Cults, Culture & Coercion with Dr. Steve Hassan Unorthodox: Building Communities of Ideas with Reb Moshe Waldoks
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Aug 26, 2024 Reb Moshe Waldoks, rabbi, storyteller, and longtime meditator who founded the Nishmat Haim Jewish meditation community, reflects on building vibrant communities of ideas and faith. He talks about using humor and storytelling to teach, balancing Jewish particularism with universal values, interfaith dialogue, Sabbath as liberation, resisting authoritarian and follower cultures, and welcoming seekers back to Jewish life.
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Followers Replace Real Friends Online
- Reb Moshe warns that social media promotes following and living through others rather than real relationships.
- He argues digital follower counts distort self-worth and erode authentic community bonds.
Organize From The Ground Up
- Build communities from the bottom up using participatory organizing rather than top-down control.
- Follow Saul Alinsky's model of local organizing to secure a meaningful seat at decision-making tables.
A Memorable Dialogue With The Dalai Lama
- Reb Moshe recounts Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's interfaith openness and the 1990 dialogue with the Dalai Lama.
- That encounter modeled generous exchange: bring your best practices and leave with religious envy, not conquest.
