Category: TorahTrek Guides

A Jewish Vision Quest

7/19/2018

by Rabbi James Green

The midrash tells us that we can only receive Torah when we empty ourselves and become wild like the wilderness. I never really knew what that meant until I ventured out on my first soul-o quest. This 72-hour experience, shaped by Native American vision quests, is meant to provide a Jewish framework to ancient questions of connection, nurturing of spirit, and deep awareness. My journey, completed as part of a one-year intensive Jewish Wilderness Guides track program with TorahTrek, took me to the mountains of New Mexico and gave me the gift of a vision I will carry with me for my entire life.

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Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde: Exploring the Chi/Chiut Parallel

7/19/2018

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Who is This Aliveness I Am?
By Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde

Rabbi Mike Comins has opened up a wonderful channel of theory and practice with his teaching, contained in A Wild Faith, on the parallel between the Chinese Daoist idea of "chi" and the Hasidic idea of "chiut." Building on this insight, Rabbi Mike has made qigung an important practice component of Jewish wilderness spirituality. In this short piece, I’d like to go deeper into the chi/chiut parallel, bringing two important primary Hasidic texts into the discussion, as well as clarifying some issues in chiut practice.

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Mayim Hayim: Living the Water Cycle

7/18/2018

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Educator's Corner

A Ready-Made Lesson to introduce the concept of the water cycle and watersheds in eco-systems, to learn the critical role of rain in the Land of Israel, and to learn Jewish values connected to rain and the water cycle.

by TorahTrek Guides, Dr. Samuel Wasserman-Singer and Rabbi James Greene with Rabbi Mike Comins

Download Lesson Plan

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Meet-a-Tree

7/17/2018

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Educator's Corner

TorahTrek Guide Josh Lake shares "Meet-a-Tree," a game that builds community and fosters a love of nature, while introducing the tree as a symbol of Jewish law, tradition and thought.

Objectives:

To develop tactile, olfactory and other senses.
To foster the development of a personal relationship with nature.
To build a community of learners with a shared experience
To enhance trust amongst campers.
To introduce the tree as a symbol present in Jewish law, tradition and thought.

Type of activity:  Game
Source: Adapted from Joseph Cornell, Sharing Nature: Nature Awareness Activities for All Ages
Time:  10-20 minutes
When to play:  Day

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TorahTrek eJournal

A Jewish Vision Quest

by Rabbi James Green

Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde: Exploring the Chi/Chiut Parallel

Who is This Aliveness I Am?
By Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde

Mayim Hayim: Living the Water Cycle

Educator's Corner

Meet-a-Tree

Educator's Corner

Topics

TorahTrek eJournal

A Jewish Vision Quest

by Rabbi James Green

Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde: Exploring the Chi/Chiut Parallel

Who is This Aliveness I Am?By Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde

Mayim Hayim: Living the Water Cycle

Educator's Corner

Meet-a-Tree

Educator's Corner

Topics

Who is This Aliveness I Am?
By Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde