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Earth, Moon, Mindfulness: A Sacred Year of Embodied Practice

Earth, Moon, Mindfulness: A Sacred Year of Embodied Practice

Jul 18, 2026

Earth, Moon, Mindfulness

A Sacred Year of Embodied Practice

August 11, 2026 – August 31, 2027

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with Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife, IJS Core Faculty

Monthly, Tuesdays, 3:30-5:00 PM ET

2026: August 11, September 8, October 6, November 10, December 8

2027: January 12, February 9, March 9, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, July 27, August 31

Who This Is For?

This journey is for anyone seeking a soulful, earth-based connection to Judaism. By intentionally aligning with the lunar cycles of 5787, you will learn to anchor yourself in the present moment. In this series, Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife helps us treat time not as a straight line to race through, but as a spiral to experience. Take this course if you want to find genuine ease within the rhythms of nature and discover the sacredness already unfolding all around you.

Learn About this Course from Keshira!

Course Overview

In the Jewish annual cycle, each month is intrinsically connected to the elements—and so are we. Join Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife for a journey through the Jewish year. In each monthly session, we’ll explore the “spiralinear” nature of time as a way to enliven our experience of Judaism and make meaning of the changing nature of life.

Rooted in the energies of the Jewish months and the phases of the moon, this series will draw connections between Jewish time and our experience of the world in the present moment, inviting us into deeper connection with ourselves, our bodies, and nature. By cultivating an earth-based mindfulness practice, we can remain centered as we move through the seasons, whatever they may bring.

After completing this course, you may notice…

  • You’ve begun finding more meaning in the Jewish calendar
  • You’re better able to move with the ebbs and flows of time
  • You’re more in tune with the way that the months bring different energies into your life and relationships
  • You’re more able to cultivate connection with earth, moon, time, and self
Click Here to Register Now

Cultivate a connection to nature and the Jewish cycle of time as a way to connect with the sacredness all around us in 5787.

We are so small in comparison to the cosmos and yet we are in direct connection as our inner landscape reflects the ongoing, ever unfolding of time and space. Through mindfulness practice and intentional alignment with Jewish cycles of time, we can find ease with the rhythms of nature and ebb and flow with life with greater grace and ease.

Curriculum

This course will meet monthly on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00 pm ET (sessions will be recorded for those who can’t attend live). During each live online session, we’ll journey month by Jewish month, learning about the themes of the season and exploring how they are manifesting both within and around us. With support from journaling prompts, mindfulness practice, chevruta (study partner) conversation, and shared reflection, we’ll connect with the earth, move with the moon, and gently make our way through the year:

August 11, 2026

Elul

introduction

September 8, 2026

Tishrei

beginning again

October 6, 2026

Cheshvan

integration

Nov. 10, 2026

Kislev

dreaming

December 8, 2026

Tevet

seeking the good

January 12, 2027

Shvat

subtle attunement

February 9, 2027

Adar

joy and gladness

March 9, 2027

Adar II

rebalancing

April 6, 2027

Nisan

liberation

May 4, 2027

Iyyar

healing

June 1, 2027

Sivan

receptivity

July 6, 2027

Tamuz

anger

July 27, 2027

Av

grief

August 31, 2027

Elul

awakening

Testimonials

It connected my Judaism into a larger web of spiritual traditions that have been a deep part of me for many years (including feminist Wicca, Taoism, and other earth-based religions). It strengthened the overall weave.

I feel like I had a reinforcement to my own practices. I loved the multimodality presentations, source sheets and of course, the music playlists.

For years I’ve loved the monthly Rosh Chodesh ritual and it was extra meaningful to experience it through Keshira & her interpretation of the seasons, nature and how we interact with all of it & the cycle of it all. It was very relatable & also eye opening.

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Register Now

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

Abundance Level

$349

Register

Basic Level

$249

Register

Meet Your Instructor:

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.

Click Here to Register Now

The Shofar Project 5786

The Shofar Project 5786

Jul 17, 2026

The Shofar Project 5786

Waking Up for a New Year

August 12 – September 2, 2026

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A FREE Four-Week Online Program from IJS for the Hebrew month of Elul

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife, Rabbi Sam Feinsmith, Rabbi Miriam Margles, Rabbi Marc Margolius

Wednesdays, 8:00-9:00 PM ET, live on Zoom
August 12, 19, 26, and September 2

Click Here to Register for Free

Course at a Glance

Let IJS help you prepare your inner life for the High Holidays with our free, four-week Jewish mindfulness journey. Guided by IJS faculty, this program invites you to use the call of the shofar to awaken your spiritual awareness through live weekly practices, contemplative text study, and meditations tailored to the core themes of Rosh Hashanah. This course is open to everyone from beginners to advanced learners.

