High Holy Days

I turned to King David and the Prophet Natan to learn how to fight fascism. I learned something much deeper and more sustaining for our time. Thumbnail background credit: Painting by Carole Silverstein Detail of “in the incense is tangled a cool moon” 58 x 42.5 inches framed), Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 2024 www.carolesilverstein.com

We cannot bypass the pain in pursuit of the promise. Only by confronting the trauma of our past, both individual and collective, can we build a future of expansive possibility. Thumbnail background art credit: Carole Silverstein Detail of “the velvety surfaces of dream” Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 48” x 36” 58 x 42.5 inches framed), Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 2024 https://www.carolesilverstein.com/

Lori Gottlieb and Rabbi Brous in a sermon-dialogue on the intersection of Jewish and therapeutic wisdom on issues of deep concern for us today: how to stay in relationship with people whose ideas break your heart, confirmation bias and how minds are changed (can they be?), how to overcome psychic numbing and stay centered and empathic, even when we’re hurting, how to hold hope and grow resiliency, and more. Dr. Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over one million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The New York Times “Ask the Therapist” advice column and is co-host of the popular “Dear Therapists” podcast and the advice podcast Since You Asked. A contributing writer for The Atlantic, she also wrote The Atlantic’s “Dear Therapist” advice column for six years. She is a sought-after expert appearing on Oprah, The Today Show, The Daily Show, Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air” and her TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year. She is also an IKAR member, and mother of the wonderful Zachary Gottlieb, IKAR teen extraordinaire.

We are facing a spiritual catastrophe. In the small space between prophecy and distinct possibility, we must forge a new path.

We’re living in a world of constant distraction and alerts and noise, and we’re exhausted. But we also don’t know how to get out of this internally and externally constructed trap. What can these holidays help us learn about the necessity of stillness and silence in order to go back out into the world? How can they help us rediscover our connection with ourselves and with each other?

As we shared on the morning of Rosh Hashanah, Marta Kauffman, our beloved Board Vice Chair, has made a capital campaign gift of $25 million to IKAR. This stunning act of generosity has come at a pivotal moment in our campaign. Thanks to this gift, we are now very close to realizing our vision for our home– a center for Jewish life that is infused with creativity, belonging, and sacred purpose. A space rooted in love, justice, and defiant hope… and a powerful, tangible countertestimony to the divisive and dispiriting tides of our time. Our friend, the visionary Rabbi Uri Herscher, once said of IKAR: “You have written the most beautiful love letter—now you need an envelope to deliver it to the world.” Marta’s transformational gift – together with the generosity of so many of you – will allow us to build that envelope, ensuring that the spirit and values of our remarkable community will endure for generations. We are deeply moved that Marta will dedicate the campus to the memory of her beloved parents, Dorothy and Herman, who cared deeply about the Jewish people and the Jewish future. Marta built her career bringing laughter and joy to millions through storytelling. Her stories are always rooted in love, in friendship, in the possibility and hilarity of ordinary life. The IKAR Center will be imbued with that same humanity and generosity of spirit. In a time of such pain and uncertainty, building our home is a sacred act of resistance: putting a stake in the ground for joy, for community, and for Jewish life that is vibrant, loving, hopeful, and just. We’re gearing up now for the community phase of our campaign which we will begin in earnest next year and we hope to have each and every one of you involved. In the meantime please visit our website to learn more: https://ikar.org/the-ikar-center/. With profound thanks and abundant joy– Rabbi Sharon Brous & Melissa Balaban