God in This Place and I Did Know: Tools for Spirtual Guidance

GOD IN THIS PLACE AND I DID KNOW: TOOLS FOR SPIRTUAL GUIDANCE

Rabbi Shohama Wiener, DMin Kallah 2016 Syllabus Outline (in progress)

Each session will begin with music and meditation, and have a theme.

REQUIRED BOOK: Seeking and Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual Guidance and Development, Eds. Rabbi Goldie MilgramRabbi Shohama Harris Wiener, ReclaimingJudaism Press, New Rochelle, NY, 2014.Purchase through

(preferred) or Amazon.com

REQUIRED CHAPTERS TO BE READ PRIOR TO KALLAH: See listings for each day. Please take notes.

GOALS: To learn to discern messages from the Divine, and develop a toolbox for maintain and increasing access.

TUESDAY

Listening for the movement of Spirit. Hashgachahpratit and synchronicity.

Tools: Mirroring, being nonjudgmental

Readings:

1) Ellen Kaufman Dosick, “Co-Creating the Sacred Container,” pp. 235-40.

2) Barry Bub, “The Lament: Hidden Key to Effective Listening,” pp.45-58.

WEDNESDAY

Accessing Spirit through the Four Worlds

Yearning, hitbodedut and other spiritual modalities

Readings:

1) David Daniel Klipper, “Encompassing the Four Worlds in Jewish Spiritual Direction,” pp. 91-94.

2) Shohama Harris Wiener, “Connecting God's Names and My Name: A Spiritual Journey,” will be send by email and/or posted on the Moodle

THURSDAY

Spiritual Practices(middot, blessings, prayer)

Readings:

1) Howard Avruhm Addison, “Transparencies of the Divine: Formation, Contemplation and Spiritual Guidance in the Teachings of Rabbi Shalom NoachBrazovsky,” pp. 261-72.God in the everyday.

2) ZalmanSchachter-Shalomi, “Guidance for the Mashpia, pp. 24-25.

3) Joyce Reinitz, “Using Imagery in Hashpa’ah,” pp. 133-41.Imagery for spiritual transformation.

FRIDAY

Guidance from other dimensions

The angelic Ish – text study and sharing

Readings:

1) Shohama Harris Wiener, “Guidance from Other Dimensions of the God-Field: Ancestors, Angels and Guides,” pp. 223-234.

2) Shulamit Fagan, “Sharing an Inspiring Story in Hashpa’ah,” pp. 183-88.Story of her deceased parents sending signs.

FOR ONE UNIT OF ALEPH CREDIT (Aleph ordination students):

Required Reading post Kallah:

Any two books of Jewish spiritual memoirs

Suggestions:

1) ZalmanSchachter-Shalomi, My Life in Jewish Renewal: A Memoir

2) Tirzah Firestone, “With Roots in Heaven: One Woman’s Passionate Journey Into the Heart of Her Faith”

3) Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom

4) Dani Shapiro, “devotion: a memoir”

all available on Amazon.com.

EXTRA CLASSES: Participate in three post-Kallahvideoconference sessions, 2 hrs.each, during July & August

FINAL ASSIGNMENT & PAPER: Journal experiences of Spirit during twenty days of the month following Kallah, as well as an analysis of these experiences and how they relate (or don’t) to the spiritual memoirs you chose to read.