Kabbalah Connection: Mysticism and Unity in Prayer

  Guest: Rabbi Jeremy Tibbetts, JLIC Director in Jerusalem and Director of Student Leadership for Yavneh Main Discussion Topics: Building intentional Jewish community in Jerusalem for English-speaking young adults Response to October 7th - Community shifted from internal focus to extensive outward aid efforts, including: Processing ~70,000 shekels in donations Packing 2,000+ meals Running a 2-month camp for 100 displaced children Featured Torah Teaching: Before prayer, one must accept the mitzvah to "love your neighbor as yourself" Prayer becomes more powerful when combined with genuine care and connection to community Importance of bringing others' struggles and pain into one's prayers Discussion of mystical understanding of prayer as affecting both internal spiritual state and external world Guest's Background: Came to Orthodox Judaism from non-Orthodox background Studied Chassidut for several years before diving deeper into Kabbalah Currently pursuing Master's in Jewish Thought at Hebrew University Teaches mystical texts while emphasizing their connection to practical religious life and community building