I live on Kibbutz Nir-Oz in the Western Negev in Israel. I teach at Nofei Habsor Regional High School and have been for the past 26 years.
My interests in education have focused on pupils with ADHD or creative learning styles. Early on I discovered that if I can reach those pupils, then the others in the class will benefit as well!
Since 2014, I’ve incorporated mindfulness sessions in my teaching and for the past two years, I have been given the privilege of teaching mindfulness to all of the 7th Grade students. The 8th and 9th graders have the option to participate in a weekly workshop.
I also offer an open invitation to the people on my kibbutz to come practice mindfulness meditation. A loyal group has formed and we experiment with present-moment experiences, using sound, movement, vision and sensation as well as focus on the breath.
My daily routine includes writing a morning haiku – which I publish on a separate blog judihaiku.wordpress.com. Engaging in art is a tool for focusing ourselves in life, especially in stressful external conditions.
Living and working in this beautiful area is a gift, but for the times when war is our reality, I personally have opted to look at coping mechanisms devised by our population. This is for a few reasons: due to the fact that I have family in Canada and the USA, and small bits of information would only cause them distress, and also, I believe that the more I concentrate on fear, advertising trauma, the more I experience it.
In speaking to pupils and parents here and a little further north in the city of Sderot and the Sha’ar HaNegev area, I know that speaking about what’s going on is the only way to honestly clean out blockages that keep us locked into fear.
Expression is a wonderful coping mechanism. And as I’ve discovered, mindfulness meditation is a way to actually recognize the degree of fear or anger or frustration and to accept it enough to deal.
This blog, then, is for talking about things.
Judih, September 25, 2012
Let My People Know / talk about it now 
Hi Adam – nice to meet you. I am a woman and very glad of it! My haiku can be found at http://tribes.tribe.net/poetryjams
Delightful to meet you!
Delighted to meet you Sir. And from israel too :) Looking very much forward to reading your posts and haiku’s.Regards, Adam
hey wylde, welcome to the desert hotpot, but mostly not.
thanks for visiting
man o man oh man. i KNEW you were busy and a multifacted loving; giving person and are like a mosaic of conductive energy; but im still stunned at what you put together.
u go girl!
with love. and arcs of wings for the days that are heavy. look to the sun. you know the shadows fall behind you. trite. but true.
BIG hugs.
up is up! glad to hear your flying on your energetic creativity wheel. thanks for dropping by, dear soozen
judih, wanted to drop by and see what is UP with you! Life here has been full and busy. Creativity is flowing again and the dams have crumbled (which were self constructed.) Loved what you wrote about creativity and inspiration. Thank you as always.
Love and Peace!
Moses’ Footprints
(Adapted by James Leigh 2009)
When Moses saw the Lord in the burning bush
He took off his shoes
As he stood on holy ground
Later in life he pondered
As I travelled the desert
Even the wilderness
I would look back
And see two sets of footprints
I knew You were with me
But as I looked
I often saw in the toughest times
You were not there
I could only see one set of footprints
“Where were You?”
It was then that I heard a small voice
“My beloved, I was there carrying you!”
thanks, walt. appreciate that
I am amazingly speechless.
Such wonderfulness in the midst of mayhem.
My thoughts are with you and with the good
work you are doing.
keep your vision,
walt
Judih, Your writings are always revealing and
comforting to us in snowy Canada. Keep up your poetry, interviews, and reactions to the good and bad in your environs. You have a keen sense of
the influence of your surroundings and an ability to share your emotions. Keep writing.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Hey, sistah-j…
Nice place you have, here. I look forward to reading more. Thank heaven for bookmarks.
lw
Judih – Anything I Write in regard to your plight will seem prosaic, I’m certain; surely, how is One to truly know-know? Yet, I am inspired (& not solely conscripted – LOL!) to contribute; inspired by your indomitable Poetry, & resonant indomitability. To wit, I have fwrd. the Link to this Blog to three, dear Friends, the 1st. an erstwhile 15 yr. resident/Journalist/Writer, Jerusalem & about, a Psychologist/Hebrew U. Grad. who’d frequented Israel, & Sabra, whom coincidentally is ret. next wk. for a month to reunite w/Family. Perhaps I shall also compose/share a Piece, where appropriate… Blessings, Direqh EL – H’H.
Good to read your posts. I will add your blog to my favorites. Thanks Dave
And how do we say “worry” in Japanese? We probably paint in sumi-e to disperse worry.
Hope you’re well, hope you’re fine. Love your photos, Ali.
Judih,
Saw your comments on my blog (thanks for those by the way – so nice and encouraging – I will keep it up!) and followed you to your blog. This is so wonderful. What a good and important forum. It’s good to read your honest yet hopeful writing, even though it can’t help be but worrisome.
Love,
Ali