Future Shock and Jewish Life Expanding our vision of synagogue life as antidote for Future Shock Rabbi Nicolas Behrmann Table of Contents Future Shock Personal and Seasonal Change Antidotes for Future Shock – “Jewish” Human Survival Direct coping Personal Stability Zones Situation Grouping; (18) Crisis Counseling (2i+) Life Situation Groups Jewish Issue Oriented Growth Groups…

Steps to Creativity (the Sephirot) The kabbalistic model of creative process, both Divine and human, is depicted by ten sephirot with twenty-two pathways linking them. It is called a “Tree of Life.” It was crystallized by Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as The Ari, and his circle in the Galilee Mountain town of Tzfat in the sixteenth century. (Alexenberg,…

Conversation # one“does not fear that he will be stripped of his emotions if he becomes Maimonides and re-experiences his Judaism: he is not concerned less he abandon rational thinking because he temporarily refeels the mystic fervor of Isaac Luria. He can be both the Vilna Gaon poring over the folios of the Talmud and the Ba’al Shem Tob who communed with all…

Despite great odds and powerful forces, the Jewish people has survived for thousands of years. During its historical experience it has mastered the art of change and continuity as its members have lived in both times of tranquility and times of crisis. It has survived among its many variations: The ability of the Jewish people…

Art found Jewish activity in the middle man roles of buying and selling significant artists and collection. Then in the Jewish artists, six of whom were among the “Degenerate Art” community denigrated by the Hitler regime. Escaping from Nazi oppression and death, artistic refugees found acceptance and opportunity as expanding financial well-being made midcentury modern…

The Hebrew word Avodah jointly means work, worship, and service. The various usages of this Hebrew word, found first in Genesis 2:15, tell us that God’s original design and desire is that our work and our worship would be a seamless way of living. (https://tifwe.org/avodah-a-life-of-work-worship-and-service/#:~:text=The%20Hebrew%20word%20avodah%20jointly,a%20seamless%20way%20of%20living.) “Cyber ReligionCyber Avodah We tend to think that the only…

Creativity is a mitzvah of necessity in our times, especially in light of the pandemic of Covid. Creativity is a response to the impact of future shock and the trauma of the life changing virus which has radically transformed our daily lives.   Creativity is a mitzvah of necessity in light of what it has meant…