The frst night of Sivan is Wednesday, May 12th 2021
SIVAN EMBODYING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
Spiritual Energy of Sivan It’s Time to Harvest Two moons ago, in the month of Nissan, we started our journey to freedom with the ritual storytelling of Passover, freeing ourselves from the personal pharaohs prohibiting us from becoming our most expansive selves.
Last month, in Iyar, we took the frst steps in our new freedom. We healed, making time to transform what we’d experienced under enslavement into a newfound sense of wholeness and wellbeing. As we counted the Omer, we found new wisdom day by day.
Now, in this month of Sivan, it’s time again to harvest. We relish the frst fruits, marvel at the clarity of vision gained from the journey of spring, and appreciate a new sense of fulfllment borne of personal growth.
Stay Up Late & Celebrate! In Sivan we celebrate the Torah’s birthday — Shavuot. This holiday honors the day at Mount Sinai when Moses received the Torah, Judaism’s teachings from the Divine, and transcribed this wisdom to share with all the Israelites.
We remember that, as a people, we said “We will do and we will hear” as we accepted and embraced the Torah, this becoming a Jewish nation.
(Why “we” and not “they”? There is a belief that the souls of all future Jews were also present at Mount Sinai, passing on the story of faith, heritage, and custom through all space and time!)
Shavuot is a cause for love and joy, a celebration of Jewish heritage and a time to renew a covenant with the Divine. Being the People of the Book, Jews stay up all night studying Torah to honor Shavuot.
Prepare to Receive The spiritual work of Sivan is all about acceptance and receiving. We ask ourselves, what does it mean to receive? How can we fully prepare ourselves for this moment?
Perhaps an answer is in the invitation to practice presence, to practice being right here, open and without agenda. Remember, our capacity for openness correlates directly with how much we can receive. Sivan is the time to express your creativity, bring forth and communicate whatever’s inside you, and revel in the clarity of your life’s purpose.
This is the month to get in touch with where you’re going, identify the goals you’re pursuing, and plan how you’ll actualize your passions. This open-hearted month is the perfect moment to share your vision with others, inviting those you love to witness you in your clear truth.
What Exactly Is Torah? For such a short question, there’s actually no simple answer. The briefest is that the Torah is a collection of stories, laws, guiding principles, instructions, and lessons on how to live a righteous life.
But what is Torah? What does it mean to us? Let’s get a bit more philosophical.
Every Hebrew word has something called a shoresh, or “root.” In Hebrew, not only does each word have its own defnition, but each word’s shoresh has its own defnition too. That means Hebrew words with the same shoresh are connected, and often deeply intertwined with each other. which means “mark” or “target.” We understand this shoresh more ,(ירה) Take the shoresh of Torah — yareh broadly, to mean “hitting the mark” or “having direction.” Other words with the same shoresh as Torah are .(”parent“ - הורה) teacher”) and horeh“ - מורה) morah
Deep understanding of what Torah “is” can be found right there in its shoresh. Just think: how do parents, teachers, books, and wisdom help us fnd our direction?
Torah is the heart and soul of the Jewish people. But the Torah goes beyond collective wisdom. The Torah came before everything and continues to serve as a blueprint for the cosmos (Talmud Shabbat 88, Zohar, Rashi Genesis 1:31). It’s an expression of love, commitment, dedication, and intimacy.
In studying Torah, the goal isn’t simply to gain more knowledge, but rather to better understand how we as humans relate to Oneness, the energy of the Universe, and to each other.
A Holiday To Honor: Celebrating You By Shanit Frydman, Esq
Shanit Frydman, Esq. is a professional coach who uses her skills and techniques gained as a trial attorney to help clients articulate and overcome their most challenging obstacles. Combining powerful concepts of mindfulness and neuroplasticity, she creates space for success to appear for clients with simplicity, clarity, and joy. You can fnd her on Instagram @FrydmanCounsel or email her directly for a free consultation at [email protected].
As ambitious, goal-driven, enlightened women, we intuitively know the importance of planting seeds. We plant seeds at work by getting in those extra hours to fnish the project on time. We plant seeds at home by creating a sacred and safe space for family and new traditions. “Planting” is a critical frst step toward launching the trajectory of any new goal. So, we get to planting and make plans to achieve our goal. We work hard, we stay determined, and before we know it, we’ve accomplished something great.
But…. then what? Do we ever actually stop to acknowledge our achievement? Do we ever take a moment to refect on a job well done? If you’re like me, the answer is nope! Once one goal is accomplished, that means it’s time to dive right into the next one. Without pause, we seem programmed to move from one task to the next without a moment spared for refection, much less celebration. We place so much weight and importance on doing whatever it takes to complete a goal that we often forget to even acknowledge when that goal is fnally achieved.
