Permanent link for Prepping for Wellness Week 2023 on November 30, 2023

As we head into the season typically known as "Exam Cram" on campus, the Kaufman team has partnered with Recreation & Wellness and the University Libraries to switch the focus a bit from cramming and stressing to decompressing for a week! Wellness Week will begin Monday December 4th and continue through Friday Dec 8th. Check out this website for more  information!

One of our interns, Molly, decided to reflect a bit on what spiritual wellness means to her as she's grown into interfaith work. 

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My spiritual wellness journey is something that has been really important to me and greatly impacted my life. A key factor to understanding my spiritual wellness was grasping the idea that religion looks different for everyone. Growing up I was raised in a synagogue and it was up to my parents what I participated in. As I got older it started to become up to me how I engaged with my Jewish community. I found out what brought me joy within Judaism, and it made the experiences that I had with my religion a lot more positive. For me, Judaism creates a place where I can make a difference in the world around me. In Judaism, there is a phrase tikkun olam with means, repairing the world. A big part of a lot of Jewish programming is social action. This could mean participating in service projects, bringing in speakers to learn about a topic or lobbying for a cause. I tend to gravitate towards the social action part of Judaism.

Another really big part of Judaism for me is the community aspect. The communities that I have created are not just surrounded by people of my same faith, but any community that allows me to explore my religion. My interfaith community has been so important to me in maintaining a healthy spiritual wellness. There have been times where it has felt scary to embrace my Judaism and my interfaith community has been there to support me. Whether I was going to an interfaith or a youth group event it felt refreshing to be able to express my religion in a safe environment. Being in these spaces reminds me that I am not alone, and there are people that have like minded values to mine.

Molly Schless, Kaufman Campus Intern

Posted on Permanent link for Prepping for Wellness Week 2023 on November 30, 2023.