It’s Official! Shema Koleinu announces High Holy Days 5772!

It’s been a long time in the making!
7 years ago, I performed my first wedding.  6 years ago, I performed my first Bat Mitzvah.  Today, I am so proud to announce the official launch of “Shema Koleinu“, our non-profit synagogue-like organization that provides outreach to South Florida’s Jewish and Interfaith/Intercultural unaffiliated community.  After several years [...]

Changing lives is easy!

You would think it takes sheer genius, or a miracle, or a huge revelation, to truly cause a shift in someone’s life, right?  Not so much.  Try a simple, single act of giving, and see what that does – not only for the person receiving your gift, but for you – when you take part [...]

Unaffiliated Lifecycles? One Cantor’s view…

I just came across a well-written post by a Reform Rabbi in Washington, DC, in response to the recent NYT article that seems to be hitting a lot of nerves around the world.  While I recognize that some of my colleagues provide this as a fast track, meaningless way to substantiate a monstrous party – [...]

Thanks is for Giving

I was reminded of this by a friend and colleague of mine, who has written (and is soon to be arriving in bookstores) a book called   1000 Mitzvahs:  How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change your Life.  I’ve always admired Linda for realizing that sometimes it is the small things that [...]

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

Reading back over some of my past blogs, I was reminded of one of my all time favorites.  Given that the topic is so prevalent again, today, and I have so many new readers, I wanted to bring it out of hiding, and into the forefront again.  Enjoy!
Reprinted from August 17, 2008 by cantorballard
On the heels [...]

Traveling with a ketubah? Read this first!

I’m happy to re-print an article written by Daniel Sroka, the amazing artist from ModernKetubah.com.
I work with so many Destination Brides, and I know that so many brides must encounter this challenge when they are getting ready to travel for their weddings.
If you are in the ketubah market, I highly recommend Daniel’s work, as an [...]

Where did summer go??

My biggest challenge this year has been to maintain any consistency in my writing.  I seem to get really inspired to write, and post a ton of blogs at one time, and then I get so busy, that every time I go to write, I am wiped out clean of any inspiration to be creative, [...]

My Someday Syndrome interview with Alex Fayle..

My friend, Alex Fayle, is a great motivator and a true inspiration.  He takes things we all struggle with, and breaks them down into really understandable language.  I wanted to give his interview a try, and see what I came up with, and he just published it today.  Now that it’s a few weeks  later, [...]

FINALLY got my Jim & Jade videos straightened out

For anyone who kept telling me that my video links were all linking to the same one, I finally got the links straight from CBS4.!
These were from last summer, when Jim & Jade were doing a Monday morning segment, called “In Your Faith”.
Unfortunately, it was cancelled, but I really had fun doing the segments.  Click [...]

Let me introduce myself!

Up until now, you might have known me as Cantor Debbi Ballard, or Debbi, or even Cantor Debbi.  Well, I have an alter ego you may not know, and might not have even guessed existed.  Lots of people read my Facebook page, and see all the great things I am constantly doing, and they would [...]

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