On this week’s episode of the Seekers of Meaning TV Show and Podcast, Rabbi Richard Address engages with Rabbis Lindsey Danziger and Ben David to discuss their book, The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma.
They explore the concept of trauma within the Jewish tradition, emphasizing the sacredness of personal stories and the importance of community support. The conversation delves into the role of liturgy in coping with trauma, the distinction between personal and communal trauma, and the impact of modern isolation. The rabbis offer insights and advice for those struggling with trauma, highlighting the importance of connection and resilience.
About the Book
How do we find the strength to continue when dealing with traumatic experiences? The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma is a powerful anthology of personal stories, offering a deeply moving exploration of how Jewish wisdom can help us navigate life’s most difficult moments. With stories including enduring the loss of a child, losing a loved one to suicide, surviving sexual assault, responding to a diagnosis of cancer, experiencing antisemitism and racism, and many more, this volume is rooted in vulnerability and resilience, revealing the profound ways Judaism offers tools for reflection, connection, and healing. Edited by Rabbi Lindsey Danziger and Rabbi Benjamin David, with a foreword by Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, The Sacred Struggle is a companion for anyone seeking comfort and hope in the face of trauma.
In this book you will find the genuine voices of life as it is lived-in pain, with struggle, and offering the wisdom to endure and prevail. A work of great range, it is a bracing book, an important book, and a gift to all of us.
–Rabbi David Wolpe, author of Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times
Who among us has not been touched by trauma? Violence? Natural disaster? Illness? Marginalization? Family dysfunction? In this challenging and thought provoking
book, rabbis reflect on the Torah of their lives, as well as the Torah of tradition, to give us insight into the ways we are all affected by trauma and the
many different paths to healing.
–Rabbi Laura Geller, coauthor of Moments That Matter: Marking Transitions in Midlife and Beyond
Trauma may shatter us. It doesn’t have to end us. … There is a way forward. I pray that this volume can be a source of strength for you.
– From the foreword by Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, PhD, Temple Emanuel, Winston-Salem, NC
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About the Guests
Rabbi Lindsey Danziger
Rabbi Lindsey Danziger is Director of Campaigns at the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. She guides synagogues and clergy across the country in their work to organize and mobilize for justice. She is also an adjunct professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she teaches Community Organizing. She was ordained there in 2017 and also received a master’s degree in Religious Education. She is a member of the Nashville Jewish Federation Board of Directors, the Akiva School, and the Aspen Institute Collective on Racial Justice and Religion – a national advisory council of faith leaders creating anti-racist religious spaces. Rabbi Danziger resides in Nashville, TN, with her husband, Rabbi Michael Danziger, and their three children – Ben, Aviva, and Noa. She loves serving on faculty at URJ Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS.
Rabbi Benjamin P. David
Rabbi Benjamin P. David was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Cherry Hill, NJ. He is the son of Rabbi Jerome and Peggy David. He attended Cherry Hill High School East and Muhlenberg College, where he majored in English Literature. In 1999, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 2004, he was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. While in rabbinic school, he served numerous congregations, including Kol Hanishama of Jerusalem, Temple Beth Am of Monessen, PA and Temple Shaaray Tefila of Manhattan. He also served as an intern at the Jewish Guild for the Blind and the Makor Steinhardt Center. He received numerous awards in the field of Talmud and Hebrew Literature and was the co-founder of Davar Aher, a student review. From 2005-2012, he served as assistant and associate rabbi at Temple Sinai of Roslyn, working closely with youth and teens, overseeing the Hebrew High School program, officiating at lifecycle events, teaching broadly, and helping to further develop the congregation’s social action, community organizing, and interfaith programs. Prior to joining KI, Rabbi David served as senior Rabbi of congregation Adath Emanu-El in Mount Laurel, New Jersey from 2012-2022.
Since arriving at KI in July of 2022, Rabbi David has introduced Talmud to the congregation through interactive classes and sessions. He works closely with our youth and teen communities, leading the Confirmation and post-Confirmation programs in ways that are upbeat, fun and meaningful. He has led trips to Israel, Washington, DC and the south. He works closely with our religious practices, social justice and Israel committees and loves leading Shabbat morning Torah study. He is active in Interfaith Philadelphia and part of the leadership of RAC-PA, the Pennsylvania arm of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. He is a certified chaplain for SCI Phoenix Prison (formerly Graterford). In addition to supporting our congregants in all phases of life, he loves working with the KI professional staff.
A competitive distance runner, he has completed 20 marathons including the Boston Marathon twice and the NYC Marathon four times. He is a co-founder of the Running Rabbis, a social justice initiative that works with clergy worldwide to run and walk in the name of worthy causes.
Rabbi David is a past President of the Tri-County Board of Rabbis, serving New Jersey’s Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties.
He is married to Lisa David, the Director of Camp Harlam. They also met at Camp Harlam, where they both spent time as campers, counselors, and supervisors. They have three children: Noa, Elijah, and Samuel.
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