|
|
Greetings! We'd like to share great news with you! Congratulations to our own Rabbi Rachel Cowan and the Wise Aging program on being recognized by Slingshot as one of the "most inspiring and innovative organizations, projects, and programs in the North American Jewish community today." |
| |  | |
Daily Life in the Big Apple 
As Psalm 94 so succinctly puts it: God knows that human plans are futile. Instead of spending the week learning with Art Green and other teachers on retreat, we came back home to witness the overwhelming destruction swept in by the hurricane. I and the other Institute staff were very, very lucky; we experienced very little of the direct fury of the storm and a great deal of concern and love from so many people from all over the world.
In the midst of the tremendous losses all around, I am noticing the role of waiting.
Sometimes waiting is not simply passivity or wasting time. Sometimes, even though it is frustrating, painful or anxiety-producing, it just takes time to let the things we have experienced work their way through our souls. Waiting too can be holy work.
Of course, there are things to do while we are waiting: reaching out to loved ones and neighbors, contributing money and effort towards taking care of those in need and rebuilding, not to mention voting next week and thinking again about climate change. But those are all human plans. We have an opportunity to remember that sometimes the deep transformation can begin to emerge not from impulsive action, but rather precisely from the slow, difficult work of waiting.
Lisa Goldstein
Read Lisa's full post on Sandy. |
| | | |
|
Prayer Retreat - New Lower Cost!
November 15-18
Lake Delton, WI
All inclusive $200
 Join us for an incredible retreat exploring prayer - and what it might mean for you - regardless of theological belief.
How might attention to language, poetry,
metaphor, music and meditation shape one's spiritual experience while praying?
With Rabbis Jordan Bendat-Appell, Lisa Goldstein, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller and Dr. Diane Tickton Schuster.
Thank you to a generous donor for enabling us to make this retreat available to more people at a lowered cost!
|
| | | |
Register now to keep receiving the Institute's weekly text studies
...The argument of the lesson is that we have the capacity to be like Abraham: to align our will with God's, to experience God's favor always. Yet, the distractions of daily life, our propensity to run after fleeting pleasures and material desires, alienate us from sensing God's favor. We can, like Eliezer, acknowledge our mistake, and pray for God's favor. If we do so with a pure heart, we can be assured of receiving blessing, as if through Abraham.
I have included the last section that connects this dynamic to Shabbat as it will be an ongoing theme in our study of Birkat Avraham. It is quite likely that most of the teachings we will study were delivered at the third meal, shalosh se'udot, on Shabbat afternoon. The Zohar identifies this time as ra'ava deravin, the time of deepest desire, of the greatest favor (ra'ava is the Aramaic cognate of ratzon)....R. Avraham is inviting us to see our lives clearly, offering the promise that if we wake up, we can taste of the divine will, share in God's favor.
 Moments pass,
Days become years, Life begins and ends.
In this there is no choice.
But every day, in every encounter, we make a decision: Where we will offer our most precious gifts-- Our time, Our love, Our devotion?... ...Go down to the well, the parsha calls, Go deep and find what is yours to give. And when rising up, be discerning. Notice what offerings come from fullness And what offerings spring from "shoulds" and "have tos" that are not kind or true. Notice when the offerings result in depletion and disconnection And when they inspire further generosity, honesty and love. Moments pass, Days become years. This is our one life, right now. [Register now to continue receiving either or both texts] [Click here to read the first five weeks]
|
| | | |
|
|
|
October / November Resources -
Practices for Resilience around Loss
As some of you know, October is a month designated to honor a number of causes. It is National Breast Cancer, Domestic Violence, AIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness, and Pregnancy Loss and Infertility Awareness month.
And we entered November in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with thousands of homes destroyed, people out of power, and lives changed.
It seemed an appropriate time for resources and practices for resilience around loss.
Please visit our website for a selection of Jewish resources.
|
|
Upcoming Retreats
Exploring Prayer for Non-Believers (open retreat)
Nov 15-18
Philadelphia Hevraya One Day Retreat
December 10
Retreat with Sheila and Ezra Weinberg
December 21-23
Silent Shabbat (open retreat)
January 11-13
Hevraya Retreat
January 13-17
Practicing Gratitude
(open retreat)
January 17-20
|
|
Updating Contacts
Are you receiving emails at two addresses (or more) and would prefer to get them at just one? Fill out this quick three question form and we can clean up that problem for you. Thanks! [ Multiple Email Addresses]
|
|
|
|
|
We know that your inboxes are overflowing (ours are too),
so we try to be very conscious about limiting the number of emails we send. Please take a second and like us on Facebook
to stay current with all Institute offerings. Thanks!
And make a donation to join us in growing this essential work
across the country!
|
You are on this list because, over the years, you have either opted in on our website, attended a retreat with us, or asked us to keep you up to date about Institute news. Please know we respect your privacy and will never share your contact information; you can unsubscribe from this list at any time with the links below. If you have any questions, or would like to change your email address, please email sadie@jewishspirituality.org Thank you for your time.
Institute for Jewish Spirituality / 135 W 29th Street, Suite 1103
New York, New York 10001 / 646.461.6499 | |
|
|
|
|
