Every day, it seems, I have friends or family or students journeying into Judaism and colleagues asking about life after October 7 – not as much about life in Israel or the political situation there or the prospects for peace, but really, about life here in Winnipeg. Or New York. Or Flin Flon or Lac de Bonnet. It is fueled now by increasing anti-Semitic incidents and rhetoric all across the Western world, where the human rights protections we supposedly have in our democracies can’t hold back the real acts and perceived threats of violence. Or what we are supposed to do with friends or family members who say or post such deeply disturbing and hurtful comments on social media.   I have found that I often can’t control the actions of others, but I can set my own terms on how to live my life. So, I help where I can, but I also turn to those who can offer even more specific wisdom.   I live with these same issues, so I thought I would share with you my next port of call, a three-week course in January called “Meeting Antisemitism with Mindfulness.” This IJS (Institute for Jewish Spirituality) course will be led by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City who is one of Newsweek’s “50 Most Influential Rabbis.”  There is a fee for this course.   The program guide notes that we will have an opportunity to wrestle with our feelings in a safe community, drawing upon Jewish wisdom and mindfulness practice with an experienced teacher as our guide. Her topics over the three weeks will include:  Fear vs true danger; Addressing internalized and external antisemitism; Understanding our agency – how to focus on what can be changed while accepting what cannot?   We (you and I) are not alone. Let’s not be frozen in fear but work to choose the right sorts of action, fueled by the wisdom of those who understand our paths.   Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Allan