Lovingkindness in a Time of War

Episode 48 · December 21st, 2023 · 1 hr 7 mins

About this Episode

Can individual acts of loving-kindness really make a difference with Israel and Hamas at war? Rabbi Amy Eilberg, a longtime peace activist, says yes. Eilberg, the first woman ordained by the Conservative movement, believes that nearly everyone with a connection to Israel and Gaza — and maybe even those without such a direct connection — are experiencing pain and trauma. In this podcast, Eilberg explains that so many of us are consuming every op-ed and podcast about the conflict as a means to avoid deep pain. She shares her decades-long journey into metta meditation and how she turned to it after October 7. We also discuss how even though many Jews have felt isolated in recent months, she doesn’t buy into the narrative that the whole world is against Jews. Nor has she given up on coalition-building or the importance of anti-racism efforts. This is a pastoral conversation in which she addresses the feelings of pain, anger and hopelessness that host Bryan Schwartzman, and many others, have experienced during wartime. It’s about how individuals might seek healing and, maybe, how Jewish communities can address trauma to become healthier.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Support Evolve

Episode Links