Free Interactive Workshops
with Jamie Wolf at the Havurah
10 am - 1 pm • March 2 & 23
Sociologist, experienced trainer, and Vashon resident Jamie Wolf has offered a wonderful gift to the Vashon Jewish community: two free interactive workshops to help us maintain our mental health and safety in these challenging times.
Sunday, March 2: Staying calm and centered in challenging times
Fear and anxiety are a natural reaction to our current social and political environment. When we feel threatened by events beyond our control, we tend to live in a state of hypervigilance. This can make us miserable and take years off our lives. When we understand how the central nervous system responds to challenges and threats, we can bring our prefrontal cortex (our rational mind) back online so we can respond rather than reacting. During this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the neuroscience of fear and reactivity, the importance of self-regulation, and skills for setting boundaries that support our minds and bodies and bring us peace.
Sunday, March 23: Fostering situational awareness to become prepared, not scared
Situational awareness is the ability to perceive, understand, and respond effectively to one’s situation. Being situationally aware allows us to make decisions that keep us out of the path of danger and make us better allies, able to intervene while maintaining our own safety when others are threatened. This participatory workshop will use a variety of scenarios to teach us the steps of situational awareness:
• Observation
• Orientation
• Decision
• Action
Because mutual trust is an important component of both workshops,
they are intended for members of the Jewish community,
our partners and friends, and aspiring allies.
Past Events...
Shabbat Evening Potluck
with Phil Levin & Elizabeth Braverman
6:30 pm • Friday, June 24
Elizabeth Braverman and Phil Levin invite you to a Shabbat Dinner Potluck at their farm on Reddings Beach Rd, on July 24th, 6:30 pm. Come enjoy good food, great company and learn about the Jewish Farmer Network. Special guest, Masha Vernik, coordinator for the Jewish Seed Project, will join us for dinner.
The Jewish Farmer Network (JFN, jewishfarmernetwork.org) is an organization that mobilizes Jewish agricultural wisdom to build a more just and regenerative food system for all. JFN connects farmers, gardeners, and growers of all kinds to each other and the rhythms, and ethics of Jewish agriculture to create a vibrant future for people, plants, and the planet.
Phil and Elizabeth are participating in JFN's Jewish Seed Project in search of the fruit of our ancestors. In collaboration with growers across the country, they are growing out seeds believed to descendants of the qishut--a cucumber/melon described in the Torah. These seeds are a direct line to the past, and by saving and sharing these seeds, we extend a hand towards the future. On Shabbat, we’ll explore the question, “where do our lives as modern Jews intersect with the stories of seeds both ancient and modern?”
Masha Vernik, coordinator of the Jewish Seed Project, also works as an organizer and communicator for the Public Justice Food Project -- a non-profit that addresses the structural and institutional inequities upon which our current food system is built and works toward a food system that is free from extraction and exploitation.
Come light candles and celebrate! Please RSVP at phil.s.levin@gmail.com
