Wildfire, burnout, and a fast-changing world couldn’t dim Rabbi Amy Bernstein’s commitment to love and justice. In this And Now Love episode, host Cynthia Marks explores how Reconstructionist Judaism evolves with modern ethics, why inter-faith friendships matter, and how post-traumatic growth can turn crisis into community strength.

Timestamps
0:00 – 00:46 Intro & guest bio
0:47 – 04:29 What is Reconstructionist Judaism?
4:30 – 07:06 Interpreting Torah like the U.S. Constitution
7:07 – 12:17 Facilitation vs. authoritarian leadership
12:18 – 16:26 Women rabbis & egalitarian progress
16:27 – 25:14 Amy’s journey: gay synagogue to rabbinical school
25:15 – 31:00 Denominations in decline—good news?
31:01 – 40:23 Eco-kashrut & mindful consumption
40:24 – 49:58 Inter-faith clergy circle & hard conversations
49:59 – 57:00 Palisades fire: losing home, leading others
57:01 – 1:03:04 Queer identity, community fractures, media overload
1:03:05 – 1:12:58 Post-Traumatic Growth vs. PTSD
1:12:59 – Attention as life & taking a month off

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Connect with Rabbi Amy: Kehillat Israel, Los Angeles

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