TIKKUN MIDDOT PROJECTTIKKUN MIDDOT PROJECTMade possible through the support of a grant Made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundationfrom the John Templeton Foundation. .

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Can faith communities create sustainable structures positively impacting their members’ lifelong character development?

A three-year study of 28 Jewish communities developing their members’ moral character through mindfulness and tikkun middot practice .

Each community must be led by clergy or other leader trained by the Institute in mindfulness practice, who will engage in a personal practice of character development while implementing a parallel process within the community.

Cultivating mindfulness practice and attention to middot (spiritual/moral qualities) will help community members: become more aware of and acknowledge negative behavioral patterns transform challenging situations into opportunities to strengthen their character respond in such situations with greater clarity, wisdom, and compassion

Participants will report an increase in

recognizing situations in which they typically react negatively; responding to such situations by choosing to practice the middot; and perceiving their religious community supporting and modeling positive moral character.

 

IJS-trained leader participates as individual in facilitated small group (4-5 participants) process over 10months, utilizing Tikkun Middot curriculumComponents: Monthly 90-minute facilitated va’ad/group session via

videoconference Interim weekly sichat chaverim, text study in chevruta, mentoring sessions by phone Kabbalot: specific actions Cheshbon hanefesh journaling

1. “TIKKUN MIDDOT STUDY GROUP”: leader teaches the Tikkun Middot curriculum to a small group of key professional and/or lay leaders well-positioned to train/teach others in community. 2. Leader also collaborates with a TASK FORCE to design and implement a plan to strategically integrate tikkun middot practice within community in a systemic, sustainable manner. Possible components of a plan might include: Highlighting middot in communal prayer Weaving references to middah into d’rashot and learning Opening Board and/or committee meetings with mindfulness practice

and middot studyPosters for lobby etc. with middah, verse, and meditative phrase

Song or niggun of the month relating to middah Monthly email to community describing middah and scenarios in which

it might be practiced

Ten-unit “middah of month” curricula featuring text study, heshbon hanefesh (personal reflection), hevruta study, small group process, and exercises

Adult curriculum developed by Rabbi David Jaffe of Boston Family (parent/child) curriculum developed by Miki Young (Philadelphia)

hitlamdut, making what we learn deeply impact our lives behira, discerning the critical decision point for our actions anavah, humility savlanut, patience hesed, lovingkindness kavod, respect shtika, thoughtful speech bitachon, trust emunah, trustworthiness seder, orderliness and integration

Applications due by Friday, June 14 Selections announced by end of June Communities begin promoting Tikkun Middot Project,

especially during fall holidays in September 2014 Orientation retreat/conference in New Jersey (location

TBA), Sunday-Tuesday, October 27-29 TIKKUN MIDDOT LEADERS GROUPS Nov.2013-June 2014 TIKKUN MIDDOT STUDY GROUPS Jan. 2014-Dec. 2014 TIKKUN MIDDOT COMMUNITY PROJECTS Sept. 2014-June

2015

 

Applications due end of October, 2014 Selections announced mid-November 2014 Orientation retreat/conference February 2014 TIKKUN MIDDOT LEADERS GROUPS

March 2014-Dec. 2014 TIKKUN MIDDOT STUDY GROUPS

May 2014-April 2015 TIKKUN MIDDOT COMMUNITY PROJECTS start

Sept. 2014 through January 2015, end by Dec. 2015

 

Collaborative leadership team for planning and implementation Advance “buy-in” from key community leaders Past experience with mindfulness and/or tikkun middot practice

in community Systemic: integrates tikkun middot practice into as many areas

of communal life and as many demographic categories as possible

Sustainable: creates structural changes in communal life which will continue to engage community in tikkun middot practice beyond the year

Size of community is a factor

 

May NOT be used to defray existing operating expenses or pay for refreshments

May be used to support travel and accommodations at October retreat/conference for additional team members from participating communities

May be used for outside scholars/teachers, training, consultation, resources, additional curriculum development, and materials for implementing project

 

Participating communities required to post resources and materials on community’s wiki webpage

A team from each participating community will share its project’s “best practices” and challenges via webinars

Each participating community must have a team representative on these monthly “best practices” webinars