It’s time for a spiritual reset – join the IJS community to “wake up” together  in preparation for the Jewish New Year! 

The shofar, which is traditionally sounded throughout Elul, the final month of the Jewish year, serves as an “alarm clock” awakening us from emotional, moral, and spiritual sleep and spurring us to reflect and reset our intentions. Join IJS faculty members throughout Elul for a FREE four-week program to immerse in key themes of the upcoming High Holidays, preparing your inner life for the New Year.

Course Description for this Free Program

Over four weeks, The Shofar Project this year will feature BRAND NEW materials, each week featuring a live practice session (Wednesdays) and written materials – including texts, meditations, and suggested practices – grounded in a key theme of Rosh Hashanah:

Week One, HaYom Harat Olam, Today, the World is Born, with Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife:

A week for connecting with the ever-present sacred power of renewal and change, engaging our imagination to dream and embrace new possibilities for ourselves and our world.

Week Two, Malkuyot, Cultivating Awe and Wonder, with Rabbi Marc Margolius:

A week for cultivating awe and wonder, and exploring that which we have been serving – and turning to serving that which might be more ennobling for ourselves and the world?

Week Three, Zichronot, Remembering and Releasing, with Rabbi Sam Feinsmith:  

A week for remembering that we are always being renewed which can help us  release old self-concepts that no longer serve us. 

Week Four, Shofarot, Called to Mindful Action, with Rabbi Miriam Margles

A week for waking up to hope and attuning ourselves to what we are being called to, as we seek to make our vision of a new self and a new world manifest.

Save Your Spot!

Testimonials

The powerful role of the IJS faculty, resources, and community in helping me confront (with love and compassion) the most profound issues of life and death as I prepare for the High Holy Days. I never would have been able to prepare as well without this incredible support system.

Truly, all the courses are working together to enrich and deepen my life. Right now I am looking at staying present with the essence of my inner Divinity given me at birth.

Meet Your Instructors:

Rabbi Sam Feinsmith

As Senior Core Faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Sam directs the IJS Clergy Leadership Program and serves on the faculty of Gates of Awareness, a training program for aspiring teachers of Jewish mindfulness meditation. He is one of two lead teachers for our online course on the fundamentals of Jewish mindfulness meditation, The Gift of Awareness, and has written the IJS year-long Hasidic text study offering for a number of years running. After close to fifteen years teaching contemplative practices grounded in mindfulness to teens and educators, Sam originally came on board at IJS to develop and direct the Educating for a Jewish Spiritual Life Program, which brought these practices to hundreds of Jewish day- and religious-school educators and their students.

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.

Rabbi Miriam Margles

Miriam has a long and rich association with IJS, having taught on various retreats and programs over the years. She joins the Institute as a Senior Core Faculty after over a decade as the rabbi of the Danforth Jewish Circle in Toronto. She is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Jerusalem Fellows at the Mandel Leadership Institute. Miriam as a founding faculty member at the Romemu Yeshiva, serving as a fellow with the Rising Song Institute, co-founding Encounter – the award-winning educational program working toward informed, courageous and resilient Jewish leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and recording her original Jewish music with the Hadar Rising Song ensemble.

Rabbi Marc Margolius

Rabbi Marc Margolius hosts IJS’s online daily mindfulness meditation sessions and teaches Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character through Mindfulness and Middot, our online program in tikkun middot practice, integrating Jewish mindfulness with attention to core middot, character traits.

Previously, Marc served as rabbi at West End Synagogue in Manhattan and Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, PA, where he pioneered a Shabbat-centered model of congregational engagement. He developed and led the Legacy Heritage Innovation Project at the Legacy Heritage Fund from 2005-2010, an initiative to promote systemic educational change in congregations around the globe.

Long active in social justice activism, Marc is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and of Yale Law School and lives in New York City.

