THE Midrashist-IN-RESIDENCE TEACHES A FOUR-SESSION COURSE DURING THE SUMMER INSTITUTE, IN ADDITION TO LEADING COMMUNITY-WIDE PROGRAMMING.
Hazzan and Community Chaplain Sabrina Sojourner has been leading services, teaching, and cultivating curiosity within Judaism for over 10 years. She’s led services, taught, and been a featured speaker at retreats and Shabbatons, including the Jewish Multiracial Network, Nehirim, women’s retreats at Isabella Freedman, and the National Havurah Chesapeake Retreat.
A feminist writer, educator, and storyteller for most of her life, Sabrina says, “At this point, I don’t have a form. I allow the subject of my writing to dictate the form.”
Colleagues and congregants describe her approach to text as interesting and challenging, pushing herself and others to go beyond and beneath assumed narratives to uncover connections, contradictions, and to enter the space where the ideas live together and speak to one another. “Even if you disagree with where we end up, the journey and the discussion is very rich, and you can’t help but be changed by it.” J.M.
Sabrina is also a former lecturer in Women’s Studies at San Francisco State University and has a national reputation as writer, speaker, facilitator, and thought leader on diversity and multiculturalism. Based in Rockville, MD, she serves the Charles E. Smith Life Communities campus and unaffiliated Jewish families in the Greater Washington, DC area and across the country.
Sabrina is highly respected by her colleagues for her natural leadership, authenticity, compassion. Her multiple musical and liturgical influences enable her to provide meaningful services that reach the diversity of her congregants and makes everyone feel welcomed; included. Her storytelling and performance pieces are crafted to create a larger vision of who we are as a people, spiritual beings, and – she hopes – inspire us to take better care of ourselves so that we take better care of each other and the planet.
Currently, she is curating her three seasons of Omer writings to create a reflection notebook by next season.