Mindful Speech as a Spiritual Practice

Mindful Speech as a Spiritual Practice

Feb 27, 2026

Mindful Speech as a Spiritual Practice

Words create worlds. Learn to use yours wisely.

Practice with Rebecca Schisler and Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife

And Guest Teacher Danny Cohen

Weekly Live Sessions on Mondays, June 1 – 29

3:00-4:30pm ET / 12:00-1:30pm PT

(all sessions will be recorded)

This course is for all experience levels, from beginner to advanced. Newcomers welcome!

Click Here to Register
Three people talking while sitting on a bench

Find your voice in a noisy world through the timeless Jewish wisdom of sacred speech. 

We’ve all said things in the heat of the moment and wished we could have been more thoughtful about our words. What does it mean to be a shomer lashon—a guardian of speech—in times of great polarization, when so much meaning gets lost in translation? This five-week course journeys into the heart of Jewish spiritual practice and wisdom on the power of our words. 

Grounded in mindfulness and deep listening, we will explore how to bring consciousness to four dimensions of speech: 

    • Our inner dialogue 
    • Our conversations with others
    • Our prayers to the Divine, and
    • The mystery of becoming available for the Divine to speak through us. 

Find true expression through the sacred practice of speaking with clarity and care

Join us on a journey that helps us learn to speak with intention and compassion in an age when words have never mattered more. 

Whether you are seeking to heal a fractured relationship, find more meaning in your prayers, quiet the harsh inner critic, or simply speak with greater care and presence, this course meets you where you are. You don’t need to be a scholar or a seasoned practitioner, you only need to be open and willing to reflect and practice.

Participants will leave with new tools and a renewed sense of the sacred potential woven into how they express themselves. Together we will:

    • Cultivate compassion to ensure that your inner dialogue is affirming and supportive.
    • Learn skills to support your discernment about how and when to speak.
    • Develop the ability to speak from the heart in ways that are honest and true.
    • Deepen your capacity to be fully expressed, for the sake of yourself and our world.
Register Now

Curriculum Overview

This course will include partner and small group exercises to practice speaking with intentionality, authenticity, compassion, and aliveness.

Week 1: Cultivating compassionate inner dialogue

Week 2: Strengthening relationships through mindful speech

Week 3: Strengthening relationships through mindful speech, continued

Week 4: Expressing our authentic hearts through prayer

Week 5: Becoming a vessel for divine inspiration 

Register Now

IJS is pleased to offer this course at three tuition levels.
We encourage you to pay at the highest level you can, which will enable more students to participate.

Abundance Level

$299

Register

Basic Level

$199

Register

Reduced Level

$99

Register

Meet Your Instructors:

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife (she/they) sprinkles sparkles, disrupts expectations, and offers blessings wherever she goes. She serves as Founding Kohenet of Kesher Pittsburgh and Core Faculty Member with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, and also enjoys working with beloved, The Jewish Studio Project, Kirva, the Avodah Institute for Social Change, and the Jewish Learning Collaborative, among other national Jewish organisations. Additionally, she delights in serving as a shlichat tzibbur, life spiral ceremony/ritual creatrix, consultant, facilitator, teacher, liturgist and songstress. Her work in these realms is informed by her lived experience as a queer, bi-racial, child-free Jewish person, her belief that Book, Body and Earth are equal sources of wisdom, the quandaries she has encountered as a scholar of the Orphan Wisdom School, and her deep commitment to a thriving, liberatory Jewish future. Keshira received Kohenet smicha in 2017 and earned her BS (2000) and MS (2001) at Carnegie Mellon University. Though both the lands of the Osage & Haudenosaunee people (aka Pittsburgh, PA) and the Gadigal people (Sydney, AUS) feel like home, Keshira and her beloved have been in an extended period of travel since January 2023.

Rebecca Schisler

Rebecca is a core faculty member at IJS, where she directs young adult programming and created and steers the Shevet Jewish Mindfulness Community, a space for folks in or near their twenties and thirties to dive deep into Jewish spirituality and mindfulness practice in online and virtual spaces. Additionally, she creates and curates content for IJS social media and frequently teaches on retreats and multi-week online programs.

