(Please let your Officiant know you found them on Interfaith Officiants.com!)
Locations served: Ann Arbor, MI area
Ordained by: All Faiths Seminary and Rabbi Joseph H. Gelberman
Date Ordained: 2002
Education: *Interfaith Ministry Ordination, All Faiths Seminary International, New York, NY, USA (2002)
*Ph.D. Urban, Technological, Educational Planning from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI, USA(1988)
*Certificate in Gaming-Simulation Studies, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA (1986)
*M.A.T. Credits, The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, Montclair State College, Montclair, NJ, USA (1984)
*M.A. Philosophy of History, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1982)
*B.A. Philosophy and Urban Planning, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA (1981)
*Junior Year Abroad, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (1980)
Specializing in: Specializing in: "Jewish roots with Interfaith wings"
Services provided: Design, development, delivery of life-cycle ceremonies for interfaith individuals, couples, families; and Interfaith marriage consulting. I also perform commitment ceremonies.
Fees: Varies according to needs
To contact: Telephone: Please use email address to contact initially.
Additional Information: See website
Pledge
- I pledge to respect and honor all people regardless of race, religion, national origin, faith practices, personal beliefs, and sexual orientations.
- I am willing to provide personal and/or professional references upon request.
- I promise that the information provided enough is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Testimonials: As requested
Recent Newspaper Articles about Lauren Zinn's congregation in Ann Arbor, MI.
Jewbilation in the Ann Arbor News
(June 2002 Issue)
Experience sparks 'Jewbilation' Local movement that has 'Jewish roots with interfaith wings' appeals to mixed-religion couples
Saturday, August 9, 2003
BY LISA KLIONSKY
News Staff Reporter
When Rachel Rosen, 7, started in kindergarten a few years ago, her mother, Nicki Rosen, sought a religious outlet for the whole family that could accommodate her Conservative Jewish background and her husband's Catholic upbringing.
She found Jewbilation - a local movement that characterizes itself as having "Jewish roots with interfaith wings" begun two years ago by the Rev. Lauren Isenberg Zinn, an interfaith minister ordained a year ago after attending All Faiths Seminary in New York.
The services themselves adhere mostly to Judaism, incorporating some references to other faiths. The "wings" are the people from different religions who attend, many of whom are in interfaith marriages.
On a recent Saturday, a festive evening Jewbilation service occurred at Ann Arbor's West Park - a service to say good-bye to the Sabbath. Usually services are held Friday evenings at Calvary United Methodist Church on the city's west side.
What especially appeals about Jewbilation is the informality, Rosen said. "It's a small group, very child and family friendly. ... She (Zinn) does Torah readings and she relates things to real life." Zinn has created a group of people trying to create a community for themselves, Rosen said.
Zinn's reasons for beginning Jewbilation are rather similar to Rosen's reasons for attending.
Zinn, raised in a Conservative Jewish home, grew up attending Jewish camps and Hebrew school, going to Israel and attending Hebrew University. But then she became more involved in Siddha yoga, a branch of Hinduism, she said. And she married a Protestant man raised as a Presbyterian.
"Jewbilation came out of experience," Zinn said. "I'm married to someone who's not Jewish and we have two kids. I was looking for something that would be satisfying to me, providing a Jewish connection but at the same time have an inclusivity for non-Jewish people."
As Zinn kept waiting for someone else to start "it" in Ann Arbor, she realized she was the one who needed to do it.
So two weeks after her adult bat mitzvah in spring 2001, Zinn held a service. "I invited everyone to it who was like me: Jewish, not affiliated (with a synagogue) and married to someone not Jewish. It was a one-time thing. I never knew it would continue."
But it did, and now Zinn estimates 35 to 70 people attend the services held every two months, with additional holiday and other services throughout the year. This year, for example, Jewbilation offers a Rosh Hashana service and an end of Yom Kippur holiday service.
Zinn, who has a Ph.D. in urban technological environmental planning, still hopes to become a rabbi in addition to being an interfaith minister. "I'm married, I've got kids, I can't just get up and move to a rabbinic program." She is enrolled in a correspondence rabbinical seminary.
Zinn believes that "we all have something to learn from each other" and that "there is no threat if you feel secure with your own religion."
A typical Jewbilation service begins with blessings over the lighting of the candles, the sanctification of the grape juice and the receiving of bread, then a potluck meal, youth programs, music and prayer.
"It's pretty much a Jewish service. We do the Torah reading, and things are in Hebrew, but she's gearing it for interfaith marriages and she'll throw in different things, like a reading from Christ or something from Gandhi," said Peter Rycus, of Ann Arbor, who has known Zinn for years and who attends with his wife, Meena, who is Buddhist, and their son, Abe.
Zinn said the services "fall somewhere between an interfaith and a purely Jewish service. ... I want to be able to quote Gandhi, or the sitting yogi, or interpret something from the Christian perspective." She tries to keep the prayer services relatively short, a half-hour or so.