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Call of the Shofar 5786: A Study and Practice Group for Younger Adults

Call of the Shofar 5786: A Study and Practice Group for Younger Adults

Jul 17, 2026

Call of the Shofar 5786

A Study and Practice Group for Younger Adults

August 17-September 8, 2026

REGISTER NOW

A FREE 4-week program led by Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife and Rebecca Schisler

Monday, August 17

Tuesdays, August 25, September 1, 8

8:00-9:15 PM ET, live on Zoom

Click Here to Register for Free

Course at a Glance

    Awaken from spiritual autopilot this Elul with our four-week mindfulness journey for younger adults (20s-30s). Grounded in the core themes of Rosh Hashanah—renewal, awe, release, and mindful action—this free program will help you prepare your inner life for the Jewish New Year. We’ll have live practice, guided meditations, and contemplative text study to help you meet the holidays with conscious intention.

    We invite you to enter into a powerful journey of returning to our most authentic selves.

    The shofar blasts through all of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year, like a cosmic alarm clock awakening us from spiritual autopilot and nudging us toward reflection and honest soul-accounting. Once again, the IJS Shofar Project will help us prepare our inner lives for the upcoming Jewish New Year. This year, the IJS faculty will offer NEW materials over four weeks, each week grounded in a key theme of the High Holidays. Each week, the program will include guided text study, suggested mindfulness practices to do on your own, an option to connect in chevruta, and live practice sessions with Rebecca Schisler and Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife.

    Course Description for this Free Program

      Over four weeks, The Shofar Project this year will feature BRAND NEW materials, each week featuring a live practice session (Wednesdays) and written materials – including texts, meditations, and suggested practices – grounded in a key theme of Rosh Hashanah:

      Week One, HaYom Harat Olam, Today, the World is Born, with Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife:

      A week for connecting with the ever-present sacred power of renewal and change, letting ourselves dream and imagine new possibilities for  ourselves and our world.

      Week Three, Zichronot, Remembering/Releasing, with Rabbi Sam Feinsmith:  

      Loosening the grip of old patterns – personal and collective – that we’ve outgrown and are ready to move beyond.

      Week Two, Malkuyot, Cultivating Awe and Wonder, with Rabbi Marc Margolius:

      Getting curious about what we’ve really been orienting our lives around – and whether there’s something more meaningful to turn towards, for ourselves and the world.

      Week Four, Shofarot, Called to Mindful Action, with Rabbi Miriam Margles

      A week for waking up to what we are truly being called to, nurturing our hope, and finding the courage to make our visions real.

      Together we breathe, together we change, together we grow.

      Save Your Spot!

      Testimonials

      “Thank you Keshira and Rebecca for guiding us through this journey so lovingly. Thanks everyone for being present and brave throughout this process 🙏🏾”

      “For me it’s a lot about the people! Just soaking up wisdom from anyone & everyone. So much honesty that people shared with one another.”

      “For me, it’s a paradigm shift to understand mindfulness meditation as teshuva.”

      “I loved the meditations and the breakout rooms, connecting with other young adults in small groups and sharing.”

      “I meditate pretty much every day at lunch for ~ 10 minutes. Today I did the Teshuvah practice and it felt so grounding to be honoring both this time of Elul specifically and my Jewishness more generally in my daily practice. So grateful to you all!”

      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 meditation teacher, artist, and Jewish educator. A devoted contemplative practitioner, she has led groups and taught classes and retreats with Or HaLev, Wilderness Torah, Pardes, Stanford School of Medicine, Urban Adamah, Hamakom, and the Awakened Heart Project. She was previously the Director of Student Health & Well-being at Stanford University’s Hillel, and co-authored the Mahloket Matters Schools Curriculum with the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators. 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. Rebecca currently lives in the California Bay Area, where she maintains a lively studio art practice as the artist-in-residence at the JCC East Bay, loves to host Jewish gatherings of all kinds, and tries to lose herself among her neighboring redwood trees as much as possible.

      Sign Up Today

      Rest, Return, Honor: A Shevet Day-long Virtual Mindfulness Retreat

      Rest, Return, Honor: A Shevet Day-long Virtual Mindfulness Retreat

      Jul 15, 2026

      Rest, Return, Honor

      A Shevet Day-long Virtual Mindfulness Retreat

      October 25, 2026

      Register Now

      Alison Cohen

      Sunday, October 25, 2026

      11:00 AM-4:00 PM ET, live on Zoom

      Retreat at a Glance

      Ground your inner life after the High Holidays with our day-long virtual mindfulness retreat for adults in their 20s and 30s. Led by Alison Cohen, this gentle, accessible space weaves together sitting and walking meditation, Jewish wisdom, journaling, and embodied practice. This online retreat is a warm, inviting entry point for beginners and a welcome home for seasoned seekers. No prior experience is needed, just an openness to cultivate stillness, rest, and connection in community.