Rebecca is honored to serve on this faculty after years of leading groups and teaching classes and retreats with Or HaLev, Pardes, Wilderness Torah, Stanford School of Medicine, Hillel at Stanford, Urban Adamah, Hamakom, and the Awakened Heart Project. A student rabbi at ALEPH, Rebecca is passionate about integrating ancestral wisdom traditions with innovative approaches to personal and collective healing and liberation. She teaches Jewish spirituality as an embodied, holistic, and accessible path, with relevant and timely wisdom for all.

Danny Cohen

Danny graduated from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and has pursued the study of Torah and wisdom in a variety of yeshivot and institutions in Israel, the U.S., India, Nepal, and Mexico. He has trained across a variety of modalities of psychotherapy (Hakomi, Organic Intelligence, AEDP, Primary Attachment Therapy, and currently NARM) and transformative change work, and has been practicing meditation since 2009. Danny has been exploring and practicing Nonviolent Communication since 2010, training with some of the leaders in the field- Yoram Mosenzon, Miki Kashtan, and the late Robert Gonzales and Robert Maoz Krzisnik. Danny is a long time student of mystic and trauma healing pioneer, Thomas Hübl, and graduate of his Timeless Wisdom Training.

Returning Anew

Returning Anew

Dec 11, 2025

Returning Anew

Shevet’s 3rd Annual Silent Jewish Meditation Retreat

for Younger Adults (20s & 30s)

August 19 – 23, 2026
Trinity Retreat Center, West Cornwall, CT

Meet the Teachers

Click Here to Register Now

Pause. Breathe. Begin again.

Nestled in beautiful West Cornwall, Connecticut, we will hold our third annual multi-day retreat specifically designed for younger adults and working professionals in their 20s and 30s. Our teachers will help us create a sacred container for this profoundly soulful experience that invites you to slow down, return to yourself, and drop into what matters most within a sacred community of practice.  Amidst the challenges of daily life and the tumultuous world around us, this is an opportunity for deep renewal, healing and transformation.

Return, return anew
To the breath that is moving through
To the repair you are called to do
To the healing that’s ripe for you
– Rena Branson, Return Anew

The Theme: Returning Anew

Opening at the start of the Jewish month of Elul, a season of awakening and Teshuva, return, this retreat is a sacred space to  set things down, reflect on where we’ve been, and move into the new Jewish year with clarity, intention, and an open heart. Even as the world keeps changing, Elul holds the possibility of hidchadshut: genuine renewal, beginning again. 

Who Can Attend?

This retreat is open to students, young professionals and seekers under 40 who are seeking an opportunity for immersive spiritual practice. No experience with mindfulness and/or Judaism is necessary. This retreat will be held mostly in silence, except for opening and closing meals, Q&A, communal prayer, and check-in sessions with instructors.

Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or have never sat in silence for five minutes, there is a seat for you here.

Reserve Your Spot

What to Expect

Utilizing the gifts of silence, mindfulness, embodiment, creativity, song, prayer, and a variety of Jewish spiritual teachings, you will:

  • Learn tools and practices to reconnect with your innate wisdom and authenticity.
  • Nurture your capacity for resilience, compassion, and well-being.
  • Cultivate insight and wise action in response to the challenges of our world.

 

The fine print: We’ll break the silence for opening and closing meals and activities, Q&A sessions, daily song and prayer, and small-group check-ins with our instructors.

I’m so grateful to the Institute for Jewish Spirituality for curating this magical, profound, invigorating experience for young adults.

– Marlee Goldshine, 2025 Retreat Participant

This was really a gift. And really helped me understand how mediation is connected to the rest of what’s going on in my life. So it was a great capstone and transition moment in otherwise just a starting point.

- Michael Kreigsman, 2025 Retreat Participant

Teachers

Guiding you on this journey will be a team of instructors who truly “get” the specific pressures of being a younger adult in these uncertain times. Once again we welcome IJS Core Faculty Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife and Rebecca Schisler, and Adjunct Faculty Jes Golden and Yael Shy. These soulful, grounded mentors will hold our sacred space with a mix of warmth, humor, and ancient wisdom, ensuring you feel seen and supported as you navigate your own process of returning.

