My Nonprofit Reviews

I've been a part of TCLP for over 25 years and have been on 3 delegations to the Middle East with them including one with my spouse on which we taught Compassionate Listening (CL) curriculum and led discussions to help folks process the interactions. My spouse and I have been CL facilitators for over 10 years and continue to lead a monthly practice group. We've found that CL is by far the most effective method of helping people heal from an us vs. them conflict. I have a Masters Degree in Counseling and have used CL both in group and individual counseling sessions. CL is dynamic and has changed in the decades it's been practiced so that it has shown itself to be ever deeper and more effective especially in situations where the opposing parties could not even sit in the same room, which is quite an achievement. TCLP has been generous in supporting willing students who were unable to afford the process of becoming facilitators including many in other countries of the world. This includes instances where it supported getting the CL Manual translated into other languages. CL is a rare communication method in that it teaches us to reach into our hearts (not just our heads) to help others get attuned to being able to be heard as well as listening to others they had major issues with. TCLP not only survived the COVID Pandemic, it thrived by adapting to use online resources including ZOOM and other platforms. It is now present in many more countries than before the Pandemic.

I have been a part of TCLP for over 15 years starting when I saw the video "The Children of Abraham." I recently went on my third delegation, this time as a trainer. I received mentoring from the founder, Leah Green, and can attest to the effectiveness of the skills I learned and now teach. Speaking and listening from the heart is incredibly effective in all situations of conflict whether in the context of family dynamics or political tension. I have now taught these skills in seven different countries and they adapt readily to every culture. The power of listening can be truly transformational when the listener learns to listen without judgment or interrupting. It's a natural skill that we all have and just need to be reminded.

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Aleph and the entire Jewish Renewal world has changed by life in so many ways. Our community, P'nai Or (Faces of Life) of Portland was created around our beloved Reb Aryeh Hirschfield of blessed memory. Since his unexpected and untimely death this past January, the community has come together in unbelievable ways and has shown that it did not exist merely because of the presence of one man. I have also experienced the teachings of many other Renewal leaders at Aleph sponsored events and independently and have always found that the experience deepened my understanding of myself and the Divine.

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