Spiritual Revolutionaries: The Ba’al Shem Tov

Mondays, October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 20, 27, 2023

1-2:30 p.m. Eastern

R’ Yisroel ben Eliezer (c. 1700 – 1760), known as the Ba’al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name) or Besht, was a mystic, healer and teacher who lived in the Ukraine and founded the Hasidic movement, a spiritual revival movement that has changed the face of Judaism and the world. Hasidism was fiercely rejected by the rabbinic institutions where it emerged but has long since become an indispensable part of the mainstream. Together, we will explore who the Besht was and some of his radical innovations, teachings and practices. These include the sacredness of the body; cultivating resilience, self-awareness and joy; and seeing and appreciating the Divine spark in everything we encounter and experience. In each session, we will move from text study, to sharing our reflections on the texts, to practical exercises arising from the texts. These exercises will include a creative practice in response to prompts, reflecting with another participant on specific questions, guided meditations and explorations of our inner landscape.

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, 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.