Online Zoom Forum: Etty Hillesum: The Spiritual, Ethical, Social, and Humanitarian Vision on Her Life and Work.
Date: Wednesday 29 April 2026.
Time: 7pm-9pm (UK time).
Event Description:
Format: There will be five talks, each of 12 minutes, followed by discussion among the speakers and the chair, followed by Q & A.
Chair:
Simon Barrow:
Bio: Simon Barrow is a writer, commentator, poet, educator and researcher with wide experience in politics, public issues, media, organisational change, ethics and religion/beliefs. He was director of the think-tank Ekklesia from 2005-2024. Before that he worked in media and adult theological education. From 2000-2005 he was assistant general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. His latest book is Beyond Our Means: Poetry, Prose and Blue Runes (Siglum, 2025) and will be followed by Against the Religion of Power: Telling a Different Christian Story (Ekklesia Publishing, April 2026). He also writes for the Edinburgh Music Review.
Speakers:
Dr Alexandra Nagel:
Title: Hillesum’s Introduction to a “Psychologized” Way of Reading of the Bible.
Description: Etty Hillesum (1914-1943) was the daughter of well-educated Jewish parents. As such, she must have been familiar with reading the Old Testament in a Jewish tradition. In March 1941, shortly after Hillesum had begun psychotherapy with the Jewish-German hand-reader Julius Spier (1887-1942), she encountered a different way of interpreting Scripture, including the New Testament.
Bio: Alexandra Nagel is an independent scholar in the Netherlands. She received her MA in the history of western esotericism in 2007 at the University of Amsterdam, and her PhD at Leiden University in 2020. She has written multiple articles, both in Dutch and English, on Etty Hillesum and Julius Spier. Recently her biography on the latter has come out, Julius Spier en de kunst van het handlezen (2026), and the article ‘Newly (Re)discovered Texts by Etty Hillesum’.
Dr Barbara Morrill:
Title: The Jungian Inspired Holocaust Writings of Etty Hillesum; The Significance of Her Voice for Our Times.
Description: Based on her new book, Barbara Morrill will explore Etty Hillesum’s self-realization from both a Jungian inspired and feminist point of view by reflecting upon her significant unabridged diary. Diary writing that was suggested to her by her Jungian analyst, Julius Spier, in the first session.
In addition to Etty’s action of writing, choosing not to go into hiding, her care of others, and her teaching through her own presence and equanimity were subtext for her standing in her own truth against the dystopian forces of her time. Her hope for herself and others others was to “develop ourselves” in order to recognize our own shadow projection before blaming or ultimately annihilating the other.
Bio: Barbara Morrill, PhD, was program chair, associate professor, and core faculty in the Integral Counseling Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies In San Francisco from 2009 - 2022. She is now Faculty Emerita. She received her MA from Boston College in Massachusetts and her PhD from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now known as Sofia University) in Palo Alto, CA. She is a clinical psychologist licensed in CA and has been in private practice for over 30 years. Barbara has spent much of her life, exploring social. psychological and spiritual development. Her recent book on Etty Hillesum is an outgrowth of that work. Her new book published in 2025 is The Jungian Inspired Holocaust Writing of Etty Hillesum; To Write is To Act.
Rabbi Dr Haviva Ner-David:
Title: Etty Hillesum as Spiritual Companion in Bearing Witness to Life's Adversities.
Description: Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David will share with us how she discovered Etty Hillesum's diary and letters, and how, since that discovery, Etty Hillesum has been her spiritual companion and has influenced Haviva's life -- in dealing with her illness and other life challenges, in being a spiritual guide for others, in living into this historical moment, in bearing witness through writing, and in facing the unfairness of life and, ultimately, her own mortality.
Bio: Haviva Ner-David is a rabbi, a writer, and an activist. She is a spiritual companion, a dreamworker, and the founding rabbi of Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind, Body, and Soul, the only Jewish ritual immersion pool in Israel open to all humans to immerse as they choose. At Shmaya, Rabbi Haviva creates and officiates individualized full body water immersion rituals, facilitates workshops, and teaches about mikveh.
Haviva is the author of two novels, three memoirs, and the only children's book on mikveh. One thing all her books -- whether fiction or nonfiction, for adults or children -- have in common is the spiritual element. Writing is how Haviva processes and shares her inner life with the world.
As far back as she can remember, Haviva has been an activist. For many years, feminism -- especially in the religious sphere, was her activist focus. Over the past twenty years, her activist focus shifted to building partnership among Jews and Palestinians -- especially in the Galilee where she lives -- and promoting a peaceful end to the conflict. Since the current extreme right Israeli government came to power in 2023, she has been steeped in the resistance against it.
Haviva has been married to Jacob for 36 years, and they are the parents of seven children (six biological and one adopted). At age 16, Haviva was diagnosed with FSHD, a type of muscular dystrophy, which has been both her biggest life challenge and teacher. She and her daughter Hallel, who also lives with FSHD, founded FSHD Israel, an advocacy and support group for Israelis who live with FSHD. She is also the Israeli representative to the FSHD World Alliance.
Prof Raymond Potgieter:
Title: Etty Hillesum – A Search for Personal Identity and Meaningful Purpose in Troubled Times.
Description: Etty Hillesum’s search for personal identity resulted from her intimate relationships which left her unfilled and increasingly traumatized. Her extensive reading of classical authors eventually led her to the message of the Old Testament and to the servant figure of Jesus in the New Testament. Etty embraced a fulfilling and meaningful servant approach to traumatized women in the transit camp of Westerbork, Holland. She willingly accompanied these women to Auschwitz.
Bio: Raymond Potgieter, PhD. Program facilitator, Faculty of Theology, North West University, South Africa.
Supervisor and promoter off international postgraduate students and researchers, from the majority world. He is now emeritus. Raymond received his MTh from Unisa and his PhD from Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, now NWU. His peer reviewed article on Etty Hillesum was the result of research at the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. It is written from a Christian reformed theological perspective.
Rabbi Emma Sham-Ba Ayalon:
Bio: Emma is an Israeli peace activist, Rabbi, artist, and poet, and co-creator of the Etty Hillesum Cards. She brings extensive experience as a certified Council and Forum facilitator, trained in the Ojai Foundation method of Council and Spiritual Companioning Course Facilitation. Her group holding expertise includes nearly two decades of Spiritual Guidance and Group Facilitation at the Tamera Community, Portugal (2000-2019). Emma has developed and led unique workshops, including "Death as a Teacher of Life" courses and land-based peace pilgrimages for activists engaging in healing personal and collective trauma. Her deep 20-year engagement with Etty Hillesum's wisdom helped her find inner peace and reject a victim narrative. Emma specializes in guiding participants to transform trauma, utilizing her three published Oracle Card Sets to develop inner resources and cultivate genuine human connection across cultural and national divides.
An archive recording will be made for the EICSP archive.
NB: There will be no refund if you cancel your booking.
Cost: By Paypal:
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