Joel Lurie Grishaver's Chinese Menu of Sessions

Elements from which to Design Your Own Grishaver Experience

Spiritual Growth

• The Mechanics of Jewish Values. This is a hands-on look at how Jewish ethics work differently than the "family values" or the "Christian values" that are so frequently cited in our media and our political system. Through looking at cases and how Jewish values are applied as a process rather than as a single absolute fiat, participants will come to understand the "organistic" nature of the Jewish ethical process.
• The Kabbalah of Self. Through reading and unpacking primary mystical texts (Sefer Yetzirah, Zohar, Rabbi Nachman, etc.) participants will gain insight into how Kabbalah is both a process of coming close to God and a process of self-actualization.
• The Kabbalah of Music. Rabbi Nachman teaches that music grows out of a spiritual process, a kind of inner-work. Learn how to live a musical life.
• * The Good-Side of Evil: An exploration of the Rabbinic understanding of the Yetzer ha-Rah, the evil urge, using hevruta study, storytelling, and lecture discussion.
• * Healing Evil-- Repentence: An interactive exploration of a portion of Maimonides Laws of Repentence and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's writings on repentance.
• * Path-finding: An exploration of Martin Buber's spiritual tractate, The Way of Man. This is a look at the "inner-work" needed to find a life with meaning.

• * Finding God in the Family: Three case studies, one from the midrash, one from real life, and one from the Talmud lead to the discovery of a Jewish vision of family.
• * It Only Takes Four Stories to Be Jewish: Through sharing their own family stories participants learn that they are reliving experiences of creation, exodus, Mt. Sinai, and the final redemption.
• * The Stories of Our Ancestors Mark the Way to Our Future: Through looking first at dysfunctional moments in biblical family stories and then at the midrashic resolutions of those stories, we will discover the tools needed for family healing and growth.
• * Using Bar and Bat Mitzvah to Change Family Dynamics: Most parents worry about their children becoming teenagers. Learn how it can make things easier rather than harder. Insights from the rabbinic tradition can help both parents and new teens.
• * What Happens After I Die? Starting with participants' own beliefs and moving into traditional beliefs, this is an interactive exploration of various Jewish views of the afterlife, including a number of midrashic stories and a piece of Talmud

• * Stories We Pray: Every prayer has a story—that is what the midrash and the Talmud understand. Through knowing the story of the first time a prayer was said, one gets a window into the spiritual process (kavanah) the prayer is intended to create. This first session will contain an introduction and look at the Shema and her blessings.
• * Abraham, his Mother, and their Friends Teach Us How to Pray: A further look at the stories that reveal the inner workings of the Amidah.

• * The Day the Talmud was Created: A look at the sociological, cultural, and religious context through which the Talmud was created and developed. Through understanding a single moment in Jewish history participants will come to understand the Talmud as both an evolutionary process and as a revolution. This will lead to a hands-on exploration of a Talmud text.
• * Courtyards and Classrooms (Bava Batra 22b) The Talmud combines a discussion of Jewish Education with an exploration of Business Ethics. In this passage we learn the limits on fair competition between businesses. Through this passage learners will get a sense of the Rabbinical view of Walmart.
• * Meet the Evil Inclination (Sukkah 51b ff) Judaism believes that every feeling and every urge we have is a gift from God—through some may become problematic in certain moments. In this Talmudic text (and in a series of surrounding passages) participants will come to understand the foundation of Rabbinical theology.
• * The Physics of Shame (Bava Metziah 58b ff) The Talmud introduces a concept called Ona'at Dibbur, emotional fraud—behaviors that leach self-esteem and cause shame. In this passage we will learn how the Talmud develops a sense of treating people with dignity. The passage culminates with the story of Akhnai's Oven.
• * Shabbat: Sanctuary in Time (Shabbat 73b ff) Hayyim Nachman Bialik said that "Halakhah (Jewish Law) was frozen Aggadah (Legend). Through studying a series of texts including the laws of work that is prohibited on Shabbat, participants will see how the poetry of Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath emerge from legal documents.

