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 Like, comment with your biggest insight, and subscribe for more conversations that turn love into action. Connect with Rabbi Amy: Kehillat Israel, Los Angeles Follow our socials: Instagram / / andnowlove.podcast Facebook / / And Now Love Podcast Youtube / / @AndNowLovePodcast TikTok / / and.now.love.podc

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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