This past week, the Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning and Innovation (JILLI) celebrated its first anniversary. It is a time of profound gratitude for the support that we have received from you, to celebrate what we have accomplished together, and to imagine the future.
This past year our institute offered many virtual classes. We learned Hebrew, we dived into a study of the Book of Samuel I, and we started an exploration of the connection between Jewish mysticism and the way we live our lives. We read and had animated conversations about short stories, we saw movies and talked about them, and we had weekly meditations focusing on the Torah portion. We celebrated Shabbat and Jewish Holidays together, in our unique way. We worked with private students, and held people’s (virtual) hands in spiritual counseling.
This past year I also had a personal realignment of priorities and a few moments of personal spiritual growth. I spent the Jewish High Holidays with friends, over zoom. We had a combination shofar and tashlich services, in other words, we listened to the shofar and then offered our personal reflection on our actions during the past year, and a reassurance that we always have an opportunity to change what did not work out so well as we contemplate our future, throwing breadcrumbs in the water. That late summer day was gorgeous. The sun was shining and there was a slight chill to the breeze, heralding the coming autumn. Birds were singing. Using our masks, we chanted traditional melodies, staying in our pods, feeling the emotional proximity with all those gathered. For many of us it was the first time we were interacting in person during the quarantine. When the shofar was sounded, I was transported back to my teenage years, to a time when Judaism was my passion, a joyous time filled with song and study, with love for my tradition, and a curiosity that propelled me to learn more and more. It felt good to connect with the reasons why I started my rabbinate, and from then on I have been living my Jewish life with renewed joy and passion.
This is what JILLI is all about.
Our motto is Choose Your Jewish Journey.
Some of us enjoy studying in person, some of us enjoy attending sessions virtually. We have different needs when it comes to growing spiritually, different ways to explore our tradition, and different spaces for Judaism in our lives. All are welcomed and celebrated at JILLI. We want you to enjoy your relationship with the faith, having a safe space to explore the joyful and the sad moments, enhancing your life with the rhythm and the guidance of our tradition. In the next Jewish year we are adding different opportunities for spiritual growth, learning, and community building. We will continue with our line-up of classes, adding a Judaism 101 (for people who want to learn more about the faith and for people who are contemplating conversion), and a class preparing for an adult Simchat Mitzvot (a celebration of a new relationship with the tradition). We will continue talking about movies and short stories. We will have a spiritual preparation for the High Holidays, and High Holiday services (virtually and in person). We will continue with our hybrid shabbat and holidays services. If you would like to participate or find out more about what we offer, send an e-mail to info@JILLI.org. We look forward to sharing this spiritual path with you!