For decades, we’ve heard that Americans are losing interest in formalized religion – while at the same time seeking spiritual connection. This episode’s Make Meaning podcast guest, Jessica McCormick, is part of an effort to reimagine how American Judaism can be. As director of the Jewish Emergent Network Rabbinic Fellowship, Jessica oversees seven innovative Jewish communities across America.
Personally, Jessica’s personal and professional journey has weaved and evolved. She worked in communications at a Jewish school, in the entertainment industry of Los Angeles, as a government publicist, and she has an MFA in writing from Antioch University and is a recent recipient of the First Pages Prize for emerging writers. Plus, she’s the mother of four! Jessica says she builds her understanding of the world through reading and writing, especially when it comes to the role of women and women’s sexuality.
In this episode, Lynne and Jessica discuss:
- A new way to imagine spirituality and community
- How to find community if you don’t have kids
- Why women are impacted the most by COVID-19
- What to read while in quarantine
- Music as an access point to religion
- Pivoting from one career to another
- How personal relationships inform our professional choices
- What it means to be Jewish
Links and Resources
- Lord of the Rings
- Chaim Potok
- Howard Fast
- Jewish Emergent Network
- Unorthodox
- Shtisel
- The Shalom Hartman Institute podcast
- The First Pages Prize
- The Sympathizer
Coming up next on the Make Meaning Podcast: Lynne interviews Adrian Tonon, 24-Hour Economy Ambassador and Director of Customer Service for the City of Detroit.
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