Rosen said people like Zinn's messages. "She tries to bring messages that are realistic for people who are living now. ... She has a vision. She really researches it."
Jewbilation, which is registered as an ecclesiastical, nonprofit organization, runs on donations and specifically, annual pledges of $250 from participants.
Ed Vielmetti, was raised Catholic but has a Jewish partner and a son who is being raised Jewish. "It's not a terribly dogmatic group," Vielmetti said of those who attend Jewbilation services. "It is easy to think of it as a place to learn, much more so than a group who are all vigorously believing the same thing. ... It's just a great group of people."
Idelle Hammond-Sass, who is Jewish and whose husband, Dale, isn't, likes the informality of the services. She attends Jewbilation in addition to occasionally attending other area Jewish services. When she attends, she'll often sing and play her guitar at the close of services.
And Robin and Will Purves and their two children, attend because "we were looking for something for our whole family," Will Purves said. He is Quaker and Robin is Jewish.
"It sounded interesting and intriguing. ... Previously we hadn't done anything (organized) as a family," he said, though they had celebrated Jewish and Christian holidays at home. "Both Robin and myself like Lauren's talks on the Torah. ... She approaches things at a basic message level rather than from the perspective of this is the Jewish thing."
Lisa Klionsky may be reached at lklionsky@annarbornews.com or (734) 994-6852.
Jewbilation in the Washtenaw Jewish News (June 2002 Issue)
Jewbilation: Jewish Roots with Interfaith Wings by Rita Gelman
Jewbilation is a new fellowship of interfaith-minded families celebrating their Jewish roots and at the same time embracing their interfaith life choices. The first service, organized and led by Lauren Zinn, was held March 23, 2001, just two weeks after Lauren’s Adult Bat Mitzah. Sixty-five people (42 adults and 23 kids) attended the service. The response was very positive and resulted in another service two months later. Since then, the group has continued to celebrate Shabbat on a bimonthly basis.
Jewbilation serves the need for a family-friendly spiritual program based on Judaism but designed for everyone. Thus all ages and all faiths are invited. While most of those attending are intermarried couples or families, there are also families where neither partner is Jewish and families where both partners are Jewish. The service also attracts singles of all faiths, as well as the unaffiliated and the affiliated. There is no conflict with belonging to other congregations.
Naomi Gottleib Harrison, who serves as Jewbilation’s Treasurer, said, “I am enjoying meeting young families and having a slightly different experience. It has not stopped me from being active in Temple Beth Emeth and I don’t feel like I have to do one or the other.” Lorie Friedman likes that Jewbilation is small and has a family orientation experience with audience participation. Frank Zinn, raised Christian, said that it is a service for both sides of the couple; it is a Jewish service with like-minded people. Will Purves, a Quaker, said that he was looking for a group to meet their family’s needs. His wife, Robin Schultz, said it was very comfortable and met the spiritual needs of every family member.
Jewbiliation’s mission is “to welcome with open and fully accepting arms interfaith-minded individuals, couples, and families, who want a connection to Judaism. This connection takes the form of gathering together to bless and be blessed, to pray and to play, to learn and to celebrate a heritage. It is designed to inspire adults, engage kids, and educate everyone—all at once and all together. Everyone joins in songs, prayers, silence, chants, healing, and mourning rituals.”
A Jewbilation service begins with a song, and blessings over the candle lighting, wine and bread from Hebrew, English or transliteration. The Shabbat potluck meal follows. The kids are then divided into two groups, approximately above and below the age of 7 where they learn something relating to the service or the Torah portion. Cheryl Jacobs said Lauren asks them questions to get them engaged. It really personalizes the service and makes them think and talk about it. Robin Schultz Purves gives Lauren credit for being patient enough with people to explain and interpret in a way that is not condescending or preaching, but gives insight into the Torah Readings and aspects of Judaism. A Jewbilation service consists of foundational elements of a Jewish spiritual practice and reflects an interfaith appreciation. Following some music and chanting, the service lasts half an hour.
So far the plan is to continue offering 6 Shabbat Services and 1 Holiday (Sukkot) celebration each year. Jewbilation is incorporated as an ecclesiastic organization with non-profit status. Lauren sees Jewbilation as a spiritual home for those seeking connection to Jewish roots and freedom to explore all faiths. She also runs a Hebrew Literacy Program for adults and children.
Lauren is currently enrolled in the All Faiths Seminary and the Rabbinic Seminary International, both led by Rabbi Joseph Gelberman. In August she will be ordained as an interfaith minister and later as a Modern Rabbi. This makes for a Reverend-Rabbi. She will officiate at her first wedding this summer. She writes, “I want to give my husband a living appreciation and joy of Judaism as it is meant to be, and to give my children a Jewish heritage blessed with permission to learn from and live with all faiths and to feel Good and God about it.” For more information, call Lauren Zinn (734.996.3524) or Nikki Rosen (734.995.1963).
Jewbilation in Interfaith Family
http://www.interfaithfamily.com/article/issue126/dorfman.phtml
