Lighting the Way Forward
Earlier this week we held a beautiful celebration of IJS's first 25 years. Below is a recording of Rabbi Josh Feigelson's speech from the event.
An Evening of Light 2025
What a night! An Evening of Light was joyful, spiritual, and full of connection. Together, in the sanctuary at B’nai Jeshurun and across the country via livestream, we celebrated 25 years of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, welcomed Hanukkah, and honored Dorian Goldman and Marvin Israelow for their extraordinary leadership and generosity. The music, the reflections, and the energy in the room reminded us why this community matters — and how deeply we’re all connected by our shared pursuit of mindfulness, compassion, and light. We invite you to watch the recording below:
The Spiritual Journey of Divine Compassion
Join Rabbi Marc Margolius for a podcast on the period of S’firat HaOmer - counting the Omer – a period marking our spiritual journey from Egypt to Sinai – moving from breaking the bonds of slavery on Pessach to developing our capacity to open ourselves to the divine on Shavuot. Marc’s offering includes a teaching and meditation the holiday of Shavuot and divine compassion (chesed), directed to...
Mindfulness: Training the Attention
Listen to Rabbi Sheila Weinberg as she gives an overview introduction to mindfulness practice on an IJS retreat this January; looking at understanding the nature of the mind and developing a quality of alert, stable attention again and again.You can also listen to Sheila teaching at a Jewish Mindfulness retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center (6/25/09) [http://dharmaseed.org/retreats/836].
In the Divine Image
Join Rabbi Sheila Weinberg for a meditation on, and exploration of, what it means to experience life as b’tzelem Elohim – created in the divine image. We return to the beginning, to where it all starts, Chapter 1 of Genesis; recognizing that there can be no liberation from bondage without the affirmation of the inherent dignity of the human being. This understanding is articulated in this...
Sh’ma Koleynu – Hear our voice
Join Rabbi Sheila Weinberg in contemplating Sh’ma Koleynu – Hear our voices. This is the reverse of Sh’ma Yisrael, when our plea to hear is directed to ourselves; here, Sh’ma is directed towards the source of mercy and compassion - Adonai Eloheinu. It is a communal project to ask God to hear our voices – the inchoate layers of feeling, need, hope – that join together and become our communal...
Psalm 27 – Achat Shaalti
Join Rabbi Sheila Weinberg in this series of short podcasts in preparation for the High Holy Days. “Achat Sha’alti me’eit Adonai, otah avakeish; shivti b’veit Adonai kol y’mei chayai, lachazot b’noam Adonai ulvakeir b’heichalo. One thing I ask of Adonai, for this do I yearn: to dwell in the house of Adonai all the days of my life, to see the goodness of Adonai and to visit God’s sanctuary.”...
Devarim: Preparing to Practice
Join Rabbi Jonathan Slater for a discussion of the practice of engaging in and maintaining a spiritual practice; whether prayer, meditation or yoga. Throughout the latter part of the summer and into the fall we read through the book of Deuteronomy/Devarim, where Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, preparing them for entry into the land of Israel and their life there, warning them of...
Shalom Meditation
Join Rabbi Sheila Weinberg for this meditation on shalom. Every day is a good day to pray for shalom. Our most important prayers are sealed with the prayer for shalom – Birkat Hamazon, the Amidah, the priestly blessing. We make our best efforts to work for peace in the world. You are invited to welcome peace, shalom, to enter your body, heart, and mind. This is a meditation for shalom, a...
Mountain Pose: A Posture for Revelation
As we approach Shavuot, explore the physical experience of revelation with Rabbi Myriam Klotz. What is the embodied, sensory, experience of a moment of revelation of the sacred in the world? With the season, we return to the Biblical moment of divine revelation through the gift of the Torah – a kinetic and dynamic moment - standing at Sinai the people saw the voices of divine revelation – all...