Rabbi Janine's Messages

Dear Community, 

I think often about my personal relationship to writing and how it connects with spirituality. Many of the great spiritual thinkers who have influenced me are also great writers. I find solace in opening up any book written by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and reading how he describes the experience of Shabbat. I love the ways Mary Oliver teaches us how to notice the world around us with her poems describing the natural world. I am in awe of Yehuda Amichai's use of deceptively simple language to explore the most confounding questions about life, love, and loss. 

Spiritual writing isn't just about a close relationship with the Divine. Elie Wiesel, for example, uses writing as a testament to faith and the resilience of the human spirit. His seminal Holocaust memoir Night preserves the memory of those who were lost while challenging our own understanding of humanity and the complexities of belief in the face of horror. 

Writing serves as both a personal and communal means of exploring our spiritual journeys. It allows us to articulate beliefs, confront doubts, and seek deeper understanding. That is why I am excited to invite you to join me in December for a course we’re calling “Writing as a Spiritual Practice.” For three weekly sessions - December 3, 10, 17- we will read and discuss how other authors write about spirituality, try out different writing and meditative practices, and use prompts for our own writing inspiration. 

Classes will be virtual and open to the public, so feel free to spread the word.  We ask that everyone please register by December 1.
To register: https://www.kehilathanahar.org/form/spiritualwriting 

Please join us tonight at 7 p.m. for Kabbalat Shabbat. Our Intern Miriam Ginsburg will be co-leading and giving the D'var Torah. This service will be hybrid. 

Tomorrow will be our Tots and Kids program at 10 a.m. In-person only. 

Shabbat Shalom, 
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Rabbi Janine Jankovitz