“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.”
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is a Japanese art form and philosophy in which broken pottery is repaired using lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Instead of hiding cracks, kintsugi highlights them, transforming breakage into part of the object’s beauty and story.
Designed to help learners articulate meaning, challenge assumptions, and relate mystical ideas to their own lives.
1. Where in your own life has the “surface” cracked, and how did that moment invite you either to look deeper or to turn away?
2. What expectations of perfection, about yourself, others, or spiritual life, might you need to loosen in order to let more light in?
3. If your own cracks told a story, what part of your history or identity might deserve to be highlighted rather than hidden?
4. How might embracing your own “cracks” change the way you understand growth and the role of spirituality in your life?
Because transformation happens through practice, each activity invites personal and communal action.
Shabbat is often a time to stop the busyness of life, and pause. It can also be an invitation to look beyond the surface and consider the deeper meaning of your life. This Shabbat take some time to reflect on your life in a deeper way. Name one area that is moving in the direction you are happy about and one area in which there are ‘cracks.’ Share that honestly with a friend or someone else you care about.
