Omer Learning Initiative 2010
Tikkun Hanefesh V'Olam - Growing the Soul: Self, Community and World
Beginning on the eve of the second day of Pesach, we are instructed by our tradition to count the days of the “Omer” until the fiftieth day, which is when the first barley crop would be harvested. It is also the Jewish holiday of Shavuot when, according to our tradition, the Jewish People received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. The counting of the Omer is a bridge between Pesach and Shavuot – between a moment of liberation and a moment of self-definition and direction at the beginning of our evolution as a religious civilization. It is an opportunity to deepen our study and close the gap between ideas and action for the tikkun (rebalancing, repair) of the challenges we face in our world.
Beginning in 2005 through the Departments of Tikkun Olam/Social Justice and Congregational Relations' PEARL initiative, hundreds of participants and commentators from JRF congregations, RRA rabbis and RRC faculty, and the larger Jewish world, have participated in the JRF On-Line Omer Study Initiative!
The 2010 JRF Omer Learning Initiative, (part of PEARL, www.jrf.org/PEARL) highlights resources, teachings, and wisdom gleaned from the Reconstructionist movement and our organizational partners, on topics connected to Tikkun Hanefesh V'Olam - Growing the Soul: Self, Community and World. This approach to tikkun (repair, balance, holistic) is a centuries old integrated Jewish approach to healing and fully realizing one's life (physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually) while being actively engaged with the healing and well-being of the community and world we are part of.
The areas of focus in this year's initiative compliment the previous years' where the focus was in the areas of Jewish wisdom, hunger, sustainability and a wide-range of social justice issues. Indentifying the the areas of focus has come from various congregational relations and tikkun olam department surveys of our clergy, lay leaders, and past-participants, in concert with areas we at JRF have seen our member congregations and havurot struggle with, ask for help and resources from us the most, or grow and thrive in- as we strive to building sacred communities of meaning, connection and dynamic Jewish life.
This year, the teachings arrived in one electronic packet at the beginning of each week and ongoing learning took place through the accompanying study listserve.
For additional information please contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit (SZevit@jrf.org) at JRF, 216-591-1886.
Omer Project: "A House of Prayer for All Peoples": Diversity in Growing Sacred Community Thu. Apr 1, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Spiritual direction : "Growing God-ward" Wed. Apr 7, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Sustainable Living 3.0 Wed. Apr 14, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Varieties of Spiritual practice Thu. Apr 22, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Liturgy and Prayer Thu. Apr 29, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Growing Self and Community through Creativity and the Arts Thu. May 6, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Omer Project: Growing Spirituality in Education: Learning Across the Lifecycle Thu. May 13, 2010 12:00 PM ET
Tues. May 18, 2010, 12:00 PM ET
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2009 Omer Initiative: From Study to Action (http://www.jrf.org/omer/2009)
2008 Omer Initiative: From the Values and Spirit of Tikkun to Community Building (http://jrf.org/omer/home)
2007 Omer Initiative: Environmental sustainability (http://jrf.org/omer/2007)
2006 Omer Initiative: Hunger and povery (http://jrf.org/omer/2006/intro)
2005 Omer Initiative: Pirke Avot (http://63.115.67.94/pirke-avot/index.html)
