Join us for our next Adult Education session with Cantor Kate from 11 am to 1 pm.
In-person at Or Atid (in the Library) 97 Concord Road, Wayland, MA
Mindfulness and Constructive Disagreements:
Two Jews were having an argument….It sounds like the opening line of a joke—or possibly just like, “So what else is new?”
Now more than ever, we run the risk of hurting and being hurt by people with whom we disagree —sometimes those to whom we are closest. Perhaps the one thing we can all agree on is that we’ve lost the skills and abilities necessary for civil discourse. We turn away from those who think differently from ourselves, frustrated by their seeming inability to hear us and at the same time unwilling to hear their point of view.
The Pardes Institute asks us, “Can we find the courage to productively engage those with whom we disagree?” Cantor Kate will offer a brief introduction to the Mahloket Matters program, whose goal is, “To utilize Jewish texts and wisdom to increase people’s motivation and ability to understand and engage more constructively with opinions that differ from their own.” We will use a lesson plan from Rabbi Amy Eilberg to consider the concept of Mahloket L’shem Shamayim – Disagreement for the sake of heaven.
This one-hour lesson (to be followed by a discussion) will be framed by an exploration of mindfulness tools as outlined by Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels of Or HaLev: A Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation. Cantor Kate will also bring her own background in mindfulness and body consciousness to this experiential portion of the class. We will learn how caring for ourselves can also open up the possibility of respectful disagreement and constructive discourse.