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As parents, we worry about the well-being of our kids; about their future, and about our role in shaping it. How do we keep them safe, while encouraging their independence? When should we motivate them by incentive, and when by establishing firm consequences? And how do we build their self-esteem to prepare them mentally and emotionally for the long road ahead?
In The Art of Parenting, we scale the challenges that face us as parents and explore timeless insights from Jewish wisdom to instill values, foster independence, and ensure the long-term success and emotional well-being of our children.
Overview
Parent, or "Peer Ant"
Do you relate to your child as a friend, or as an influential personality whom they admire and respect? How do you instill a reverence for authority and at the same time reinforce their emotional security?
Be Firm, or Forgiving?
If you're too forgiving, your child may lack direction. If you're too strict, they may look elsewhere for support in their time of need. In this lesson, you'll examine the pros and cons of a plethora of parenting models to find a balanced approach.
Grant Freedom, Responsibly
You know that to raise an independent child you cannot be overprotective. But how do you protect them from acting irresponsibly? At what point must you let go and trust them to make their own choices?
Cultivate Healthy Self-Esteem
Insecure children are bullied and bully others. How do you make sure that doesn't happen to your child? And what can you do to help them uncover their unique qualities and develop a confident self-image?
Reward and Discipline, Effectively
Your child is acting up. What do you do? Praise and reproach are the carrot and stick of child rearing, but how do you respond when your kid just shuts down? How can you ensure that your words and actions communicate the right message and achieve the desired results?
Impart a Toolkit for Life
The tools your child needs to succeed include a great education, strong values, and an identity they are proud of. What role does each parent play in providing these? And how can you help your child discover the joy in Judaism and a proud sense of Jewish identity?
The Art of Marriage
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Judaism views a loving marriage as a spiritual as well as a human ideal.
“The Art of Marriage” is a six session course that will show participants how to attain that for themselves and their spouses, with timeless lessons from both modern and ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud and Zohar.
This course will benefit everyone from newlyweds to couples happily married for fifty years, to those contemplating tying the knot.
Married individuals will learn how to enhance their relationship and heighten their intimacy and those looking to marry will discover the building blocks of a healthy relationship.
What will be covered:
• The Case for Marriage. Is there still a need for marriage in today’s world? What purpose does it serve, psychologically and spiritually?
• Jewish Bedroom Secrets. Judaism has much to say about the physical side of marriage. This lesson draws upon the wisdom of the Kabbalah and shares practical tools to increase spousal intimacy of heart, mind, body, and soul.
• Will my Spouse Ever Change? What if only one partner is committed to improving the marriage? This lesson examines the ideal of an expectation-free relationship, and how to value your partner for who they are.
• Becoming a Better Half. Marriage can bring out the best and worst in people. This lesson focuses on the individual character traits that influence marriage. We also explore how marriage can be a tool for self improvement.
• Danger Ahead. How does one defend a marriage from the threats of boredom from within and temptation from without? This lesson shows ways to form and fortify an exclusive and powerful relationship.
• Make Up or Break Up? How far should you go to make a marriage work? This lesson explores Jewish insights on divorce that provide powerful instruction on how to stay married when the going gets tough.
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How Happiness Thinks
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Course Overview
How Happiness Thinks is much more than a tool to boost your happiness. It is an exciting journey into your own mind and psyche. Drawing on classical Jewish and mystical teachings, this course will present you with a deeper understanding of yourself, and help you flourish by suggesting practical advice which, when implemented, will radically enhance the happiness quotient of your life.
You'll also learn how the science of positive psychology is now corroborating what Judaism has always known about what makes us happy.
Course Outline
The Joy of Being You
Finding a Self-Concept of Happiness
How you think about yourself is crucial to your happiness. What is the self-concept that yields happiness, protects against the misery of low self-esteem, and avoids self-centeredness?
The Joy of Purpose
Facing Stress with Patience, Mindfulness, and Hope
Stress is an impediment to happiness. How can we rise above the everyday worries and frustrations, whether they are about the present or future, and retain our joie du vivre?
The Joy of Having
Learning the Art of Gratitude
Good fortune—wealth, beauty, genius, or power—don’t necessarily lead to more happiness. But is there a way to build joy from our good circumstances? How do we master the art of experiencing the goodness of life?
The Joy of Struggle
Exploiting Our Shortcomings as Sources of Happiness
Our flaws and deficiencies can drain us of our happiness. How might we succeed in reframing our challenges and deficiencies as joy-inspiring opportunities of cosmic proportion?
When Joy Seems Elusive
Coping with the Pain of Loss
The loss of a loved one changes our lives forever. What can help us cope through these difficult moments of grief and bring us back to emotional equilibrium?
The Joy of the Spirit
Exploring the Deeper Dimensions of Happiness
Research suggests that meaning and spirituality can make us happier. Why is this so? Discover how spirituality and meaning can help you take your happiness to greater heights.
For more information, please contact Rabbi Zalman at [email protected].
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