Although Judaism has endured its share of challenges as a religion, culture, and community, its traditions and teachings emphatically promote gratitude.
It is too easy, Jewish sources say, to fall back on the simple route of being dissatisfied with life and focusing on what you lack. True gratitude requires an honest accounting of what you do have, an accounting of which, Judaism argues, will allow you to acknowledge the blessings which are a part of your life. Woven into thousands of years of Jewish thought is the overriding idea that taking time to recognize what you have in life is one of the uniquely beneficial rituals we can undertake. Full of aphorisms that teach about the potential for living a more fulfilled life, Pirke Avot (written around the year 200 CE) offers the following:
"Who is rich? Those who rejoice in their own portion." -- Pirke Avot 4:1
Last week, the Pre-K through 6th Grade classes created gratitude journals so that they can start each JCS session this year with sharing their gratitude with their class or in their journal. This brief reminder to be grateful also allows our teachers to check in with their students after each break between sessions.
Please join our JCS activity by writing something that makes you grateful in the Machar gratitude journal at the JCS table in the front lobby.
It is too easy, Jewish sources say, to fall back on the simple route of being dissatisfied with life and focusing on what you lack. True gratitude requires an honest accounting of what you do have, an accounting of which, Judaism argues, will allow you to acknowledge the blessings which are a part of your life. Woven into thousands of years of Jewish thought is the overriding idea that taking time to recognize what you have in life is one of the uniquely beneficial rituals we can undertake. Full of aphorisms that teach about the potential for living a more fulfilled life, Pirke Avot (written around the year 200 CE) offers the following:
"Who is rich? Those who rejoice in their own portion." -- Pirke Avot 4:1
Last week, the Pre-K through 6th Grade classes created gratitude journals so that they can start each JCS session this year with sharing their gratitude with their class or in their journal. This brief reminder to be grateful also allows our teachers to check in with their students after each break between sessions.
Please join our JCS activity by writing something that makes you grateful in the Machar gratitude journal at the JCS table in the front lobby.
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