STRATEGIC PLAN - day 23 GEVURAH sh b'NETZACH

Psalms of My Soul

ספירת העומר

Kabbalistic Sephirat HaOmer day 23
3 weeks and 2 days of the Omer
GEVURAH sh b'NETZACH

Strategic Plan

Discernment and Power in Endurance, Determination and Steadfastness.

MBA Thesis ART 8.5" X 11.5" X 1.5"

My University of Judaism MBA Thesis

Platt Gallery

STRATEGIC PLAN

TO PRESERVE AND ENERGIZE THE ARTS

IN LOS ANGELES INTO THE 21st CENTURY

- by Joy Krauthammer

A story about my Gevurah sh b'Netzach / strength within endurance needed for my 1994 University of Judaism (UJ/AJU) MBA thesis.  The esteemed Rabbi Max Vorspan, Ph.D, z"l, UJ Vice President, had signed onto my thesis. "The only thesis" he had ever signed, ever, at the University, he happily informed me. Yes, I, too, am proud of that acceptance. 

I'm also humbly happy to share that Rabbi Vorspan said my thesis was "one of the three best in the university's history", and it was "Ph.D. quality". MIne was an honest thesis on which I worked creatively and exceedingly hard for it to be the best that it could be.

Thankfully following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake (and I live in Northridge), I was finally able to rescue the thesis from my computer in order to bind it, present it, and graduate. I presented three expensive -- 314 pages, heavy, hard-bound Thesis books  8.5" X 11.5" X 1.5" to the University; MBA Dept, UJ library and UJ Platt Gallery. All three were stolen!

(Rabbi Vorspan offered the director's job of the UJ's Platt Gallery to me. I couldn't and didn't accept the meaningful offer because my husband, z"l was sick with cancer.)

My Netzach / endurance comes from a deep conviction that what I was sharing in my MBA Thesis was to have others in management see and spiritually understand where 'strength' and all Midot/attributes come from– from the Divine Force, the Holy One.

When should my Hod / humility in front of my professors cause me to compromise in what Gevurah / boundaries I accept, and when not? Am I disciplined and focused enough to have courage, integrity and know truth, and not compromise and withstand my thesis not being accepted, by my sharing my instinctual wisdom? I had to carefully balance Hod to survive in Gevurah and restrain Netzach, and receive my MBA.

My thesis Chair, Ph.D. professor of Strategic Planning, a nationally renowned woman, gave back to me my finished thesis (314 pages) with an entire thesis chapter X'd out.  Giant X's! Chapter was on "spirituality in the workplace" within a SWOT* analysis; How to access Kabbalistic SEPHIROT. 

It was amazing (in a very negative sense), that my Strategic Planning professor at the Jewish university (with a rabbinic school), believed that SPIRITUALITY did NOT belong in the workplace, nor in my MBA thesis. 

My thesis spiritual chapter shocked her.  In spite of the chapter rejection, I did it my way with lots of Gevurah and Netzach, and I sent my thesis to a publisher to be hard-bound with the intact chapter as I wrote it, with SPIRITUALITY.  I put my grade and graduation on the line, and with Divine guidance, stood fast to what I believed.

During thesis review process, I had happily found my thesis open on Rabbi Vorspan's desk and marked to that same Religion chapter on Sephirot.

My MBA chair, Professor Mark Bookman, J.D. thankfully did not express a problem with my chapter. (After many years, he just wanted me to graduate! I was clearly the oldest graduate in the school during Graduation ceremony, and that's another couple stories.)

I am very pleased that following my thesis experience, where my serious spiritual work had NOT been accepted, teachers then began to teach that VERY TOPIC on 'Sprituality in the Workplace' at the University of Judaism in the adult learning division!!!!!!!
(UJ was later renamed American Jewish University in Los Angeles, CA.)

University of Judaism administration even brought in the topic of SPIRITUALITY to the MBA program!!!  With my Gevurah sh b'Netzach / strength within endurance and Tiferet / truth, I made a difference in bringing the Light of G*d's seven lower Sephirot to the Non-Profit Business Management program.

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short excerpt from:

PLATT GALLERY

STRATEGIC PLAN

TO PRESERVE AND ENERGIZE THE ARTS

IN LOS ANGELES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

Copyright © 1994 by Joy M. Krauthammer, MBA

University of Judaism, MBA Thesis excerpt pages 47-49  (of 314 pages)

RELIGION

“G*d is present in every action and in every thought.”
  - Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

STRENGTHS

A resurgence of spirituality and learning inspires today’s artists. Hiddur Mitzvah, the commandment to make ritual objects beautiful for enhancement of celebration, Jewish values and experience, is visible by the new contributions from artists creating Judaica for use and display. Jewish people recognize the attractive ritual objects in synagogue and home for life cycle and religious events. An art display can teach history, heritage, values and identity giving exposure, preservation and continuity to Jewish culture.

