Adult Learning

There seems to be a new form of the ever-shifting shape of antisemitism that often hides behind the term anti-Zionism. It isn’t overtly directed at the Jewish people, but at the State of Israel instead, the Jew among the nations, born of the Zionist movement. Extrapolate just a tad and, voila, Jews – Israeli or not – who affirm the right of the State of Israel to exist are, themselves, labeled “Zionists” worthy of the same hatred.

The hateful accusations and libels that permeate this extreme form of anti-Zionism might be difficult for us to parse out. After all we, ourselves, might only have superficially learned about Jewish history growing up, and have only basic knowledge – if at all – about Zionism, its origins and development that led to the creation of the State of Israel. We might not know that Zionism itself isn’t a monolith but expresses through multiple forms. What are we to respond, then, when confronted with hateful generalizing libels?

Rabbi Olivier is inviting us to explore Zionism from a historical perspective so that we might better understand what it was and is today, feel more grounded in our own knowledge, and gain the tools necessary to better respond to the libelous attacks.

Asked if there was a blessing for a sewing machine, the Rabbi in Fiddler On The Roof answered that in Judaism: “There is a blessing for everything.” This renowned humoristic quote, however memorable, is a testimony to the breadth of mindfulness practices available in the Jewish tradition in general, and in Jewish mysticism in particular.  Rabbi Olivier is inviting us to explore this millennia-old Jewish path of mindfulness practice through the prism of Kabbalah and the teachings of the Chasidic mystics. Inspired by this rich offering, Rabbi Olivier will support us in carving for ourselves a series of personal daily practices to not only enrich our everyday living but also deepen our own spiritual journey.

Multiple Topics…

1. What is Mindfulness?
2. The Path of Blessing.
3. Waking & Beginning the Day Mindfully.
4. The Path of Mindful Eating.
5. The Path of Torah: Keeping Conscious Company.
6. The Path of Avodah: Exploring Prayer, Meditation, Mantra Repetition & other Practices.
7. The Path of Gemilut Chasadim: Mindful Acts of Loving-Kindness.
8. Shabbat: a Weekly Mindfulness Retreat.
9.  Mindfulness and the Body: From Daily Exercise to Sex.

How do you explain the relationship between the mysterious and the obvious, between the infinite and the finite, between the unchanging and the ever-changing, the eternal and the transient? This is what the masters of Kabbalah, for thousands of years, have been trying to bring light to. Their starting question always was: How did this world come to be?
Rabbi Olivier is inviting us on a multiple-months mystical trek through A Course in Kabbalah that will bring together his teachings spanning the last decades.

Rabbi Olivier will aim to give us an overview of the principal tenets of Kabbalah, its history, and the main teachers that supported its growth and
evolution. He will guide us through some practical exercises to help us understand Kabbalah from the inside and leading us into Kabbalistic text study to help us experience Kabbalah as if we were Kabbalists ourselves.
Through Kabbalah 101 you will…
1. Learn about the history of Jewish mysticism
2. Discover the core principles of Kabbalah
3. Get an overview of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life
4. Meet the teachings of the great Kabbalist Isaac Luria
5. Experience being a Jewish mystic by studying Torah & Kabbalistic texts.

America has recently seen antisemitism flare up on its streets, against its Jewish institutions and, exponentially, online.

Public harassment, desecration of sacred sites & vandalism have multiplied, as have the numbers of fatal shootings. On the far-right, tiki-torches marchers shout on America’s streets: “Jews will not replace us!” On the far-left, Israel-hating activists attack Jews in NYC’s neighborhoods and LA’s restaurants.

This hatred of Jews isn’t new. It is more than 2,000 years old. And though it expresses today in different guises than in the past, the core of what animates antisemitism has remained the same. Understanding this history, tracing back the birth and evolution of the different strands of antisemitism in time, allows us to better spot it, call it out for what it is, and confront it today, something we can no longer postpone doing.

This course is for anyone, Jewish or not, invested in combating racism and prejudice wherever and however it may appear. This is a necessary course. And its time is now.

We are providing this content for free at the More Info button, and any support you can provide for this effort would be appreciated.

In the 1700s, on the Eastern European Jewish scene, emerged a movement that spread like wildfire, alighting the hearts, minds and souls of millions of Jews. Steeped in mysticism and aiming to open to the masses the secret practices of Kabbalah, Chasidism grew to revolutionize Jewish worship, and redefine the purpose of Judaism altogether. In doing so, it drew the ire and fierce opposition of the Talmudic, scholarly, traditional Jews who castigated this new radical movement as heresy.

What was Chasidism? Where did it come from and what mystical teachings were at its source? How was it able to translate these teachings into actual daily practices aimed at spiritual awakening?

Rabbi Olivier will guide us through an in-depth exploration of the movement that changed the face of Judaism, its main teachers, its revolutionary approach to worshiping and encountering God. He will, of course, also invite us to sample some of its mystical practices. Recommended as a complement to this course, and a text Rabbi Olivier will invite us to discover, please purchase Martin Buber’s “Tales of the Hasidim.”

Now you know your Alef-Bet and you can read Hebrew comfortably if not fluently. It’s time to add some vocabulary, learn about basic grammatical concepts and finally understand what the Torah and the Sidur have said all along, without the need for anyone else’s translation. Besides, Rabbi Olivier has found a great workbook and will be leading this class, so you know it’s going to be fun!

This class is for those who have taken the Hebrew 101 class, or are proficient in reading Hebrew. If you are unsure, contact Rabbi Olivier.

Whatever side of the proverbial aisle we find ourselves, we often wonder: “How can ‘they’ think/vote the way they do? What is wrong with people?!” In most cases our infuriating frustration stems from a shared flaw in human design; what teachers have called: “The Myth of The Given.” It refers to the assumption most of us make that there is a given reality “out there,” the perception and understanding of which is universal. In other words, the world that I perceive is the same for everyone. 

Through this class, Rabbi Olivier will invite us to deconstruct this myth and help us unpack how consciousness evolves both individually and universally as a gorgeous multicolored spectrum. It might, for sure, help us face the upcoming elections more mindfully. Most critically, however, it might just change everything.