      Click Here to Register Now

      Retreat Description

      After the High Holiday season has come to a close and as the month of Cheshvan continues its unfolding, we invite our younger adult community members to join the Shevet Jewish Mindfulness Community for this virtual day-long retreat. Come together with fellow practitioners in their 20s and 30s to turn inward, supported by kehilah (community)—honoring what this sacred season has stirred in us.

      Our day together will include sitting and walking meditation, wisdom teachings, and embodied practice, with optional time for sharing. Throughout the quiet of the day, with some periods of practice more silent than others, we will integrate body, mind, and heart, sow seeds of intention and compassionate awareness, and give ourselves space for stillness, reflection, and renewal.

      After our day of retreat together, you may notice:

      • You feel more connected—to yourself, to others, to your practice
      • You’re more aligned with what really matters to you
      • You’re inspired to bring what you’ve experienced during our day of retreat into your life
      Sign Up Today

      Curriculum

      Our day will move gently between stillness and movement, teaching and silence, individual reflection and communal connection. We’ll open with our Arrival and Intention-Setting in community, grounding ourselves in the season of Cheshvan, and set kavannot (intentions) for the day.

      Then the day will alternate between:

      • Guided meditations (including accessible-to-all movement practices) paired with wisdom teachings. We’ll draw from Jewish and contemplative sources, exploring themes of integration, rest, and return.
      • Space for questions and reflections in community
      • Optional journaling with prompts

      We’ll close the day with Closing & Integration, naming what we’re carrying forward, honoring the day, and re-entering our lives with renewed intention.

      No prior meditation or Hebrew knowledge is needed—just an openness to slowing down and being present with yourself and others.

      FAQ

      Do I need to keep my camera on during the retreat?

      Cameras are welcome but optional—come as you are, and participate in the way that feels most supportive to you.

      Is this retreat only for people already connected to Shevet, or can newcomers join?

      All are welcome, whether you’re a longtime Shevet community member or joining us for the first time.

      What should I have on hand to participate fully?

      A quiet, comfortable space, a cushion or chair for sitting, and a journal if you’d like to write—beyond that, just yourself.

      Save Your Spot!

      Testimonials for our teacher, Alison Cohen:

      Each Institute for Jewish Spirituality daily sit that you’ve led has touched and uplifted me in my practice. You inspired me when inspiration felt unlikely, connected with me (and, I’m sure, many others) and infused my day with both peace and joy. I thank you.

      Feeling so touched by this retreat experience. I so resonated with you, your way of being, your offerings.

      Your guided meditations were very helpful, especially for someone who has a hard time sitting.

      Register Now

      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

      $99

      Register

      Basic Level

      $55

      Register

      Reduced Level

      $36

      Register

      Meet Your Instructor:

      Alison (Ali) Cohen

      Alison Cohen (she/her), also known as Ali, loves supporting people in strengthening their capacity to connect: with themselves, with others, and with ancient and contemporary wisdom traditions—especially Judaism and Buddhism. Her journey to practice began when she was desperate for guidance on how to compassionately navigate her tumultuous internal landscape, not to mention the world. On a young adult meditation retreat, she found what she was looking for and has practiced extensively in Buddhist (Insight Meditation) and Jewish meditation spaces ever since.

      A former public high school teacher and mindfulness program director, Ali has trained with the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Brooklyn, Or HaLev, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), Mindful Schools, and the UMass Center for Mindfulness, as well as under the guidance of several beloved teachers. She is currently participating in IJS’s Marbeh Fellowship.

      Ali guides the organization Two Wings Mindfulness, teaches for IJS, and is part of the teaching team for Tara Brach’s 2026 Choosing Love program.

      Click Here to Register Now

      Text Study 5787

      Text Study 5787

      Jul 2, 2026

      Text Study 5787

      Deepen Your Experience with Torah

      Full Year Programs Begin October 4, 2026

      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. 

