Our Approach

In Hebrew, the word BaMidbar is translated as “in the wilderness,” or “in the desert,” but the word itself comes from the Hebrew root ד-ב-ר, which means, “to speak.” 

While we were in Egypt, the Jewish people lost our ability to tell our own stories. During that time, we were not only physical slaves, but slaves to another person’s narrative.

When we left Egypt, we spent forty years in the midbar–the wilderness–both literally and metaphorically. It was there that we regained our ability to speak. It’s where we found our voice, where we began to establish our identity as a people, and where we started to write a new narrative as an independent people.

WE BELIEVE the wilderness, literally and metaphorically, continues to hold opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

WE BELIEVE that Judaism, for thousands of years, has been asking the question, “What does it mean to live well?” making our inherited corpus of wisdom and traditions familiar and fertile ground for the exploration of personal meaning, values, and purpose.

WE BELIEVE that clinically sophisticated and evidence-based experiential approaches to therapy that engage both our bodies and our minds are incredibly powerful and effective. 

BaMidbar encourages teens and young adults to redefine how they view themselves, reevaluate their capabilities, and rediscover their visions for a brighter tomorrow. 

In short, BaMidbar provides the framework for Jewish young people to find their voices, and write their own narratives.