During this time of plague, we are challenged by isolation, economic distress, and the deaths of friends, family members, and strangers. Jewish Wisdom offers tools to help us cope.
Please join us every Thursday for Jewish Wisdom For Coping with a Pandemic. You will experience calm, connect with others, and gain insights from the Jewish spiritual practice of Mussar on how to remain present, and show up as your best self, even in the most trying of circumstances.
Each week we will focus on one Mussar soul trait (character trait) to give us a lens for both understanding and action. People of any faith, age, ethnicity, or gender are welcome. Please invite your friends.
For security reasons, registration is now required.
You will also get access to the American Mussar Newsletter, which comes out twice a month with a preview for the weeks topic and an update on my Mussar journey. The weekly Jewish Wisdom For Coping with a Pandemic was inspired by your responses to the blog post Mussar Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Why we are gathering
During the pandemic, we are forced to physically distance ourselves for others, while being told to stay “socially distant.”
Social distancing? Ouch! Words matter, and this word choice is a disaster.
At the beginning of the book of Genesis, we see that the world was created with words, and indeed part of our task is to use our words to create the kind of world we want to live in. And I for one, want a world of social closeness.
We need each other right now. We need a place where we can talk 1:1 with someone about what is going on, to someone who will listen without judgement. Which is exactly what you’ll experience in Jewish Wisdom For Coping with a Pandemic.
Meeting Info
Thursdays from 4-5 PM Pacific time/7-8PM Please register above for the zoom link.
Jewish Wisdom Meeting schedule and archive.
Watch past sessions on YouTube or read ahead if you wish.
March 19th: Coming together to cope with the pandemic
March 26th Finding our proper place and space with Humility.
April 2: What it really means to practice Patience in a Pandemic
April 9: Passover Edition: Practicing Enthusiasm to escape your personal Egypt. Chapter 7 in The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions Read matching blog post here. Watch video of session here.
April 15th: Practicing Trust in a time of high stress. Chapter 8. Blog Post. Video
April 23: Loving-Kindness for the self and others. Blog post Video Chapter 9
April 30: Seeing the Truth of what is, and from another’s perspective. Blog Chapter 10
May 7: Honor. Blog post Video on Youtube Chapter 11
May 21: Gratitude: Video on Youtube
May 28: Order: Blog post Video
June 4: Silence Owning My White Privilege Video
July 16: Equanimity. Blog Post Video
July 23: Yirah/Fear of Consequences Video
July 30: Yirah/Awe of Majesty
Please go to YouTube for the videos for the remainder of 2020
About the facilitator of Jewish Wisdom For Coping with a Pandemic
Do I need to prepare ahead of time for Jewish Wisdom For Coping with a Pandemic
No – just come! If you’d like to read ahead you may, but the point of the gathering is to experience community, connection, and calm. And there will be a few insights to help you as well. If you’d like to read to supplement what we are doing, the chapters from The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions are supplied.
What if I don’t know anything about Mussar or Jewish teachings?
Just come! We learn Mussar by doing, and the gathering is structured so that people with any level of background information can participate equally. It is about experiencing calm, connection, and gaining a few insights to help you cope with the current situation.
Hi Greg, I missed the June 4th meeting. Any chance you would be posting a recording here?
The Divine has been revealing its presence🙏Thank you Universe🙏❤️😇