears (male, female, both, and neither).   The women trained and ordained as Kohanot are reclaiming this word and a unique role as spiritual leaders.  I was also conferred by the Kohanot  the title of  “M’agelet” – Circle-maker, as a reference to my unique gifts and work in the world.

You can regularly find me leading services at OneShul.org.

I also have been ordained as a Celebrant of Becoming,  a pantheistic/panentheistic spiritual community.  The group was a vibrant and active spiritual community for just over 10 years (2001-2012).   For six of those years I served as “Steward,” which was the lay leadership position.  In 2009, I was ordained as a Celebrant, the title of clergy, and for 1.5 years I served as Presiding Celebrant — the senior clergy.

 

Artist & Ritualist
I consider myself a “Ritual Artist.”  My primary medium for expressing myself creatively is ritual or the components of ritual.  Rituals are transformative experiences, and are a mixture of performance, poetry, prayer, scent, song, sculpture,  and visual artwork.

I combine fiber art and spiritual ritual to create physical and experiential art that activates, motivates or memorializes change.

Learn more about my fiber artwork at www.EmbroideredPrayers.com, and see offerings currently for sale at http://peelapom.etsy.com

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Biography

I was raised in the Seventies and early Eighties in a non-religious Reform Jewish home. I did the Hebrew school thing and had a Bat Mitzvah, but had no real interest in spiritual studies — but always an interest in the occult and all things magickal. I spent many years with my career as my religion, and then a spark was lit. After graduating college in 1991, I moved to Washington, DC, and met my first friend who told me she was Wiccan.  She gave me a key to the door between the worlds. I don’t think she ever knew — or to this day knows what a catalyst she was in my life. About a year into my studies of Wicca, which never quite felt right (it’s a very Anglo/Celtic religion, and I’m an Ashkenazic Jew with Russian, Hungarian, and Lithuanian roots), I met a group of people who called themselves “Magick Belly #9.” If the other friend gave me the key — these people blew down the walls! In time they asked me to join the group and helped me realize that a “Jewitch” was a fine thing to be. I wasn’t Wiccan. I was/am a practitioner of Earth-based Magickal Judaism.

In 2002, I helped to found Becoming, a earth-based pantheistic/panentheistic spiritual community in Washington, DC, and was ordained in February 2009.  In addition to my work with Becoming, I also trained with  Kohenet: The Hebrew Priestess Training Institute, directed by R’Jill Hammer and K’Holly Taya Shere. In July 2009, I received smicha as a Kohenet, and  along with my sisters,  became the first dedicated Hebrew Priestesses in the modern era.

I am also apparently, completely obsessed with the number 4.  Everything I do seems to be in 4s, so here is a little bit on the number 4!

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Interviews and Press
I’ve had the strange joy of being interviewed for several publications, including being featured in Magickal Judaism: Connecting Pagan & Jewish Practice by Jennifer Hunter. You can learn more about me and the world of Earth-based Magickal Judaism and Jewitchery in these interviews. Please note, the information is reasonably accurate as of the time of the interview. I do actually grow and change, so some of my opinions or practices may not currently be as noted in these sources. Also, while all the writers did a great job there were some minor inaccuracies, so if you have a question — please ask me!