Jewish tradition shines a light on celebrating our achievements. Sivan brings us the festival of Shavuot, the “weeks” leading up to the defning moment when God gives the Torah to Moses and the Israelites. Historically, this festival was also a major agricultural event—celebrating the harvest of fruit and grain of the season. A covenant with God joined in with the celebration of God’s bounty. Celebratory festivals were truly momentous occasions—often marked with ornate parades, abundant feasts, and large community gatherings—all in the spirit of gratitude, refection, and joy.
The month of Sivan and its festivals serve as powerful reminders of celebration in our personal journeys. In Sivan, we remember that the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before they could accomplish their goal. Each year, we mark that toil with a huge celebration. From this, we learn that we, too, can and should celebrate the sweat, tears, and dedication it took for us to get to where we are in our lives.
Celebration is a key ingredient to keep our morale, motivation, and excitement alive in order to continue planting new seeds for our continued success. So, before we jump into the next project or launch the next dream, let’s stop and notice how far we’ve come. Let’s appreciate the hard work it took us to get here. Let’s fnd ways to recognize our accomplishments. And, let’s enjoy the fruits of our labor. After all, the best part of planting any seed is to fnally enjoy its fruits.
Well Circle Activity 1. Think of one goal you accomplished recently that you are really proud of. The goal can be personal or professional, large or small. It can be as simple as fnishing a small project around the house, or as complex as starting a business (and anything in between). The key is to choose a past, achieved goal that is important to you. 2. Make a list of what it took for you to achieve the goal. The list can include: ○ Both “easy” and diffcult steps you took to achieve the goal ○ Any sacrifces or diffcult choices you may have made along the way ○ Time, energy, commitment, dedication, and any monetary or emotional investment required 3. Next, take a look at your list and ask yourself: when you fnally achieved the goal, did you stop to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishment? ○ If you did celebrate: How? How did this acknowledgment and celebration motivate your future successes? ○ If you didn’t celebrate: Why not? Did you think the goal was unworthy of your celebration? Were you too busy to allow yourself to celebrate? How did this lack of celebration affect your future endeavors? 4. List a goal you hope to achieve in the near future. 5. Write elaborately about how you will celebrate when this goal is achieved.
Let’s Discuss: ● What new observations, realizations, or truths have you discovered about yourself during this exercise? ● How can you create space in your life to acknowledge and celebrate yourself? Hearing Your Own Wisdom Personal Journal Questions For Sivan: ● What are you open to receiving? ● What has presented itself to you in your life in this moment? Are you ready to accept it? ● What does it mean to fully receive? How do you prepare yourself? ● Two months into our expansive, post-Passover freedom, how are you feeling? ● What does it feel like to study Torah? Have you ever done it? If so, do you love it? Why? If not, are you resistant? Why? ● Who is your favorite teacher and why? ● How do you act and look when you’re feeling open?
A Ritual To Connect: Standing Together on Shavuot By Shira Abramowitz
Shira Abramowitz is a Jewish mindfulness teacher and the executive director of Summit Impact, a nonproft platform for collaboration for social good. She is passionate about social learning design and creates programs where compassionate practice invites deeper learning and collective action. Shira earned a bachelors of commerce from McGill University and a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a focus on social cognitive neuroscience and group learning. Learn more about her work on her website, on Instagram or Clubhouse: @shira In What to Remember When Waking, poet David Whyte suggests that being human involves a series of necessary relationships, or conversations, in which we are continuously engaged. Whyte often calls this the “conversational nature of reality.”
Physicist Carlo Rovelli shares a similar perspective, suggesting that each one of us is actually composed of a net of relationships or interactions, “Even we human beings — I’m not a thing. I’m a net of interactions with the world around me, with the people who know me, who love me. It’s a more powerful way of trying to grasp reality by focusing on what interacts with what and how, and somehow, the objects are just the nodes of interactions. They’re not a primary thing; they’re a secondary thing, I think.”
We each stand here due to countless connections with those around us - the parental fgures who nurtured us, the teachers who guided us, the friendships that shaped us. Many of us stand here because of countless actions by people we don’t know, people who farmed the land that grew our food, who built the schools we attended, who cared for and protected the environments that nourished our growth.
As we approach the holiday of Shavuot, in the month of Sivan, we are presented with the perfect opportunity to embrace this quality of being interconnected. In fact, at critical moments in the Jewish story we are often reminded that we are all connected, and that we stand together as one people.
