Regular Course Packet The packet provides an overview and description of the course.
Download it here
Psychologists and Medical Professionals visit the accreditation page here
WEEK 1
THE HAPPY YOU
If happiness comes from within, then a positive self-concept is essential to human happiness. What is a negative self-image? Where does it stem from? In what ways might it express itself? How does it hamper human happiness? What is an arrogant self-image? Are self-centered people happy with themselves? What is humility? How can people become more humble? Is humility just the right path or is it also the happy path? Is humility similar to a negative self-image? This lesson discusses different ways of thinking about ourselves, in the hope of finding a joyous self-concept.
WEEK 2
JOY DESPITE LIFE’S STATIC
Life has its hassles and hardships and this static impedes happiness. Building patience would help us cope better with these hardships, but what is patience and how does one nurture this virtue? A major component of our stress is the fact that we need to tend to the many things going on in life. Without cutting anything out, how can we ease our mental load? How can we eliminate our worries about the future? Do we have control over our minds? Why does it sometimes seem that we don’t? Should we ignore our worries, or talk about them? Is there a way to build optimism and trust about the future?
WEEK 3
SAVORING THE GOOD AND OVERCOMING ANGER
We live in an era in which people have so much, yet too many remain unhappy. Is it possible for the abundance of today to contribute to happiness? Is it possible to find joy in material things? Why do people strive for more? Certain negative experiences anger us. Is venting our anger good for our happiness? If not, how might we overcome it?
WEEK 4
UNHAPPY TIMES
While Judaism endorses perennial happiness, there seems to be an exception: mourning the death of a loved one. Is happiness appropriate at all after the loss of a loved one? Does time play a role here? Does belief in a just G‑d mean that one is always happy? How can we avoid enduring and crippling unhappiness in the face of a tragedy? The Jewish way in death and mourning can teach us a lot about whether, why, and to what degree happiness is relevant in the presence of sorrow, and what actions can be helpful to bring the mourner back to emotional equilibrium.
WEEK 5
HUMAN IMPERFECTION
If we were perfect, happiness would come much easier. But we are not. How does happiness think in the context of committing a moral wrong? What about our character flaws, negative thoughts, broken resolutions, etc.? Are these supposed to undermine our happiness? If not, how is that different from indifference?
WEEK 6
TOWARD A MEANINGFUL LIFE
Research has shown that meaning, religion, and spirituality indicate higher happiness levels. Why might meaning add joy to life? Why, and in what context, might religion add joy to life? While there are multiple important answers to these questions, one element is that embracing Judaism means we uncover a tremendous amount of good that otherwise would be irrelevant. How can we learn to appreciate this goodness? Is it proper to use religion as a means for happiness? Is life really about our happiness? Is happiness a religious issue?