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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/29661/full/29661/rabbi-hits-the-slopes-nature-trails-for-lifecycle-events/ <br /><br /> <b>Rabbi hits the slopes, nature trails for lifecycle events</b> <br /> Friday, June 23, 2006 | by <p>melissa trujillo </p> <br /><br /><p><b>copper mountain, colo.  | </b> Nothing about the rabbi’s message was unusual: Moses, the burning bush and the congregation’s need to stop and listen for God in their daily lives.<br /><br /> Nothing else, though, was typical about Rabbi Jamie Korngold’s Shabbat service.<br /><br /> Instead of attending a neighborhood synagogue, the congregation took a ski lift to the top of one of Copper Mountain’s snowy runs, where an area had been marked with a sign held up by two skis stuck in the powder. The group wore heavy jackets, gloves and helmets. The snow crunched beneath their ski and snowboard boots.<br /><br /> Korngold kept her message short on the sunny winter’s day, understanding her congregation’s desire to hit the slopes.<br /><br /> Unusual for almost every other rabbi, but not for Korngold, Colorado’s self-proclaimed “Adventure Rabbi.”<br /><br /> Korngold is a Reform rabbi specializing in bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings and other ceremonies and services performed outdoors. Her goal is to form a connection between nature and Judaism that reconnects young people to their faith.<br /><br /> “I always joke that the rabbis are all wondering where their congregants are on Saturday. I know where they are — they’re skiing,” the 40-year-old Korngold said. “What I say is, you don’t have to change your lifestyle. You’re going skiing on Saturday. Fine, I’ll go skiing with you. <br /><br /> “Give me 15 minutes and let me show you how that ski day can be holy.”<br /><br /> The Adventure Rabbi effort started in 2001, after two friends asked her to perform a conversion and adoption ceremony for their child at the Grand Canyon. A group of the husband’s college students went along, most of whom had given up their faith.<br /><br /> Instead of the standard ceremonies, Korngold incorporated the canyon’s wondrous rocks, water and plants into the prayers. Many of the young people had never heard Korngold’s take on religion, and were visibly moved by the ceremony. Korngold thought, “This is what I want to do.”<br /><br /> She holds Shabbat services around skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. The skiing services usually last less than half an hour and involve prayer, a short message and singing, while the hikes take about three hours.<br /><br /> The goal, Korngold said, is not simply to move services outdoors. Often on hikes, she or someone else will carry a small Torah in a waterproof bag for safekeeping.<br /><br /> She compared her services to a “time-release vitamin” that will engage the congregation throughout the day. She gives them something to think about while on the slopes.<br /><br /> Korngold’s work is just one way Jewish leaders are trying to find innovative ways to engage young people in the faith amid concerns that youth are walking away from their heritage, said Steven Bayme, national director of the Contemporary Jewish Life department for the American Jewish Committee.<br /><br /> “We need to find different entry points,” he said. “We need to try new things.”<br /><br /> Korngold’s emphasis on nature can be traced back to Judaism’s deep connection to the wilderness, but should not interfere with other aspects of the religion, Bayme said.<br /><br /> A successful program must act as an entry point to serious study and commitment. “Don’t substitute the frosting for the cake. The cake really has to be serious engagements,” Bayme said.<br /><br /> Korngold doesn’t expect all who participate in her services to become dedicated members of a synagogue. More often, her participants walk away with a more positive attitude about and a greater connection to Judaism.<br /><br /> Rebecca Dennett chose Korngold for her bat mitzvah because she wanted the service to reflect her values and personality.<br /><br /> The event was held a guest ranch in the Colorado Rockies, a favorite place for the teenager. During the ceremony she rode a horse and wore a pink cowboy hat, jeans and cowboy boots. Other aspects were more traditional.<br /><br /> “I wanted something that was going to be personal and really mean something to me,” Rebecca said. “I also had more control over what I was able to do. I did a lot more than I would have at home.”<br /><br /> For James Brodsky of Denver, his wedding and other events held by Korngold have given him and his wife, Gwen Jacobs Brodsky, a chance to reconnect with the religion. <br /><br /> “My experiences with rabbis have been as remote figures, whereas Rabbi Korngold was strapping on skis right beside us,” Jacobs Brodsky said.<br /><br /> Which is exactly what Korngold did after her short service in February in the mountains. She put her service handouts and notes in her backpack and hit the slopes with members of her congregation.</p> <p> </p>

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