Rabbi Bethie Miller
Sanctuary NY
Bethie (she/her) is a native of Newton, MA, a graduate of Williams College, and a community-builder at her core. In 2019, Rabbi Miller founded Sanctuary to weave Jewish community one circle of souls at a time.
HOW does Sanctuary work?
Sanctuary weaves together Jewish community through Circles and Gatherings.
Circles are small, and meet regularly around shared interests (nature, cooking, or social justice) or shared life questions (What do I want to teach my children? What does an ethical life look like? How do I prepare for the High Holy Days?).
Gatherings are larger, and offer a modern take on Shabbat and holidays.
We are transforming Jewish life and our experience of it with these 4 Shifts:
Instead of visiting a ‘museum’ that conserves Judaism, we’re participating in an ‘art studio’ that creates new expressions of Jewish wisdom.
Instead of attending big events, we’re committing to small cohorts, deep conversation, and home-based experiences.
Instead of educating children in classrooms, we're empowering families in life.
Instead of staff planning programs, we’re co-creating with real people.
As an incubator for choice, change and creativity, Sanctuary is part of a growing movement to reimagine how we gather as Jews in the 21st Century.
Our mission is to construct human-scale space that is sacred: set apart from the hectic pace of our daily lives, and dedicated to forming, holding and deepening connections.
Building Sanctuary will give us the time and space to connect to our bodies and souls, to form genuine, mutual relationships, and to discover how ancient Jewish wisdom can enrich our modern lives each day.
If we can cultivate more peace, love and justice in our own lives, then we can more fully approach our collective task of transforming our world. By building Sanctuary, we begin to build a society where we truly see and value each individual, and protect each of God's creations with reverence.
About Bethie
Bethie is a native of Newton, MA, a graduate of Williams College, and a community-builder at her core. During her studies at HUC-JIR (NY ‘14), Rabbi Miller had the fortune to participate in the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Daniel and Bonnie Tisch Rabbinical Fellowship. For five years after ordination, she served as a rabbi at Larchmont Temple with a focus on supporting small groups, connecting young families, and launching a social justice initiative. In 2019, Rabbi Miller founded Sanctuary to weave Jewish community one circle of souls at a time.