the lost princess
Join us for a creative-writing experience unlike any other. The Lost Princess, perhaps Rebbe Nachman’s most iconic tale, has been the most popular live and call-in workshop since 2016. Hundreds of women have taken part!
Now, for the first time, we’re offering The Lost Princess Contemplative Writing Workshop on ZOOM. We’ll explore the dual meaning of the Princess and your deep connection to her (the Shechina & the Neshama); who the Viceroy is in your life; and explore many other elements of this rich psychospiritual tale. You’ll listen to and read the story, receive meaningful and motivating creative-writing prompts, write and share your work in a supportive, dynamic classroom discussion. You may also have the opportunity to have your work published in the upcoming BreslovWoman Journal.
To ensure that each participant gets the most from this experience, class size is kept small. To register or for more information email Chaya Rivka at crzbreslov@gmail.com or text your name to 917-348-1573. Reserve your space today!
During the Breslov home-learning series, we did a writing workshop featuring Rebbe Nachman’s story, The Lost Princess. Students submitted a variety of powerful prose and poetry. In this post, see the letter Rachelle Ellis wrote to her younger self. See the previous writings post for poems from Anath Garber, PhD, and Rivka Leah Wax. More to come…Your comments are welcome!
Dear Rachelle by Rachelle Ellis
Dear Rachelle,
I know what you’re doing right now: you are lying in bed trying to figure out your daughter. She’s what, eleven now, nearly twelve? You are trying to understand how such deep, profound thinking can be coming from the brain of such a young girl. If she’s this smart now, what are we gonna do with her when she’s older?
You’ve been talking to yourself a lot and I know it’s been really helpful for you. That long commute is good for something besides singing with the radio, right? Well, I have to let you in on a secret: Hashem is listening to everything you say. There’s a special word for the conversations you’ve been having: hitbodedus. I know you’re unfamiliar with the word, but not the concept, you’re pretty good at it. You have analyzed and reanalyzed yourself so many times, and Hashem has heard you. And He understands. And He’s gonna help ya!
Remember the first time she stunned you? You had just moved into the big, new house and she had a big, new bed with plenty of room for Mommy. She was six, headed for first grade, and observant enough to realize that her mommy sometimes had some difficulties talking and moving. You had her lie on her tummy while you ran your fingers up and down her spine, explaining how the brain sends messages out to the body and the body sends messages back to the brain, and sometimes Mommy’s brain sends the wrong messages. Remember what she said?
C’mon, I know you remember. You were tickling her back, up and down, and she asked you –
“Like the angels on Jacob’s ladder?”
Okay, even I can’t remember how you ended up on the floor, stunned into silence, unable to fathom the metaphor she had just presented.
And tonight! She asked such a simple question, she wanted to know why we weren’t keeping kosher since we’re Jewish. You parroted the same answer you received when you asked the same question: it’s old-fashioned, our grandparents couldn’t, and other excuses usually about how difficult it is. And while your answer may not have been original, her response sure was:
“Mommy, that’s stupid!”
So now you’re lying on your big, empty bed, trying to figure out how you are going to keep kosher, and wondering what she will come up with next?
Wish I could reassure you that you are doing all the right things. Wish I could tell you that kashrus is going to be easier than you are expecting. Wish I could tell you that the pains you have been experiencing are only going to require minor surgery and the biopsy will be negative.
And most of all, wish I could tell you that our daughter has grown to be an amazing young woman. She is a teacher, she takes good care of herself, and there is an amazing young man looking for her somewhere. Ya did good!
Somehow, I have a feeling that even then, you knew everything was going to be just fine.
Sincerely,
Future Rachelle
Writings from The Lost Princess
During the Breslov home-learning series, we did a writing workshop featuring Rebbe Nachman’s story, The Lost Princess. Students submitted a variety of powerful prose and poetry. Those who gave permission for their pieces to be published are posted. We’ll begin with two poems. (Please note: The first poem is in a PDF format. Just click, download and open.)
Please May I Come Home (Poem by Rivka Wax)
Change by Anath Garber
In this kingdom of my kitchen
a friend was visiting
He sipped some mint tea
It was summer. I cooked
We laughed and joked
Then A joke at his expense
The content of which
I do not recall
As we laughed
he said “ ouch”
His face in pain
I hurt his feelings
I did not mean
My daughter’s face
surfaced
Same “ ouch” on her face
I did hurt them
I did not mean
My son?
Where did I learn the skill?
What for?
To sound clever
Funny?
hahaha!
There and then I resolved
to never ever joke
At anyone’s expense
And I never did
To the point that
I do not even recall
How I used to do that.
Gone
from the kingdom
Of my soul
Podcast: Searching for the Lost Princess Class 7 FINAL Workshop w/Chaya Rivka Z
This is the final part of The Lost Princess lunchtime Breslov writing workshop. We’ll post student work sometime in the next week or so, I’yH.
The Lost Princess: Discover your inner lost princess.
Wednesdays at 12:15 pm (NY Time) join us for a psychospiritual exploration of Rebbe Nachman’s classic tale. Bring a journal or notebook, optional, and enrich your experience – suggested writing prompts.
Listen to the recording and catch up with Class 3 in the series on the first story in Sippurey Maasios, The Lost Princess. We read through and explore this tale with traditional commentary in addition to psychospiritual insights. For those of you who’ve attended past writing workshops with me based on Rebbe Nachman’s stories, you’ll be familiar with the idea of writing prompts, which I will occasionally introduce in this phone class. New students: Bring a notebook! (Optional) You’ll be welcome to share your writing on BreslovWoman.org and in the Facebook Breslov Woman group.
To join the WhatsApp group for daily mini-lessons and announcements for live phone, video and in-person classes use this invitation:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/invite/0K6yMTGZyDyBvUI0WMpDQP
Or this invitation if the above group is full:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/invite/HYU5LoCGy7h5jFIHRNUhNw
July 16th’s class (I announce that this is class 5, but it is really class 6.)
The Lost Princess: Discover your inner lost princess.
Wednesdays at 12:15 pm (NY Time) join us for a psychospiritual exploration of Rebbe Nachman’s classic tale. Bring a journal or notebook, optional, and enrich your experience – suggested writing prompts.
Listen to the recording and catch up with Class 3 in the series on the first story in Sippurey Maasios, The Lost Princess. We read through and explore this tale with traditional commentary in addition to psychospiritual insights. For those of you who’ve attended past writing workshops with me based on Rebbe Nachman’s stories, you’ll be familiar with the idea of writing prompts, which I will occasionally introduce in this phone class. New students: Bring a notebook! (Optional) You’ll be welcome to share your writing on BreslovWoman.org and in the Facebook Breslov Woman group.
To join the WhatsApp group for daily mini-lessons and announcements for live phone, video and in-person classes use this invitation:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/invite/0K6yMTGZyDyBvUI0WMpDQP
Or this invitation if the above group is full:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/invite/HYU5LoCGy7h5jFIHRNUhNw