Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen
Lawrence Kelemen is the founder and current Rosh Kollel of the Center for Kehillah Development, a leadership development project devoted to the growth and wellbeing of Jewish communities worldwide. He also created the International Organization of Mussar Vaadim, a network of self-development organizations focusing on character development in more than two dozen communities in Israel and North America. He has been honored as a visiting scholar at universities and communal organizations around the world. During his decade-long tenure at Neve Yerushalayim in Jerusalem, Rabbi Kelemen influenced thousands of students. He is also the author of many journal articles and books, among them: Permission to Believe, Permission to Receive, Planting and Building, and To Kindle a Soul.
Videos
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Mental Health Labels: a Torah Approach | Rabbi Kelemen
Rabbi Kelemen said previously that no one is intrinsically an addict or intrinsically has an anger problem etc. everyone can change. I was brought up with this concept but I find myself hitting a brick wall when it comes to labels. When someone has been diagnosed with high functioning autism, OCD or ADHD. Many medical people and others, that I have encountered, see these people as stuck in their diagnosis. Yes, they can move somewhat up and down the scale but they are who they are. I see these labels as signposts. If I have been diagnosed with Autism I have extra avodah in the area of empathy, just as the next person has extra avodah in the area of anger or jealousy. If I am diagnosed with OCD I need to work on my Bitachon to a greater degree then the next person and so on. My question is: is my thinking flawed? Most people and professionals I meet seem to see the world differently. visit https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ for more -
How does a person handle loneliness? | Rabbi Kelemen
How does a person properly handle the unsolicited periods of loneliness that G-d sends his/her way from time to time?
for more visit https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
Practical Teshuva
If it’s possible for Rav Kelemen to do a comprehensive teshuva workshop, I’d be very interested. Is there an opportunity for sponsorships for such a thing?
– The ins and outs of teshuva in a very practical way- including…
How do I know if I need to do teshuva? Can I assess this on my own? When do I need to ask a Rav?
– Should I be taking stock every day of my actions and doing teshuva that day (or better yet, in the moment) and not just in Elul? How do I practically set myself up to do this?
– How do I actually do teshuva? What does it look like? Practical examples walking through the steps. To what length do I need to go to repair what I have done? ie. with things I didn’t know were wrong at the time I did them?
for more visit https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
What is the best approach to motivating a child who is so relaxed?
“We have a 5yr old boy who can be very hard to motivate. He is a very relaxed and self-content little character who enjoys taking his time. Getting dressed in the morning can easily take up to 30 minutes. Homework (which could be finished in 15 minutes) drags on endlessly because it’s hard to keep him motivated to finish. I have a very different personality and like to get things done efficiently. Our different middot together with the stress of other siblings (including a toddler) who are waiting for their turn to have my attention makes the situation difficult. We have tried rewards and doing homework one on one with him (when my husband gets home) but have not seen significant progress. What is the best approach to motivating a child who is so relaxed?” – Rabbi Kelemen responds. -
What is the best approach to helping an anxious child?
“What is the best approach to helping an anxious child? We have a (nearly) 7yr old boy who is social, intelligent, happy and very loved. He is an extremely sensitive child with a huge capacity for empathy. He is a deep thinker and has a type A personality. He has a tendency towards feeling nervous (eg. 1. scared to be alone overnight despite sharing a room with a sibling, eg.2 doesn’t want to go back to a certain shul where an older child was once nasty when he spilled a cup of water by mistake). Regarding night fears, we talk about Hashem’s love for us and how Hashem runs the world and everything is perfectly as it should be and there’s nothing to worry about etc etc. This relaxes him somewhat but does not seem to resolve his fears long-term. How should one approach the day-to-day nervousness of a sensitive intelligent child? How can we build more resilience? Thank you very much!” Rabbi Kelemen responds. -
What is Midrash?
