Contact Rabbi Suzy Stone via email.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I wanted to be the first one to tell you that we are facing a brand new epidemic in America – it is called “Short-Termism.” Symptoms may include:
Basically, short-termism is anything that is easier to do in the here and now, but will create more complex problems down the road. “Making short-term decisions is the equivalent of hitting a rough patch of ice, and slamming on the brakes.” While we may feel in control at the moment, we will eventually end up on the side of the road calling AAA. The problem is, when we no longer feel in control, we tend to gravitate towards zero-sum thinking such as: “Of course, my friends are selfish and they will ever change;” or “Of course, American politics are broken beyond repair;” or, “Of course, war and famine is irreversible.” However, in a truly transformative book published last year by Ari Wallach, entitled the “Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors our Future Needs,” there are three main ways to inoculate ourselves against this new spiritual, and intellectual, disease economists call short-termism. First, we need to stop and breathe. While this sounds absurdly simple, we all know that when something unpleasant, or unexpected, happens, such as: When you get a news notifications about another horrendous natural disaster, or a text from a family member in crisis, or a simple social media notification from friends hanging out without us, our amygdala basically takes over and we are quickly skidding through black ice once again. Yet, if we pause, take a few short breaths, we can at least reset our system so we aren’t trying to brake on thin ice. For example, by a show of hands, how many of you use your cell phone as your alarm clock? And how many of you, check your text messages, notifications, or news, while still laying in bed? Thus, many of us have not even made it out of bed before we become triggered by a looming deadline, a forgotten birthday, or a classmate, friend, or co-worker who needs you immediately, if not sooner. Yet, the great scholar, and Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankel, once said that between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space, lies our freedom. In other words, we are only free when we can learn to be like a match that is struck, but does not ignite! For Frankel, who survived four different concentration camps, freedom was not only a grand gesture that took place the day the camps were liberated; but rather, in the day to day moments when we resist letting the matchbook burn without our consent. The second antidote to short-termism is believing that we can do better. As Professor Carol Dweck, of Stanford University, explains, there are two mindsets we can inhabit at any given time, and we often vacillate between them on a day to day, or hour by hour basis. In a fixed mindset, we believe that we are born with certain realities and abilities that we cannot change. When we inhabit a growth mindset, we believe that change can be developed through hard work and dedication. It is the difference between saying: “I’m not good at math,” versus “I’m not good at math yet.” Or “I don’t have hope;” versus, “I don’t have hope yet.” By adding this simple, provocative word, “yet,” neuroscientists have found that a growth mindset can actually benefit our brain’s neuroplasticity. Similarly, in the study of Jewish ethics known as Musar, there is a concept known as hitlamdut. It comes from the Hebrew root – למד — L.M.D – which means to learn. Yet, in the reflexive form, it is the process by which you cause yourself to learn by thinking in certain ways, even before your actions can catch up to your thoughts. For instance, let’s say you are just minding your own business and someone really offends you or throws you off track. Rather than letting the whole matchbook go aflame, the Jewish practice of hitlamdut asks us to pause, take a breath, and ask ourselves: “What would a patient person feel or do right now? What would a generous person feel or do right now?” Even this half second pause may be enough to stop the matchbook from igniting in order to help us become a more patient, kind, or thoughtful person in the here and now. As the great medieval scholar Maimonides once taught, hitlamdut is the essence of all Jewish learning because learning Torah is not the practice of gaining information. Rather, the purpose of Torah learning is to impact and transform our lives! Number three, we must start to think about the Longpath. The Longpath is a mindset in which we see ourselves not as isolated units but rather as links in a longer Chain of Being. Our fundamental goal is to become the great ancestors our future descendents so desperately need us to be. How do we begin to achieve this? For Wallach, it all starts with neuroscience. Because the hippocampus, our memory making machine, cannot tell the difference between past, present, and future, we can ostensibly trick our brains into committing to small positive actions by asking ourselves: “How do we want our descendants to feel in 100 years?” This is what psychologists call “future-casting,” which activates a form of transgenerational empathy. In turn, this allows our brain to act more compassionately, sustainably, or even more productively, in the present moment. Thus, the Longpath is not a goal; rather, it is a process that requires us to move beyond thinking of failure and success in 70-80 year increments. As Wallach explains, Plato and the other Greek philosophers are the only reason that we currently measure success and failure, virtue or vice, in the span of our own lifetime. But as Jews, we have a very different way of measuring time– especially today– of all days. We often say that, on Rosh Hashanah, that we are celebrating the world’s birthday. But unlike a human birthday, which celebrates us becoming a year older. On Rosh Hashanah we celebrate the creation of a brand new, and newly born, world. As we say after each and every shofar blast that we will hear tomorrow: “Hayom Harat Ho’oalm,” or “Today is the birthday of the world.” But anyone who has ever sung Happy Birthday in Hebrew, “yom huledet sameach…” knows that the word for birthday in modern Hebrew is ילד (Y.L.D), which is not the same as הרת (Ha.R.T). Thus, Yom Harat Olam, doesn’t connote birth, but rather, conception. In other words, today, on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the world is eternally pregnant with potential. This is what Wallach calls the “Longpath,” and what we Jews have always called Rosh Hashanah. As Rabbi Naomi Levy teaches: “Every single one of us, somewhere in our lives, we are pregnant forever. There is something we’ve already conceived that is pleading with us, ‘Let me be born.’ Maybe it’s a creative endeavor…. Maybe it’s a career shift. … Maybe it’s the words ‘I’m sorry,’ or the words ‘I love you,’ or the words ‘I forgive you.’ They are fully formed inside your mouth, but you haven’t gotten up the courage to actually speak them.” Thus, on Rosh Hashanah, an existential invitation is being made: Can we stand up, and see ourselves, and the world, with new eyes? Can we clear away the debris of disappointment and despair? Can we avoid thinking that we are too late, too tired, too weak, too hurt, or too flawed to change? Because today the world is born anew. And tonight, as we enter 5784, the world is eternally pregnant with potential. Our first Birthright Israel bus returned home from Israel with 45 new friends and a newfound connection to the State of Israel that will last a lifetime. Their Mishpacha (Hebrew word for "family") began their journey in the north, where they explored the mystical city of Safed, rafted on the Jordan Rive, and experienced Bedouin hospitality at its finest. The group then traveled south to Jerusalem, where they were joined by seven incredible Israeli soldiers who helped navigate the Shuk, explore the Old City, and celebrate Shabbat at their beautiful kibbutz accommodation. As the trip hit its peak, the students ascended Masada as the sun rose above the hills. Atop the mountain, they celebrated the B'nai Mitzvot of 6 students, a celebration worthy of all the music, laughs, and dancing as they finished the trip on the beaches of Tel Aviv.
Our second bus just completed their 10-day trip which you can see more of on our Instagram page! They enjoyed exploring Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev desert. They took advantage of every minute and we're already thinking about how we can help them bring these meaningful memories with them back to campus. As the great Jewish philosopher Ahad Ha’am once said: "More than Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews." But how can we inspire a new generation of young adults to create their own Shabbat practice? And how do we cultivate a Shabbat community that “keeps” Jewish ASU students connected to one another, the people of Israel, and our Jewish heritage, while simultaneously embracing the modern world?
The answer: Authenticity and Ownership. For me, authenticity means that we are always encouraging students to “come as they are,” no matter their background, faith, or level of observance. Whether our students come to learn, pray, or simply have a delicious Shabbat meal, we have a “no pressure, no guilt” policy. If they have to leave early, or if our staff needs to deliver dinner to a sick student, we want our students to know that we value their participation no matter what. I’m proud to say that we have already provided over 1,130 Shabbat meals this year, which enables us to continue to foster an authentic sense of spirituality, joy, and belonging. The second key ingredient of Shabbat at Hillel is ownership. Each week 10 student leaders work together to discuss, plan and facilitate a unique Shabbat experience for their peers. This means that our student leaders transform at least one Friday night a month into a unique, out of the box experience that speaks to their own interests and passions. For example, this semester they “deconstructed” Shabbat for over 50 GCU students during Interfaith Harmony Week. Before Reproductive Rights Shabbat, they helped assemble 100 hygiene kits for a local women’s shelter. From leading prayers to giving sermons to playing in our Kabbalat Shabbat “Shabband,” our students are moving themselves from passive Shabbat participants into active leaders who are creating their own, authentic Jewish experience. By promoting the values of ownership and authenticity, Hillel at ASU is empowering our students to keep shabbat in unique and meaningful ways so that the tradition will always keep them connected to the Jewish community for generations to come! ![]() Shabbat dinners are an amazing time for routine, connection, spirituality, and nourishment. These are all things I believe are integral to mental health, and these are all things I discovered through Hillel at ASU. Hillel helped me tremendously during college; it was the only community where I felt I belonged and I don't think I would have graduated without it. If they believed in me as a leader, I felt I could also believe in myself as a leader. Hillel helped me gain confidence and connected me with people who made me feel cared about and valued. Now, I am the Phoenix Community Ambassador for OneTable. OneTable empowers people who don’t yet have a consistent Shabbat dinner practice to build one that feels authentic, sustainable, and valuable. We support folks (21-39ish) to find, host, and share Shabbat dinners. We provide resources to make your Friday night extra special: support from your Field Manager (me!), Shabbat guides, and Nourishment (gift cards for food/cookbooks/ritual items or whatever you need to host — $10 per person, up to $300 per dinner!). If you're interested in becoming a host or connecting further, email [email protected]. |