The beauty of Jewish – “done right”

I just read Rabbi Lev Ba’esh’s post over on www.Interfaithfamily.com, one of my most favorite Interfaith relationship resources, and was touched by how similar our experiences and positions are on performing Interfaith ceremonies.
Anyone who reads my story on my website, www.mypersonalcantor.com, knows that when I married Wayne, my Christian ex-husband, the list of available Rabbis [...]

Another Havdalah Bat Mitzvah, times 2!

After the amazing wedding in St. Pete, I rushed right back to South florida, to get ready for Rachel and Mara’s Havdalah Bat Mitzvah.  Rachel and Mara are sisters, almost 2 years apart, who prepared for their special day together, and it was a great experience, for them, and me.
I always learn from my experiences, [...]

The Mitzvah Project Blog

One of my Bar Mitzvah students, Jared, has decided what he wanted to do for his Mitzvah project for his Bar Mitzvah.  He has decided to create a blog that lists and numbers all of the good deeds he performs.  But, not only that, he is going to recruit other kids and adults around the [...]

Taking inventory, saying thanks, and planning a new year

I was sitting here, thinking of all the overdue posts I have to write about, and all the organizing and task lists that need to be handled, and I realized that before I did one more thing, I wanted to reflect on what has made this month incredibly amazing.  Because, without the events of this [...]

Z & E’s B’Nai Mitzvah – Another favorite for sure!

I just can’t figure out how each ceremony I do becomes my favorite!  I have so many favorites, I just don’t know how to classify them all, and this past Shabbat morning was no exception!
E&Z (names removed for privacy) – A brother/sister team that shared their special day quickly worked their little ways deep into [...]

I’ll have a double helping of upbeat spirituality – hold the dogma!

On the heels of my blog about “What do we want from Hebrew Schools”, it becomes evident that our view today on religion, as a whole, has experienced a tremendous shift.
USAToday’s recently published article tells us that Americans lean more towards the upbeat, positive aspects of faith, while moving farther and farther away from dogmatic [...]

What DO we want from Hebrew Schools?

Gary Rosenblatt, Editor of The Jewish Week, wrote an incredibly insightful and timely article today, that I felt compelled to finally write about, after giving this much thought for oh – 20+ years or so.
Even though the work I am doing is moving rapidly in that direction, I have been somewhat fearful of putting [...]

About Cantor Debbi Ballard

I have a rich and varied background that brings me to where I am today. As a child growing up in a Conservative Jewish community, I was mesmerized and transformed by the musical experience of singing in synagogue with my family. Our Jewish holiday celebrations and lifecycle events became the most special [...]

Havdalah Bar Mitzvah delight

Recently, a Party Planner I worked with last year, Lynn Goldberg, called me to ask if I would officiate at a Bar Mitzvah for one of her clients. They had recently moved down here from New Jersey, didn’t belong to a synagogue, but were planning a private Bar Mitzvah for their son, [...]

Miracles do come true…

Today was one of those red circle days on the calendar. Life seems to have revolved around today, and I’ve pushed through May, sometimes feeling like I didn’t even take the time to breathe. This morning, I felt totally overwhelmed with my upcoming commitments for the day, and now, at 9pm, the day is past, [...]

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