This midrash (ancient Jewish myth) was woven when I was preparing myself to lead a yarn workshop in the kindergarden of my Daughther, Enigma Dei. I suddenly remembered how the entire creation is woven together... in the wisdom of the spindle (Chokhmat haPelekh).
This book deals with concepts of love, relationship, jealousy, etc., on its various aspects: marital love, God's love, philosophy - through a selection of sources from all times. The book is intended for the 10th/11th/12th grades in Idraeli state high schools, as part of the Jewish Thought curriculum (in the scope of 1-2 units for the matriculation exams). The book was published on behalf of the Ministry of Education - the Pedagogical Secretariat - the Department for Curriculum Planning and Development, by Ma'alot Publishing House, in 2007. This rich book contains 372 pages, including sources, interpretations, illustrations and suggestions for educational practice. Mariana Ruach-Midbar wrote the main part of the book, and later it was also adapted and edited by Ariel Aviv and Zila Miron-Ilan. In addition, a teacher's guide book has been authored to this book - again first by Marianna Ruah-Midbar, and later with some adaptations and editting by others.
"A good story is never just a story. A good story is a founding story; it is a basis for identity, for action; it creates a network of meanings in which we cling to in our lives - as individuals, as a group." With these word the essay opens, dealing with the renewal of cultural values in contemporary Israeli Judaism - the transformation of our national story and our hero/ines. The text (about 500 words, in Hebrew) was incorporated into the "Israeli Talmud - Tractate of Independence", edited by Dov Elbaum, with the support of BINAH. It is included in Unit D of the anthology, entitled "The Israeli Traditionalism in the Present and Its Vision for the Future".
"Don't give us the old, but the ancient. And instead of the future, we'll discover the present. Instead of a plow, give us a hug. Let's flow and connect... We'll find our ways and turn back, return to ourselves - dive into the depths of our Selves." In this article, Ruach-Midbar describes the shift in values and narratives that accured in the Jewish-Israeli story within the New Age realm, as a replacement for the Zionist story that was cast in the image of the Enlightenment. The text (about 500 words, in Hebrew) was incorporated into the "Israeli Talmud - Tractate of Independence", edited by Dov Elbaum, with the support of BINAH.
Is there a place for spirituality in the business world, or do the two necessarily contradict each other? In this article, published in a special issue of TheMarker on pioneering management, Ruah-Midbar analyzes the contradiction from a critical research angle, and clarifies that they mustn't contradict.
"God willing - the worldwide contemporary spiritual awakening is finally attacking us too, and the art exhibition in front of us is one of the expressions of that." This quote appears in the main text of the catalog of the art exhibition "Heshon Nefesh", curated by Dafna Naor, and with the participation of 43 artists, presented at HiTouch in Herzliya Pituach in 2009. The text was written by Marianna Ruah-Midbar.
M.A. students at the end of the academic year at the Department of Gender Studies at the University of Haifa composed limericks for the lecturers of the various courses. One of the five limericks was dedicated to Mariana Ruah-Midbar, who taught them a course on gender, religion and spirituality.
A presentation initiated and produced by the students of one of the cohorts in the Department of Mysticism and Spirituality, upon graduation from the Zefat Academic College, in honor of Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro.
This lecture, for the general public, addressed the story of the hippies at Old Rosh Pinna, the history of the community they've created, and their influence on the character of the whole settlement till this day.
This recorded lecture (in Hebrew) was given at an evening in honor of the inaguation of Semadar Cherlow's book "Who moved my Judaism? Judaism, postmodernism and contemporary spiritualities" (Resling publisng house). The evening took place on June 27th 2016 at Matan (Women's Institute for Torah Studies) in Ra'anana.