Torah Center for Spiritual Guidance

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A positive creative approach...

focusing on a human being's higher needs:

Jewish psychology is the perception of man as a point of creative intersection: The human being is the force that shapes the encounter between heaven and earth.
What sort of being is the human?ֲ  Is it spiritual, material, social? Is each one singly a collection of individualistic needs? What is the proper place of each of the above vectors, when they are all packaged together into one creature? An individual must answer this question, for after all, it is the individual alone who is expected to conduct the entire orchestra. The individual alone is expected to place a personal stamp on it, and alone bear the responsibility for shaping a new, independent and unprecedented existence.ֲ

Woman's Place? All the abovementioned vectors, plus. Independent and unprecedented, her qualitative being does not need to resemble the man. This perception, that the sexes are complementary, is a departure from the beliefs that have recently prevailed in modern society, in which the sexes were perceived as competitors.ֲ
It is not a simple topic. Sadnat Enosh research into the workings of Man is world leader in its field. Time and resources are poured into the search for real answers. Monitoring the influences of culture, religion and domestic life on human behavior, The Human Workshop pioneers new and unexplored territory.

Applications of the Sadnat Enosh approach:

When entering the stress zones of spouse rivalry, or the bloody zones of religious rivalry, an understanding of the processes at work is critical.

To wit: East and West. Islam and Western culture. Most importantly, Islam and the State of Israel. At Sadnat Enosh we offer real solutions.

We feel distaste for the why-don't-we-compromise� approach - where failure is a foregone conclusion.

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JEWISH PSYCHOLOGY

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BASIC PRINCIPLES OF JEWISH PSYCHOLOGY:

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1.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Originality/creativity is to be found in all those who are created in God's image.ֲ This premise is the basis for our entire methodology.

2.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Humanness - human intelligence - (not emotional intelligence) is the secret behind all manifestations of quality.  (SeeGlossary: Terminologies and Definitions for a further discussion of these terms.)
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3.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Qualitative Intelligence:ֲ

     We inquire into the nature and causes of these phenomena: Intuition, originality, creativity, sensitivity, and the capacity to comprehend and identify with the other.  These are key concepts; they are the Sadnat Enosh motto.

4.ֲ  Sadnat Enosh acknowledges the theoretical influences of Jean Piaget, the founder of developmental psychology:

      Director of Sadnat Enosh, Rav Haim Lifshitz, studied under Jean Piaget at the University of Geneva for six years.ֲ   Piaget's influence is felt in Sadnat Enosh's orientation toward structuralism: Aspiring to achieve balance between opposing vectors.

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This principle of finding balance between opposing vectors is dominant in Judaism and pervades the Jewish view of man and universe.ֲ However, there is one significant difference.ֲ Piaget follows Western perception, and seeks balance between the two opposing sides. Judaism proposes a third side, a three-dimensional structure.ֲ  The third dimension is height, and it is the dominant dimension.ֲ It determines direction, organizational patterns and goals.ֲ Organization is critical in Jewish perception.ֲ As the guiding principle of Jewish psychology, it is of greater importance even than balance.

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We do not suffice with these theoretical formulations. Gathering them all into a comprehensive methodology, Rav Lifshitz has developed a unique system of diagnostic and counseling techniques.

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JEWISH PHILOSOPHYֲ 

The great questions of Jewish philosophy are examined from a human-existential perspective. Our point of departure is essentially human: We serve old wine in new vessels, expressing the ancient Talmudic teachings in modern terminology.

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We concentrate on those who would serve God: Their service, their effort of self-refinement, and the problems they encounter: Destiny's problem coping with existence, and spirit's problem coping with matter. We attempt to center these existential difficulties, to make them revolve around a value-oriented base, within the context of spirituality.

We examine Judaism as it differs from the religions of east and west.

Some research issues at Sadnat Enosh:

-Influence of belief upon believers: Influence ofֲ  believers upon belief. Fundamental inquiries for supplying basic data, these shed light on the movement of political currents and on the dynamics of power, as it has affected the course of history - for better or for worse.

-Investigating creativity:

Schools of artistic thought and intellectual theory, and philosophical approaches, whether ancient or current, are examined for their effect on human beings: Their effect on faith, on personal convictions, on human behavior in general. This approach is a departure from conventional philosophical research, which normally attempts to investigate a field of knowledge by focusing on the field itself, rather than on the human being who must cross this field, i.e., rather than approaching it from the human perspective.

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The Gifted:

1.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Guidance and counseling center for gifted youth and adults:ֲ  The gifted are a population that can encounter difficulty when they are expected to adjust to a social framework. Whether the framework is personal, academic or professional, the adjustment process may not go smoothly for the exceptionally talented individual.

