Course Overview

Material comforts are more abundant than ever, yet many still feel unfulfilled, anxious, or unsure of their direction in life.

This course dives into the search for meaning and purpose, exploring how ancient Jewish wisdom can guide us toward living with clarity, balance, and intention in a complicated world.

Together, we’ll unpack the essential questions:

  • What does it mean to live a meaningful life?

  • What defines the human spirit?

  • How can we move from simply feeling fulfilled to truly living with purpose?

The Kabbalah of Meaning offers timeless insights and practical tools to help us build lives that are rich with depth, direction, and lasting fulfillment.

(No previous Jewish learning required.)

See below for class overviews and upcoming courses.

When: 6 Sessions, Wednesdays, November 5 - December 17 | 7:30pm (No class Nov 26 due to Thanksgiving)

Location: Chabad of South Austin, 5670 Oak Blvd Austin, TX 78735

Instructor: Rabbi Mendel Hertz

Cost: $125 per person (for all 6 lessons), includes full color textbook.

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT until Monday, Oct 20: $99 including personal textbook.

Accreditation

This course will satisfy the continuing education requirements of physicians, healthcare professionals, psychologists, social workers, LMFTs, and LMHC/LPCs. Go to myjli.com/continuingeducation for a complete accreditation statement.

Lesson 1 If I Have It All, Why Do I Still Feel Something’s Missing?

What do we really mean when we say “my life feels meaningful”? The journey begins with a simple but powerful truth: we feel most alive when we live in alignment with who we truly are. Drawing on the Torah’s metaphor of a tree from Deuteronomy, expanded in Chasidic thought, we’ll explore four core dimensions of the human experience—growth, contribution, giving, and connection—and how nurturing each one helps us live with depth, purpose, and vitality.

Lesson 2 When Life Feels Empty, Where Do We Look for Meaning?

Many people today search for meaning as something that feels inspiring or fulfilling. But Jewish wisdom introduces something even more powerful and lasting: purpose. Drawing from Ecclesiastes, the Tanya, and classic Jewish philosophy, this lesson explores how true purpose is not something we invent, but something we’re entrusted with. It’s an invitation to live for something beyond ourselves—a Divine mission that gives direction and unity to every part of our lives.

Lesson 3 Can the Ordinary Moments of Life Be Truly Extraordinary?

We often assume that meaning lives in the extraordinary—in grand gestures or spiritual moments. But Judaism teaches the opposite: everything we do can hold deep significance. Drawing on insights from Proverbs, Jewish mysticism, and timeless ethical teachings, this lesson reveals how even daily work, household tasks, and personal struggles can become pathways to holiness. Meaning doesn’t wait for special occasions—it’s right there in the small, ordinary moments of our lives.

Lesson 4 The Rhythm of Time and the Search for Balance

We often assume that meaning lives in the extraordinary—in grand gestures or spiritual moments. But Judaism teaches the opposite: everything we do can hold deep significance. Drawing on insights from Proverbs, Jewish mysticism, and timeless ethical teachings, this lesson reveals how even daily work, household tasks, and personal struggles can become pathways to holiness. Meaning doesn’t wait for special occasions—it’s right there in the small, ordinary moments of our lives.

Lesson 5 The Growth You Never Chose, but Always Needed

Not every moment of meaning comes from what we plan. Sometimes it’s found in what we never expected. Through the lens of Jewish mysticism and Divine providence, we’ll explore how even challenges and detours can reveal hidden purpose. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” we’ll learn to ask, “What can I do with this?” Every experience, pleasant or painful, can become part of a greater story of growth and faith.

Lesson 6 The Gift of Being

Not every moment of meaning comes from what we plan. Sometimes it’s found in what we never expected. Through the lens of Jewish mysticism and Divine providence, we’ll explore how even challenges and detours can reveal hidden purpose. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” we’ll learn to ask, “What can I do with this?” Every experience, pleasant or painful, can become part of a greater story of growth and faith.

Upcoming Courses

Captivating Cases in Rabbinic Responsa

WINTER | Mid January - February

See what enables Jewish tradition to offer relevant guidance in a rapidly changing world—and come face-to-face with raw Jewish history. 

Join this six-session course to discover the little-known world of rabbinic responsa, a vast archive of surprising real-life questions of ethics and practice Jews asked across history—and the scholarly answers rabbis wrote.

The Inquisition is watching: How will I celebrate Passover? Seventeen Jews are held hostage in faraway Regensburg after a blood libel: Must I help pay their ransom?

(If you don’t know what a “rabbinic responsa” is, you’ll fit right in.)

This course will satisfy the CLE requirements of lawyers and other legal professionals. 

For All Humankind

Spring | May 2026

How Judaism’s universal values can help us build better lives and societies. 

What values enable a good life? What ideals shape a just society? Join this four-part course to discover timeless ethical vision relevant to all.

Explore foundational texts to discover the spiritual path available to every individual. You’ll explore how these values guide family life and uncover the essential role of education. Understand what it takes to achieve the vision of a more perfect and peaceful world for all humanity. 

(No previous Jewish learning necessary.)

 This course will satisfy the CLE requirements of lawyers and other legal professionals.