In Exodus 24:3, as the Jewish people are receiving of the laws of the Torah and preparing for an encounter with the divine, they come together as one, “Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of the LORD and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that the LORD has commanded we will do!”
And later, in parshat Nitzavim, in Deuteronomy 29:13, as the Jewish people are about to enter the land of Israel, G-d says ‘You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your G-d...to enter into the covenant. I make this covenant, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us this day and with those who are not with us here this day.’”
One interpretation of these two verses is that in moments of great importance, when we stand together to connect with G-d/the divine, we are reminded that we are part of this vast network of relationships. Rather than seeing ourselves as independent, we can see that we are in fact one voice. Each one of us is the summation of the compassionate connections that shaped our lives, and we stand together in recognition of the interdependent nature of being human.
As we approach Shavuot, we have the chance to refect on this sense of oneness. Here we are, all connected, all together at Sinai. By standing together, we become ready to receive the Torah and embrace intimate connection with the divine.
Activity: Your Web of Compassionate Connections Take some time to refect on the net of relationships that have supported you to get to this point in life. You can do this alone, or set aside some time as a Well Circle to write/draw and then discuss together: ● Who are some of the core relationships that have sustained you in life to this point? Perhaps your parental relationships, infuential teachers, friends, or family members. What is one thing that you gained from each of these foundational relationships that shaped who you are today? ● Who are some of the less obvious relationships that have made your life path possible? Examples range from the people who made the clothes you are wearing now to the janitorial staff at the school you attended. ● Pick one person from either of your lists above. What would you like to say to them, to thank them for their kind effort to support you? How can you acknowledge the part they have played in your ability to stand here today?
Monthly Meditation: Get To Know Yourself & Your Full Potential By Ilana Schlesinger
Ilana Schlesinger (she/hers) is a Wellness Coordinator at Boston University, working with students on managing stress and connecting to their bodies. She has a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine, and is a Registered Yoga Teacher. She co-facilitates a Rosh Chodesh circle with some friends, and believes fully in the healing magic of females coming together to support each other and share vulnerably.
In this sunny month of Sivan, we are (re)united with what we love, what brings us to life, what makes us stay up all night in fascination and wonder. There are so many distractions and bumps in the road that keep us from our truest selves and living to our fullest potential—fear of failure, the “shoulds,” the comparison trap, the inability to believe in ourselves. Also, what happens if we don’t know what we want, who we are at our core, or what our deepest desires are?
Allow yourself to get quiet and check in with what you’ve been pushing down—whether that’s a career switch, a move, a need to end or start a relationship, or a desire to paint the walls of your bedroom. While envy is considered a less than positive emotion, notice what you have been envious of in others. That can help you recognize what it is you are longing for yourself. Allow yourself the time and space to really get to know what your heart is yearning for. And, once you feel connected to what it is you dream of, the next step is to know that you are allowed to change and grow, that you are capable of achieving what you desire. We may have the thought “why me?” and it is important to reframe that to “why not me?” It can be quite anxiety-provoking to step into our new potential, and change usually cannot come with that anxiety. Ensure that you are surrounded by a loving network of folx who will support you on your journey.
Of course, it’s not always possible to do exactly what we desire. However, what are some small steps today you can take to ensure you are working towards your dreams, towards what you are on this Earth to do and be? After a month full of healing in a cocoon, it’s time to emerge as a beautiful butterfy, relishing in the fruits of your hard internal work.
Activity: A Meditation to Get to Know Yourself and Your Full Potential Choose one person to read this meditation out loud to the group.
Allow yourself to get comfortable, whether that’s sitting on the foor, laying down, or standing. If it feels okay, feel free to close your eyes, or have a soft gaze towards the foor. Before anything, notice how you’re doing today. What’s going on in your body? Are there any areas of tension or tightness, are there any areas that feel really loose and free? Next, notice what’s going on in your mind. How are you doing mentally, what are the thoughts moving through your mind? And how are you emotionally—what feelings are coming up for you right now? It’s rare to slow down enough to notice what’s going on for us. Many times we simply go through the motions each day—relying on habits, routines, and external shoulds. Really take the time to tap in to how you are doing in this very moment, letting go of the typical stories you tend to tell yourself, and noticing your body, mind, soul in the right now.
(Give a moment to pause for personal refection time.)
Envision yourself in the spot that makes you feel most at peace and most connected, whether it’s the woods nearby, your reading nook, or under the stars. Notice that feeling of contentment, of peace, or calm wash over you. Take a few deep breaths to allow your body and your mind start to relax into your happy place. When you breathe in, feel your belly expand like you’re blowing up a big balloon, when you breathe out, feel the balloon of your belly defate. Keep going here.
