GOAL/MISSION FOR TIKKUN MIDDOT PROJECT:

To enhance the meaning and purpose of our individual AND our communal relationships through the practice of middot

To explore mindfulness practice as an enriching path toward cultivating our individual and communal soul traits

To make the vocabulary of soul trait study and mindfulness practice accessible to all our members, encouraging us to reach for our better selves both personally and communally.

Early Activities:

Everyday Holiness monthly book group

Scholar in Residence – Rabbi Sheila Peltz

Weinberg

Summer brainstorming sessions with 25

congregants

Evening lecture by Dr. Alan Morinis

First Tikkun Middot Study Group with 18

congregants

Learning From the Past: Beginning the Project at Beth El, Spring 2014

Learning From the Past: Beginning the Project at Beth El,

Spring 2014

Our students lead the way

Learning From the Past: Beginning the Project at Beth El, Spring 2014 – our students lead the way

High Holiday Connections to Middot

High Holiday Connections to Middot

High Holiday Connections to Middot

High Holiday Connections to Middot

More High Holiday connections to Middot:

Cantor’s Rosh Hashanah sermon,

studying Hitlamdut

Introductory learning session on IJS

curriculum

Right here, right now - Continuing Practice:

Evening Tikkun Middot study group #2

Bi-weekly morning Torah/Middot study group

Everyday Holiness, continued – monthly book group

Bi-weekly Middot yoga with our cantorial intern, Julie Newman

High school focus on soul traits and mindfulness

Family Education: Parenting through a middah lens

Middah of the month:

Monthly staff meeting study on middah-of-

the-month

Monthly board meeting study on middah-of-

the-month

Monthly Shabbat Torah study focus on

middah-of-the-month

Personal reflection on the middah-of-the-

month during our Shabbat Rinah service

On our Beth El website

What’s feeling great? Finding the gift of working with a true partner/partners

Co-leading with Lisa Goodman and Lorel Zar-Kessler Volunteers and “brainstormers” to keep the energy going

Delightful surprise of bringing together alumni and “newbies in study group and watching their joy at learning together

That folks are interested in middot yoga! Still finding “new” connections: folks just

showing interest now and stepping into the learning

Finding ways to combine Torah learning and Middot practice

Looking Ahead: Excitement and ... Soul Collage and Zen Tangle art

connections Meditation group for Shabbat afternoon At-home middot kit: Wait until next year! Electronic sharing and learning among

congregants Phone calls to each congregant – just

“checking in” Post-survey at the end of the year

.Things I’ve been working on for

years are suddenly integrating and falling into place, and I’m seeing

myself actually make changes!

The choice points were enlightening and showed me early on that a simple, small step could make a tremendous

difference in my life.

I really enjoyed getting to know my study partners - the switching of partners was

bittersweet each time, but I am so glad I have made some lasting connections with new people at Beth El.

Having two leaders with Lorel and Lisa was helpful so I could learn from each of them in a different way. 

I am looking forward to continuing

the learning! Hitlamdut – awareness without judgment -

mindfulness and bechirah points – paying attention to when I have choices

and what those choices are – Practicing these has enabled me to change

behaviors and truly let go of years of internal battles.

And it’s so important to me that studying and practicing middot gives me a

Jewish, spiritual context for personal growth.

The practices have pushed me out of my comfort zone at times, to try new things.  I have found them extremely fulfilling, despite not doing them as

often as I'd like to.

The group meetings [are] refreshing in hearing many perspectives.

?? Questions ??

How do we reach a fuller swath of our varied community?

How do we continue to match our enthusiasm with differing levels of interest and investment from the community?

The ideas keep coming, but the ability to keep up with and concretize them needs more, and broader, support – how do we make conscious choices about what we focus on with this particular community?

We feel committed to the idea of integrating mindfulness into middot practice and need help in finding ways to concretize the practice of mindfulness into daily life and into real-life work with the soul traits ?