Av - Embodied Reconstruction
When I taught high school Tanakh, my students never struggled more greatly with a topic than the beit ha’mikdash, the permanent physical temple space at the heart of biblical and rabbinic spiritual-social life. There was never a vivid, colorful enough real-world example that could depict all the inner workings of this space strongly enough to capture their imaginations. Images of the hajj to Mecca and the gathering and circling of the Kaaba illustrated the effervescence of a massive pilgrimage; videos of the final evening of Burning Man gave a peak at the fire and smoke of the korbanot offerings; even watching a Catholic Mass at the Vatican - the priests in procession, the incense and the full choir, bowing at the altar—all of these powerful moments of humans out to the Beyond, even woven together, could not fully endear them to our most holy site and rituals of connection. And how could they?! Almost brand new to classical text study, the experiential expectation to jump from archaic text to contemporary model to personal meaning and embodied understanding was too great an order for fifteen-year-olds. They couldn’t feel any of this in their bodies, recall the sense memories that could bring them back to these places. Perhaps now, as they are approaching turning thirty, with more significant life experience, that early learning opened the possibility for them to investigate their relationship to sacred space as younger adults. Yet the pedagogical challenge remains the same—how do we deeply, passionately learn to care about our ancient lineage’s holy sites, and even more so, their destruction?
The beginning of an answer for me came this past weekend at Shefa’s very first in-person event. Courageous, seeking souls came together for a Shabbat at Urban Adamah, the Jewish farm here in Berkeley, with questions about making their Jewish and psychedelic selves dance together more often, and in community. Through the skilled facilitation and space holding by our friends at the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness and the Shefa staff, participants learned and experienced methods for expanding consciousness through breath and body work. Gathering on Shabbat, we feasted, prayed, learned, and sang, consciously creating a Jewish container for direct experience. Under one (very well ventilated) tent, we invited our ancestors—their struggles and hopes for the future, their prayers for us, and us for them. In just seventy-two hours, we successfully raised and took down the biblical prophet Ezekiel’s mikdash me’at, the still small sanctuary that exists even after the Temple has fallen.
This is how we are growing Shefa, with reverence for our past, dignity and creativity in the present, and a lot of hope for the future. With the newest addition to our team, Sarah Persitz, our inaugural Chief Operating Officer, we are creating the strategic and operational vessels to hold all the light that is coming our way from Jews around the world seeking a direct, supported path to connection, healing, and openness. Sarah’s warmth and wisdom will give our structures both the strength and flexibility needed to achieve our mission and vision.
Wishing all the love and strength to mourn what is lost, and build what is waiting.
Z
