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
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.
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.
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
Shevet: A Jewish Mindfulness Community for Young Adults
Shevet: A Jewish Mindfulness Community for Young Adults
Sharing Our Torah: Jews of Color Mindfulness Affinity Space
Sharing Our Torah: Jews of Color Mindfulness Affinity Space
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
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...
Torah from the Well: Standing at Sinai Here and Now
Hi friends. I hope this message finds you well. This month, we’re focusing on preparing spiritually for Shavuot—the festival that commemorates our collective receiving of the Torah at Sinai. Many of us were taught to relate to that experience as a one-time event in...
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5785: Of Conductors and Rabbis
My very favorite TED talk is by the Israeli conductor Itay Talgam. It's called "Lead Like the Great Conductors." In 20 minutes, Talgam shows clips of some of the greats of the twentieth century: Richard Strauss, Carlos Kleiber, Riccardo Muti (who is still alive and...
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.
