Nisan reflections
On March 22 at sunset, with the new moon, we mark the beginning of the Jewish month of Nisan. Rosh Hodesh Nisan Reflections A Poem by Melanie Gruenwald While we are planting seeds and sweeping corners liberation taunts the narrow thoughts that hold me back Burning the chametz that weighs me down […]
Pre-Tending
by Dr. David Sanders In her article, Many Masks, Many Selves, Professor Wendy Doniger relates the following: “When Ronald Reagan auditioned for the role of the President of the United States in the 1960 Broadway production of Gore Vidal’s play, The Best Man, about the presidential election, Vidal turned him down because he didn’t think […]
Celebrating our differences: Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (JDAIM)
In February, we celebrate Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. (JDAIM). As the Executive Director of a forward-thinking organization, and having had a son with disabilities, I often feel like I know of what I speak. However, a well-meaning student highlighted ‘ableist’ language in a curriculum I shared, and it gave me pause. First, […]
Planting Hope
by Dr. David Sanders Carob is an acquired taste especially for a child. Every year, in the winter, on the holiday of Tu b’Shevat (Festival of New Trees) we were treated to raw carob. Most of my classmates after one bite promptly spit it out. After years of doing the same, I started to like […]
Kabbalah Experience Tu B’Shevat Seder
This Tu B’Shevat Seder, created by Dr. David Sanders, guides the reader with poetry, song, food, and reflections on the mystical four worlds, and how we traverse them. Tu B’Shevat is one of the four new years on the Jewish calendar, celebrating the birthday of the trees. It often falls in Jan/ Feb, when the […]
For All These Things
by Melanie Gruenwald For all these things A song by Naomi Shemer Every bee that brings the honey Needs a sting to be complete And we all must learn to taste the bitter with the sweet. On this fifth secular anniversary of our son, Koby’s (of blessed memory), death—showing up to class was the first […]
Holding Opposites
by Dr. David Sanders It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the […]
Practicing Awareness
by Melanie Gruenwald Last December 31st, Salomon, Hannah, Micah and I spent New Year’s Eve together. We each took a moment to write a personal note to our future self, reflecting on hopes and dreams for 2022. I was sifting through a kitchen drawer this morning and found these letters. I can’t wait to bring […]
Last Supper
by Dr. David Sanders If this was the last day of your life, would you spend it the way you’re spending today? ~Oprah Winfrey These last few weeks I enjoyed the heartfelt, personal responses of students to a prompt on contemplating their own death. Specifically, they were asked to “choreograph the day of their death […]
LGBTQ+ Safe Zone
by Melanie Gruenwald Kabbalah Experience is proud to be participating in the Denver-Keshet Leadership Project. Keshet is a national organization which works for the full equality of all LGBTQ+ Jews and families in Jewish life. (Keshet means rainbow, in Hebrew.) KE chose to make this year-long leadership initiative a priority, as it aligns with our value […]