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Elliot Kukla

@elliotkukla

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Diasporist rabbi & author. Read my upcoming books: THE HEART LIVES BY BREAKING, Fall ‘27 (schocken @aaknopf); THE LAZY DAY, May 4, 2027

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I’m thrilled to finally share this news with you all. I am so appreciative of the dream team of support that helped make this happen including my brilliant agents @toddhshuster and Jack Haug @aevitas_creative, the wonderful @benjambments and the whole team at Schocken and @aaknopf and my wise partner @abtraubweinby who makes all the things possible.

The title is derived from a poem by poet laureate Stanley Kunitz “In a murderous time/the heart breaks and breaks/and lives by breaking.” It speaks to the particular murderous moment we are living in right now, as well as the timelessness of heartbreak and the resilience and hope that can be found when we learn to live wholeheartedly with the inevitability of loss.

ID: A publisher’s Marketplace Deal Report. A light blue box with a dark blue border and blue font reads: Rabbi, chaplain, and disability activist Elliot Kukla’s THE HEART LIVES BY BREAKING, exploring how hidden, unexpressed grief haunts our lives and our society, and offering a dynamic, practical framework for living more fully with loss, drawing on ancient spiritual wisdom, the contemporary science of bereavement, and the lived experience of mourners and professional caregivers, to Ben Hyman at Schocken Books, at auction, by Jack Haug and Todd Shuster at Aevitas Creative Management. ID: A publisher’s Marketplace Deal Report. A light blue box with a dark blue border and blue font reads: Rabbi, chaplain, and disability activist Elliot Kukla’s THE HEART LIVES BY BREAKING, exploring how hidden, unexpressed grief haunts our lives and our society, and offering a dynamic, practical framework for living more fully with loss, drawing on ancient spiritual wisdom, the contemporary science of bereavement, and the lived experience of mourners and professional caregivers, to Ben Hyman at Schocken Books, at auction, by Jack Haug and Todd Shuster at Aevitas Creative Managemt by @elliotkukla

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a year ago

I am thrilled to finally share this announcement about this dream project. I am so excited to bring the story of the wisdom I have learned from disability culture about slowing down as a parent to others. Deep gratitude to all the people who are helping make this happen: my wonderful editor @courtneycode, my awesome agent @toddhshuster and Jack Haug at @aevitas_creative, the brilliant @fairywulf and of course my first editor and partner in a life perusing laziness: @abtraubweinby

Alt text: Publishers Marketplace
Category: Children’s: Picture Book Fiction
THE LAZY DAY By Eliot Kukla, Shelly Swann
Imprint: Abrams Children’s
Deal Report
October 31, 2024
Rabbi Elliot Kukla’s THE LAZY DAY, about a girl who learns the secret to being mindful and enjoying a lazy day with her chronically ill Papa and his wheelchair, illustrated by Shely Swann, to Courtney Code at Abrams
Children’s, for publication in fall 2026, by Todd Shuster and Jack Haug at Aevitas Creative Management for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers- Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world). Publishers Marketplace
Category: Children's: Picture Book Fiction
THE LAZY DAY By Eliot Kukla, Shelly Swann
Imprint: Abrams Children's
Deal Report
October 31, 2024
Rabbi Elliot Kukla's THE LAZY DAY, about a girl who learns the secret to
being mindful and enjoying a lazy day with her chronically ill Papa and his
wheelchair, illustrated by Shely Swann, to Courtney Code at Abrams
Children's, for publication in fall 2026, by Todd Shuster and Jack Haug at
Aevitas Creative Management for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-
Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world). by @elliotkukla

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2 years ago

Camp Doikayt is already taken, y'all - we need more name ideas!! Full announcement coming soon - this will be a weeklong sleepaway adventure for grades 3-8 in Marin County, near the SF Bay Area. Please drop your name ideas in the comments! EDIT TO ADD: Interest form here if you want to send kids to camp or collaborate in some way! https://bit.ly/4yWR2r4 by @elliotkukla

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23 days ago

Repost from @rabbis4ceasefire
•
When we gather on Yom Kippur to beat our chests for our sins, we stand before God as humans created in the divine image, not only as Jews. Our obligation to accept responsibility for the sins of our fellow humans against one another, the planet, and God extends beyond our Jewishness. When we atone for the genocide in Gaza, we do so not because a Jewish state is committing it, but because it is happening at all.

