Hello, Below the Bible Belt seekers,
Greetings from Jerusalem - where history continues to cultivate dramas as we keep dreaming of better, safer, and more peaceful days - everywhere.
Tonight marks the full moon of the Hebrew month of S’hvat - which is also known as Tu B’shvat - the annual birthday of trees on the Jewish calendar.
The holiday is older than the bible - and has gone through many evolutions, like the rings of an old tree. It is a reminder of how many old earth-based traditions we’ve lost and how many keep changing to speak to who we are and what our needs are.
This reclaiming of the layers of our stories is what this course is all about:
What can our forgotten history teach us so that we can plant better seeds of peace and justice despite divides?
We began to explore the Judah/Israel rift at our first session on 1/18.
If you missed it or did not yet have a chance to view the video of the session - we got your covered.
We pulled out a few short clips that capture some of the big themes we began to unpack—just enough to whet the appetite for a deeper dive and some even bigger questions.
Watch all the clips here.
Such as:
We all say we want unity and peace, especially now, as deep divisions threaten lives and sow sorrow. But what if our utopian vision of “unity” isn’t about getting everyone on the same page, but about honoring the dignity of difference?
What if the radical diversity of the stories that shape our values is actually the “secret sauce” of our survival as a species?
What if Jewish continuity depends on Jewish diversity—and on learning how to live with, and learn from, the stories that are not our own?
That’s what our journey is about. The root causes of rupture.
Whether you’ve been here since “In the Beginning” or just joined now, your presence makes this journey through our tangled history meaningful. Every page and every voice counts. I’m already grateful for the questions, pushback, and encouragement you’ve sent in response to our first session.
The clips I’m sharing today offer a taste of the much larger conversation about our roots, our ruptures, and our recipes for repair. Watch all the clips here. If these snippets spark something in you, you can watch the full recording here:
And you can still read the source sheet HERE.
Uncovering the Iron Age split isn’t just an archaeological or academic project. It’s a way to ask how we might recover, heal, and grow. From hurting to healing; from fracture to fiercer, more honest forms of connection.
Our next session will start us off where the story of the split kingdom begins. It’s big biblical drama and a key to unpack the rest of the saga.
🚩 Next Live Session: Saturday 2/22 at 2 PM (ET)
If you want to go deeper, bring your questions, and be in the room where the learning happens, join us live - as a paid subscriber.
Here’s how to stay on the journey:
Become a Paid Subscriber
Come to the live sessions, ask questions in real time, join the conversation and the community. You’ll get links, reminders, source sheets, and extras directly in your inbox.
https://amichailaulavie.substack.com/subscribe
Stay a Free Subscriber
You’ll still receive recordings, highlights, and select materials afterward, to watch and reflect at your own pace.https://amichailaulavie.substack.com/subscribe
All info about the course:
https://amichai.me/projects/judaism-born-divided-btbb-2/