Meet the Teachers

Schedule

Participants should plan to arrive at Trinity Retreat Center in West Cornwall, CT between 2:30 – 4:30 PM ET on Wednesday, August 19 to register and get settled. The retreat will begin with dinner at 5:30 ET and an opening session at 6:30 ET. The retreat will end at noon on Sunday, August 23. Participants are welcome to stay through lunch.

The schedule is structured to help you stay immersed and grounded. It’s a mix of:

  • Seated & Walking Meditation: Alternating stillness with mindful movement, adapted for all abilities.
  • Morning Chanting and Prayer: Using song to wake up the spirit.
  • Teachings: Guided sessions to integrate practice with Jewish wisdom.
  • Small Groups: Periodic check-ins with teachers to process your experience.
  • Nourishment: Three intentional, kosher meals a day and plenty of rest.
  • Mindful Movement: Daily yoga sessions to enliven and nourish the body.

See our Frequently Asked Questions section for a sample schedule.

 

Accessible to All

We know that financial stress shouldn’t be a barrier to mental and spiritual well-being. Because we believe this work is essential right now, this four-day retreat is offered at a “Pay-What-You-Can” rate. We want you there exactly as you are.

“In the midst of chaos, find the place that is settled. From that stillness, we can move with intention.”

Ready to come home to yourself?

Space is limited to keep the container intimate and supportive. Don’t wait to give yourself the gift of renewal.
Register for Returning Anew

West Cornwall, CT | Open to all adults under 40

This in-person retreat is open to folks in their 20s and 30s. No experience with mindfulness and/or Judaism is necessary. This retreat will be held mostly in silence, except for opening and closing meals, Q&A, communal prayer, and check-in sessions with instructors.

Retreat Costs and Financial Support

We want to ensure that this retreat is accessible to everyone. To help make sure that costs will not be a barrier to participation, we will ask you to pay what you can.

The four-day program is a $1,500 value. Choose an amount below that’s affordable for you.

Pay What You Can:

$500

$900

$1,200

$1,500

All rooms have private bathrooms. Most rooms are double occupancy, but there are a limited number of private rooms available. There is one ADA accessible room on the first floor.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: If you need to request additional financial assistance, we ask that you complete the registration form no later than June 15, 2026. On the registration form, you will see a section called “Retreat Costs and Financial Support” that includes questions for those requesting financial support. Please supply the requested information. We will review all requests for support in mid-June and let you know as soon as possible how much we are able to offer you.

If you have the means to pay full tuition, we invite you to also consider making an additional donation to help other participants attend.

Join us at Trinity!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this retreat for me?

Short answer: Yes. Whether you’re a daily meditator or struggle to “be present” for more than a few seconds, you belong here. Our guidance is designed to be both deep and accessible. No “expert” status required and no judgement throughout our time together. If you are curious and ready to show up for a transformational experience rooted in Jewish tradition that touches the depths of your soul, this is for you. 

We’re committed to making this space inclusive for everyone, providing gender-neutral bathrooms and accessible seating. If there is anything specific you need to feel like you truly belong, just reach out.

Note: Intensive meditation can sometimes be challenging for certain mental health conditions. If you’re unsure if a silent retreat is the right move for you right now, drop us a line at support@jewishspirituality.org

What does "Social Silence" really mean?

Think of it as a deep digital and social detox. After our opening session, we’ll step into collective silence. That means we are inviting you not to speak socially with other participants, no “quick” texts or emails, and no scrolling or otherwise “exiting” the silence for the duration of each day.

By pausing social interaction, you allow your nervous system to put down the armor, decompress, and give yourself the gift of turning within. And you won’t be isolated–you’ll have specific times to ask questions, check in with teachers in small groups, and join in communal chanting and song each morning.

We find that the gift of silence, when done in community, enables you to slow down, sink deeply into the practices, and truly “re-source” yourself in the spaciousness of the quiet.

How are we holding the gravity of the world right now?

We come together in a tumultuous and challenging time in the US and the world. Each of us has a different experience and different relationships and proximity to current domestic and foreign political developments, and the resulting violence, ongoing devastation, and tremendous loss of life. Acknowledging the diversity of our community, our practice is to notice the closing and othering that can naturally arise in our hearts in response to this moment, and to cultivate openness and understanding. 

