Sicha, Hebrew for “conversation,” is an organization promoting the vital ongoing dialogue between classical Jewish texts and modern life, enabling Jewish communities and their leaders to enlist the Jewish past in the service of the Jewish future.
Classical Jewish texts are the treasured records of productive conversations between tradition and lived experience. These timeless traditions are part of our inheritance as a people, open to all, regardless of religious practice or Judaic education.
Yet to much of the American Jewish community, classical texts represent only a voice of authority and not a source of inspiration and creativity. Not seeking authority, many have forgotten how to see themselves as worthy partners in conversation with these texts.
Sicha is dedicated to promoting the learning of tradition and to recapturing the tradition of learning as core elements of creative Jewish life through initiatives that:
- Enable conversations between ancient Jewish texts and lived experience;
- Empower communities of conversation partners;
- Enrich and encourage community leaders who promote Jewish conversations.
Four conversed about the pine tree. One defined it according to
genus, species and variety. One held forth concerning its
shortcomings in the lumber industry. One cited poems about
pine trees in numerous languages. One struck root, stretched out
branches and rustled.
(“Sicha,” a poem by Dan Pagis. Click here for poem in Hebrew and English)
Four converse about the pine tree: one classifies, one specifies, one invokes the arts. Finally the last one eclipses any distance—scientific, economic, or artistic—and becomes the tree. “Sicha” or “Conversation” promises a sharing of views—engagement, not pronouncement. It is in conversation that we honor and make best use of our perspectives and resources. Conversation produces a total beyond the sum of its parts. Click the tabs to learn who we are and what we do………..Join the conversation!
For more information about Sicha and to explore building your community through its programs, contact sichaconversation@gmail.com.
Sicha - Continuing the Conversation 