Writing Letters: Dispatches to the Divine
2024-09-18 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EDT
$36

Throughout history, letters in the form of prayers have been a longstanding tradition: the act of direct prayer to God traces back to Abraham, who pleaded for the righteous in Sodom. Join memoirist Ellen Blum Barish, just weeks before Rosh Hashanah, to discover how letter writing can enhance your spiritual life and strengthen your bond with the Divine. This practice is a timely opportunity to prepare for a meaningful transition into the High Holy Days.

As the Days of Awe draw near, we are all reflecting on the past year – grateful for what we have and hopeful for what we aim to mend. Composing a letter, whether to yourself, a loved one, or to the Divine, is a way to articulate your thoughts. Similar to prayers, letters can express gratitude, admiration, and devotion, as well as make requests, seek guidance, confess, and find comfort, forgiveness, or divine support.

Now it your time to write the letter that’s in your heart.

This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Ellen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts, 2021), the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing, 2007), and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet, Lilith, Brevity’s Blog, Full Grown People, Literary Mama, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University, Chicago-area synagogues, and writer’s studios, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir.