We believe that our spiritual practice can be profoundly supportive for us to navigate the ever-changing circumstances of our world, and nurture our capacity for resiliency, clear perception, healing, and wise response. Coming on retreat isn’t about “bypassing” the news or ignoring suffering. Instead, we sit in silence to build the internal resilience and clarity in service of building the world we wish to live in, beginning in our own hearts and minds.

Click here to read our full guidance for practicing in a time of war

How "Jewish" is this going to be?

The retreat is rooted in Jewish tradition, but you don’t need to know Hebrew or have a certain level of observance to be here. We translate and explain everything.

Expect a Jewish practice that is inclusive, egalitarian, heart-centered, embodied, and deep. We’ll celebrate a soulful Shabbat together (with instruments!), eat delicious kosher meals, and there will be daily space for the Mourner’s Kaddish and personal prayer.

What kind of meditation are we doing?

We practice Mindfulness: the art of paying attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental, loving and kind awareness. While mindfulness is inherent and central to Jewish tradition, our methods for deepening mindfulness on retreat have been learned from the Buddhist tradition. Here at IJS, we integrate mindfulness with Jewish wisdom and contemplative Jewish practice. 

In this 2024 study from the National Institute of Health that linked meditation (specifically mindfulness-based interventions) to improved mental health in young adults, 89.4% of practitioners reported that meditation helps reduce stress and nearly 87% of users report feeling better emotionally.

What does a typical day look like?

The Flow: Days start early (6:30 AM) with a practice in the morning stillness and the day wraps up by 9:30 PM. Our week of retreat will culminate with a beautiful celebration of Shabbat.

Here is a sample schedule:

        • Wake up
        • Sit
        • Shacharit / Morning prayer practice
        • Breakfast
        • Sitting or walking instruction and practice
        • Lunch
        • Sit or walking practice
        • Small groups
        • Mindful Movement
        • Dinner
        • Evening program
        • Closing sit / evening prayers
        • Bedtime
Ready to unplug? Register here

Meet the Teachers

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife (she/they) sprinkles sparkles, disrupts expectations, and offers blessings wherever she goes. She serves as Founding Kohenet of Kesher Pittsburgh and is a Core Faculty Member with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality; she also enjoys working with Jewish Studio Project and Kirva among other national Jewish organisations. Additionally, she delights in serving as a facilitator, teacher, life spiral ceremony/ritual creatrix, shlichat tzibbur, liturgist and songstress. Her work in these realms is informed by her lived experience as a queer, bi-racial, child-free Jewish person living with chronic illness, her belief that Book, Body and Earth are equal sources of wisdom, the quandaries she has encountered as a scholar of the Orphan Wisdom School, and her deep commitment to a thriving, liberatory Jewish future.

Keshira received Kohenet smicha in 2017 and earned her BS (2000) and MS (2001) at Carnegie Mellon University. Though both the lands of the Osage & Haudenosaunee people (aka Pittsburgh, PA) and the Gadigal people (Sydney, AUS) feel like home, Keshira and her beloved have been in an extended period of travel since January 2023.

Rebecca Schisler

Rebecca Schisler (she/her) is a core faculty member at IJS, where she directs young adult programming and created and steers the Shevet Jewish Mindfulness Community, a space for folks in or near their twenties and thirties to dive deep into Jewish spirituality and mindfulness practice in online and virtual spaces. Additionally, she creates and curates content for IJS social media and frequently teaches on retreats and multi-week online programs.

Rebecca is honored to serve on this faculty after years of leading groups and teaching classes and retreats with Or HaLev, Pardes, Wilderness Torah, Stanford School of Medicine, Hillel at Stanford, Urban Adamah, Hamakom, and the Awakened Heart Project. A student rabbi at ALEPH, Rebecca is passionate about integrating ancestral wisdom traditions with innovative approaches to personal and collective healing and liberation. She teaches Jewish spirituality as an embodied, holistic, and accessible path, with relevant and timely wisdom for all.

Jes Golden

Jes Golden (they/she—formerly Jes Heppler) is a meditation teacher and researcher who focuses on embodied experience in Jewish and Buddhist meditation. Grounded in their Sephardi and Ashkenazi lineages, Jes’ teaching weaves Jewish and earth-based spirituality with philosophical and neuroscientific insights. Jes teaches regularly for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS): they host the IJS LGBTQ+ Monthly Sit, guide the IJS Daily Sit, and lead both online and in-person programming for the IJS young adult community, Shevet. Jes has also taught for Or HaLev’s Ground & Center series.

