Exploring Religious Questions Series - "Sow in Tears, Reap in Joy: Jewish Perspective on Grief"October 11, 2021 at 7–9 p.m.
We have all experienced various losses and forms of suffering, including during the ongoing pandemic. For over a year now, the global pandemic has brought death, depression, and despair. The pandemic has also exposed racial injustices and ongoing inequalities related to health care, income, and education. At the same time, we have had to pay closer attention to what nourishes us, fosters resilience, and sparks joy and positive change. In this series, faith leaders and specialists in the science of resilience help us reflect on anguish, hope, and the paradoxical capacity to embrace both grief and gratitude amidst loss and suffering.
Speaker: Rabbi Michael Latz
Latz has been the Senior Rabbi of Shir Tikvah, a synagogue in Minneapolis, since July 2009. He brings to the congregation boundless energy, heartfelt compassion, and commitment to fostering an authentic and engaging Jewish experience. Previously, he was the founding rabbi of Kol HaNeshamah in West Seattle. A Wexner Fellow during rabbinical school, Rabbi Latz was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2000. In 2014, Rabbi Latz was named one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis by The Jewish Daily Forward. He is the former Co-Chair of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, a network of Jewish communities devoted to protecting human rights, and a Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His reflections on grief and gratitude are informed by his many years of experience as a rabbi, inter-religious leader, and human rights advocate.