How do we atone for a genocide still unfolding? For a genocide denied?

We honor the dead. We demand remembrance. We cry out as our ancestors did, awakening the Source of Life from sleep or inattention or distraction. We lift up the memories of the ones who have been killed - their loves, their homes, their dreams, their work, their words.

We recommit to fight for the living. We refuse to be complicit or complacent. We will not be silent or numb. We recommit, in the presence of sacred community, to break the chains of oppression in our time, not only with prayer and intention, but through powerful action and consistent solidarity.

One way that the High Holy Days invite us to do that is by giving tzedakah, a practice of material solidarity toward collective safety and freedom for all people.

Please join us and be part of the High Holy Days Tzedakah Campaign that aims to raise $180,000 to keep the Gaza Soup Kitchen running for the duration of the High Holy Days. This will help to provide nourishing meals, essential supplies, water, and dignity to families in Gaza who are facing hunger, displacement, and despair.

So far, we have together raised $84,000. Gratitude to everyone who has already donated.

Please contribute and pass it on to three friends today.

Together we can help fight starvation in Gaza.

LINK IN BIO by @elliotkukla

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a month ago

We're celebrating the harvest and waving wands to summon rain - a little bit early! - this Saturday in Oakland. This is our last open session for September - if you're interested in our year-round program, this is a chance to come check it out without committing! Sign up at acornshabbat.org/join-us to get the exact location! taken in Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, California by @elliotkukla

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a month ago

Lilith x @heebmedia x @rabbinicfitcheck is delighted to present the 5787 High Holiday Lookbook! We asked your favorite Jewish feminist rabbis what they were planning to wear for the High Holidays—and how they made their choices.

Rabbi Elliot Kukla’s top three considerations when dressing for the High Holidays are:

💫 An outfit that is festive for the holidays and authentically me. There are very few holiday fashion role-models for non-binary people like me. For much of my life I felt like I had to choose between cosplaying a man or a woman to feel dressy. Luckily, many more designers are making gender flexible clothing today. As I enter my fifties, I am grateful that I finally know how to dress like myself for every occasion.

💫 Clothing that reflects my values. As a rabbi, my clothing is a billboard during the holidays (and really all year round). Everything I wear is scrutinized and commented on so I want to seize this opportunity to wear clothes that broadcast what I believe in. I always wear an item of Palestinian solidarity like this tallit from Rabbis for Ceasefire’s Yizkor action. I also decided to stop buying new clothes this year, especially fast fashion, which has huge impacts on the climate crisis. Instead I wear second-hand high quality items that will last, like this sustainably made Story Mfg jacket that I thrifted online.

💫 Clothes that look good and feel great. As a disabled rabbi with chronic pain and fatigue, everything I wear must be comfortable. This outfit could double as pajamas! I’m a chaplain and I often lead holiday services for people in hospitals, hospices and nursing homes who are in pain and distress. I look for soft fabrics and warm inviting colors, this helps me find comfort in my own body and invite others into this experience of ease.

Pictures:

1) Full body shot including: fall leaves jacket from Story Mfg, wide leg grey corduroy pants from Folk, shoes from John Fluevog, and tallit from Rabbis for Ceasefire. Photo by Lindsay Puddicome.

2) Closeup of the back of my tallit.

Check back through the Days of Awe for more looks ⭐ by @elliotkukla

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a month ago

Join us to celebrate Rosh Hashanah & kick off a new year of wild food, culture, and resistance! This is an open session - everyone is welcome, whether or not you’re joining us for our full-year program. This year, we’ve got some extra challenges & adventures for older kids, and a new cohort for littles! (Will this involve making apple, honey, and olive oil ice cream in the woods? There’s only one way to find out.) Register at acornshabbat.org/join-us! by @elliotkukla

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2 months ago

Cover reveal! I am so thrilled to finally share that THE LAZY DAY, a picture book I wrote, is now available for pre-order from @abramsbooks. It will be published on May 4, 2027

It’s a story rooted in the wisdom of disability culture that encourages all kids—and parents—to make space to slow down, be present, and find beauty in their world. It’s inspired by my experiences parenting with chronic pain and fatigue.

