Meet Rabbi Alicia Magal. Rabbi Alicia is a very recognizable ‘Face’ of Sedona… Rabbi at the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley. She is well known as one of our community Spiritual Leaders and is often seen as a guest speaker at many local events.
Q: What is the most valuable contribution to the Sedona community?
A: When I first arrived in Sedona in December 2005 to apply for the position of rabbi, I was amazed. I said “I could live here!” I walked into the sanctuary of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, and I said, “I could pray here!” During the first service that I led, I looked around and felt as though I knew everybody. I felt an immediate sense of connection. Now, I’ve been here over 14 years, and have developed what I would consider a very authentic and intimate community. The Synagogue is its own “vortex” because people come together to create a community as well as to have an extended family. Many members of our congregation have relatives in other places, so we rely heavily on each other during times of joy, sadness, and when we need loving support. As a rabbi, I have to be sensitive to people’s needs and honor their privacy. Our community in Sedona helps each other. There’s a sense of reaching out to the broader community as well, and doing good such us volunteering, bringing food, collecting items for the homeless, collaborating with other faith organizations for wider community projects, and assisting people, regardless of religion, in times of need; especially now during this crisis with the virus.
Q: What do you believe is the real job of being a Rabbi?
A: To my surprise, I found that the liturgy I have studied, the history, the prayer book contents, the ability to lead services and life cycle events, are not the only things that people expect. Rather, I need to draw on all my life experience and bring a kind of calm and uplifting presence to people in an authentic and heartfelt way. I have found that I am a channel for blessings. During services, the blessings I offer are related to the Torah portion for the week. It may be about the Exodus, going out from restricted places of oppression to a new stage of not-knowing in the wilderness, or about building a holy space, a tabernacle in the desert, or whatever the Torah portion is teaching. Suddenly the person in front of me will receive this blessing, and I don’t know what it is until after I say it. Other times, I offer blessings just in the moment, sensing what is appropriate for a specific individual. So here is a blessing for you, Gary:
“May the One who blessed our ancestors with connecting with the Divine and translating a vision of the sacred into a beautiful object and helping others see the truth also bless you. You have the talent to take a flat surface and turn it into something vibrantly alive, communicative, and expressive. May you use your ability, your eyes, your wisdom, and your tools to bring out the best in everyone, giving them the joy to see the reflection of their soul.”
Q: What advice would you give to people?
A: Each of us is blessed with the gift of life and the gift of having a pure soul. There is divinity within us. If we can connect, then we can have an elevated conversation. There won’t be a need for fear, anger, hurt, threat, or grudges because we will be able to see that everyone comes from a higher purpose. We each have different ways of getting there, different avenues, and different gateways. I believe in building bridges and opening doors. Whatever our spiritual background, we need to find an area of shared understanding, compassion, and appreciation. Then our days will be filled with light.
Q: Do you have high expectations for yourself?
A: Sometimes I am down, but then I count on my work, my study of holy texts, my interactions with people as a rabbi, to get me back up. I’m inspired each time I look at the beauty of Sedona, and I wonder what it took for the Creator to make this place, a holy place for all of us to enjoy. The one thing we all have in common in this community is the willingness to preserve that beauty and share it with others. I have a kind of “unrealistic optimism” that keeps me hopeful and constantly reaching out to people.
Q: What scares you about our world going forward?
A: That my children and grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the kind of freedom and choices that we’ve had in our generation. If we don’t guard nature, take care of the threats to ecology; teach our heritage to the next generation, what will happen? Will there be air, food, clean water, and a sense of awe and religion in some form for the next generation? Will they be able to communicate, not just through electronics, cellphones, and computers? Will we be able to listen and learn from each other face to face? Will they look to the wisdom of past ages to inspire them?
Q: If someone is visiting Sedona for the first time, where would you take them?
A: Besides the beautiful view, I would share the Synagogue with them. Not only do we have holy artifacts, an Ark containing Torah scrolls, a beautiful carved Eternal Light, the Ten Commandments, but together, we can view the mountains, and see (in the morning hours on a bright sunny day) Moses in the Mountain – God’s sculpture. Then, I would take them up to the airport to look at the view, and more than likely take them hiking on one of our beautiful trails.
Q: Where would you take them for lunch?
A: I would take them to Javelina Cantina, Sound Bites, Szechuan, and maybe drinks at Steakhouse89A. Perhaps also wandering around Tlaquepaque for “retail nourishment.”
Q: What do you appreciate about Sedona?
A: Appreciating and supporting the Sedona Arts Center, the Sedona International Film Festival, and the newly formed FAMoS – the Fine Arts Museum of Sedona. There is a real community mindedness in Sedona, many non-profit organizations that seek to enhance our lives in the areas of the arts, nature, social justice, and diversity. People should find out about the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona which does so much to help people invest locally – “Give where you live,” is their motto.
Q: Anything that you want to mention that we haven’t asked?
A: It’s a miracle that I’m alive! As you may know, my mother was a Holocaust survivor. I feel so lucky that I can do this kind of work. Years ago, I would not have been allowed to be a rabbi, and in other places and times could have been killed just for being Jewish. I am very fortunate to be here at this time, in this place, and to have the freedom as a woman. I can vote, be a spiritual leader, and bring joy and the beauty of my heritage to others in my generation and the generations to come. I am so grateful for all these blessings, and wish to share blessings with other souls.
Rabbi Alicia Magal
Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, Arizona, USA
928 204-1286
