Clear as Kristallnacht
by Dr. David Sanders The world I knew, the one I counted on, turned upside down in the aftermath of the genocidal attack on Jews who were residents or just visiting near the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday, 7 October. My older sister, who lives in Israel, told me the next day that it was […]
This is the Order of the World
The Sages taught: On the day that Adam the first man was created, when the sun set upon him he said: Woe is me, as because I sinned, the world is becoming dark around me, and the world will return to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. And this is the death that was […]
October Lamentation
by Dr. David Sanders For these things do I weep, My eyes, my eyes, flow with tears Far from me is any comforter Who might revive my spirit My children are forlorn, For the foe has prevailed. This lamentation I have read privately and publicly so many times to the haunting tune of the […]
Pay Attention!
by Melanie Gruenwald This semester, I am teaching the Base Awareness and Kabbalah of Mitch Albom classes for Kabbalah Experience. I always love to see how classes overlap. (Paying attention to what’s showing up definitely helps inspire blog posts!!) In Base Awareness, we’re working our way up the tree of life- starting with Malchut. […]
In the Image of the Cosmos
by Dr. David Sanders A story is told of King Ptolemy of Alexandria (second century BCE) summoning many learned Jewish scholars to translate the Torah from Hebrew to Greek. He placed them in separate rooms to check on the veracity of their translations. When they came to the verse “Let us make the human being […]
Creativity in the Tree of Life
by Melanie Gruenwald This summer, I created and facilitated a course called Isha al Achota, As a Woman Faces her Sister. It has been a wonderful process of discovery– exploring primary texts and contemporary voices, which bring alive the spirit and the energy of women in our tradition. I am particularly struck by Rabbi Tirzah […]
Ken, Barbie, and the Tree of Life
by Dr. David Sanders On the insistence of my wife and daughters, I went to see Barbie. Barbie? Why? I knew more about that doll than them. My sister had Barbie dolls and at some point a Ken doll. Barbie was not part of the culture my wife grew up in and our daughters never […]
Tree of Life: Malchut
by Melanie Gruenwald The Tree of Life is constantly surrounding us. We just have to be aware of it. I’d like to start with two stories. Several weeks ago, our family was cycling in the Courage Classic, a bike tour in the mountains of Colorado, to raise support for Children’s Hospital Colorado. I […]
Celebrating Swifties
by Dr. David Sanders I was barely six years old when they arrived. It was called an invasion. I am referring to The Beatles hopping over the pond and landing in New York City in February, 1964. Along with some 70 million Americans my family watched them perform on the Ed Sullivan show. That was […]
Five Sacred Minutes
by Melanie Gruenwald I recently re-started a practice of journaling every day for five sacred minutes. I sit with my journal, some pens that bring me joy, set the timer on my phone and write uninterrupted for five minutes. I started this practice when I was reading The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. The […]