How to beat burnout, gain perspective when judgment is clouded, and make progress on the goals most important? The newest course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) offers an interesting twist to dealing with these common challenges—an approach that examines the stories and characters of kings and prophets.

The Chabad of Randolph plans to conduct six sessions of the JLI course, Strength and Struggle: Lessons in Character from the Stories of Our Prophets, at 48 West Hanover Avenue, Randolph on Tues. evenings and Wed. afternoons through June.

“Strength and Struggle is a journey in which we gain insight into our own struggles by examining the lives of inspiring biblical heroes and antiheroes,” said Rabbi Levi Kaplan of JLI’s headquarters in Brooklyn, NY. “For many, it will fill an important gap in knowledge in the area of biblical history, and it provides fascinating wisdom from the Talmud and 3000 years of Jewish literature, to help them deal with life’s struggles on the road to becoming more effective people.”

Strength and Struggle spans six eras in biblical history, to acquaint participants with the nuances of the Israelites’ earliest history and intimate details, as seen in the lives of many of its beloved characters, including David, Saul, Ruth, Jephthah, Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah.

“The course is filled with eternal lessons for life—of struggle and triumph, courage and humility, hope and resilience,” explains Chava Bekhor, one of the local JLI instructors. “If you’ve ever wanted to meet King David in person, this is about as close as you’ll come.”

Dr. Simcha Leibowitz, the representative of the World Zionist Federation to North American and an expert on leadership and biblical studies said, “Even great leaders, judges, and kings experience challenging circumstances and moments of weakness from which we must learn to emerge even stronger. I am certain that participants in this program will find this original and fascinating approach to biblical study meaningful and relevant to their lives and to the daily challenges they face.”

All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Interested students may call 973-895-3070 or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and for other course-related information.