Rachel Elior
The Kabbalah proposed a new creation narrative, one that gave new meaning to God’s presence in the world and man’s role there, while formulating a new language that explained the ongoing relation between the infinite and the finite or between God and man. The new creation narrative encompassed the dialectical concepts of overflowing infinite bounty (shefa) and finite contraction (tzimtzum). … More »
Tzimtzum for Organizations:
How I Learned Everything I Really Needed to Know About Collaboration from a Group of Teenaged Jazz Prodigies
Shawn Landres
Listening and letting go are the essence of organizational tzimtzum, which comes in many forms: Outsourcing; Coordination; Co-Creation. … More »
Rethinking Rabbinic Leadership
Richard Hirsh
The voluntary contraction of rabbinic leadership created a vacuum in which power often went out of control, resulting in shattering of many synagogue communities and many rabbi-congregation relationships. … More »
AVRAHAM’S FATHER’S IDOLS
Scaling the Ivory Tower
Gordon Bernat-Kunin
Several years ago, a dear friend of mine devised a family Passover seder in the hope of provoking domestic drama. The basic idea went like this… … More »
Kashrut and Community
Ruth Abusch-Magder
Live and let live is our answer to the diverse visions of prayer in our contemporary Jewish community. Let many options thrive, allow for diversity, and spare conflict. … More »
Discussion Guide – Tzimtzum
What role might tzimtzum play in your synagogue infrastructure? What is the relationship of tzimtzum to the creation of the world and the existence of evil? In a “contracted” state, what are the core values and essential mandates of the Jewish federation system?