Building Bridges Speaker Series Program 2026-27: Lech Lecha: Journeys of the Soul
Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s annual Building Bridges Speaker Series returns on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with a new six-part series exploring the theme Lech Lecha: Journeys of the Soul.
The free webinars will be held on selected Sundays from November through April, from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM Pacific Time, via Zoom. The November, March, and April sessions will also be offered live and in person in Victoria, with access to the global audience through a hybrid livestream.
Lech Lecha literally means “Go forth” or “Go to yourself.” The phrase marks the moment when Abraham is called to undertake a physical and spiritual journey, leaving behind all that is familiar to seek a new destiny in relationship with the Divine. In a historic time marked by rising antisemitism, this call speaks urgently to the responsibility and courage needed for renewal.
Please register for each event individually. Registration link is available after each event description.
Meet This Year’s Exciting Line Up of Speakers
Rabbi Matthew Ponak, The Jewish Spiritual Seeker: Journeying Away and ComingHome, Sunday, November 1, 2026 — live in Victoria and on Zoom
Rabbi Ponak, a teacher of Jewish mysticism, spiritual counselor, and author based in Victoria, will explore why many Jewish seekers leave the community—at least for a time—in search of wisdom through meditation, yoga, psychology, or other contemplative traditions. He will consider how emerging forms of Jewish mysticism and practice can offer an embracing home that welcomes, rather than rejects, the insights discovered along the way. Rabbi Ponak is the author of Embodied Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism for All People and The Path of the Sephirot.
Click HERE to Register for this session
Adam Kirsch, Reclaiming Zionism after October 7th, Sunday, December 13, 2026 
Since October 7, critics of Israel have made the term “Zionist” so toxic that many Jews are reluctant to use it. Adam Kirsch will examine the history and meaning of Zionism and consider why it remains crucial to a better Jewish future, both in Israel and throughout the diaspora. Kirsch is a senior editor at The Atlantic and the author of several books on Jewish literature and ideas.
Click HERE to Register for this session
Melinda Ribner, Turning Pain Into Blessing, Sunday, January 10, 2027 
In the face of personal trial and challenge, Melinda Ribner will consider how we can deepen our understanding of who we are and transform pain into blessings for ourselves and others. Her talk will explore how to move beyond anxiety, despair, and victimhood toward greater empowerment, love, resilience, and gratitude. Ribner is an author, spiritual counselor, meditation teacher, and pioneering voice in modern Jewish meditation. She is t
he founder of Beit Miriam and the author of eight books, including Turning Pain into Blessing and Living in the Divine Flow.
Click HERE to Register for this session
Shira Kline, The Treasure Map of You, Sunday, February 7, 2027
Calling all curious Lech Lecha journeyers, Shira Kline invites participants to follow the compass of ancient story as they explore their own personal “treasure map home.” In this immersive session of story and song, participants will be encouraged to listen to their intuitive voices and take courageous meaning-making leaps. Kline is an internationally acclaimed performance and ritual artist, revolutionary educator, storyteller, musician, and co-founder of Storahtelling and Lab/Shul. She serves as Lab/Shul’s spiritual leader in New York City and received the Covenant Foundation Award in 2024 for her contributions to Jewish education.
Click HERE to Register for this session
Prof. Wayne Horowitz, Back to Babylon: Pathways from Ancient Exile to the ModernDiaspora, Sunday, March 7, 2027 — live in Victoria and on Zoom 
The history of the Jewish people begins with Lech Lecha, God’s command to Abraham and Sarah to leave the city of Ur in Babylonia and journey to the Land of Israel. Generations later, ancient Jewish communities were established near Ur as a result of the Babylonian Exile. Prof. Horowitz will examine what these ancient communities have in common with modern Jewish communities throughout the diaspora. Professor Emeritus of Assyriology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Horowitz specializes in the religion, literature, and sciences of Ancient Mesopotamia. He also studies Indigenous astronomy in northern North America, particularly among the Gwich’in First Nation.
Click HERE to Register for this session
Rabbi Lynn Greenhough, Our Sacred Shalshelet: Jewish Rituals Linking Life and Death,Sunday, April 4, 2027 — live in Victoria and on Zoom 
Jewish rituals take us from bedside to gravesite, to shiva, and beyond as we move from life into death and back into life. Rabbi Greenhough will explore how these rituals support mourners and provide a map for navigating the journey back into life. Recently retired as rabbi of Kolot Mayim, she has been a member of Victoria’s Chevra Kadisha for three decades and has taught and written about Jewish burial, mourning, cemetery practices, and
liturgy. She will draw on her experiences as a rabbi, Chevra Kadisha member, daughter, mother, sister, and friend.
Click HERE to Register for this session
—
Building Bridges is presented as a free public series, with support from the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island and the Isaac and Sophie Waldman Endowment Fund. Donations are gratefully accepted. Pre-registration is required.
We hope you will join us for this thoughtful and engaging series on the many dimensions of the Jewish journey.