(Give a moment to pause for folx to breathe.)
If there was no such thing as fear, if there was no such thing as money, if all of your doubts were cast aside—what would you want your life to look like? How would you spend your precious time? How would you interact with those around you? What would you want to do; who would you want to be? Check in on those inner cues that have been hinting at what you want, what you need, how you want to transform.
Though we exist in a world where fear, doubt, money, and barriers exist, how can you start to make your dreams a reality? You deserve to follow your internal compass. Trust that your gut knows what’s best for you. Taking a leap of faith can be really scary, and you will never know unless you try. It’s time to switch your mindset from “why me?” to “why not me?” It’s time to feel that inner fre burning, showing you of what you are capable of. It’s time to voice your truth to yourself. It’s time to show up in your fullest potential. Take a few deep breaths here, sitting with the feeling of pride in your growth and your wisdom. When you feel ready, you can gently open your eyes. Following the meditation, explore these questions as a group: 1. What inner desires have been calling to you that you have been pushing to the side or ignoring? 2. What does your fullest potential look like? How can you embody this potential? 3. Think about all the accomplishments you’ve achieved, and all the ways you continue to show up—for yourself, for your community, for the world. How can you relish in the fruits of your labor? What are you most proud of yourself for?
Circles & Cycles: The Gift of Receiving By Gabrielle Kaufman, MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, PMH-C
Gabrielle Kaufman is a licensed professional clinical counselor and dance movement therapist who specializes in reproductive mental health and women’s health. She is a clinical director for Maternal Mental Health NOW, on faculty of Drexel University and UCLArts and Healing, and has a bilingual (Spanish) private psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles.
As Jewish women, we are raised to be givers. We are taught that providing for others is our principal role, our guiding light, our purpose.
“One (wo)man’s candle is light for many.” — Talmud Bavil, Shabbat 122a Biblical women were in charge of feeding, caring for families, and bearing offspring to their husbands. As Jewish women, we also give food to the hungry, money to the downtrodden, and care for the disabled. This year, our voices raised in support of immigrants and our bodies marched against injustice. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel attests by “praying with our feet”: we cannot and DO not sit idly by while others suffer. We listen and respond with compassion.
The women in my life are true heroes in this regard. My tribe of women includes rabbis, doctors, social workers, legal advocates, educators and hospice workers. They are all inspiring providers who need not be asked more than once to step up. Their impulse is simply to do so. As care providers, benefactors, supporters, and contributors, my hevrei never fail. That is, unless the request is to care for ourselves. When we are raised to sacrifce our own needs for those of others, making the decision to be on the receiving end feels like a breach of contract with a heaping portion of guilt.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” — Rabbi Hillel, Pirke Avot 1:14 We must embrace the very act of receiving as a virtue. Witness the expression on a loved one’s face when you truly appreciate a thoughtful gesture or gift. And, as we care for our bodies—with nutrition, exercise, and time in nature—our renewed and strengthened bodies have greater ability to provide for others. When we accept the loving kindness of others, we can truly understand giving.
And what of pleasure? The ecstasy of biting into the juicy frst peach of summer, of being held in a warm embrace, and delighting in the delicate nerve endings of our skin when being lovingly stroked are all joys we can experience only when we are able to receive. There is godliness in this. We are created b’tzelem elohim, in the image of God. Therefore, when we feel all our body has to feel, we are profoundly connected to our Jewish neshama (soul). The pursuit of pleasure is a means to offer pleasure to others. Shavuot, in the month of Sivan, is the sacred time when the Jewish people received the Torah at Mount Sinai. But this offering, our Torah, was not readily accepted. There was great resistance, disbelief, and fear. We had to open our hearts. In this act, the Jewish people experienced a dramatic shift. God gave and it was our job to receive.
May the month of Sivan inspire you to fnd the blessing of giving and receiving.
Invite your Well Circle to this short meditation: Sit in a comfortable place and take a few slow breaths in and out. Focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale.
Place your hands on your heart. Notice the pace of your heartbeat.
What do you feel in your body right now?
Gently, extend your arms away from your heart toward the others (in the room, in the virtual group, or in your thoughts) in a gesture of giving. Give from your heart.
Repeat this several times and become aware of how it feels to give.
Now, imagine that your arms are reaching out to gather and bring in to you. Sweep your arms from outwards to inwards, toward your heart. As you receive the offerings of others, embrace them with your arms toward your chest, and let your hands hold your heart.
Repeat this several times and become aware of how it feels to receive.