They are a graduate of Or HaLev and IJS’s Meditation Teacher Training Program. Jes holds a PhD in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Possible Minds at Indiana University, where they are researching bodily awareness in Buddhist and Jewish meditation.

Yael Shy

Yael Shy (she/her) has been using the transformative power of mindfulness, rooted in her 20+ years of study in Judaism and Zen Buddhism, to support herself and others through the pressures of life. It is her life’s purpose to support individuals and collectives uncover their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy.

Yael is the Founder and CEO of Sefira Wellness, where she teaches and consults on mindfulness for universities, corporations, and private clients around the world. She is the author of the award-winning book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017), and the founder of Mindful NYU, the largest campus-based mindfulness initiative in the US.

Yael is a graduate of the IJS Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification. She teaches for New York University, Columbia School of Law, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and Or HaLev. She has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS, Fox 5 News, and in Time Magazine and the Harvard Business Review.

Register Here

Text Study 5786

Text Study 5786

Jul 28, 2025

Text Study 5786

Deepen Your Experience with Torah

Full Year Program

Begins October 12, 2025

Studying and interpreting Torah is one of Judaism’s oldest and richest forms of spiritual practice. At IJS, we approach text study holistically – both as an intellectual experience and as an opportunity for experiential, heart-centered, practice-based spiritual growth and development.
This year, we bring you two new text study streams with extraordinary Torah teachers, both of whom provide rich material for contemplative study. These programs will support you in finding personal meaning, expanding your spiritual awareness, and deepening your inner life and mindfulness practice. We encourage you to sign-up for a chevruta/study partner or take the course with a friend in order to deepen your learning and practice.

Bring the transformative light of Torah and Hasidic wisdom into your daily life.

Register Now

For All Learners

A Healing Journey

Through the Torah

Trauma, Resilience, and the Tree of Life
with Rabbi Lisa Goldstein
In this text study, Rabbi Lisa Goldstein will take us on a healing journey through the Torah, which has been called “Etz Chayim—the Tree of Life” for giving strength and hope to Jews for millennia. During troubled times like these, we yearn to heal ourselves and to grow, and the stories of our ancestors grappling with their own hardships can provide a guide.

We will examine each Torah portion through a trauma-informed lens so we can draw upon its wisdom, find the potential for growth within ourselves, and cultivate resilience and open-heartedness to help us navigate the days ahead.

This offering is designed to be accessible to all learners – no prior experience with Torah study or mindfulness is required.

Rabbi Lisa will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A.

In this text stream, every week you will receive:

  • Teachings drawn from the well of ancestral wisdom and resilience, including exploration of Torah, midrash, mystical texts, and other sources from Jewish tradition.
  • Cutting-edge insights into the ways that different kinds of trauma (intergenerational, attachment, complex, shock, etc.) impact our lives and how healing takes place.
  • A trauma-informed lens to mindfulness practices that can support resilience, personal growth, and self-harmony, even as challenging events continue to take place. (Growth doesn’t have to be “post-traumatic”!)
  • Instructions for personal practice and chevruta discussion that can deepen integration of learning and experience.
  • Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings.

Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 PM ET on the following dates:

2025: November 4, December 2
2026: January 6, February 3, March 10, April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, August 4, September 1 and September 29

Here’s What Rabbi Lisa’s Students Have to Say About The Impact of Her Teaching on Their Practice:

“Rabbi Lisa is a gifted educator who makes our community members feel as if they are learners and teachers. She uses a strengths-based approach to bring people into text, and to foster spaces that invite constituents to be vulnerable and open. We have benefited deeply from the way in which she transmits and elicits knowledge.” – Claire Nisen

“Rabbi Lisa is notably attentive to creating inviting and peaceful atmospheres for learning. She skillfully reads the temperature of the room with care and her invitations for participation are genuine invitations. She provides clarity and guidance to her students while holding their energy, spirit, and needs with utmost sensitivity and consideration. She is a true gift to each student fortunate enough to learn with and from her.” – Abby Mintz

In this text study, Rabbi Lisa Goldstein will take us on a healing journey through the Torah, which has been called “Etz Chayim—the Tree of Life” for giving strength and hope to Jews for millennia. During troubled times like these, we yearn to heal ourselves and to grow, and the stories of our ancestors grappling with their own hardships can provide a guide.

