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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Rabbi Minna Brombergâs work addressing weight stigma in Jewish communal spaces took her to a lot of synagogues. She was often bewildered when organizers provided her a chair that was too small. Getting people to acknowledge her body and their discomfort with it is one reason she founded Fat Torah a year ago.
âBecause people are so uncomfortable with fat bodies, they donât see my needs â but it should be obvious,â she said. âThey can see my body but donât give me the right chair. Itâs literally a consciousness-raising need. People donât think about fat peopleâs needs.â
She is working with BORâs executive committee to flesh out a collective vision.
Sharfman said she wants BOR to be available as a resource, which strengthens synagogues and Jewish organizations and fosters more collaboration.
First and foremost the board is a professional association. âWeâre here to support each other in terms of sharing information, ideas and resources,â she said. âWe see ourselves also as being in a position to rise and respond to the needs of our community where and when we are needed.â
Her first move as president was the creation of a video that the board released June 9, encouraging the Jewish community to remember its heritage and to find strength during a time of increased antisemitism.
But heâs been disappointed.
âIâve now spent the better part of two summers in Arizona and they both have featured very meager monsoons,â he said.
He wrote a prayer specifically to be read on Shabbat Chukat, June 19, which falls right at the beginning of monsoon season.
âIt just so happens that this Torah portion, parshah Chukat, features lots of water-related issues concerning the Israelites who, of course, are at that point wandering in the desert,â Stein Kokin said. âSo you have this nice connection of desert and water issues, that very much speak to the situation that we experience here in Arizona.â