Rabbi Michal Morris Kamil of Ahavat Torah in Los Angeles didn’t have a typical childhood. Her Irish and British parents were Israeli diplomats, and they’d travel all around the world for work. The rabbi spent time in India, New Zealand, U.S. and Sweden with her family.
“I was very blessed with parents who gave me the chance to be a world traveler at a young age,” she said.
From her parents, Morris Kamil also learned about social justice. They were youth movement leaders, and she was always encouraged to give back.
“I was brought up in a home where changing and fixing the world were part of what we ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said. “My parents were not religious, but my father would be able to teach you the Torah from a social justice point of view.”
When Morris Kamil was older, she worked with at-risk youth and disabled Israeli veterans, and became involved in Connecting Communities Plus, a government program that supports refugees and asylum seekers.
It was important for her to contribute; she lost her mother when she was 16 and her father when she was 26, and she relied on her community for support during those tumultuous times.
“I was orphaned very early,” she said. “The Jewish community stepped up. It was an incredible lesson in Jewish community ethics and g’milut chasadim, acts of loving kindness.”
Morris Kamil said that because of her mother, she decided to become a rabbi after years of working in social justice organizations. When her mother passed away, she was buried in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Morris Kamil was not invited to be part of the reciting of Kaddish because it was an Orthodox ceremony, and traditionally, only men would say it. It was ironic, considering that her mother was a feminist and activist.
“I swore I would continue her battles,” said Morris Kamil. “I spoke about that burial and funeral in my rabbinical ordination. I spoke about why I became a woman rabbi.”
Morris Kamil graduated from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California this past spring. She started at Ahavat Torah, where she was an intern, on July 1 following Rabbi Miriam Hamrell’s retirement. At the synagogue, she will serve 85 families and continue her social justice work with her congregation, who has taught Torah to women prisoners, distributed food to those in need, participated in blood drives and implemented eco-friendly practices into the synagogue.
“I say ‘You shall love your fellow being as yourself.’ Some people translate it as neighbor or friend, but I say fellow being for inclusion. You want people to celebrate each other, including their differences.”
“Ahavat Torah had taught me in my training that we must live for now in our kindness and praise of one another, and not leave it to when we pass to discover the learning, teaching and inspirational experiences each of our journeys has contributed to who we are,” she said. “It’s a lesson for all us to really learn about one another now and the impact and light that shines upon one another.”
The rabbi is excited to find new causes for the synagogue to become involved in as well as discover ways the congregation can express their progressive Zionist outlook.
“We have a small and mighty community of activists,” she said. “We found a common language very early on. They are mensches with a conscience. They walk their talk. It’s incredible.”
Throughout her life as an activist, the Torah teaching traditionally translated as “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” has always spoken to her.
“I say ‘You shall love your fellow being as yourself,’” said Morris Kamil. “Some people translate it as neighbor or friend, but I say fellow being for inclusion. You want people to celebrate each other, including their differences. That’s in the Torah. If you have love at your base, then you have acceptance, which is what we need in this world.”
Fast Takes with Michal Morris Kamil
Jewish Journal: What is your favorite Jewish food?
Michal Morris Kamil: Israeli salad.
JJ: How about your favorite British food?
MMK: My favorite drink is shandy. It’s a mixture of lemonade and beer. It’s very British. Food-wise, chocolate.
JJ: What’s your top vacation destination?
MMK: Israel is home. But I love Ireland and England because they are also part of my DNA.
JJ: What do you do on your day off?
MMK: I see family and friends and new places. I volunteer. If someone needs help, I jump in. I don’t think twice.
