This four-week online cohort over the Hebrew month of Adar II (March/April) is an invitation to anyone looking to heal wounds around Jewish identity, or seeking a new vision for what being Jewish could mean as we face the future of a world in deep distress.

Dates: four Sundays— March 10, 17, 31; April 7* (* no class March 24 (Purim))

Duration: 90 minutes per session

Time: 10 am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 7pm Central Europe

Location: Zoom (link to follow once you register)

Price: Sliding scale $120-$240

Speaking of a “crisis in Judaism” is nothing new: it can often seem as if to be Jewish has always been to wonder about Jewishness itself. Quite aside from other groups pondering (in a not-so-loving way) what to do about the “question” of us, questions like “what is a Jew?” and “how should a Jew live?” and “what is our mission as a people?” have been ongoing concerns throughout our history. Still, there does seem to be something heightened about how these questions are manifesting today. 

Israel’s assault on Gaza has brought Zionism’s contradictions to the fore and exposed just how much of Jewish identity and life has become unhealthily wedded to a rigid and often cruel nationalist narrative. Even for those who oppose Israel’s actions, there is the dawning of a highly uncomfortable question: who would we be without this belligerent state that purports not only to act on our behalf, but to define who we are as a people?

On the other side of the ideological river, many Jews who stand with Palestine proudly do so from the vantage point of a pro-justice Jewish identity—think of the slogan “Not In Our Name”. Relatively few of us are entirely sure what we would want our names to be used for. The question we face is the mirror image of the one Zionist Jews are facing: without Israel as a force to oppose, who would we be?

And then there’s the perennial issue of Judaism and God. Unlike most religious identities, Jewishness seems to allow for a great amount of non-religious and even anti-religious sentiment while still maintaining core parts of the tradition. Many Jews look forward to reciting the ancient texts and songs of the Pesach seder every year, yet manage to participate in an entirely secular way, devoid of any devotion, yet full of passion and thoughtfulness. Whatever our personal history with religious education and practice, what sort of future do we want to envision for this spiritual aspect which is, historically at least, the very core of what it means to be Jewish?

Themes to be explored include: the nexus of ancestral and personal trauma and what it means to truly heal; how we relate to the Jewish (and human) longing for belonging; alignment and intention from both a spiritual and secular perspective; how we can relate to the Divine no matter our explicit belief system; how ancient Jewish wisdom and ritual might apply to our current crisis of Jewishness; and much more!

Hosting this interactive community container will be Hadar Cohen and Daniel Maté, each a  practitioner of their own carefully developed technology for human alignment. This will be a transformational space where people can share their pains, sorrows, challenges, hopes, and questions about who we are as a people. Jewish people of all denominations, identities, and backgrounds are welcome.

Learn more at https://www.malchut.one/offerings