Change Through Acceptance: the Hasidic Notion of Teshuvah

Tuesdays, September 5, 12, 19, 2023

12-1:15 p.m. EDT

Each High Holidays we are asked to engage in the challenging process of Teshuvah/change or repentance. The classic rabbinic notion of Teshuvah could be summed up as “Just say no!,” suggesting that, faced with the temptation to do something wrong, you should stop yourself. Hasidism suggests a different path, suggesting you acknowledge and accept that you have made mistakes and then seek to transform yourself to align with your vision of who you deeply want to be. In this three session program, we will explore the Hasidic notion of change through the study of texts and discussion.

No previous background required. All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Rabbi Michael Strassfeld was one of the editors of the Jewish Catalog (1973), a guide to do-it-yourself Judaism that sold over 300,000 copies. He authored The Jewish Holidays (1985), co-authored A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah (1999) with his wife Rabbi Joy Levitt, and authored A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice (2002). His newest book, Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st century published by Ben Yehuda Press, has been published on the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Catalog. He is the rabbi emeritus of the SAJ (Society for the Advancement of Judaism).