A women’s class was held in the “Menorah Community” project of the Dnipro Jewish Community, which is actively developing thanks to the efforts of the Zislina family. The session brought participants together for a thoughtful conversation about basic, yet profoundly complex, concepts of good and evil, as well as a person’s internal state amidst anxiety, fear, and life’s trials.
The speaker for the class was Daniela Listengurt, whose calm and profound presentation allowed participants not only to discuss difficult and painful questions but also to see within them space for internal growth, reevaluation, and strengthening of faith. The conversation was open and attentive to each person’s individual experience, while simultaneously grounded in the values and spiritual compass of Judaism.
During the session, the necessity for the existence of both good and evil in the world was discussed, as well as how fears and anxieties impact a person’s inner world, and how Jewish tradition makes sense of experiences of pain, uncertainty, and the loss of stability. Particular attention was paid to the topic of war, its impact on the individual, on one’s value system, and on faith, as well as how to preserve spiritual resilience and connection with the Almighty in conditions of constant tension and uncertainty.
“A conversation about fear, pain, and evil is necessary precisely so that a person does not remain alone with them and can find in faith a source of inner strength,” noted the project co-director, Esti Zislina. “Such meetings help the girls not only find personal answers to life’s most difficult questions but also feel part of a loving, understanding, and supportive large family, which is the unified and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
