Don’t Turn Away:

Reading the News Without Losing Your Mind

November 3 – December 1, 2025

Mondays, 8:00 – 9:15 PM ET

5 Mondays, 8:00-9:15 PM ET | November 3, 10, 17, 24, December 1

Click Here to Register

Feeling Overwhelmed by the News?

Are you constantly overwhelmed by headlines, feeling anxious, angry, or just plain exhausted by the 24/7 news cycle? Do you find yourself avoiding the news entirely, yet still feeling guilty about not staying informed?

You’re not alone. In today’s hyper-connected world, many of us struggle to engage with the news without feeling overwhelmed, disempowered, or just plain mad. With antisemitism and the war in Israel and Gaza at the center of so many stories today, the news cycle has become especially intense for many of us as Jews. And it’s natural to want to look away. This phenomenon even has a name: News Avoidance Syndrome.

But what if you could approach the news with clarity, intention, and a sense of calm? Join Jane Eisner and Rabbi Josh Feigelson for a unique, five-session online course designed to transform your relationship with information. Drawing on their deep expertise in journalism, media, and Jewish mindfulness, Jane and Josh will equip you with practical tools and spiritual insights to navigate the news wisely, without losing your mind—or your hope.

Reclaim your peace of mind and empower your engagement with the world.

This course is for anyone who:

  • Feels overwhelmed or anxious by current events.
  • Struggles with news fatigue or “doomscrolling.”
  • Wants to be better informed but doesn’t know how to approach the news without feeling defeated.
  • Seeks a more mindful and intentional relationship with media.
  • Is interested in how Jewish wisdom and spiritual practices can offer guidance in navigating modern challenges.

What You'll Discover

This course isn’t about ignoring the world; it’s about engaging with it more effectively and mindfully. Over five weeks, you will:

  • Understand News Avoidance Syndrome. Learn to recognize why you might be tuning out and how our fight-or-flight response can hijack your ability to stay informed.
  • Navigate Emotional Overload. Explore the “Second Arrow” of suffering, acknowledging the deeper motivations (guilt, sadness, weariness) that news can trigger us — and learn to meet them with chesed (compassion).
  • Decode the Media Landscape. Unpack concepts like “news bubbles” and tribal identity, understanding how they shape your perceptions and how to intentionally broaden your perspective.
  • Embrace Mindful Pauses. Discover the power of Jewish spiritual practices like the “Shabbat mind” and Shemirat HaDibbur (mindful speech), to create intentional space and clarity in your news consumption.
  • Cultivate Mindful News Engagement. Develop your own personalized plan for wise, intentional news consumption and explore avenues for mindful civic action.

 

Register Now

IJS is pleased to offer this course at three tuition levels.
We encourage you to pay at the highest level you can, which will enable more students to participate.

Abundance Level

$349

Register

Basic Level

$249

Register

Reduced Level

$149

Register

Meet Your Instructors:

Rabbi Josh Feigelson

Rabbi Josh Feigelson is President & CEO at IJS, which he has led since 2020. . He received ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in 2005 and served for six years as the Hillel Rabbi at Northwestern University, where he also earned a PhD in Religious Studies. In 2011, Josh helped found and served as Executive Director of Ask Big Questions, an initiative of Hillel International, which won the inaugural Lippman-Kanfer Prize for Applied Jewish Wisdom. Most recently he served as Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Josh  is the author of Eternal Questions: Reflections, Conversations, and Jewish Mindfulness Practices for the Weekly Torah Portion (Ben Yehuda Press, 2022). He lives with his wife Natalie and their three sons in Skokie, IL.

Jane Eisner

Jane Eisner is an accomplished journalist, educator, consultant, and public speaker. Her book Carole King: She Made the Earth Move will be published in September 2025 by Yale University Press. For more than a decade, she was the Forward’s editor-in-chief, the first woman to lead America’s foremost Jewish publication. She has held academic positions at Columbia Journalism School, University of Pennsylvania, and Wesleyan University. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. Among her many volunteer activities, she is a board member of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, chair of the Binswanger Committee at Wesleyan, and a member if the IJS Advisory Council. She lives in New York with her husband, Dr Mark Berger, and together they have three adult daughters.