MYSTICS’ ROOM
This is a place for spiritual journeyers and adventurers. Here, you’ll find interviews, articles, poems, and other mysterious doors waiting to be opened. Follow where your heart leads, and enjoy the journey.
MY JEWISH LEARNING
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This ancient mystical text introduced many concepts that would be more fully developed by the tradition of Kabbalah.
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The Jewish practice of blessing natural phenomena awakens us to the fact that the earth is a wonder, a witness, and a spiritual mystery.
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What would it mean if we could hear what the plants are saying?
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The blessing traditionally recited after using the restroom reimagined as praise for the inner drumbeat sustaining the body.
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
By Rabbi Jill Hammer
FEMINISM & RELIGION
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I have always had a particular fascination with women warriors—particularly ancient and medieval ones. Joan of Arc was a favorite, as was Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt. My father had a sword from Spain hanging on his wall in his study…
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The liturgy of Yom Kippur states: “On Rosh haShanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed: who will live and who will die, who by fire and who by water…” This prayer refers to a legend mentioned in the Talmud…
AYIN PRESS
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Have you ever dreamed of a tree? Go back to that image in your mind. What kind of tree was it: big, small, deciduous, coniferous? What did it look like? How did you feel about it? How did you interact with it? What role did it play in your dream?
Siona Benjamin is a feminist Indian-Jewish artist whose work has made a profound impact on individuals and communities. In this interview, Rabbi Jill Hammer speaks with Siona Benjamin about her art featuring biblical women and the divine feminine, and its cultural and philosophical roots.