Rabbi Linda's blog

As night falls on December 25, Jews around the world will celebrate Chanukah, bringing light into our homes during the darkest days of the year. In my family we savor the lighting of the menorah, as we enjoy eating the latkes, sharing the festival with friends and exchanging gifts that include donations to worthy organizations that help to repair the world.

The word "Chanukah" literally means dedication, in honor of the rededication of the Temple where the miracle of the oil took place. As we enter this 8 day festival, I'd like to suggest that we dedicate ourselves to cultivating light in this world, beginning with ourselves. There are multiple practices that can help us to stay strong in the face of long nights and adversity. One practice that has helped me over the years is mindfulness meditation, through a Jewish lens.

Beginning this month, on December 3rd, I will be leading a monthly mindfulness meditation session on zoom. All are welcome, whether or not you have ever experimented with this practice. We will open with some Torah wisdom to ground us and we will explore many different ways to approach mindfulness. The goal is to develop more personal tools to support us through hard moments.

The late R Jonathan Sacks wrote that "there always were two ways to live in a world that is often dark and full of tears. We can curse the darkness or we can light a light, and as the Chassidim say, a little light drives out much darkness." My prayer for all of us is that we find multiple ways to hold our hearts with compassion, to strengthen ourselves and to cultivate our inner light. Please consider joining these zoom mindfulness classes. They may provide the match that you need to keep your own inner light glowing. For me, they are a refuge in times of struggle.