RichardSilverstein.com
Title
Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place
Description
Tikun Olam is a Kabbalistic (the Jewish mystical tradition) term meaning "repair [or mend] the world." It refers to God’s contraction (tzimtzum) of Himself in order to provide space for the Creation. In the process of this contraction of the divine, the holy vessels (kaylim) were cataclysmically destroyed. Kabbalists maintain that humanity’s purpose is to "mend the world" through doing mitzvot or acts of lovingkindness. In a modern context, tikun olam has come to mean the struggle to alleviate suffering, combat evil and generally make the world a better place.
I was born and raised in the Hudson River Valley. My father’s family’s roots go back to Peekskill, NY in the 1920s. I’ve always had a deep and abiding affection for the River and the beautiful Hudson Highlands.
After college, I attended graduate school in California (MA-UCLA and ABD-UC Berkeley) and have lived on the west coast most of my subsequent life.
