Directory of the Bnei Shalom Network

Rabbi David Sykes

Jewish Spiritual Counseling Through Torah

My aim, in offering Jewish spiritual counseling through Torah, is to help people come closer to who they really are through their connection to the Torah. Being a Jew is not merely incidental to one's being; it is fundamental to who he or she is. Every Jew is faced with dilemmas and issues to resolve; the Torah has input relating to any of them. The Torah, through its laws, historical accounts and outlook on life provide us with guidance and insights for our lives. Since every Jew's soul is, in its essence, deeply connected to the Torah, aligning oneself with Torah wisdom can also open up a greater level of inner clarity for a person.

What are the kinds of issues that Jewish spiritual counseling deals with? They range from finding a spiritual path to finding a path to good interpersonal relationships - from developing the mind to developing the body. This counseling seeks to integrate the wisdom of Judaism with the life of the Jew today. It is a basic tenet of Judaism that every Jew comes into the world with a unique mission to fulfill. Very often, people get lost along the way and lose a sense of direction and purpose. A person may, alternatively, know the goal, but feel blocked in reaching it. Jewish spiritual counseling deals with identifying and realizing one's life-path and mission. Jewish spiritual counseling through Torah involves a session in which the existing situation or question is presented and an analysis and recommendations are offered in response. There can be follow-up sessions if there is an interest in discussing issues which arise in reflecting upon the analysis, or in implementing the recommendations.

Bio

Rabbi David Sykes has been studying and teaching the Bible, Talmud, commentaries, philosophical and legal works of Jewish wisdom for many years. He studied in the Mirrer Yeshiva, both in Jerusalem and in Brooklyn, NY, and at Beth Midrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. He received Rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Zalman Nehemiah Goldberg, shlita, of Jerusalem, son-in-law of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt"l. He received a doctorate in Biblical studies from Yeshiva University for his work on patterns in the book of Genesis. He also was a professor there for ten years, teaching in many areas of Torah and personal growth. He has been doing Jewish spiritual counseling for the past ten years. Rabbi Sykes has established this Torah-based counseling practice to provide a much-needed service to the Jewish community. He and his wife Cheryl live in Monroe, NY.

Office Information

Location of sessions: In person or over the phone.

Fees: $60 per hour. A sliding scale is offered, if needed.

Contact Information for
Rabbi David Sykes:

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Rabbi Sykes can also be reached during the hours of 9:00 am to 9:00 pm EST at (845) 783-3989 or (845) 783-7980 .