State of the Spirit – February 5, 2019

State of the Spirit – February 5, 2019

“They go from strength to strength.” Psalm 84. We in Menschwork interpret that phrase as “their spiritual course should gain in vigor.”

Our last State of the Spirit spoke of our sadness about the terrible Pittsburgh shootings. Our spiritual vigor was demonstrated in the Menschwork Webinar Series program on November 15, 2018, where we discussed that tragedy and the defamation, several months earlier, of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. The discussion was powerful and our collective response offered some healing for those who joined the videoconference.

Menschwork, Inc. Update
The Menschwork, Inc. Wisdom Council gathered in December for its annual planning retreat. The meeting, along with the success of JMR 27, added another pillar to our foundation. The retreat began with an evening of deep sharing and ritual to honor Marty Pashelinsky, Donald Gardner, and Cobi Waxman, who were leaving the Wisdom Council, and to elect Joseph Kottler and Michael Landau as the newest members of the Wisdom Council. The Wisdom Council also elected the 2019 Officers: 

​     Mark Dwortzan, Chair
     Marc Jacobs, Vice-Chair
     Harold Belkowitz, Treasurer
     Simon Olsberg, Secretary

The Wisdom Council thoughtfully discussed JMR 27 and our longterm plans, and set our priorities for the year. Subsequent to the retreat, Lev Natan was elected to the Wisdom Council. 

Menschwork Webinar Series
Our Webinar Series, open to everyone, covers a wide range of topics. Upcoming dates are March 13, May 8, July 10, and September 11. We invite you to suggest ideas for future topics. Please watch our guideline video and send us your ideas to
info@menschwork.org.

Our January 9, 2018 webinar topic was Jewish Perspective on Sustainable Living: Protecting the Earth-Our Individual Responsibility, presented by Elliott Myrowitz, Mark Dwortzan, and Donald Gardner. The Webinar is available to view at www.menschwork.org, along with the links to our references and other resources. You may also view the video by clicking this link.

We look forward to you joining us on March 13, 2019 for the next Webinar, Spiritual Eldering, left by Yosaif August. The webinar will continue the JMR27 Pathways discussion on Aging and Sage-ing.

Regional Gatherings
We are considering aligning our next Menschwork regional gatherings with Good Deeds Day on April 7, 2019 (www.good-deedsday.org). Please let us know if you like this idea or have other thoughts about what you would like to see for regional gatherings.  Information about Good Deeds Day’s founder is available at
https://www.shariarison.com/en/content/good-deeds-day-2.

JMR28
JMR28 will take place October 25-27, 2019, at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut. David Cherenson, Michael Evers, and Ralph Benmergui, the retreat’s coleaders, are busily preparing to lead us into another great retreat. Make sure to mark your calendars now! Please contact the planning team at JMR28@menschwork.org if you want to help plan the retreat.

Baruch Dayan HaEmeth
The Menschwork community extends its condolences to family and friends of Jonathan Jerome, a Vermonter who attended a number of our Jewish Men’s Retreats. Jonathan was killed on December 20, 2018, while walking his dog across a street in Burlington. A
memorial service in Vermont was followed by a funeral in New York on January 2.

We are deeply saddened to learn this news and will miss Jonathan’s kind-hearted spirit. “Jonathan appreciated the values of the retreat and the friendship and support of the men who filled it,” said Jim Grossman, who has attended past JMRs with Jonathan.

Notes of condolences may be sent to his brothers David Jerome and Richard Jerome.  For privacy reasons, their addresses are not posted in this blog entry.  Please contact us at info@menschwork.org to request their addresses.

May Jonathan’s family be comforted by the love of family and friends and may Jonathan’s memory always be for a blessing.

Get Involved
Menschwork, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization that is guided by its mission and values. Menschwork’s Mission is: “developing transformative program models, programs and resources that encourage men to take the bold, next steps in their journeys as empowered Jewish mensches, men of spirit, compassion, integrity, dignity, responsibility and purpose in their families, communities and in the larger world.” Within this structure is the core value that “Our model of leadership is egalitarian, inclusive, collaborative, and non-hierachical.”  

We encourage broad involvement in all aspects of Menschwork. Please contact us to share your ideas and passions in support of our mission.

Support Menschwork
We recently celebrated Tu Bishvat, which celebrates the “birthday” or “new year” of fruit-bearing trees. Please consider planting a spiritual seed to help us flourish by donating to Menschwork.

Blessings,
Mark Dwortzan, Chair
Marc Jacobs, Vice-Chair
Harold Belkowitz, Treasurer
Simon Olsberg, Secretary
Elliott Myrowitz, Immediate Past Chair
Yosaif August
Reb Shawn Zevit
David Piver
Josef Kottler
Michael Landau
Lev Natan

State of the Spirit – February 2019