Crafting, mending, and making are all ways that Léah Anita Rachelle Miller partners with the divine in the continuous work of maaseh bereshit. As a lifelong textile artist and crafty mender, they understand the practice of mending as both materially necessary and metaphorically essential to the work of transformation. Mending is about making amends, teshuvah, repair. We see what was and what can be in the same moment, stitching our way into the future we’ve imagined. We can only get where we’re going by accepting our imperfections, staying in the mess, and leaning into curiosity.
As a Reconstructionist, Léah builds their life and Judaism around our motto of “deeply rooted, boldly relevant.” Their rabbinate aims to center dignity and agency — empowering people to take tradition into their own hands while honoring ancient and communal wisdom.
During rabbinical school, Léah has brought their warm, curious, and musical presence to a variety of Jewish communities. This year, they have been the rabbinic intern at Reconstructionist affiliate Kol Tzedek in West Philadelphia. Previously, they have served at the PA Poor People’s Campaign, Reconstructionist affiliates SAJ in New York City, Or Haneshamah in Ottawa and Temple B’nai Abraham in Bordentown, NJ. Before rabbinical school, Léah graduated from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in queerness and language, which explores our relationship with identity labels. They were often found climbing into dusty lighting booths or swinging around a folk dance floor.
These five years have served to teach Léah the torah of obligation and commitment to relationship as they deepened ties with beloveds, old and new. Léah is so grateful for their tangly family tree, weaving together so many different models of how to be a human (and so many different places to visit — LA, Chicago, Paris, NY, Bruxelles, AZ, Philly, SF, NJ, OH, Berlin!). Barukh hashem that this beautiful chrysalis of rabbinical school has also blossomed alongside finding a person to walk with in this life. Rachmiel was born to be a rebbetzin, and Léah can’t wait to learn how to be one back.
Grounding wisdom:
וִיהִי מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם
Let the awe of heaven be upon you. — Pirkei Avot 1:3
בִּמְקוֹם רִנָּה, שָׁם תְּהֵא תְּפִלָּה
Where there is song, there is prayer. — Berakhot 6a
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. — Mary Oliver
Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing, and let us say amen. — Debbie Friedman
קָרוֹב יְיָ לְכָל־קֹרְאָיו לְכָל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָאֻהוּ בֶאֱמֶת׃
Hashem is close for all who are vulnerable, for all who honestly cry out. — Psalm 145:18
