From the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life

Neurodivergent Torah: A Celebration of Autistic Culture & Liberation with Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman


Listen Later

This Shabbat, I’m going to share a personal story very different from the kinds of sermons I used to give when I worked in a congregation. I want to be clear it is my story. I recognize that in this room there are Autistic people and family members who have their own perspectives that may differ from mine. They are just as important and valid. We are a large and diverse community.  

Three years ago, a neuropsychologist assessed our then 3-year-old son and called a few weeks later to tell us that was Autistic. I was so relieved. Our son was verbally precocious, made intense eye contact, and was very charismatic and social. He also loved being read a wall calendar or a Hebrew/English dictionary as a bedtime story, struggled with transitions and unpredictable

meltdowns, and ran in circles around his preschool classroom here in Temple Emanuel, seeking sensory input he wasn’t getting. Bedtime could take 2 manic hours. Like our ancestors in this week’s parasha, my family was in an unknown wilderness, and we were ready to receive some Torah.

Except the Torah the doctor delivered to us didn’t seem right.

Instagram: @rabbishoshana

Web: https://www.rabbishoshana.com/

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

From the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for LifeBy Temple Emanuel in Newton

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

8 ratings


More shows like From the Bimah: Jewish Lessons for Life

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,109 Listeners

CLUBLIFE by Tiësto

CLUBLIFE

6,531 Listeners

Israel Story by Israel Story

Israel Story

1,211 Listeners

The Rabbi Sacks Legacy by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

The Rabbi Sacks Legacy

542 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,489 Listeners

Identity/Crisis by Shalom Hartman Institute

Identity/Crisis

198 Listeners

For Heaven's Sake by Shalom Hartman Institute

For Heaven's Sake

435 Listeners

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor by Ark Media, Ilan Benatar

Call Me Back - with Dan Senor

3,252 Listeners

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing by The Times of Israel

The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

1,091 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,091 Listeners

Honestly with Bari Weiss by The Free Press

Honestly with Bari Weiss

8,814 Listeners

Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas by Boundless Israel, Inc.

Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas

104 Listeners

Ask Haviv Anything by Haviv Rettig Gur

Ask Haviv Anything

825 Listeners