Milgram sums up her approach this way: “I love the vast spectrum of Jewish possibility, though some of it I can only visit with respectful interest.”
Her home page is devoted to “reclaiming Judaism as a spiritual practice.
The opening screen offers a stylized flower graphic, each segment representing an area of learning: Torah, Shabbat, prayer, lifecycle, clal (peoplehood) and “sacred language.”
Click on a segment to open up essays and articles that offer Milgram’s blend of meditation and Judaism.
The material here is challenging but accessible. In the prayer section, you can read an essay on “The Awareness Cycle of Shabbat Morning: A Map of the Psycho-Spiritual Stages of the Prayer Service.”
The lifecycle section includes essays on coping with loss — whether the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job.
Each section includes personal reflections in which Milgram makes connections between her own Jewish Renewal perspective and the wide range of Jewish experience. An interesting example: her visit to Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn and her assessment that “spirituality is alive amid the messianism.”
A “What’s New” section offers a concise listing of new offerings on the site. It’s a long list, since this is very much a work in progress. And there’s a hefty bibliography that includes dozens of books to help the Jewish spiritual explorer.
Be sure to read the biography section, where you can learn about her fascinating spiritual journey and find out why this woman rabbi is called “Reb Goldie.”
It’s all a little New Agey and Upper West Side, but there’s a lot of food for thought here. Nicely organized, although some screens are slow to load. Definitely worth a visit.
No question, the Internet is making it easier than ever to deal with complex questions of Jewish law. Case in point: Halacha.net, where you can e-mail questions about the application of Jewish law to real Orthodox rabbis.
“Every observant Jew desires to have his own rabbi — an authority on Halacha, who is available, respects his privacy, and above all, is an expert in his field,” the site owners write in their introduction.
Enter at www.halacha.net, with a staff of rabbis ready and willing to deal with any question under the sun.
Questions are submitted to “rabbis from all parts of the Orthodox spectrum, from anywhere in the world, as long as they are not controversial or political in nature,” they say.
Visitors can ask their own questions, or view archives of questions and answers grouped by category.
There are lots of queries about Shabbat, kashrut and the dilemmas of everyday life. One visitor asks: Is the water that drips from an air conditioner muktzeh (not usable on Shabbat)? Answer: Yes.
Another section deals with Jewish laws governing business ethics. How long must a dry cleaner retain an unclaimed item of clothing before selling it? Still another focuses on medical ethics. Some examples: Does Jewish law allow Viagra? Is laser eye surgery considered cosmetic?
To ask your own question, the site offers an easy mail-to form. The rabbis promise an e-mail response — and ask if they can post your question and the answer in the site archives.
Nice layout, concise answers and easy to use. Also available in Russian.