      For All Learners

      The Poetry of Torah

      Searching for the Sacred in the Weekly Portion

      with Rabbi Rachel Barenblat

      This course offers a contemplative approach to Jewish spirituality, grounded in the weekly Parshah, ancient and modern poetry, and daily life. Explore the poetry of Torah through Midrash and mystical texts, integrating learning through creative journaling, personal practices, and traditional chevruta discussion.

      Register Now
      Learn More

      For Seasoned Learners

      The Illuminated Path

      Living Torah with the Me’or Einayim

      with Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein

      Journey through the annual Torah cycle with the radical, practical Hasidic teachings of the Me’or Einayim (The Light of the Eyes). Blending Jewish mysticism with mindfulness, this text study course transforms deep spiritual wisdom into daily practices that cultivate self-awareness, compassion, resilience, and a profound connection to the Infinite Mystery.

      Register Now
      Learn More

      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

      The Poetry of Torah

      Searching for the Sacred in the Weekly Portion

      with Rabbi Rachel Barenblat

      Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 11:00 AM-12:15 PM ET on the following dates:

      2026: November 12, December 10

      2027: January 14, February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 12, September 16, October 14

      Course Description

      Our sages tell us that Torah is written in black fire on white fire. The black fire is the ink, the white fire is the page; the black fire is the words, the white fire the surrounding space of endless possibility. While Torah is often treated as prose and understood in prosaic ways, a tradition teaches that all of Torah is to be understood as poetry. Combining mindfulness practices with poetry both ancient and new, we’ll explore the metaphoric, symbolic approach of Torah as poetry, turning and turning Torah to see her (and ourselves) in a new light, cultivating our ability to hear the kol demamah dakah, the “thin murmuring Voice” at its heart. Each week will include an optional creative prompt or question to spark poetry or journaling. Suitable for beginners as well as those who have an established creative practice.

      Curriculum

      The curriculum for this course draws from three streams: the weekly Torah portion, the wellspring of poetry (both ancient and new), and the “Torah” of our lived daily experience.

      Every week you will receive:

      • A new teaching exploring (part of) the Torah portion through the lenses of midrash (interpretive story), mystical texts, and other sources from Jewish tradition;
      • A poem, located in conversation with Torah. Some of these poems will be explicitly “Torah poems,” written as a way in to our sacred story. Others will be “secular” or emerging from other places. What will Torah reveal to us through the lens of the poem? What will the poem say to us when juxtaposed with Torah?
      • A creative prompt suitable for journaling practice or for responding to Torah with your own words of poetry; 
      • Instructions for personal practice and chevruta discussion that can deepen integration of learning and experience; and 

      • Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings.

      Testimonials

      “Rabbi Rachel is a generous and creative teacher with a gentle and invitational presentation style. She illuminates scripture through the writings and wisdom of scholars and sages both past and present offering her own deep knowledge, personal experience, and poetry. Through her caring and genuine leadership participants feel welcomed to join Rachel on a journey to expand our understanding, explore new perspectives, and engage our imaginations.” – Cathy Warner, Greater Northwest 5 Day Academy for Spiritual Formation

      “It is wholly worthwhile journey to deep dive into your inner world of experience and transform yourself spiritually through middot practices and learning. SO VALUABLE THANK YOU!”

      “Seeing how the text can connect to mediation and embodied practices. I felt opened up to a different way of experiencing the teachings.”

      Register Now

      Seasoned Learners FAQ

      Can I take this course if I’m not Jewish clergy?

      Absolutely! Anyone is welcome, no experience with Jewish text study necessary.

      How much Hebrew do I need to know to fully participate?

      The weekly texts will be given in English, so one can comfortably participate without knowing Hebrew.

      For Seasoned Learners

      The Illuminated Path

      Living Torah with the Me’or Einayim

      with Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein

      Monthly Live Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM-12:15 PM ET on the following dates:

      2026: November 3, December 1

      2027: January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5

      Course Description

      Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky (1730-1797) is also known as the Me’or Einayim, ‘The Light of the Eyes,’ after the name of his book. Of all the early Chasidic masters, his teachings are among the most clear, the most radical, and the most practically applicable. In this course, we will have the privilege and joy of journeying through an entire Torah cycle with Reb Menachem as our enlightening guide, helping us to appreciate the deepest and sweetest ideas of Jewish mysticism, and learning how to integrate them into our embodied experience through practice.  

