Patrick Aleph

Hi, my name is Rabbi Patrick "Aleph" Beaulier. This is a little bit about me.

I am a progressive Jew

As someone who believes in the importance of mixing Jewish customs with innovation, I prefer to be defined by what I believe in, and not what I choose to reject.

I believe that there is an experience that is a part of us, and yet entirely beyond us. I call this experience "God"

I choose to call this experience God, because it best encompasses my understanding of that term. I have no problem with people who choose a different term, or who understand God in a different way. Holiness is not mutually exclusive.

For Judaism to survive, it must innovate

We honor God and the Jewish tradition by recognizing and celebrating its innovative nature. Judaism has served as a national identity, a spiritual practice and a cultural framework, but always open to new ideas and ways of interpreting itself. We should not be afraid of the innovation that is built into the very framework of Jewish life.