OPPORTUNITIES

Religion is always available to access spiritually within one’s self. Historically, in Los Angles, Judaism is found within homes, religious institutions, havurot, minyans, coalitions, conferences, rabbis, learned Jews, classes, libraries, cafes, galleries and museums. Through a closeness with the Divine, spirituality offers an individual inner strength to reach potential of self, and can be used for reaching the goals of the Platt Gallery.

It is imperitive to effectively identify and use resources available to the University of Judaism's Platt Gallery. The members of the Fine Arts Council can access their own inner resources. The psycho-spiritual way for planning is to improve self-connection and do reality checking.

It is Jewish Kabbalistic belief (inner and mystical aspect of Judaism teaching the Attributes of the Divine, the nature of the universe and the destiny of man) that thought and action can hold you back from being the best you can be or vice versa. The dawn of this Messianic Age is thought to be dependent on people’s action. Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, can be manifested in the management of the Platt Gallery. The Platt Gallery can help bring about the Tikkun through their arts activities.

  Sephirot 

The Platt Gallery members can access spirituality and use the seven lower metaphysical Sephirot as a model for strategic planning. The Sephirot can be understood as the attributes of G*d which are used in creating a blueprint for all of existence, a conceptual model of creation. The Sephirot can be defined in terms of human experience because we, too, are cast in the image of G*d / B'Tzelem Elokim (Genesis 1:27). As Jews believing in G*d and G*d’s creations, we can use the Sephirot as communication between human beings for good management of our Jewish institutions and our world. The Sephirot are combined in [relationship and] pairs for a balance and harmony of energies.

The lower seven Sephirot: The Sephira Chesed, the Attribute of active or inner emotion of Loving-kindness or Mercy can be practiced between Fine Arts Council members, staff and artists, to make a healthy emotional and physical environment to plan the Platt Gallery’s programs. Gevurah, Discernment, Discipline, Justice, Strength, Discrimination, allows members the fortitude to produce exhibits with good judgement, even without enough human resource’s physical strength. Tiferet, Beauty, Harmony, Truth, is a combined essence, balancing Chesed and Gevurah, and can give guidance in choosing the art for display. Netzach, Determination, Victory, can give members direction 
for endurance and striving for action and overcoming obstacles. Hod, Splendor and Glory, preserves the Divine Majesty in its restraint and subservience, and shows thankfulness and gratitude for all that exists, such as talents and humble cooperation between members of an organization. Yesod, Foundation, contains all the masculine roots that have gone before and reflects true nature in which the Platt Gallery can see themselves, and which projects a persona for others to see as givers and creators. Connection and bonding between staff, artists and community manifests in Yesod. Malkhut, Kingdom, constitutes Shekhinah, the feminine receiving and indwelling Presence of G*d, in matter. Leadership, Reputation, Uniqueness and Self-expression is revealed.

It is two upper Sephirot, Chokmah and Binah, Wisdom and Understanding, which give us an active and intuitive awareness of our interactions of qualities in the universe. Keter is the crown, the highest Sephira, which belongs only to G*d. 

The Sephirot work in combination with each other as Vessels (Kelim) allowing woman and man to receive G*d’s Light (Orot). (1 Chronicles 29:11-12) / in the Members of a Jewish organization have the opportunity to look within themselves to see what types of behavioral qualities (midot) and activities they manifest B'Tzelem Elokim in the image of The Divine One's immanence in their own being. These spiritual attributes with which The Holy One (Ain Sof) governs the world, can serve as a bridge to their more refined sense of mindful and reflective management of the organization.

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*The above excerpt is included in the "SWOT Analysis" for the University of Judaism's Platt Gallery:

"Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunites and Threats". 

Joy Krauthammer, MBA University of Judaism 

... did it my way...

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PS

Exactly 20 years later following my graduation, this week a librarian at AJU (UJ) has told me that she wants to scan my MBA thesis into the American Jewish University's new library.
Once again, my thesis and its chapter on SPIRITUALITY shall be available. Amayn.

Platt Gallery:  STRATEGIC PLAN TO PRESERVE AND ENERGIZE THE ARTS 
IN LOS ANGELES INTO THE 21st CENTURY
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