Learning and Creating Spiritual Practices for a Tough Time (Open Beit Midrash)

Tuesdays, January 12, 19 & 26
7:00-8:30 PM on Zoom
Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer

In this class, we will form a supportive group of “encouragers” (as Reb Simcha Zissel of Ziv called them) to help each of us craft our own spiritual practice appropriate to the times we face, to each of our soul’s curriculum, and best suited to each individual’s practice persona. The instructor will provide a framework for our group by sharing some of what she learned from Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Humanists and other Jews about applying spiritual practices to the art of living well. We will learn both religious and secular approaches (e.g. Timothy Snyder’s, On Tyranny–twenty practices we can learn from Europeans in the thirties). We will help each other lean into these times with equanimity and courage.

Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer is Associate Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus and the founding director of the Multifaith Studies and Initiatives Program, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Through grants from the Henry Luce Foundation, she directed a program over many years: Cultivating Character: A Conversation across Communities. She is currently working on a multifaith book about ten paths to spiritual practice, organized by genre of practice(i.e.reading, writing, singing, moving, cooking/eating, connecting, travelling, creating, fixing/dissenting, pausing).

Register Now!

This class is offered as part of our Open Beit Midrash (Open House of Learning) series, which provides our community with a steady stream of learning opportunities that stir our hearts, ignite our minds, and inspire connections among one another. Our study is rooted in Jewish text and carried out through hevrutah (partnered) learning. 

From November 10, 2020-May 11, 2021, we will gather every Tuesday night for learning. Each class in the series meets for three consecutive weeks and is facilitated by a different teacher.  All texts are provided in the original language and in English translation, giving each hevrutah (learning pair) the ability to move at their own level and pace. All sessions will meet on Zoom until further notice.

For a full list of courses offered and to register, click here.