I am so grateful to @fairywulf who brought this story to life with so much love and created these incredible illustrations. Thank you to our wonderful editor @courtneycode @abramsbooks , and the unwavering joyful support of my agents Todd Shuster, Jack Haug and the team @aevitas_creative . This story would not exist without the unconditional support of my family who spends their lazy days with me through flares and fun, as well as the wisdom of my disability community who taught me to rest.

As you may know pre-orders are especially important for a book like this! So please support disability art and order your copy at the direct link in bio.

#disabilitypride
#diversepicturebooks
#disabledparent The words “The Lazy Day” swirl in blue across a sunset sky. Underneath smaller purple font reads by Elliot Kukla; illustrated by Shelly Swann. These words frame a picture of a papa and his kid (Daisy) lying on the grass watching the clouds in the sunset shaded by two large trees. The papa has a soft round belly, brown facial hair, light brown skin and glasses. Daisy has brown hair and light brown skin and is wearing a hoodie. They are both pointing at clouds. Papa’s portable electric wheelchair leans against one tree and Daisy’s bike leans against the other tree. by @elliotkukla

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2 months ago

Repost from @rabbis4ceasefire
•
YIZKOR: Third annual mass public ritual of remembrance, refusal, and recommitment

Yom Kippur 2026/5787
Monday September 21st, 3:30pm ET

Brooklyn, NY and Livestreamed
(location upon RSVP)

Wear white clothing. Bring a small stone.
All are welcome.

*****
This Yom Kippur, we gather for the third year in a row to remember the lives of those taken too soon and too violently from this world. Each person is a whole universe, brimming with dreams and joys and hopes for the future.

We will gather in refusal and resistance. To say no to Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, no to ethnic cleansing, no to human-made famine, no to ever-expanding war, no to the use of United States tax dollars to bomb entire families, no to war criminals in our city, no to all forms of state violence.

We will gather in recommitment. To steady and care for one another, to feel our grief and build our capacity to act with creativity and courage, and to embody Judaism at its most liberatory, as we stand in loving solidarity with Palestinians and all oppressed people.

This Yom Kippur, though our grief, outrage, and despair, let us turn our most holy of holy days into a mass mourning, collective atonement, and dignified action.

**

Co-sponsoring organizations:
Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, Rabbis for Ceasefire, IfNotNow, Shoresh, Congregation Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, The American Council for Judaism, Jewish Voice for Peace, JVP-NY

Multi-faith allies:
Christians for a Free Palestine NYC, Judson Memorial Church, and others.

Art: @pollinator_press_art

LINK IN BIO! by @elliotkukla

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2 months ago

May their memories be a a blessing. And may we someday live in a world where all children’s lives are seen as valuable as our own. #stopkillingchildren
Repost from @euromedhr
•
In the tenth month of the ceasefire, the Israeli military killed at least 13 children in #Gaza, an average of one child every two days, most of them while they were sleeping in their homes, which were directly targeted. Hundreds more were injured, lost their homes and were displaced in July alone. by @elliotkukla

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2 months ago

WARNING: I got hacked! If you got a party invite from me its phishing and don’t open it. Sigh its dangerous out there. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you to everyone who is sending me helpful notes about this or wanting to come to my party. by @elliotkukla

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3 months ago

Grateful to be in Philly for this moment. Join me if you are there. #Repost from @alissashira#
Philly please join @rabbis4ceasefire @jvp_philly @prayersforpeacealliance tomorrow to bring public ritual into the streets, and to demand a more just and liberatory world for all.

Tonight begins Tisha b’Av - a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples. This year it comes the same week that Israeli settlers attacked a mosque in Masafer Yatta¹ setting it on fire along with Palestinian homes. This is in addition to the over 1050 mosques Israel destroyed in Gaza since October 2023.

We know that our mourning is incomplete if it does not include the loss of Palestinian life and livelihood, of Palestinian sacred spaces. Our fasts must pave the way toward teshuvah, toward action in defense of the sanctity of human life. by @elliotkukla

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3 months ago