      Anyone is welcome who has had experience with learning Jewish spiritual texts and practicing Jewish meditative practices. This course assumes prior knowledge of and experience with the Torah narrative, Jewish spiritual terminology, and mindfulness practice.

      Curriculum

      For each week’s Torah portion, we will delve into a teaching from the Me’or Einayim that illuminates our understanding of Torah and ourselves, and offers us a practice to work with.

      Reb Menachem, as the name of his book suggests, was primarily concerned with the spiritual light he found within the Torah, and helping us access it in such a way that it helps us progress in every sphere of our lives – our inner, spiritual work, our relationships, and all the ways that we seek to contribute to and interact with the world.

      Themes that we will explore, both intellectually and experientially, include: our relationship with ourselves, Torah, our spiritual community, and the Infinite Mystery; Teshuvah; the relationship between intellectual and emotional, embodied or intuitive ways of knowing; our unique path and role in healing and perfecting the world; the importance of our friendships; becoming and refining our vessel for the Divine; proper speech; mindful and spiritually elevating eating; and the cultivation of qualities such as self-awareness, humility, compassion and self-compassion, self-acceptance, self-empowerment, non-judgement, not-knowing and resilience.

      After completing this course you may notice:

      Having immersed ourselves in Reb Menachem’s luminous teachings and practice instructions for a year, we will be more attuned to, and more fluent with, the subtle spiritual currents that our mystics sensed running through the Torah itself, and all of the mitzvot – the means of connection, as Reb Menachem understands the word.

      We will have a greater understanding of Jewish mysticism in general, and particularly the Chasidic project that Reb Menachem is such a helpful exemplar of in its earliest form, while it was still so raw and spiritually radical.

      More than that, we will have experienced week upon week of not only learning, but practicing with and embodying Reb Menachem’s insights and guidance that came to him through the weekly Torah portion. Our very bodies and every aspect of our lives will be imbued with the light of his wisdom and the radiant Divine love that he sought to share.

      Testimonials

      “With Rabbi Daniel as my teacher, I’ve found personal meaning in our Jewish texts, practices that both comfort and challenge me, an inviting space to share questions and reactions and a caring community of fellow seekers. I am so grateful.” – Susan Kaplow

      “Learning with Rav Daniel is a wonderful experience. In his classes he brings an extraordinary range of texts from our tradition and makes them meaningful for our lives today. His deep personal integrity, wisdom and spirituality constantly inspire me to walk the Jewish spiritual path and help me with my own awakening and development.” – Rabbi Danny Newman, Founding Partner, HaMakom

      “When learning with Rav Daniel, I feel the inner peace and joy that comes with learning from a teacher who is scholarly, spiritual, and down-to-earth. I have also gleaned extremely useful tools in learning how to approach Jewish texts and tradition and how to bring meditative spiritual practice into my life, all in a loving and open-minded way.” – Shira Sacks

      Register Now

      Seasoned Learners FAQ

      Can I take this course if I’m not Jewish clergy?

      Absolutely! Anyone is welcome who has had experience with learning Jewish spiritual texts and practicing Jewish meditative practices. This course assumes prior knowledge of and experience with the Torah narrative, Jewish spiritual terminology, and mindfulness practice.

      How much Hebrew do I need to know to fully participate?

      The texts will be given in both Hebrew and English, so one can comfortably participate through the translations. However, a lot of the meanings we will discuss are conveyed more clearly in the original than in translation. 

      I’m agnostic or atheist, or I’m allergic to theistic language in general. Is this for me?

      One of the blessings that the early Chasidic masters give us is permission to restore our innocence, wonder and humility, particularly when it comes to the Divine Mystery. Everything that Reb Menachem teaches works regardless of whether we use the words “Hashem”, “The Universe”, “Life” etc.

      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:

      The Poetry of Torah

      $349
      $299
      $199

       For Seasoned Learners:

      The Illuminated Path

      $449
      $399
      $299

      Meet Your Instructors

      Rabbi Rachel Barenblat is a poet, a writer, a mother, a spiritual director, and a rabbi. Co-founder of Bayit: Building Jewish, a Jewish innovation incubator, she was named one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis in 2016. She has served as spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel of the Berkshires since 2011 and has blogged as the Velveteen Rabbi since 2003. Her collections of poetry include 70 faces: Torah poems and Crossing the Sea (Phoenicia) and Open My Lips and Texts to the Holy (Ben Yehuda.) She teaches at the intersection of spiritual and creative life, including for the Methodist-based Academy for Spiritual Formation. A participant in IJS’ Clergy Leadership Program, she lives and writes in western Massachusetts with her son.

