LimmudBoston 2018

Almost everyone in our community has experienced depression and anxiety or is close to someone that has. In 2016, in the wake of a terrible spate of suicides at MIT, I set out to make a gallery of images and stories of people who had suffered and yet found resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable troubles. In this session, I'll share some of the highlights of what I learned from these remarkable people, and will connect their experiences and insights to classic strategies of resilience as expressed in Jewish texts, notably the writings of Rabbi Nachman of Bretslav.

Then Adonoi said to Moses, ”Hold our your arm toward the sky that there may be darkness upon the land of Egypt.” Depression can be a darkness so deep that connecting to others feels impossible. We will read from “Celia and the Little Boy,” a beautiful and powerful book that offers a view of darkness, light and hope in childhood depression.  We will explore ways to make our synagogues more aware and sensitive to the struggles of individuals who have lived with this. 

NOTE: This is holding a place for the Session Description to be provided in time for the program publication by September 22, 2019.