Wednesdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and June 5, 2024
1-2:30 p.m. EDT
$250
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865 – 1935) was the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel, a profound poet, and a giant of both mysticism and Jewish law. He was a radical thinker, writer and activist who provoked much opposition during his lifetime from conservative leaders of Ultra-Orthodox communities.
Rabbi Kook saw the Divine spark in everything and viewed all events as part of an evolutionary process towards a redeemed and unified world. His writings contain beautiful and insightful gems on subjects such as: freedom as the key foundation of Judaism; our relationship with our bodies; pluralism, tolerance and polarization; the many layers of our multiple identities; particularism and universalism; the narratives of our own lives and of all of human history. Together, we will explore his rich, beautiful writings and use them as opportunities for spiritual practice, including creative writing and guided embodied exercises.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Daniel Raphael Silverstein is a rabbi, educator, meditation teacher and MC/poet. He lives in Israel with his family, where he directs Applied Jewish Spirituality (https://www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/), an online portal which makes the transformative spiritual wisdom of our tradition accessible to all who seek it. Daniel is an accredited teacher of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation and regularly teaches classes and retreats. He was born and raised in London and received a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MA from Warwick University. After receiving semikha from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, he served as Director of Jewish Life and Learning for Hillel of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Daniel has performed and facilitated all over the world as a spoken word artist, MC, and creative educator, and the Jewish Week selected him as one of their “36 Under 36” young innovators reshaping the Jewish community. Daniel is a cofounder of Lines of Faith, a Muslim-Jewish hip hop and poetry collective that uses performances and workshops to challenge prejudice and build meaningful bonds between communities.