Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s annual Building Bridges Speaker Series returns on Nov. 1 with a new six-part series exploring the theme Lech Lecha: Journeys of the Soul.
Lech Lecha literally means “Go forth” or “Go to yourself.” The phrase marks the moment when Abraham is called to undertake a physical and spiritual journey, leaving behind all that is familiar to seek a new destiny in relationship with the divine. In an historic time marked by rising antisemitism, this call speaks to the responsibility and courage needed for renewal.
This year’s series invites participants to reflect on personal and collective journeys, faith, resilience and transformation. Speakers from Canada, the United States and Israel will explore Jewish mysticism, Zionism, healing, ancient history, diaspora life, sacred storytelling and Jewish death rituals. The speakers will offer perspectives that connect Jewish tradition with the questions and challenges of today.
The series begins Nov. 1 – live in Victoria and on Zoom – with Rabbi Matthew Ponak on The Jewish Spiritual Seeker: Journeying Away and Coming Home. Ponak, a teacher of Jewish mysticism, spiritual counselor and author (Embodied Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism for All People and The Path of the Sephirot) based in Victoria, will explore why many Jewish seekers leave the community – at least for a time – in search of wisdom through meditation, yoga, psychology or other contemplative traditions. He will consider how emerging forms of Jewish mysticism and practice can offer an embracing home that welcomes, rather than rejects, the insights discovered along the way.
On Dec. 13, Adam Kirsch – a senior editor at The Atlantic and author of several books on Jewish literature and ideas – will speak on Reclaiming Zionism after Oct. 7th. Since Oct. 7, critics of Israel have made the term “Zionist” so toxic that many Jews are reluctant to use it. Kirsch will examine the history and meaning of Zionism and consider why it remains crucial to a better Jewish future.
Melinda Ribner, a spiritual counselor and meditation teacher, is the founder of Beit Miriam and the author of eight books, including Turning Pain into Blessing and Living in the Divine Flow. In her Jan. 10 talk Turning Pain into Blessing, she will consider how we can deepen our understanding of who we are and transform pain into blessings for ourselves and others. Her talk will explore how to move beyond anxiety, despair and victimhood toward greater empowerment, love, resilience and gratitude.
On Feb. 7, Shira Kline will present The Treasure Map of You. Kline is a performance and ritual artist, educator, storyteller, musician and co-founder of Storahtelling and New York City’s Lab/Shul, where she serves as spiritual leader and received the Covenant Foundation Award in 2024 for her contributions to Jewish education. Kline will invite participants to follow the compass of ancient story as they explore their own personal “treasure map home.” In this immersive session of story and song, participants will be encouraged to listen to their intuitive voices and take courageous meaning-making leaps.
On March 7, both in Victoria and on Zoom, Prof. Wayne Horowitz speaks on the topic Back to Babylon: Pathways from Ancient Exile to the Modern Diaspora. Horowitz is a professor emeritus of Assyriology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in the religion, literature and sciences of Ancient Mesopotamia. He also studies Indigenous astronomy in northern North America, particularly among the Gwich’in First Nation.
The history of the Jewish people begins with Lech Lecha, God’s command to Abraham and Sarah to leave the city of Ur in Babylonia and journey to the Land of Israel. Generations later, ancient Jewish communities were established near Ur because of the Babylonian Exile. Horowitz will examine what these ancient communities have in common with modern Jewish communities throughout the diaspora.
Recently retired spiritual leader of Kolot Mayim, Rabbi Lynn Greenhough, rounds out the series on April 4 (live in Victoria and on Zoom) with Our Sacred Shalshelet: Jewish Rituals Linking Life and Death.
Greenhough has been a member of Victoria’s chevra kadisha (burial society) for three decades and has taught and written about Jewish burial, mourning, cemetery practices and liturgy. Jewish rituals take us from bedside to gravesite, to shiva, and beyond as we move from life into death and back into life, and Greenhough will explore how these rituals support mourners and provide a map for navigating the journey back into life. In doing so, she will draw on her experiences as a rabbi, chevra kadisha member, daughter, mother, sister and friend.
Building Bridges is presented as a free public series, with support from the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island and the Isaac and Sophie Waldman Endowment Fund. Donations are gratefully accepted. Pre-registration is required for the webinars, which all start at 11 a.m. PST. For more information and registration details, visit kolotmayimreformtemple.com/2026-2027-lecture-series.
– Courtesy Kolot Mayim Reform Temple
