Facilitators: Miriam Nelken & Samvedam Randles; trainees: Igal Harmelin Moria
Language: English
How do immigrants to Israel create a new identity in order to belong? An exploration of the formation of a new identity upon arriving in Israel and the difficulties encountered in this process. This lab wants to inquire into the question : How can we encourage the creation of a new identity of inclusion and belonging even though most immigrants to Israel bring a traumatic history. Israel is mainly a country of immigrants fleeing from adverse and traumatic places. At the same time, and not like the rest of the immigrants in the world, these immigrants are “coming back home” to the “promised land”, after more than 2000 years of life in exile. The Jewish religion which should be acting as the linking agent seems to have become a very painful source of division. Shame, rejection, inferiority are all emotions deeply engraved in the Jewish consciousness of the diaspora, and are still influencing decisions and behaviors today.
We will be exploring
- How have I experienced rejection in my life and how has this shaped my present life?
- What have I left behind and how do I not reject my past but integrate it into my future?
- How is the movement of going towards something (the promised land) different than the movement away from something (fleeing difficult circumstances)
- How has the legacy of many immigrants of shame, trauma and rejection shaped the collective Culture of Israel and where can we see/feel these influences?
Participants are asked to commit to:
- Being present for 6 months of regular meetings
- Being willing to share your story and receive other people’s sharings with an open mind and an open heart.
- Ensure to be free from the influence of drugs.
- Assume confidentiality – all personal sharing within this Lab will be kept confidential and names of other participants will not be shared, nor will they be described.
- Assume self-responsibility for your health – this Lab does not provide therapy or treatment.
Max. group size: 30
Time: Thursday from 9-10:30pm Israel time (Please check here to find the time in your location)
Dates: Dec 10, Jan 7 2020; Jan 21, Feb 4, Feb 18, Mar 4, Mar 18, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20 2021
Lab Team
Miriam Nelken
is a therapist living and working in Jerusalem. She is a yoga and Alexander technique teacher, taught more than 5 years at the Jerusalem teachers school for Alexander technique. She is also a certified Rosen-Method and Focusing practitioner as well as a relational body-psychotherapist. The body is always a partner in her work. She has been assisting 4 years the Hakomi method training in Israel and is also an IFS practitioner. She is teaching systemic constellation in Jerusalem. She has been a student of Thomas Hübl for a few years and the work with him has enabled her to integrate therapy and spiritual development as well as experience spirituality work as a belonging and linking tool. She works in Hebrew, English and French.
Samvedam B. Randles
is a German psychologist who lives in the Boston area in the USA, where she founded first the Center for Body Oriented Psychotherapy and later the Inner Arts Institute, where she is the director to this day. Her work combines systemic methods such as Family Constellations with a careful internal attunement. Since 2013 she has focused on collective trauma issues and how to address them in larger groups. Samvedam has taught body oriented psychotherapy and breathwork at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has presented her work at conferences around the world. She continues to offer training and supervision circles for therapists and other professionals in the Healing Arts. Since participating in the Pocket Project, Samvedam has been pioneering new Ways to utilize systemic constellation work in service of understanding and clearing collective trauma patterns.