Let’s Discuss: ● What word represents how you felt as a “giver”? ● What word represents how you felt as a “receiver”? ● How are you compelled to give? ● What ways do you give of your body? ● What does it feel like to give? ● What are you most proud of being able to give? ● What makes it challenging to receive? ● Where in your body do you experience pleasure? ● Is there a time when you were able to receive without guilt?
Biblical Babes: Shifrah and Puah, the Midwives In this month of Sivan, we celebrate receiving the Torah, the most central text of Judaism. How we got this essential text stretches back through a long and improbable chain of events.
If it wasn’t for Moses who led the people out of Egypt, the Israelites wouldn’t have been given the Torah and become the Jewish people.
But let’s look even further back! If it weren’t for Shifrah and Puah, the midwives who saved Moses’ life as a baby (when Pharaoh ordered the killing of all frstborn sons of the Israelites), the people would have remained slaves in Egypt indefnitely. On Shavuot, when we receive the Torah, Jews thank the midwives Shifrah and Puah for starting the mighty chain of events that brought the Jewish people into existence.
These midwives are fascinating characters. First of all, they’re recognized by name, which is signifcant for female characters in the Bible. Secondly, they went against the decree of Pharaoh and chose to spare the life of baby Moses. Thirdly, their nationality is mysterious. Were Shifrah and Puah personally impacted Israelites? Or, were they exceptionally sympathetic Egyptians? It’s unclear.
Whoever they were, their actions lead to the same conclusions: these midwives were courageous in their willingness to stand up for what was right, and deeply empathetic to other human beings, regardless of ethnicity.
There’s no greater hope for humanity than actions like those taken by these biblical midwives. If it weren’t for their radical kindness, Jews might not be around today.
During this month of Sivan, take a moment to pause in awe of the midwives who have helped bring life to this world for thousands of years. Imagine what it must have been like to be a midwife in Egypt. If you’re pregnant or have given birth, who were the people who taught you the most about your body and the birth process? What did it mean to you to have that support?
Imagine the long, long line of ancestors who brought you into this world. We too often take it for granted, but their love and labor, and their incredible birthing bodies, have nurtured the continuation of humanity through the ages! And have brought us here together today. We are honored to receive that gift!
Let’s Discuss: ● The midwives stood up for what they believed was right. What will you stand up for this month? ● As we pause to be in awe of midwives, also pause to celebrate the power of your holy body and what it is capable of. How do you celebrate and nourish your body?
Reading To Refect: Remember By Joy Harjo This poem was contributed by Allie Wollner, a writer and community organizer in Oakland, CA.
Remember by Joy Harjo Remember the sky that you were born under, know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the strongest point of time.
Remember sundown and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also. Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people are you.
Remember you are this universe and this universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.
Let’s Discuss: ● What about your heritage is important to you to remember? ● “You are the universe and this universe is you.” Have you ever felt that this was true? If so, when? What conditions made this feeling possible? ● What were the circumstances of your birth? Do you think they have any bearing on your life today?
Monthly Nourishment: Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad The following recipe was submitted by Daniela Gerson, a chef who brings love and deliciousness to the kitchens of San Francisco and Hawaii.
I picked this vegetarian salad with cheese for the month of Sivan as it is Jewish tradition to eat a dairy meal in celebration of Shavuot. The story goes that the revelation of the Torah happened on Shabbat. With the giving of the Torah, Jews became obligated to observe the kosher laws. Until then, Jews had not followed these laws. Thus, with the receiving of the Torah, all the Jews’ meat – plus the cooking pots – were now considered not kosher. Because it was Shabbat, no cattle could be slaughtered, nor could utensils be koshered. So, on that day, Jews eat dairy.
Servings: 4 Ingredients: ● 1 Meyer or regular lemon ● 1 small shallot, thinly sliced ● 1 bunch arugula ● 2 beets ● 2 Blood or Valencia oranges, cut into segments (juice reserved) ● 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves ● 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts ● 4 tablespoons olive oil ● 6 tablespoons walnut oil ● Goat cheese crumbles ● Maple syrup to taste ● Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel each one with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets in 1 1/2-inch chunks. (Small beets can be halved, medium ones cut in quarters, and large beets cut in eighths.) 3. Place the cut beets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula, until the beets are tender. 4. While the beets are roasting, cut the orange into segments and reserve the juice. 5. To make the blood orange vinaigrette, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the reserved orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper. Add more orange juice/lemon juice and maple syrup to taste. 6. Remove beets from the oven and immediately toss with the blood orange vinaigrette. 7. Roast the walnuts in the oven, 350 degrees, for 8-10 minutes. 8. Combine the arugula, mint, goat cheese, shallot, citrus segments, and dressed beets. Add more dressing to taste and enjoy!