We will examine each Torah portion through a trauma-informed lens so we can draw upon its wisdom, find the potential for growth within ourselves, and cultivate resilience and open-heartedness to help us navigate the days ahead.

This offering is designed to be accessible to all learners – no prior experience with Torah study or mindfulness is required.

Rabbi Lisa will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A. (recorded for those unable to attend live)

In this text stream, every week you will receive:

  • Teachings drawn from the well of ancestral wisdom and resilience, including exploration of Torah, midrash, mystical texts, and other sources from Jewish tradition.
  • Cutting-edge insights into the ways that different kinds of trauma (intergenerational, attachment, complex, shock, etc.) impact our lives and how healing takes place.
  • A trauma-informed lens to mindfulness practices that can support resilience, personal growth, and self-harmony, even as challenging events continue to take place. (Growth doesn’t have to be “post-traumatic”!)
  • Instructions for personal practice and chevruta discussion that can deepen integration of learning and experience.
  • Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings.

Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 PM ET on the following dates:

2025: November 4, December 2
2026: January 6, February 3, March 10, April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, August 4, September 1 and September 29

Here’s What Rabbi Lisa’s Students Have to Say About The Impact of Her Teaching on Their Practice

“Rabbi Lisa is a gifted educator who makes our community members feel as if they are learners and teachers. She uses a strengths-based approach to bring people into text, and to foster spaces that invite constituents to be vulnerable and open. We have benefited deeply from the way in which she transmits and elicits knowledge.” – Claire Nisen

 

“Rabbi Lisa is notably attentive to creating inviting and peaceful atmospheres for learning. She skillfully reads the temperature of the room with care and her invitations for participation are genuine invitations. She provides clarity and guidance to her students while holding their energy, spirit, and needs with utmost sensitivity and consideration. She is a true gift to each student fortunate enough to learn with and from her.” – Abby Mintz

For Seasoned Learners

Awareness in All Things

 Rebbe Nachman of Breslov on the Weekly Torah Portion
with Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
In this new IJS course—Awareness in All Things: Rebbe Nachman of Breslov on the Weekly Torah Portion—Rabbi Sam Feinsmith will guide us through the powerful teachings of the charismatic Hasidic master Rebbe Nachman (1772-1810) and his principal student, Reb Noson (1780-1844).

During his lifetime, Rebbe Nachman inspired the revival of the Hasidic movement, drawing thousands of followers on account of his unparalleled piety and erudition; practical, down-to-earth, joyous spirituality; and his emphasis on cultivating a personal, unmediated relationship with the Divine. His prolific, original teachings continue to provide practical wisdom that remains highly relevant in our time.

Each week, we will ground our work of cultivating spiritual awareness and refining our character in a single teaching from Rebbe Nachman on the Torah portion, available in Hebrew and English. Rabbi Feinsmith will translate each teaching into a contemporary idiom with an original, mindfulness-inspired commentary, reflection questions for journaling/chevruta study, practice instructions, and guided audio meditations.

This course is for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice who wish to draw inspiration, deepen their contemplative practice, and expand their knowledge of Kabbalah and Hasidic spirituality. Though the teachings of Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson are widely available, this year-long offering supports us to work with them in an accessible, immersive, and transformative manner and explore their profound relevance for our times.

Rabbi Sam will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A. (recorded for those unable to attend live)

In this text stream, every week you will receive:

  • A carefully-selected piece of commentary on the weekly Torah portion, excerpted from the original Hebrew text
  • An annotated English translation of the week’s text along with a summary of key points that pertain to spiritual practice
  • Reflection questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
  • Detailed instructions for mindfulness practice
  • Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings

Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Mondays from 3:00-4:15 PM ET on the following dates:

2025: November 10, December 15
2026: January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 6, August 10, September 14, and October 5

This offering is best suited for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice, and it will also provide rich content for those who wish to develop sermons and teachings for their congregations.

