In the late 1980s, I studied the “learned helplessness theory” of depression with psychologist Martin Seligman. I had imagined becoming a psychologist since age 7, but there was something missing for me in the focus of my undergraduate psychology courses. That missing piece was simcha — joy.
Read MoreI’ve never been one for following commandments strictly — without some personal adjustment — especially those that prescribe emotional states. Though I observe the laws of kashrut and have only recently relaxed my notion of Shabbat, I recoil from the implied obligation to be happy — as suggested in the Mishnah in reference to the month of Adar (“Mi sh’nichnas Adar, marbim b’simcha,” “When Adar arrives, we (make) much joy”).
Read MoreI woke up on my 50th birthday to the loneliest, most disconnected and painful day of my life. For decades — for as long as I could remember — I had felt as though I was a woman living inside a man’s body. Joy was not a feeling I could access in my despair. But that day, something clicked in me. I was tired of living an inauthentic life. I knew something had to change. That day, I made the monumental decision to begin my gender transition journey.
Read MoreNiSh’ma — let us hear — is our simulated Talmud page. Here, we offer four takes on the notion of simcha—how we discover and embrace joy in a complicated world.
Read MoreA guide with suggestions to help readers consider the idea of “simcha” (finding joy in a complicated world). The guide includes activities and conversation prompts for individual contemplation and informal or more structured conversations.
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