Celebrating 7 Years

September 20, 2017 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Shema Koleinu – 7 Magical Years

The number 7 carries tremendous significance in both the Bible and in numerology. 7 represents completion, rest, and an opportunity to review that which we created.

Today, my heart soars as I celebrate #7 with my Shema Koleinu unaffiliated Jewish community in South Florida, with my father, Rabbi Steve, and while I don’t quite feel restful, perhaps that will be in store for me – soon.

In 2011, I had a vision, and after reaching a point in my practice where I had served enough unaffiliated Jewish families to warrant a gathering – I decided to put my own gathering together. Of course – in Cantor Debbi Ballard style – this couldn’t be just a simple gathering – this had to be AWESOME and AMAZING – in year 1!

I went in search of a physical space to hold this gathering, and saw many auditoriums and social halls that would hold the number of people I envisioned – and in my search, I found Miramar Cultural Center in South Florida. It was regal, majestic, and the moment I stepped in to the auditorium, I could see the entire service – and my dad and I on stage – and many many people – adults, seniors and children filling the audience.

Tonight, I will step onto that stage for the 7th year, and I am filled with so many feelings as I prepare my mind and body for this incredible job of leading my unaffiliated Jewish community in services.

I’ve accomplished A LOT in 7 years. 2011 was the beginning of my most dramatic growth, personally and professionally. I have watched many Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah students continue on through high school and college, and in my 12 year tenure, have now had the opportunity to perform a few Jewish-Interfaith weddings for some of those students. I have performed over 300 Bar Mitzvahs since that time (500 in total) and brought over 300 couples to the chuppah. I’ve welcomed over 100 babies into the world, and helped over 100 unaffiliated Jewish families say goodbye to precious loved ones.

The significance of #7

In the Torah, in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Five Books of Moses, we are taught about the creation; specifically – the 7 days of creation.

On each of the days. God created something specific, like the earth, the planets, the trees, the animals, the waters and the heavens. On day 6, God created man. And on day 7 – God rested, but it wasn’t just about rest.

The most important thing God did – as he did with everything he created is that he paused, looked back and reflected, and he said – “This is good”. It may not have been perfect, but it sure was good, and it was the vision God had, manifested into physical space, and sometimes, the manifestation of a vision is enough. Sometimes, it’s even perfectly imperfect.

What #7 means to me

Today, I look back at what I have created. Along with my dad, and even the help of my kids and some VERY significant congregants, I am so proud to say…
This. Is. Good.

Perhaps not perfect, but what good is perfection? Imperfect keeps me striving. Imperfect makes me feel alive – to greet another year – to keep going – to change things – to adapt. Imperfect encourages me to set new goals, and find new ways of doing what God has called me to do, and new ways of expressing myself in this awesome and amazing life.

7 – Looking forward

This year has been turned a bit on its head with hurricanes, earthquakes, and political strife. But, we do the best we can, we look back and find better ways of being, and just for now – we rest, admire, and breathe.

I wish for all of you a year where you can look at your perfect imperfection – and breathe. Love what you have created. Feel the Divinity. Know it is yours. Make plans. Make changes. Thank you, #7.

Another great-full year, welcome 5776!

September 24, 2015 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

I haven’t even begun to process the last 10 days, but I simply must express my heartfelt joy and appreciation for those who helped make it the most successful HiHo ever. Although I am completely exhausted, today, my heart is soaring.

First and foremost – thanks go out to my Dad, Rabbi Stephen Spiegel, who gave the most wonderful “not-sermon”, but rather, tidbits of the gifts of the Law of Attraction, teaching us always that instead of focusing on that we did wrong, that repentance is found through moving towards light, or what is right. At first, when he started speaking, I thought – oh good, now I can zone out for a second and get the rest of my thoughts in order for what is next, and when I realized I truly loved what he was saying, I was captivated. Dad, I don’t know where you got those words from. I can only hope that over these last 7 years you’ve actually listened to things I’ve been saying, but if those are your beliefs, and I do know they are – because look at the amazing things you have done with your life – I couldn’t be more proud of you. I love you.

Every spiritual leader needs a great team behind her. This year, I’ve worked completely alone. NO assistant, no volunteers, just me – and it has been extremely demanding. But this year’s team behind me has been my own children, who have stepped up to support their mom in the most incredible ways. Lauren Ashley Ballard – your enthusiasm, support, and never ending ear to listen and the way you and Jay Yarnold just move right in to take care of things I leave in my path have made this process so much easier. Trevor Ballard, your sense of independence and self responsibility has made it so much easier for me to focus on the job at hand, and we all can see what an incredible job you have done at taking life by the reins and making it happen for yourself. You have also been an incredible ear to listen and offered so much support and guidance, always having my best interest at heart. Who could ask for more?