By participating in this course of study and practice, you will:

  • Grow your knowledge of key Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices
  • Deepen your mindfulness practice
  • Deepen your awareness of God’s loving presence within and all around you
  • Cultivate habits of heart and mind that nurture greater balance, well-being, and resilience during difficult times
  • Gain access to new materials for developing sermons and teachings for your community
  • If studying with a chevruta, develop a deeper sense of spiritual intimacy and kinship as you practice and study together and explore the relevance of the teachings to your spiritual growth
In this new IJS course—Awareness in All Things: Rebbe Nachman of Breslov on the Weekly Torah Portion—Rabbi Sam Feinsmith will guide us through the powerful teachings of the charismatic Hasidic master Rebbe Nachman (1772-1810) and his principal student, Reb Noson (1780-1844).

During his lifetime, Rebbe Nachman inspired the revival of the Hasidic movement, drawing thousands of followers on account of his unparalleled piety and erudition; practical, down-to-earth, joyous spirituality; and his emphasis on cultivating a personal, unmediated relationship with the Divine. His prolific, original teachings continue to provide practical wisdom that remains highly relevant in our time.

Each week, we will ground our work of cultivating spiritual awareness and refining our character in a single teaching from Rebbe Nachman on the Torah portion, available in Hebrew and English. Rabbi Feinsmith will translate each teaching into a contemporary idiom with an original, mindfulness-inspired commentary, reflection questions for journaling/chevruta study, practice instructions, and guided audio meditations.

This course is for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice who wish to draw inspiration, deepen their contemplative practice, and expand their knowledge of Kabbalah and Hasidic spirituality. Though the teachings of Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson are widely available, this year-long offering supports us to work with them in an accessible, immersive, and transformative manner and explore their profound relevance for our times.

Rabbi Sam will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A. (recorded for those unable to attend live)

In this text stream, every week you will receive:

  • A carefully-selected piece of commentary on the weekly Torah portion, excerpted from the original Hebrew text
  • An annotated English translation of the week’s text along with a summary of key points that pertain to spiritual practice
  • Reflection questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
  • Detailed instructions for mindfulness practice
  • Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings

Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Mondays from 3:00-4:15 PM ET on the following dates:

2025: November 10, December 15
2026: January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 6, August 10, September 14, and October 5

This offering is best suited for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice, and it will also provide rich content for those who wish to develop sermons and teachings for their congregations.
By participating in this course of study and practice, you will:

  • Grow your knowledge of key Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices
  • Deepen your mindfulness practice 
  • Deepen your awareness of God’s loving presence within and all around you
  • Cultivate habits of heart and mind that nurture greater balance, well-being, and resilience during difficult times
  • Gain access to new materials for developing sermons and teachings for your community
  • If studying with a chevruta, develop a deeper sense of spiritual intimacy and kinship as you practice and study together and explore the relevance of the teachings to your spiritual growth 

Course Tuition

IJS is pleased to offer these courses at three tuition levels.

We encourage you to pay at the highest level you can, which will enable more students to participate.

 For All Learners:

A Healing Journey Through the Torah

$349
$299
$199

 For Seasoned Learners:

Awareness in All Things

$449
$399
$299

Meet Your Instructors

Rabbi Lisa Goldstein is a teacher, consultant, and Master Practitioner of NARM, a modality of healing complex trauma. She consults in the fields of education, trauma healing and spirituality for organizations including M2 Institute for Experiential Jewish Education and the Covenant Foundation. She also works one-on-one to support people in their journeys of healing and spiritual growth.

Educated at Brown University and Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Goldstein has almost 25 years of executive experience, having served as the executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and Hillel of San Diego. She teaches a wide variety of courses, both online and in person, with an emphasis on spiritual wisdom, prayer and meditation, and the teachings of R. Nahman of Breslov.

Rabbi Sam Feinsmith

Rabbi Sam Feinsmith has been immersed in Jewish contemplative living, learning, and teaching for over twenty years, conducting Jewish meditation workshops, programs, and retreats for children, teens, Jewish educators, clergy, and community leaders. He’s passionate about practicing and teaching meditation and making the spiritual teachings of Hasidism available to all. He received an MA in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and rabbinic ordination from YCT Rabbinical School. He also trained as a Jewish mindfulness meditation teacher with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. Sam lives on the land of the Council of the Three Fires – the Potowatami, Ojibwe, and Odawa tribes – currently known as Evanston, IL with his wife Sarah-Bess and daughter Elanit.