When Fringes was founded, we intended to be a lab space to create and try out new liturgy: new prayers, new songs, and new rituals. We’ve been doing all of these ever since!
Our intention, too, was to make our work available to other communities. Many Jewish activists for justice in Israel/Palestine have been estranged from synagogues, so we wanted to share how we organize the havurah and how we pray. Because of our location in Jewish geography – within the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College community – we’ve also shared our services with many student rabbis who have taken some of our work with them as they’ve graduated and moved on. Our ever-growing database of poems that work as liturgy (700+) has also gone out to rabbis and other spiritual leaders.
Elliott and Otter have also developed a workshop on how to use poetry as liturgy. They presented it at the 2016 Split This Rock Poetry & Politics Festival, and are working on plans to bring it to other Jewish communities beginning to organize their own havurahs.
Below you’ll find links to some of our liturgies and rituals. We’re working on audio files of our songs, and will upload them as soon as we can.
Questions? Email us at info@fringeshavurah.com
If Not – a call to communal action
If Not – for facing climate disaster
Through The Arch: a meditation on redemption
Begishmey Orah / Prayer for Rain
For Only the Living Can Sing Songs of Praise
Ki Anu Amecha (Rumi & Jane Kenyon)
The Leaves Believe (Original Song)
Through the Arch