Courses, retreats, and offerings
Grounded in mindfulness. Guided by wisdom.
Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
Cultivating Innate Sacred Character Traits
Mindful Torah Study
Embodied Practices
Contemplative Prayer
Upcoming Programs
April 21 – May 27, 2025
Join the Institute for Jewish Spirituality for a six-week intensive journey through the mystical tales of the Zohar, a foundational work of Kabbalistic literature. Renowned Israeli scholar and teacher Melila Hellner-Eshed, Ph.D., will guide this advanced course for students with a significant Judaic background (including rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators, and religious studies students).
April 29, 2025
Rabbi Shira Stutman has spent her career helping people of all backgrounds find meaning and connection through Jewish wisdom. In her new book, The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness, she offers a radical yet accessible vision of how timeless traditions such as rest, justice, celebration, and community can enrich modern Jewish life.
May 7 – 21, 2025
In preparation for Shavuot, join us for a three-part series engaging in mindfulness meditation, poetry, and generative writing practices to explore themes related to Shavuot. This special collaboration between the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and Ritualwell brings you two expert instructors, Rabbi Dan Liben and poet and sound artist Elana Bell, as your guides. As we count the Omer and mark the weeks leading to Shavuot, find inspiration within community while creating your own meaningful kavannot (intentions) for receiving wisdom.
May 29, 2025
Please join us on the evening of May 29th to celebrate five years of The Daily Sit and honor our beloved Rabbi Marc Margolius. Ever since COVID lockdown began in March of 2020, hundreds of people have joined Marc and guest teachers on Zoom each weekday for 30 minutes of meditation, Jewish wisdom, and loving community. From the pandemic to October 7th to the political instability in our nation, this daily ritual has helped us all stay steady in the storm.
This special evening will be a way to thank Marc and every member of our community who has brought the Sit to life through your presence and your practice.
August 5 – 10, 2025
In beautiful Mill Valley, California, we will hold our second annual multi-day retreat specifically designed for young adults! This program invites you to slow down, connect with yourself and others, and drop into what matters most. Amidst the challenges of daily life and the tumultuous challenges in the world around us, this is an opportunity for deep renewal, healing, and transformation.
Year-Long Program
Bring the transformative light of Torah and Hasidic wisdom into your daily life. Explore two brand-new text study streams led by extraordinary Torah teachers, Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu and Rabbi Sam Feinsmith. These programs will support you in expanding your spiritual awareness and deepening your mindfulness practice.
Upcoming Events
Walking on the Path: Tales from the Zohar
Walking on the Path: Tales from the Zohar
Shevet: A Jewish Mindfulness Community for Young Adults
Shevet: A Jewish Mindfulness Community for Young Adults
Josh Feigelson in Conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman
Josh Feigelson in Conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman
Welcome
For over 25 years, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality has helped thousands of people every year to slow down, reconnect with themselves and the world, and discover their sense of sacred purpose. We invite you to explore our website where you will find teachings, inspiration, guided meditations, and retreat opportunities to become more mindful, peaceful, compassionate, and resilient — all grounded in the rich wisdom of Jewish tradition. Wherever you are on your journey, whether you are just beginning or you have practiced mindfulness for years, we welcome you.
Reflections & Practice
Shemini 5785: Be a Blessing
On Wednesday night I had to run to the drug store. We were out of antihistamine, and, being springtime, the air in Chicago is thick with stuff that makes me sneeze. There's a Walgreens around the corner from our house. As I walked up to the entrance, I saw a man...
My Talk at the Central Conference of American Rabbis 2025
Last month I was honored to share some words of Torah during a plenary session at the convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in Chicago, alongside two wonderful colleagues: Rabbi Yael Vurgan and Dr. Claire Sufrin. The three of us were asked to spend...
Passover 5785: Purity
The other day I found myself thinking back five years, to the first Pesach we celebrated during the Covid pandemic. I remembered the strange feeling of loneliness and isolation. I remembered how families struggled to figure out whether and how they could do "Zoom...
Check Out Our Podcasts
Weekly Meditation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
Soulful Jewish Living
A production of Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media, and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
