Dear All,
Early in my rabbinic career, I attempted to lead a committee meeting but failed because I was unable to navigate multiple competing personalities. (OK – that’s a nice way of saying that participants began yelling at one another).
Shell-shocked, I went home with little hope of being able to move forward.
While pages of Talmud offered some guidance, it was the profound wisdom of my mother that came to the rescue.
”Try building something together.”
At the following meeting, that’s exactly what we did. At first, we did a team building project with our hands. And then we built dreams with our hearts.
Flash forward, and I employed the same technique when parenting (Eli was going through a rough spot – and so we began to build together). As we constructed with Legos, we talked about the incredible adventures of the day ahead. And it worked (at l least for 19 minutes).
Whether in personal, familial, or professional relationships, capturing a moment in time to build can create possibilities from roadblocks and can form communities out of individuals.
With love and shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
