November PoWR Member Spotlight: Rev. Theresa “Rivka” Gevurtz
Rev. Theresa “Rivka” Gevurtz is a core faculty member at The Chaplaincy Institute, overseeing the Sacred Justice Ministry curriculum. A Jewish woman and LGBTQ+ advocate, she is also an interfaith minister and is the Spiritual Director at Shelter for the Spirit. Rivka has been working at the intersection of interfaith and social justice for more than 30 years.
What does being a Member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions mean to you?
“I am delighted to be participating in this auspicious occasion. We are in such a critical time for justice and freedom throughout the world, and to have so many wisdom traditions coming together and calling us into sacred action gives me hope.”
Why is interfaith work important to you?
“I have learned that when people of good faith and conscience come together for the welfare of marginalized communities, with compassion and conviction, we are able to change hearts and minds in miraculous ways.”
How do you try to advance the Parliament’s mission: of interfaith cooperation and creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world?
“As a faculty member of one of the oldest interfaith seminaries in the country, it is my privilege to empower seminarians to live into their prophetic voices and become effective allies to those they serve as chaplains, spiritual directors, and community ministers. We can only do that when we recognize our own areas of privilege and unconscious bias, as well as how we participate in systemic oppression wittingly and unwittingly.”
What would you consider to be a best practice, resource, or knowledge you would like to share?
“We, as spiritual caregivers, need to become keenly aware of how trauma is a significant factor not only in the oppression of marginalized communities but in particular, how our traditions have caused religious trauma, compounding other sources of generational and collective trauma as well as moral injury to those working within systems of oppression.”
Are there any resources you’d like to share?
“We, at the Chaplaincy Institute, are planning to expand our existing Sacred Justice Ministry coursework, into a new certificate program which will launch in the summer of 2024.”
Learn more about The Chaplaincy Institute’s Social Justice Ministry curriculum: https://chaplaincyinstitute.org/sacred-justice/
Connect with Rivka at:
Email: rivka@shelterforthespirit.com
Facebook: Shelter for the Spirit
Instagram: revrivka
LinkedIn: Rev. Theresa “Rivka” Gevurtz, MDiv
