THE WORKSHOP IS FULLY BOOKED.

A 6-Week Online Contemplative Workshop Series

Dates:
Monday August 25 and Mondays September 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29,  2025

Time:
3:00 – 4:30pm Eastern Time

Spiritual Resilience, Compassion, and Awakening in Dark Times

In this six-week series, we enter into the intimate and courageous writings of Etty Hillesum, a young Jewish woman living in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam who, amidst unimaginable suffering, awakened to a deep well of inner peace, compassion, and surrender.

Through her diaries and letters — later collected in An Interrupted Life — Etty speaks in a voice that resonates profoundly with our  Zen path: clear seeing, wholehearted acceptance of suffering, radical love, and unwavering presence.

Each session will weave together short readings, meditative silence, group reflection, and creative practices. Together, we will explore themes close to the Dharma:

• Turning toward suffering without hatred
• Meeting each moment with intimacy and gratitude
• Listening for the sacred in silence
• Practicing love as a courageous, ethical response
• Discovering the still point in the heart of chaos

Though Etty never called herself a Buddhist, her insights mirror key Zen teachings: the practice of non-resistance, the refuge of stillness, and the vow to awaken for the benefit of all beings.

This workshop is facilitated by Petra Zenryū.
Zenryū is from the Netherlands. She began studying Buddhism in 2000 and has been a student of Zen in the White Plum Sangha tradition since 2007. Zenryū deepens her practice with work in the areas of homelessness and refugees. She organized Bearing Witness retreats to refugee camps in Greece and France and facilitated street retreats.

No previous experience with Etty Hillesum is needed — only a willingness to listen deeply and meet the world with an open heart.

The maximum number of participants is 12. This workshop is fully booked at this time.

A note about the practice of generosity (dana): 
Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community is supported solely by financial donations. The teachings are offered freely, and no one is ever required to pay. For those able to contribute, we suggest a donation of $108 for this workshop series. But any contribution amount – less or more according to your means – is always gratefully received. Your gift makes programs and practice opportunities financially possible.