First of all, an apology for not having written since April. I have not given up on this project. The truth is, my financial situation changed somewhat back in March, so I’ve been spending the time that I used to spend on this applying for jobs and to programs for next year. I have more substantial posts lurking in the recesses of my brain, though, and hope to find time to write them up before too much time passes. Thank you for staying with me.
In the meantime, another note about an upcoming event related to this blog. See below!
There is what looks like a fascinating evening on “Jewish psychology” at the Begin Center, cosponsored by Beit Morasha of Jerusalem and The Rotenberg Center for Jewish Psychology. I am especially interested in the film portion of the evening, and in the panelists speaking about loss and bereavement from an educational perspective and from a midrashic perspective.
I am not 100% sure about this whole “Jewish psychology” thing. I know that it is a field created by Professor Mordechai Rotenberg. A little bit is written about it here. I recently bought two books about Jewish psychology, both published in Israel and written in Hebrew, and have been working my way through one of them (very slowly). “Jewish psychology,” as a field, might be ridiculous or, even worse, dangerous. I am deeply curious, though. I know that it is based on ideas from midrash, kabbalah, and hassidut, and I am generally of the belief that classic Jewish texts have psychological and emotional truths to teach us (and we, them). I am wary, though, of attempts to reject Western psychological ideas, since I think that those ideas have done me, and many others, a lot of good. (I am less wary of attempts to correct, or modify, those ideas.) So, in sum: curious and suspicious.
In any case, this evening event takes place next Wednesday, June 24, from 7-10 pm. The general topic of the evening is “Bereavement and Loss: Between Separation and Continuity.” It costs 30 shekels and will be entirely in Hebrew.
Please pass this information along to anyone else you know who might be interested. Thanks!
The translation of the e-mail announcement (above) is:
Bereavement and Loss: Between Separation and Continuity
7 pm
7:20 pm
- Bereavement as a Decree of the Dead so as not to be Forgotten from the Heart [that's a terrible sound translating and this is why translation is so difficult!]
Professor Mordechai Rotenberg, Recipient of the Israel Prize 5769 and Head of [יושב ראש? acting head?] the Center for Jewish Psychology - Films of Memory: A Narrative of Cinema an Coping with Bereavement
Mrs. Bilha Bachrach, Alumna of the Maaleh Film School and Lecturer in School for Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Clinical Perspective
Dr. Baruch Kahana, Lecturer in School for Social Work and in Clinical Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Mrs. Rut Gombo (sp?), clinical psychologist - Educational Perspective
Rabbi Ronen Ben-David, Principal of Neveh Chana Boarding School - Midrashic Perspective
Dr. Ido Hevroni, researcher in Rabbinic literature
Entry Fee: 30 NIS
