Hanukkah Night 8, 5776 - Seeing in Detail

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photos by Gabi Mezger

Eight lights burning,

sending out light,

sending out heat -

the hanukkiah is full.

May our hearts be full as well,

of light 

and warmth,

allowing us to see

in detail

both the pain

and the beauty

of the world.

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 7, 5776 - One

Text by Rabbi Katy Allen

Photo by Gabi Mezger

One.

What does it mean?

One Homo sapiens.

One Earth.

One G!d.

One Universe.

One time.

One future.

What does it take 

for us

to live 

as ONE?

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hankkah Night 6, 5776 - Let it Flow

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photo by Gabi Mezger

Let the light within us flow,

Let our lives flow,

and our hearts,

and our souls.

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 5, 5776 - Sparks

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photos by Gabi Mezger

A spark of Mystery

burns within every single human being,

and within every part and parcel

of Creation,

and every one of those sparks is different.

All of the sparks are needed

for shleimut --

for total healing,

wholeness,

Oneness.

What is the essence of your spark?

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 4, 5776 - What Is Burning?

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photo by Gabi Mezger

What is burning in your heart?

What is burning to be expressed?

To come out?

To be shared with the world?

To bring a blaze of light?

Whatever it may be...

Let it out!

Let it come forth!

Let it shine!

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 3, 5776 - Within and Without

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photos by Gabi Mezger

Baruch atah Adonai - Blessed are You Adonai --

Blessed is the spark of G!d --

of Life,

of Light,

of Specialness,

that burns within

your being,

within every living being.

Blessed is the Spark.

Eloheinu melech ha'olam - Our G!d, Sovereign of the Universe --

We acknowledge You,

Source of All,

from before time began

to the end of time, 

and beyond,

from this pin point of place

to the farthest ends of the Universe,

and farther still.

We acknowledge You.

As the words of the blessings

enter the atmosphere,

as the match kindles the candles,

as the lights glow in the night,

may blessing sparkle in your being,

surge forth, encircling the Universe,

touching all that is, 

from your inner most vulnerable pin point

to the ends of the Universe

and beyond.

May blessing blossom

in every corner 

of the cosmos.

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network, and a hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 2, 5776 - Reflections

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photos by Gabi Mezger

The moon appears in the sky

while sunlight still shimmers,

the sky can still be called blue,

and clouds are visible.

In the waning daylight,

the reflection

of the reflected light 

we call moonlight

sears a bright path

across the sea.

As darkness rolls in

the moon seems to brighten. 

And when the darkness of the sky is complete -

though not fully complete -

the reflected light still shining forth in the sky 

and the reflection of that reflection,

a glittery path in the sea,

make perception of surrounding rocks and ridges

possible.

The candles we kindle radiate visible light,

that emitted through the blessings we recite

invisible.

How are these two lights reflected?

Can one see their reflections 

shining forth from our faces?

From our hearts?

And is there a reflection of those reflections

that makes perception possible,

enabling those nearby

to readily perceive

not rocks and ridges

but love, 

compassion, 

wisdom

and peace?

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as a Nature Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005. 

Gabi Mezger photographs wherever she goes.

Hanukkah Night 1, 5776 - Reviving Hope

Text by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
Photos by Gabi Mezger

dark emotions lurk in our hearts
heaviness weighs down our souls
the night stretches on
           interminably;
we cannot see
we are lost

hope fades
         

but the picture is incomplete

a candle burns
piercing the darkness

anticipating dawn

reviving hope

carrying us forward
into the new day


Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as a Nature Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2005.