When I was growing up, I had a rabbi who questioned the historical truth of the Midrash. He’d often say, “That’s just a midrash”. Now I find myself confused… Should we consider the Midrash to be factually true or metaphorical? If it can be one or the other, how can we know which midrashim are metaphors? Rabbi Kelemen explains.
for more https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
Torah learning and the needs of my wife | Rabbi Kelemen
Rabbi Kelemen answers the following question “Hi Rabbi, I noticed a pattern that when I’m very into my learning, my wife gets very needy and emotional. she’s usually very strong and confident and is always sending me to learn. But when i get really into it and I’m deep into it, i guess she senses that and suddenly gets all needy, forcing me out of that “”zone”” which can take me another week or so to get back into.
You quoted a Rambam in the parenting series lecture 5 that human affection and love for Torah comes from the same place. And BOOM it all made sense! But that’s just not fair… how can I give all of myself to my wife and also give all of myself to my learning at the same time? Thanks”
https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ for more -
What’s Wrong With Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy?
Is there anything wrong with efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity with Reparative or Conversion Therapy? Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen answers the following questions:
Is there anything wrong with efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity with Reparative or Conversion Therapy? Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen answers the following questions:
A) I know and believe that the idea of “conversion therapy” is wrong and, in fact, seems to have very painful results… However, if one’s genetic makeup is only weekly connected to that attraction, from a scientific perspective, why is it so harmful. Is it just because the societal pull and acceptance is already so great, that from their very real perspective, they are identifying is LGBTQ, and you can’t change that?
B) I know we lump LGBTQ together as one. But are there differences? I would think that LG is a very different genetic reality than Q.
Thank you once again, as this area is definitely a huge issue that communities deal with, and more importantly, the more we know, the more we can sensitively support individuals in this situation.
for more visit https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
Should I take the COVID-19 vaccine? | Rabbi Kelemen
The COVID-19 vaccine is here and Rabbi Kelemen answers an Inner Circle member question on whether or not to take it.
for more check out https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
What to do when kids want more and more
“One of my children never seems to be satisfied or thankful for all he has. Whenever he gets something that is not technology, he expresses disappointment and asks why he can’t get the newest phone, gaming system, computer, etc. How should I help him to learn to have hakarat hatov with all he has? How can I help him see that these things are not important to life and that there will always be newer things coming out and that just because others have something doesn’t mean he needs it, should have it or that it is good for him? I spend a lot of time with him but the conversation always comes back to more and more things. Even if he got these things, I know he wouldn’t be happy.” Listen to Rabbi Kelemen’s answer to this recent Inner Circle question. Try it for free https://www.lawrencekelemen.com/ -
Animal sacrifices in the Torah | Rabbi Kelemen
Can you please explain to me the purpose of the Jewish sacrificial system. The idea of slaughtering animals to please the gods seems very primitive and idolatrous to me. Is this what it’s all about?! -
What is love? | Rabbi Kelemen
What is true love? How does Judaism look at the concept of love? It’s the opposite of the secular definition of love.
George Deek is an Arab-Israeli diplomat. In 2018, Deek was appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. He is the first Israeli Arab Christian to become an ambassador. Deek grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, in a building where the other tenants included Muslims, Catholics, Jews and a Catholic priest of Jewish ancestry.[2][3] His father, who worked as a tax advisor,[3] was one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jaffa who served as chairman of the Orthodox Association, and was considered a well-known and popular figure in the city until in 2015 a square was inaugurated in his memory in Jaffa in the presence of Mayor Ron Huldai.[4] According to Deek, his grandparents fled to Lebanon for safety when the 1947–1949 Palestine war, having been told that the Jews would slaughter them if they remained in their homes, but expecting to return home once Arab armies defeated the Jews.[3] According to Deek, when the war ended, his grandparents felt that they had been “deceived”, and decided to return illegally to their home in Jaffa rather than remaining in Lebanon as refugees. Since reentering the country was illegal, Deek’s grandfather, an electrician, was arrested and jailed.
