Ruach Hamidbar - Spirit of the Desert





A Jewish Renewal Community - Pan-denominational

Warmly Welcoming Everyone    GLBTQ friendly



GLBTQ friendly community 



JEWISH ART SCHOOL

    KAVANNAH - HOLY INTENTIONS

  1. Serve as a meaningful, supportive, creative Jewish learning community.
  2. Guide youth and involved parents in ways of experiencing fulfillment as Jews.
  3. Honor the skills the student brings and cultivates those skills through a Jewish lens. 
  4. Ensure Jewish peoplehood is a relevant and dear part of each student’s life by helping them find the roles they are growing into, by giving them a seat of honor and respect in the tribe so that they are part of something, rather than a consumer of something.
  5. Nurture each student to develop their spiritual path as a Jew.
  6. The school will be fully inclusive for every kind of Jewish family, a joyful community of talented learners and dedicated mentors.

In order to feel one as “a seat at the table” of the “tribe” 
one has to feel a role/function within the Jewish people. 

An emerging premise is that teaching knowledge for its own sake does not sufficiently anchor Jewish identity nor catalyze Jewish practices to support the youth’s journey in life. Aka, treating Jewish youth like hard drives upon which all possible information must be crammed lest one day any given one is the only surviving Jewish person. But, when knowledge is sought by a youth in connection with a role to which they aspire in the tribe, then a living Jewish learning experience is created which facilitates identity, commitment and engaged Jewish living. 
      --- Rabbi Goldie Milgram

            The following arts have been identified as fundamental to healthy Jewish communities,            most need serious renewal in our times and have little or no existing curriculum components. 

Maggidim - Sacred storytellers and creators.

Badhanim - Professional comics and clowns who stimulate critical thought and self-awareness of school and community through humorous critique wrought with menschlikhkiet.

M’zamerim - Balladeers and Paytanim (poets, psalmists) who can put to song the culture of a family, an institution, a people and the experience of the Jewish soul in our times.

Theatre - Puppeteers, playwrights, actors and directors; guerilla theatre

Omanim - Calligraphy, film, paint, sculpture, silk, weaving, ceramic, and other representational artists.

Sed’rim - Organizers of services, events, programs, students drawn to leadership.

Klezmorim - Along with other forms of Jewish music to be developed and explored by student musicians.

Rikkudim - Dance leaders of traditional and developers of new forms of Jewish dance, so that a people can live and rejoice!

Tikkunim - Activists in social justice awakening the student and greater community to issues, highlighting Jewish responses, texts, and planning actions.

Mashpi’im - Guides for the Jewish spirit, nurturing relationships with God and practice, making sense out of life’s challenges and how to live a mitzvah-centered life.

Davenologists - Students drawn to prayer and leading of religious services and activities.

Teva Yidd’n - Naturalist-inclined students who will create guided Jewish adventures in nature for pertinent times in the life of the school community, who will teach the nature metaphors in Torah, and incorporate students with focused interests in science, gardening, hiking, herbology, etc.

Mekubalim - Students drawn to Torah interpretation and contemplative practice.

Hachnassim - Environmental engineer corps to make and keep the school welcoming physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Mezonot Corps - Students inclined to cooking, nutrition, remedies in all four worlds.

Maccabi’im - Sports-oriented students who will draw on their sports metaphors and motifs to explore Jewish life and traditions.

K’tuvim - Pamphleteers, bloggers, Jewish fiction writers, magazine editors and authors, journalistic students

Shalomim - Peacemakers, students of history and mediation skills and peace-making initiatives

Lashonim - Natural linguists will be supported in fullness of Hebrew learning and creativity.

With gratitude to Rabbi Goldie Milgram, DMin, MSW, our Jewish educational consultant par excellence. 
Many of the ideas are part of a copyrighted work-in-progress by Rabbi Milgram titled “Reframing Jewish Education”.

For updates call our Hotline: 602-420-1700
Ruach Hamidbar - Spirit of the Desert l GLBTQ friendly community l 602-420-1700 l office@ruach.org                                            Ruach Hamidbar - Spirit of the Desert and KabbalahHighHolyDays  ©  2008 2009
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