At yesterday’s service I honored 3 groups of people, who in my world make my life what it is today.

First, I honored my Mitzvah Makers, highlighting the leaders who have emerged, who I adore with all my heart. Justin Liebman, Joey Ferber, Alex Kazdan, Eli Andy Fuhrman, Kayleigh Powers, Emma Shapiro, Noah Brenner, Ryder (Ashley Howell Kaplan Howell Kaplan, and Trevor Price and Brent Bogart – cannot wait to see the amazing things you do this year. I’m so proud of you!

Second, I honored all of the families who have attended all five years of services. You have been the ones who I can count on, who have helped shape this community to become what it is, and whose lives I have become such an integral part of. Brooke Cohen, Melissa Wisan Edrich, Alexa Zuckerman, Elizabeth Stuppler Stabinski, Kelly Kleinman Rothschild, Kim Zaidman Leff, Mara Selinger, Ronnie Selinger, Martha Shiffman Feinberg, Bob Feinberg, Melissa Cravitz Ferber, Stephen Ferber, Andy Fuhrman, Stacey Bressman Kean, Stacy Kleinman Appelblatt, Valerie Dixon Ramo, Shari Helfman Liebman – thank you from the bottom of my heart!

And third – I honored the Non-Jewish parents who help support and raise Jewish families, because these parents rarely get the appreciation they deserve. It is not easy to be a non Jewish parent of Jewish children, but I love, respect, and admire those who do. Yesterday, I had the most special guest of honor stand on my stage. My ex-husband, Wayne Ballard, the most important non Jewish partner in raising Jewish children in my life, stood on stage with my parents, Lauren and Trevor, and Lauren’s finance, Jay Yarnold, who will also be a non Jewish father in a Jewish child’s life. Our family, standing together, was so moving – even for me – and the notes and emails I have received telling me how life changing and memorable that was for them was so inspiring.

I’m sorry to write a novel here – there are so many words I can write about the experience of these past holidays. Thank you to every family who joined us for the 1st time, and all those in between 4 and 5 years. No matter how challenging this life gets in between the holidays, it is weeks like the last 2 that remind me why, exactly, I do what I do. Thank you to everyone who inspires me to be who I am. I am filled with much love and gratitude.

It’s Official! Shema Koleinu announces High Holiday Worship Services 5772!

July 31, 2011 by Debbi Ballard 4 Comments

High Holiday Worship Services with Cantor Debbi Ballard Begin for the first time

7 years ago, I performed my first wedding. 6 years ago, I performed my first Bat Mitzvah. Today, I am so proud to announce the official launch of “Shema Koleinu“, our non-profit synagogue-like organization that provides outreach to South Florida’s Jewish and Interfaith/Intercultural unaffiliated community. After several years of providing quality, meaningful life cycles for families who do not belong to synagogues, I wanted to do more. I wanted to mean more. I knew, that in order to truly be “My Personal Cantor”, I must provide everything a true synagogue did, but was committed to eliminating the membership, dues, and business aspect of the synagogue.

It was not only critical to provide meaningful life cycles, it was critical to bring my community a place of belonging, a place they could call their community, and feel great about building. We can create community by action, not by dollars. We can create community through mitzvah projects and group prayer, and not need to pay electric bills to do it!

But yet, we must build. Bringing my community an amazing High Holy Day worship experience was my priority this year, and I’m so excited to announce that I have contracted with the Miramar Cultural Center in Miramar FL, to bring West Broward its first meaningful, uplifting, and spiritually abundant High Holiday worship services for the unaffiliated. Regardless of your affiliation – or not – you can now worship and honor the new year with us, in a beautiful setting, with meaningful prayer and leadership. Our services will be family-friendly, so bring your children! And – we are even offering a tiny tot worship service for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

We need the community’s help in building something they can call their own! For more information, please contact Cantor Debbi Ballard at 954-646-1326. Watch for our official ticket sales announcement in the next few days, and please – let us know what you can do to help. This is not MY event – this is YOURS! Please come and be a part of something – REVOLUTIONARY! You’ll be so happy you did!

B’Shalom,

I’ll Have a Double Helping of Upbeat Spirituality – Hold the Dogma!