• * Hard Decisions: An Adult You Be the Judge Session on Medical Ethics: A combination of case-studies, debate, hevruta learning, and lecture discussion. This is a hands-on exploration of Jewish law.
• * Jewish Moot Court: An adult process that includes (a) hands-on struggle with Ethical dilemmas, (b) an exploration of Jewish sources that speak to these legal situations, and (c) a history of the Jewish application of these sources to such cases. In several occasions this program has qualified for Continuing Legal Education units for lawyers.
• + Haggadah Cat Scan: Learn about the organization of the Passover seder. This is turn will help you build Sedarim that draw in children and adults.
• * Chapter 3 Times 2: Come to the Garden of Eden. Take two looks at the third chapter of Genesis. We will construct an interactive bibliodrama of around the "tree-in-the-middle-of-the-garden." And then participate in a reader's theatre consideration of several pieces of classical midrashim.
• * How to Make A Golem: A performance piece that involves interactive storytelling and discussion on such topics as death, evil, anti-semitism, and kabbalah.

• * You Be the Judge: An exploration of family values through participation in a moot-court and an exploration of Jewish sources.
• * Target Painting: Interactive storytelling and dialogue on Jewish values.
• * Agents of Peace: An interactive program that explores Jewish responses to bullying.
• * God's Business Plan: An interactive program that explores Jewish business ethics.
• * Tales of Jewish Horror and Suspense: A campfire style gathering (often by candles light) that use a collection of interesting Jewish stories for family conversation.
• * Words that Hit—Words that Hug: An interactive program that explores how words hurt and help people.
• * Oneg Shanah: A large group board game on the Jewish year.

• * Four Steps to Menschlekite--Jewish Insights on Parenting: A look at how Jewish values and Jewish practices can help families become places of goodness.
• * Discipline for Children—A Jewish Guide to Growth: A look at how the wisdom of the Talmud and other Jewish sources can help us to help our children manage their own behavior.
• * They Shall Not Hurt or Destroy: What Families Can Do to Prevent Teenage Violence
• * 40 Things You Can Do to Save the Jewish People: Strategies for raising "good enough Jewish Kids."
• * Jewish Family Tool Box: Using materials he developed for Synagogue 2000, Joel will explore the insights and tools the Jewish tradition offers for family life. The six possible sessions include: (a) Celebrations, (b) Prayer, (c) The Telling of Family Stories, (d) The Ethics of Wealth, (e) The Transmission of Values, and (f) The Process of Letting Go.

• * Jewish Classroom Management: Most secular classroom management centers in embarrassing students. In this workshop, Joel will teach a variety of traditional texts and model a number of instructional techniques that center in preserving a students dignity and work with honor.
• * Jewish Parents--A Teacher's Guide: Pragmatic tools for communicating with the parents of your students, for facilitating "family-learning" which reinforces and extends your classroom activities, and for forming partnerships with parents--particularly when dealing with difficult classroom situations.
• * Teaching with Stories: Stories are a wonderful way to teach. We will look at how one transforms a story into a lesson.
• * They Shall Not Hurt or Destroy: Preventing Teen-Age Violence: This is a teacher and school focused version of the workshop offered to parents.
• * I Have Some Questions About God: Through studying stories and participating in discussions teachers will grow in their facility and confidence at teaching and talking about God in their classroom.
• * Effective use of Madrikhim (Teen Assistants): A workshop for teachers and teaching assistants to look at how they could maximize the impact of working together.
• * If We Were the Rulers of Hebrew School World… a process of looking at the best possible futures for Hebrew Schools. This workshop helps professional to take control of the environments in which they work and not feel victimized by "the situation."
• * The Art of Bible Teaching: A hands-on exploration of a number of techniques and insights that match the nature of the biblical text with a number of teaching tools.
• * Real Siddur Teaching:

Joel's week-ends regularly include family events, religious school events, and frequently includes a session for the youth group. If these interest you, ask for the latest list of sessions or have a conversation with Joel.

Joel's Sunday mornings are usually Target Painting for younger students and parents, Four Steps to Menschlekite for parents, You be the Judge for older students and parents, and then a teacher training workshop.

Note: Joel is pretty flexible about his teaching. Many things listed here can be adapted to different settings. If you have specific needs, he may well have things in his file cabinet that can be reanimated. You can also check with him about the newest parts of his repertoire. New learning experiences are always emerging from his teaching experiences and from interesting challenges.

To begin planning your own Grishaver Weekend,
call 800-Be-Torah # 122 and speak to Carrie
or email her at carrie@torahaura.com