Jewish Education:

2.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Teacher training and educational guidance for educators and educational institutions. Pedagogical and didactic technique development.ֲ  Group lectures and individualized guidance for educators.

Jewish Philosophy:

3.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Developing an existential world view based upon a human/spiritual paradigm:ֲ  This is particularly appropriate for the intellectual seeker.ֲ  There is a severe shortage of appropriate frameworks for the pure intellectual, for which reason only the tiniest minority of Jewish intellectuals find their way home to Judaism.

Jewish Family:

4.ֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ  Jewish family counseling and guidance center.ֲ This division deals with marriage counseling: Pre-marital compatibility counseling, and conflict counseling.

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PROJECTS

-Jewish Home Center: An establishment that will gather experts from all walks of Jewish life, to address the issues of parent-child relationships, marital success, and counseling for gifted children who cannot adjust to the school environment.
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-Creative educational frameworks for the gifted: Programs for adolescents and young adults.
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Zugiut / Pairing
Developing the Science of Human Relationships:
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-Couple compatibility computer project based on the individual's personal qualitative needs. Individualized software programs to discover a distinctly different compatibility application for each couple.

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Applied Compatibility Theory.ֲ  Personalized compatibility formula; no two are alike. Compatibility assessment based on personal needs as a source of mutual expectations.ֲ  Pre-marital and marital counseling.ֲ  Conflict diagnosis.

Publications and Works in Process

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The Paradox of Human Existence:ֲ  A commentary on the Book of Yonah. This is an overview of the "little man's" confrontation with God through the forces of nature. It explores man's struggle with the inner self, and the idea of inner personal quality as a determiner of one's role in this universe.ֲ

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Glossary:

Terminology and Definitions - A Methodology

...essential to an understanding of Jewish psychology as we attempt to define it....

Go to Full Glossary

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Waters of Wealth:ֲ  Family purity is explored as a factor basic to the quest for universal harmony.

Books in Process:

Couples:ֲ  Couples, compatibility theory and applied compatibility therapy.

Parshat HaShavua

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Ongoing Research:
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Jewish Psychology: A comprehensive analysis of fundamental principles.
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Principles of Compatibility Theory
(In process: A work on couples, compatibility theory and applied compatibility therapy.)
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A Philosophy of Positive Existentialism. This philosophy proposes the individual human being as the central role player between God and the universe.
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Education

-Varieties of intelligence types, and techniques for promoting their thinking processes.

-Creativity in education: Educating for originality; fostering a creativity that reflects the uniqueness of every child and adult.ֲ

-Linking a personal, value-based goal to every student's creative expression.
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Applied Compatibility Theory:

Marital Success No Longer a Mystery.

The cat is out of the bag. A personalized compatibility formula that is different for every couple. Compatibility assessment based on personality needs as a source of mutual expectations.ֲ  Pre-marital and marital counseling.ֲ  Conflict diagnosis.
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Weekly Torah Portion.

This is an ongoing process based on the yearly cycle of parashot. We develop thematic principles around the parsha, based on our methodology: Topics include spirit, value, a human being... Serving God takes on a tangible and dynamic quality, as does the concept of dialogue and partnership - indeed, beyond partnership, to reciprocal covenant - between a human being and God.

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CONTRIBUTE

Sadnat Enosh Institute employs a small yet dedicated staff.  Serving the community for over thirty-five years, Sadnat Enosh has helped tens of thousands of couples find harmony in their marriages.ֲ 

These days we counsel the second generation, children of the couples who first benefited from the services of Sadnat Enosh.ֲ  This provides a rare - indeed almost unheard of in the profession - opportunity for long-term, intensive case study follow-up, both longitudinally and latitudinally, as well as an unprecedentedly rich data base for methodological self-criticism.

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Sadnat Enosh services are appropriate mainly for intellectuals of high caliber.ֲ  This is a population that finds difficulty adjusting to the existing frameworks available in Jewish society, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.

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Important:

Political, social and spiritual autonomy is zealously guarded at Sadnat Enosh Institute.ֲ  We consider this a hallowed principle.ֲ  However, it disqualifies us from most standard funding sources, which are normally reserved for standardized frameworks of educational and counseling methods.ֲ  Our chronic budgetary distress obstructs the Sadnat Enosh dream.  Despite the vital need for them -ֲ many projects are simply shelved.

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Contributions to Sadnat Enosh Institute are tax-deductible.

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Account number: 7691, Bank HaPoalim, branch 784.

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