Dear Friends,
Imagine, what if a pill could help children become more resilient and reduce their risk of depression and high-risk behaviors? Parents would be lining up to get it.
That powerful question comes from a lecture by Dr. Lisa Miller, a psychologist and professor at Columbia University and the author of The Awakened Brain. Dr. Miller describes human beings as “wired for spirituality.” Her research, including brain-imaging studies, has identified areas of the brain associated with spiritual awareness. She explains that this natural capacity can be cultivated and that the brain’s spiritual circuits can become stronger as they are engaged through prayer and other spiritual practices, helping us develop greater resilience and a deeper sense of connection and support.
Modern research is giving expression to something the Torah has taught for thousands of years: the soul also needs nourishment. There is a verse in this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, that I have always loved. Its simple words carry such beauty and power. Moses tells the Jewish people:
לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם
“Man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds from the mouth of G-d.”
Bread represents everything that sustains us physically. We need food, shelter, security, education, and opportunity. We want our children to develop their talents, achieve their goals, and build stable lives. The Torah teaches us to nourish another dimension of the human being as well. We need meaning. We need purpose. We need to know that our lives matter and that we are connected to something greater than ourselves. Material comfort and accomplishment can enrich our lives, while spiritual connection gives those lives direction and deeper meaning.
This is especially important for our children. Grades, talents, and accomplishments can all enrich a child’s life, but their deepest sense of worth begins long before any achievement. Every child should know: G-d created me. G-d loves me. My life has purpose. There is goodness that only I can bring into the world.
My parents understood this deeply. Growing up, they framed both the end and the beginning of every day around purpose. At night, after saying the Shema, we were taught to say in Yiddish a phrase that means, “Tomorrow, I have to wake up a different person.” Then, in the morning, my parents would come into our rooms and call out, “Wake up! Wake up to serve the Creator!”
Looking back, I better understand what my parents were trying to give us. They wanted the first message of the morning to be that G-d had given us another day, and there was something meaningful for us to do with it. That is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children: the knowledge that they are loved, that their presence matters, and that they are here for a reason. There is a deep human desire to be needed, and our children should know that they are essential participants in life. Every prayer, mitzvah, act of kindness, and good choice allows them to add something unique and meaningful to the world.
Adults need this spiritual nourishment too. Our careers, responsibilities, possessions, and full calendars can give structure to our lives, while prayer, Torah study, mitzvot, community, and a personal relationship with G-d feed the soul and give that structure purpose.
Our generation has access to comforts and opportunities that earlier generations could scarcely have imagined. At the same time, it is deeply painful to see how many children and adults are struggling with sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and confusion. Mental health is complex and deeply personal, and professional care should always be sought when it is needed. Alongside that care, meaning, faith, belonging, and a relationship with G-d can provide an important source of strength. They remind us that we are loved, guided, and never truly alone.
This is what we strive to give every child through Preschool of the Arts, Summer of the Arts, Hebrew School, and all of our children’s programming. Alongside a strong and beautiful education, we want each child to know that they are needed, wanted, loved, and cherished.
Please save the date for the grand opening of the magnificent new addition to our educational campus on Sunday, November 8, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Join us as we open a space where even more children can grow with learning, warmth, belonging, and purpose, and where our entire community can come together to celebrate, connect, and grow together.
This Shabbat, let us remind our children, and ourselves, that G-d values us, our choices carry meaning, and the world needs the goodness we were created to bring. Tomorrow morning, perhaps we can offer the message my parents gave us: “Wake up! Wake up to serve the Creator!” You woke up for a reason. G-d has given you another day and something meaningful to do with it.
May G-d bless us with healthy bodies, peaceful minds, and awakened souls. May He send healing, comfort, and strength to all those who need it, and may our homes nourish both body and spirit, giving every child and adult the knowledge that they are loved, needed, guided, and filled with purpose.
With love and blessings,
Rabbi Fishel and Ettie Zaklos