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

Evening of Gratitude: The Value of Jewish Mindfulness

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.

Evening of Gratitude: The Value of Jewish Mindfulness

June 12, 2025

Renowned spiritual teacher and author Yiscah Smith has spent a lifetime guiding seekers toward deeper authenticity, inner peace, and connection with the Divine. In her newest work, Planting Seeds of the Divine, she offers a rich and soulful roadmap for cultivating God-consciousness from within, drawing on centuries of Jewish wisdom and her own lived experience. 

In her conversation with Josh, Yiscah will share how the emotional and spiritual traits known as middot can become tools for transformation, how sacred texts serve as seeds for divine connection, and how tending the garden of the soul can help each of us encounter the Presence already within.

Evening of Gratitude: The Value of Jewish Mindfulness

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.

Evening of Gratitude: The Value of Jewish Mindfulness

November 16 – 20, 2025

When the seas of our lives are especially chaotic, it can be healthy to take temporary refuge in a sheltered place — like Noah did in the biblical ark. Once removed from the storm, we can connect deeply with our life force, reduce reactivity, and restore and strengthen ourselves. After this respite, we’re able to return to our lives with greater clarity and wisdom to respond to the chaos all around us. The IJS community will create our own ark of calm this fall, and we hope you will join us.

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

Emor 5785: Da Pope

Emor 5785: Da Pope

Last Thursday and Friday were, hands down, the best days in Chicago social media history. Why? Because, in the words of the ginormous headline in the Sun-Times Friday morning, the papal conclave had elected "Da Pope." Robert Prevost, born on Chicago's south side,...

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Hearing the Divine, in Silence

Hearing the Divine, in Silence

The holiday of Shavuot, commemorating the revelation of Torah at Mount Sinai, begins this year Sunday night, June 1. It is striking that despite the cacophonous scene of revelation described in the Torah in Exodus 19, there is a stream within Jewish tradition that...

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Check Out Our Podcasts

Weekly Meditation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl

Weekly Meditation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl

Join IJS for a weekly podcast featuring a brief, accessible teaching and meditation based on the weekly Torah portion, an upcoming Jewish holiday, or wisdom from Jewish tradition. In just a few minutes each week, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, will help you pause, breathe, and find balance and clarity to weather today’s storms and meet our personal and collective challenges with Jewish wisdom. Whether you are in your car, on a walk, or at home, join us to learn, nourish your spirit, and deepen your practice.

Soulful Jewish Living

Overstressed, overworked, overstimulated? Close your eyes, take a deep breath and tune in. In each episode Rabbi Josh Feigelson will guide with ancient wisdom and modern mindfulness practices to help center your soul and ease you into your week.

A production of Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media, and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

Jewish Meditation for Everyone

Pause in the midst of your busy day to renew your body, heart, mind and spirit with a Jewishly-framed mindfulness meditation from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. In each episode, hosted by Rabbi Marc Margolius, an expert Jewish meditation instructor guides you through a brief teaching and meditation for relaxing your body, reconnecting with your authentic self, and connecting you with deep Jewish wisdom.

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