How do we empower ourselves to make courageous and meaningful decisions? Cost: $79
01/ SARAH Navigating life can be tricky, and a moral and spiritual life—even trickier. All humans suffer from unconscious bias; we can be too close emotionally to our internal trees to see our forest with full objectivity. An episode in the life of our matriarch Sarah reveals that this is a struggle for even the best and brightest of individuals. This lesson analyzes a puzzling slice of Sarah’s story to reveal a literally G‑d-sent solution. Monday, Nov 13, 2023 | 7:00 PM 
02/ RIVKAH It’s every spiritual seeker’s impasse: We want to live meaningful, soul-inspired lives, but we cannot survive without meeting our material needs—and those tend to swallow our time and focus. Rivkah saw an unbridgeable fissure playing out in the lives of her twin sons, and solved it. As long as our matriarch Sarah was alive, a light burned from one Shabbos eve to the next; blessing was found in the Challah dough; and a G‑dly cloud hovered over her tent. When Sarah died, these miracles ceased, but when Rivkah came, they resumed. Monday, Dec 11, 2023 | 7:00 PM 
03/ ROCHEL Infants arrive in this world primed to receive, not to make sacrifices on behalf of others—and the extent to which individuals outgrow that mindset varies widely. Does Judaism expect us to make personal sacrifices to benefit others, and if so, to what degree? This lesson analyzes the fascinating life of our matriarch Rachel—referred to lovingly for millennia as our collective “mother”—for inspiration and guidance on the value of acting altruistically. Monday, Jan 8, 2024 | 10:30 AM 
04/ AVIGAYIL Being advised that we are acting incorrectly is an inescapable feature of life—as is the reality that we will sometimes have to tell others what they did wrong. This lesson probes the dramatic story of Avigayil, a brave and wise woman who rebuked an angry king on his way to battle and prevented disaster. Her approach reveals a profound and empathetic motivation that should underline any rebuke, and spills Judaism’s secret of successful intervention and redirection. Monday, February 12, 2024 | 7:00 PM 
05/ ESTHER Each human owns resources: talent or time, funds or friendship, position or personality, significant supplies or simply a smile. Are they truly ours? Which of them does Judaism expect us to devote to a higher purpose, and to what extent? This lesson consults Queen Esther for advice from her personal experiences in the Persian palace. Her answers are transformative, and guide us toward a comprehensively meaningful existence. Monday, March 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM 
06/ BATYA Cohesiveness, community, conformity. Judaism promotes these as sacred values with enormous benefits, but not if they lead to morally repugnant results. It can be difficult to recognize the pull and resist the pressure of society. A solution to this common quandary was born in an unlikely place: the palace of the pharaohs. This lesson analyzes a moment in the life of heroic Princess Batya that provides us with tangible tools for handling the pressure. Sunday, April 8, 2024 | 7:00 PM 
07/ RUTH Are we supposed to squeeze life for the maximum pleasure and convenience? Is there anything wrong with selecting the easiest, least burdensome path at each personal crossroad? This lesson examines the story of Ruth, a former Moabite princess who voluntarily became a destitute Jewess. Ruth teaches us the huge advantage of shouldering instead of shirking responsibility; of choosing covenant over convenience and eternal over easy. Monday, May 6, 2024 | 7:00 PM
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