The Power of Language

Survey Results + We Need Your Help

The results of our community survey are in, and there are many ways you can make Kehillah MORE of what you need it to be. Yes -- this podcast episode has a lot of asks in it. But they are all fun. * Wish Kehillah was closer to you? Host a Shabbat (we pay for food, setup, cleanup -- all of is) * Wish there were more groups that you can connect with? Start one! Info is on the website. And also, we need ambassadors! That's something you can do, too * Want to grow in your Jewish knowledge and practice? We need people to help lead. Call them para-rabbis, cantorial soloists, darshanim or lay leaders, you can be one We also have BAYIT (a long term project for a permanent home), playdates for families with kids and more. Reach out to rabbi@rabbipatrick.com ["rabbi@rabbipatrick.com"] if you have questions or to get started. Got questions? Send us a text and we'll read it on the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/support] 🕯️ Learn more about Kehillah: kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org] 💛 Support Kehillah: kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate] 📲 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/kehillahrva [https://instagram.com/kehillahrva] 📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/kehillahrva [https://facebook.com/kehillahrva] 🔁 Share this episode with a friend and help build something sacred together.

Radical Pragmatism: A Jewish Gift for America's 250th Birthday

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, Rabbi Patrick explores a different path through our nation's political and cultural divisions: Radical Pragmatism. Drawing on the wisdom of Yitro's advice to Moses, and the daughters of Zelophehad, this episode argues that Judaism offers a model for solving problems practical action rather than ideological certainty. What might happen if we focused less on winning arguments and more on discovering what actually works, for America, for Israel, for the Jewish community, and for one another? Let's find out. Happy 250th, America. UPCOMING SHABBAT: July 10th a TowneBank Community Kitchen inside Commonweath Autism. Free tickets if you need them. RSVP at KehillahRVA.org [https://KehillahRVA.org] Got questions? Send us a text and we'll read it on the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/support] 🕯️ Learn more about Kehillah: kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org] 💛 Support Kehillah: kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate] 📲 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/kehillahrva [https://instagram.com/kehillahrva] 📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/kehillahrva [https://facebook.com/kehillahrva] 🔁 Share this episode with a friend and help build something sacred together.

False Nostalgia — Why We Sometimes Want to Go Back

Why do people return to unhealthy relationships, destructive habits, or situations they worked so hard to escape? And why does Rabbi Patrick watch Halloween commercials from 1988? In this episode of the Kehillah Podcast, Rabbi Patrick explores the phenomenon of false nostalgia through the lens of the Torah's wilderness narratives. Topics include: *  Why the Israelites repeatedly wanted to return to Egypt  *  The difference between healthy remembrance and false nostalgia  *  How addiction, unhealthy relationships, and family systems can keep us stuck in resisting positive change, and wishing we could go back to unhealthy times in our life *  And what to do when we find ourselves daydreaming about the past, when we need to move into a brighter future. Also -- real transformation rarely happens alone. The path forward is often found not in returning to what was, but in finding people who can help us build what comes next. Kehillah is there for you, exactly for that. Learn more about Kehillah: https://kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Support the podcast and our community: https://kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Got questions? Send us a text and we'll read it on the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/support] 🕯️ Learn more about Kehillah: kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org] 💛 Support Kehillah: kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate] 📲 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/kehillahrva [https://instagram.com/kehillahrva] 📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/kehillahrva [https://facebook.com/kehillahrva] 🔁 Share this episode with a friend and help build something sacred together.

We've Got Some Announcements | Shabbat | Commonwealth Autism | High Holy Days

This is an announcement 📣  a lot of great opportunities to connect, to volunteer and to donate to your Jewish community. Details in the episode. Links below:  JCC Pride Shabbat Service with Kehillah, Or Atid & NextGen (Richmond) [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kehillahrva/2221451]  Fri Jun 12, 2026 6:00 PM - 6:45 PM | Weinstein JCC, 23226 Shabbat Learning and Brunch at Second Arrow (Church Hill) [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kehillahrva/2221467]  Sat Jun 13, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Second Arrow, 23223 Shabbat Dinner & Service at Commonwealth Autism (Bon Air/Richmond) [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kehillahrva/2237668]  Fri Jul 10, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Commonwealth Autism, 2323 And yes, we know, too early. But still... SAVE THE DATES: High Holidays with Kehillah [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kehillahrva/2248650]  Fri Sep 11, 2026 6:00 PM - Fri Sep 25, 2026 8:00 PM Got questions? Send us a text and we'll read it on the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/support] 🕯️ Learn more about Kehillah: kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org] 💛 Support Kehillah: kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate] 📲 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/kehillahrva [https://instagram.com/kehillahrva] 📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/kehillahrva [https://facebook.com/kehillahrva] 🔁 Share this episode with a friend and help build something sacred together.

Judaism, Depression, and Recovering Our Humanity

In this episode, Rabbi Patrick explores a provocative question: What do we owe ourselves? Drawing from the Book of Genesis and Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections, we explore whether many of our struggles stem from something deeper than stress or busyness—a loss of our humanity itself. This includes asking ourselves some deep questions like: * What does it mean to be created in the image of God? * How does meaning transform existence into holiness? * Why human beings are called to create, build, and contribute, have purpose, make family, friendship, and finding a tribe Meaning. Creativity. Community. Humanity. Got questions? Send us a text and we'll read it on the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458253/support] 🕯️ Learn more about Kehillah: kehillahrva.org [https://kehillahrva.org] 💛 Support Kehillah: kehillahrva.org/donate [https://kehillahrva.org/donate] 📲 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/kehillahrva [https://instagram.com/kehillahrva] 📘 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/kehillahrva [https://facebook.com/kehillahrva] 🔁 Share this episode with a friend and help build something sacred together.