 Season
New Season Starting These days, it seems like nothing has a shelf life longer than a week. Every day brings another superhero franchise, fashion trend, or dieting fad. News cycles shift by the hour, social media feeds and timelines by the second. With everything flickering, flashing, and constantly updating, it’s little wonder life sometimes feel so impermanent. For me, there’s no better way to slow things down than to pull back, if only for short while, and try to see things from a more timeless perspective. Our own Jewish traditions are filled with so many breathtaking insights, and they won’t fade away into irrelevance in a few days. Connecting to our own heritage, and ultimately to a divine wisdom, makes the all very human things we do feel richer, more meaningful, and part of something longer lasting. The Torah Studies program at the CALGARY JLI tries to make this happen every single week. Each class takes a topic or idea in Jewish thought to explore, tease out, and bring into play with our own lives. Each one is built around texts that we’ll learn together so that you can see these ideas for yourself, argue over them, and apply them to life your own way. Below, you can see an outline of a few of the upcoming sessions, and I’d love if you could join me for what promises to be a fun, engaging, and deeply rewarding learning experience. They are open to everyone, of all abilities, so bring along a friend too! Looking forward to greeting you at our in-person or online class,
Rabbi Mordechai Groner
Classes are IN-Person
 MONDAY, April 17 2023 The Process of Redemption News Flash: It's Already Underway When two Torah portions both seem to be misnamed, you can bet something deeper is at play. Indeed, this double anomaly teaches us an important lesson about healing and rebirth: the process begins a lot earlier than you might imagine.  MONDAY, April 24 2023 Children Are Small Adults It's Never Too Early to Start a Jewish Education It's a common mistake: parents don't really take their children seriously, and one day, boom!: they're all grown up. Understanding just how developed children are at already very young ages is a clarion call for parents to get serious about their education.  MONDAY, MAY 1 2023 Jews Don't Pray. They Daven. G‑d Is Not a Vending Machine 'Daven' a mysterious word with uncertain origins, is one of those glorious terms that convey the heart of Jewish prayer. More than just a chance to ask G‑d for stuff, or a stuffy experience in a hard-backed pew, the Jewish conception of prayer is that it is a heartfelt and spiritually exhilarating opportunity to connect with G‑d.  MONDAY, May 8 2023 "Pull Yourself Up by Your Own Bootstraps," They Said. It's a Lie. You Can't Jump Out of Your Own Skin. Get an Objective Opinion. The 'self-made man' is one sacred cow long drilled into our collective psyche. A curious omission of a key family member on an important list of relatives in the Torah leads to an enlightening and honest conclusion: you can't mentor yourself.  MONDAY, May 15 2023 Leadership Lessons: Personal, Local, and Global A Multifaceted Discussion on Leadership "What's a good leader?" is the type of question you debate with cab drivers and family members at Thanksgiving dinner. A long list of leaders in the very beginning of the Book of Numbers kicks off this lively and informative exploration of this important topic.  MONDAY, May 22 2023 Judaism: No Longer Playing Defense Minyan at the Airport: You In or Out? When G‑d gave the Torah, He nominated every Jew as a king. The original Chasidic master, the Baal Shem Tov, provides a blueprint for a Jewish attitude that sees a world not in opposition, but rather as a loyal subject to her king, G‑d, and His Torah.  MONDAY, May 29 2023 Unleash Your Power Every Individual Is an Entire Collective A tribal prince offered a sacrifice millennia ago on Shabbat, and we're mining the lesson ever since. It's time to give yourself permission to feel important and significant. Your every action matters and cosmically so.  Monday, JUNE 5 2023 Passing Up the Bonus If It Costs the People, It's Not Worth the Gain Suppose the 'masses' are slacking off, and you now have the opportunity to distinguish yourself and shine. Would you do it? From a glaring narrative hole in the parshah, we learn that a true leader would never do that. His or her fate is always with the people.  Monday, June 12 2023 To Commit, To Question, or . . . Both? A License to Question Isn't a License to Reject If to think is to question, to discover, and reject when necessary, to accept and obey means to not think. So how do we approach religion: accept without thinking, or question and challenge? The story of the spies provides the answer: both.  Monday, June 19 2023 Power to the Little Guy Why Judaism Cherishes Ordinary People over Holy Saints Jewish history and lore is replete with sages and saints, and with matriarchs and patriarchs. But let's face it: most of us are never going to be any of the above. Where's our place in Judaism? The quelling of Korach's revolt surprisingly tells us that it's actually front and center.  Monday, June 26 2023 Trauma, Trauma, Wherefore Art Thou? Reframing the Past to Fortify the Future Shoving trauma under the rug is never a good idea, but dwelling on it and letting it dictate your life isn't either. An entire parshah named after a famous villain shows us how to strike a healthy balance between fleeing and facing a traumatic past.  Monday, JULY 3 2023 Why You Must Learn from Your Own Mistakes Some Things Cannot Be Taught. They Must Be Learned and Earned. "You got burned trying to go the cheaper route? I told you it wasn't a good idea!" said every parent to their child. But that's life: to really appreciate something, we sometimes have to learn it the hard way And so it is with our relationship with G‑d: it cannot only be taught; it must be learned and earned. 
YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF JEWISH INSPIRATION
Torah Studies is a program of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute |
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