As we face record-breaking temperatures this summer in the UK, and with Europe on fire, we might be feeling scared about the future of our planet, as we begin to really feel the affects of climate change and ecological collapse in the global North. Turning to our Jewish tradition, specifically Hasidism, the spiritual strand in our tradition emerging from Eastern Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries through to today, we may find resourcing and inspiration for how we face the crises of today. Understanding our own role within our ecosystem and our relationship to the more than human world, we will read Hasidic sources that enable us to face what Jewish poet Marge Piercy calls the “searing heat of our time,” through turning towards nature, belonging, and place. We will read Hasidic homilies (recordings of oral sermons on the parsha) in the original and in translation, building skills for understanding them. As we finish the festival of Sukkot, we will embrace our temporary dwelling here on this earth, and how we might leave it in a better place than we found it, through wisdom from our spiritual tradition. This course will be great for new and more seasoned learners.
This class will take place online.
14, 21,28 October 6.30-8pm
Yael Roberts is an artist and Jewish educator. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Creative and Critical Practice at Sussex University titled Beyond Borders: Hasidic Imaginings for Diasporic Belonging. She has taught in informal settings and synagogues across the UK over the past decade. Azara is always a highlight of her summer. When not teaching or in the studio she enjoys gardening, cycling around London, and baking vegan Challah.
