Hadassah Group Gets Spiritual by Numbers
Above: Ellen Sichel (left) and Vivian Gerew speak about Hadassah at the meeting of the Health Professionals Group on Sept. 18.
Hadassah Greater Atlanta’s Health Professionals Group took members for a walk on the spiritual side Sunday, Sept. 18.
Three speakers — Rabbi Ephraim Silverman of Chabad of Cobb, numerologist Gloria Parker and Karin Kabbalah Center director Shirley Chambers — addressed Kabbalah and numerology during the meeting at the Harmony Place Spiritual Center in Roswell.
Kabbalah is the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible; the term became widely used beginning around the year 1000. Numerology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the occult significance of numbers.
Rabbi Silverman addressed similarities between Kabbalah and Rosh Hashanah. “Rosh Hashanah is the day Adam and Eve were created. It is the day we reflect on the purpose of all mankind and do soul searching. Kabbalah talks about why we are here and our sense of self.”
Rabbi Silverman also explained that each Hebrew letter has a numerical value, forming the foundation of numerology, which Parker touched on.
Parker, who formerly published the Aquarius Newspaper, explained the significance of numbers and how they make us who we are. She said she can tell a lot about a person and “read their numbers” just by using their day, month and year of birth.
Parker read the numbers of several attendees, shared their personality traits and made predictions. For example, she said one person’s year will focus on family, while money and business will be important factors for another person.
Chambers provided a great deal of insight into the history of Kabbalah and its basic principles. She also explained the concept of the tree of life.
“The origins behind the tree of life go beyond this life wave,” Chambers said. “The tree of life is a symbolic and archetypal glyph or diagram as it relates to the four basic levels of human expression.”
She said a higher power flows through us, and we can use either freedom or fear to direct our lives. She also said we have many aspects of ourselves that we have not developed or learned.
“It was very interesting, particularly for Hadassah to bring in speakers who shared about a spiritual being and not only physical healing,” attendee Diane Fisher said. “It gave me a different perspective.”
Ellen Sichel, the president of the Health Professionals Group, said she chose those topics for the meeting because, while most Hadassah members deal with serious health issues, it is nice to mix in spiritual health for a change.
“Understanding what makes us tick as human beings is important,” she said. “Health is so much more than physical health.”
The meeting did include the physical as well. Hadassah Greater Atlanta President Paula Zucker spoke Hadassah’s hospitals in Israel, which treat everyone equally, regardless of religion or background.
The next meeting for the Health Professionals Group is Nov. 20 on the topic of “foods you love, made healthy.” Contact Sichel at ellensichel@gmail.com or 770-313-6162 for details.
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