March 11, 2010 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Reading back over some of my past blogs, I was reminded of one of my all time favorites. Given that the topic is so prevalent again, today, and I have so many new readers, I wanted to bring it out of hiding, and into the forefront again. Enjoy!

Reprinted from August 17, 2008 by cantorballard

On the heels of my blog about “What do we want from Hebrew Schools”, it becomes evident that our view today on religion, as a whole, has experienced a tremendous shift.

USAToday’s recently published article tells us that Americans lean more towards the upbeat, positive aspects of faith, while moving farther and farther away from dogmatic practices with hard core rules and restrictions. We are more prone to look to our religious traditions and rituals at time of lifecycle events, but in our every day lives, we want to receive the positive messages and encouragement faith offers.

So what does this say about our society, in terms of G-d? How do we define G-d? If we reject the rules and structure – will faith continue to exist? And – if all that – is – what is faith? Do we turn our faith into ourselves, becoming completely self-accountable? The question kind of scared me.

I do what I do to serve those who have already decided on moving away from dogma, and embracing feel-good spirituality. Sometimes I, myself, find that I really subscribe to that theory as well. We say – well, I don’t have to observe Shabbat, and…It’s ok to bend this rule, and that…It’s ok to get married “just before” sundown on Shabbat, to accommodate the caterer, etc. But- what power do we give G-d, then? I don’t feel any less connected to G-d than I ever did, in fact, in my quest for spirituality, I have grown closer.

To me, the answer is in living strong in principals, rather than rules. I go out of my way to do the right thing to and for people, to observe the golden rule, to care for the earth, caring for the sick, giving to the poor, those are things that bring me closer to G-d, because I know they’re the right things to do. I’m no less Godly, I just don’t worry about the details, in favor of the bigger things.

I’ve seen clergy – well respected, highly highly highly dogmatic, and staunch in their public ritual observance who are -pardon the expression – complete jerks – sinners, even. Are they more Godly than me? What about the Catholic priests who commit heinous acts against children – they followed the dogmatic rules, but didn’t live a life of G-d in their hearts.

What’s wrong with wanting the spiritual, upbeat message? We get the negative ones daily. You’ll get cancer, you’ll lose money, you’ll do this or that, and it’s usually bad. No wonder our society wants to gravitate to things that make us feel good while we’re here on earth – we don’t get much of it from anywhere else!

I’ll take my double dose of spirituality. I believe it is what makes me smile when I’m in your presence, to let you know you have brightened my day. I believe that being happy because I woke up this morning makes G-d feel good about me. Please forgive that I didn’t light my Shabbat candles right at sundown, or that I took my child to the movies on Saturday – at least I spent time with them, let them know their Mom loves them, and I know that makes G-d feel good about me too.

We all deserve to feel good, and we can do it with G-d in our minds and our hearts, even if we don’t follow all the rules..

My Hanukkah Shabbat Rockin Eve at TBE Boca

December 19, 2009 by Debbi Ballard Leave a Comment

Last night was so much fun! Once again, I enjoyed myself thoroughly at TBE Boca!

A couple of weeks ago, I was there to see one of my favorite Jewish music artists, Julie Silver, and the night was magic.

Last night, Dan Nichols performed and co-led services with Steve Dropkin, and the TBE staff. I adore Dan. He has changed the way modern Jews pray, and his music is amazing.

The Shir Joy children’s choir performed and we all sang Light One Candle. They dimmed the lights in the room, while we all held one Hanukkah candle, to represent the light of our dreams. The most touching moment was when the Rabbi reminded us that love is like a candle flame. When we share it, we lose nothing, and gain everything, and we should all remember to share the flame (and the love) in our souls, every chance we get.

I bumped into my friend, Ellari, and we got to sit together, sing, and harmonize, which made the worship experience even more amazing.

Afterwards, Steve and I went to dinner, caught up, and had a great time. It was an amazing night, and one of the most moving synagogue experiences I’ve had in a long time. I appreciate TBE, because they change it up, and keep it interesting. The way the Rabbis engage me in relevant thought and prayer is something I have missed in a synagogue setting, and I was so happy to let them nourish my soul last night, and remind me that organized prayer can be meaningful.

Today, I’m off to Islamorada for Cheryl and Prav’s Jewish Hindu wedding weekend. I adore this couple, and can’t wait to see them get married.

Full of Shabbat love…

B’Shalom

Want to create your own “dream come true wedding”? Contact Cantor Debbi today to see how you can co-create the event of your dreams.

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