Suri Weingot: ‘The fellow Jew is as close to God as you'll get’

What does it mean to experience God as lived reality? Mrs. Suri Weingot reframes spirituality not as something hidden or elite but as something pulsing through every blade of grass, every Hebrew letter, and every human relationship.
Mrs. Suri Weingot is a senior educator in TMM High School and gives classes and lectures to women across the community. She runs a community mentoring program that enables women and teens to contribute their time and heart by impacting the lives of the next generation.
At its heart, this is a conversation about love of Torah, of life, and of every person. Suri joins us to answer eighteen questions on Jewish mysticism with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy including the closeness of redemption, godliness, and education.
Here are our questions:
What is Jewish mysticism?
How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?
In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?
What do you think of when you think of God?
What is the purpose of the Jewish people?
How does prayer work?
What is the goal of Torah study?
Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?
Should Judaism be hard or easy?
Why did God create the world?
Can humans do something that is against God’s will?
What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?
Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?
What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?
How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?
What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions?
Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?
Can mysticism be dangerous?
How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?
What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?