Schedule

I currently teach three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday), on a variety of topics. My main focuses are:

Spiritual Formation and Moral Psychology: Spiritual Psychology, as I teach it, starts with the idea of “Higher Self” that ought to govern the “ego self.” The Higher Self can be relatively objective, and is the source of our values. Some of the main concerns of the Higher Self are love, justice, truth and beauty, the realm of the Holy, and the Knowledge of the Divine.

For the agnostics and atheists who study, I don’t emphasize belief in God, unless that happens to be a specific topic. I have found many agnostics and atheists to be deeply spiritual people, but who have different terms for “the Holy” – oneness with the Universe, a powerful sense of meaning and connectedness, and so forth.

My focus is not to preach “religion”, but rather to help people live lives of meaning, depth and virtue.

Other focuses of my teaching are Chasidic/Kabbalistic thought and psychology, moral theory, philosophy, theology and other issues.

Here is an outline of my typical weekly teachings:

Saturdays

9:10 AM Shabbat Morning Study Session

at Ohr HaTorah Synagogue: I typically teach about issues of the spiritual and moral life, the deeper dimensions of the Jewish calendar, the practical skills for spiritual growth and good relationships.

11:15 AM Shabbat Morning Torah Study

During the Torah service at Ohr HaTorah, I teach on some aspect of the Torah portion or some other Jewish text. I usually refer to Chasidic sources (especially Sefat Emet), but also Chabad, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and other Chasidic masters.

1:15 PM Shabbat Lunch then Learn

For those who would like a deeper look at what I taught in the morning or to study the Torah portion in a smaller group, I offer an after lunch Torah study. This is normally reserved only for those who have participated in our Shabbat lunch program.

Tuesday Evenings

Through our “Institute for Wisdom and Conscious Living” - The series will focus on “Thoughts on Religion, Psychology, Spirituality and Mysticism.” My current idea is to start by teaching widely about the ancient origins of the Kabbalah. Of course, the series might include lots of different things, but our default will be the inner life.

Wednesday Evenings

Meditation and Inner Work. Create and Strengthen Meditative and Contemplative Practices, Learn Technology of Inner Transformation - Virtue and Wisdom.