      Rabbi Sam Feinsmith

      Daniel is a spiritual seeker, rabbi, educator, accredited Jewish meditation teacher (JMMTT) and MC/poet whose journey of healing, creativity, studying and teaching has brought him to Buddhist retreat centers, Chi Kung courses and six years of study in Orthodox yeshivot (rabbinical seminaries). Daniel lives in Israel with his family, where he directs Applied Jewish Spirituality, an online portal which makes the transformative spiritual wisdom of our tradition accessible to all who seek it (www.appliedjewishspirituality.org/).

      Register Now

      Kol Dodi Jewish Spiritual Director Training

      Kol Dodi Jewish Spiritual Director Training

      Feb 26, 2026

      קול דודי

      Kol Dodi

      Jewish Spiritual Director Training

      20-Month Training

      Click Here to Apply

      Kol Dodi is grounded in IJS’s contemplative and contemporary core spiritual practices for cultivating awareness of mind, body and heart, and for attuning to the Voice of the Beloved.

      The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is thrilled to announce the second cohort of Kol Dodi: Jewish Spiritual Director Training, a program that will prepare participants to serve as spiritual directors.

      Kol Dodi translates from the Hebrew as “voice of my beloved.” Participants in this program will learn to accompany others on their spiritual journeys in one-on-one or group settings.

      For a deeper dive into what is spiritual direction, and this unique program, please check out our information session below or read our FAQ.

      Spiritual direction is a unique practice that offers a distinct set of skills, ethics, and practices which are helpful for clergy and other spiritual care providers.

      The program incorporates multidisciplinary approaches to contemplative soul companioning, drawing from both Jewish wisdom and the field of spiritual direction, with the aim of supporting the formation of self as a Jewish spiritual director. Towards this end, Kol Dodi’s formation program and curriculum centers the theory and practice of Jewish spiritual direction.

      This unique training includes:

        • Teaching from core and guest faculty
        • Regular support and supervision from mentors
        • Chevruta (peer-based learning partners)
        • Small group experiential practice
        • Mindfulness and embodiment practices
        • Creative process and expressive arts
        • Trauma-informed orientation to spiritual director formation
        • Curriculum that integrates sacred activism into development as a spiritual director

      The program is directed and taught by Rabbi Elisa Goldberg and Rabbi Nicole Auerbach. We will have several guest teachers, including Rabbi Myriam Klotz. 

      Mentors for Kol Dodi include Cantor Ellen Dreskin, Ashley Plotnick, D.Min., LCSW, Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife, and Rabbi Shir Meira Feit. Together, they will offer a curriculum grounded in relational mindfulness, sacred listening, prayer, and embodied wisdom, as well as creativity and liberatory imagination.

      We are committed to providing a learning community that welcomes people from many racial, religious, cultural and spiritual traditions, as well as participants who embody sexual and gender diversity, disability and multigenerational perspectives.

      Course Structure

      Kol Dodi will run for 20 months, beginning with a five-day in-person retreat in April 2027 held at the beautiful Trinity Retreat Center in Cornwall, CT. The program will include one other in-person retreat and several  zoom intensives in addition to interim work.

      Included in Course Tuition:

        • Access to IJS course dashboard
        • Ongoing Online Learning Sessions
        • Regular meetings with mentor
        • Chevrutah (peer-based learning partners)
        • Small group experiential practice
        • Mindfulness and embodiment practices
        • Trauma-informed orientation to spiritual director formation
        • Program Certificate upon completion of training requirements
        • Three Zoom intensives:
          • June 21, 2027 from 12 PM – 7 PM
          • November 8, 2027 from 12 PM – 7 PM
          • June 12, 2028 from 12 PM – 7 PM
        • Two in-person retreats:
          • The first will run from Sunday, April 11 through Thursday, April 15, 2027
          • The second will run from Sunday, through Thursday, in March/April 2028, exact dates TBD.

      Program Costs

      Costs include all program components, including room and board for the two in-person retreats. The tuition level you select will be due in 4 equal payments over the course of the program. The level you choose will not have any bearing on your application. The higher tuition level enables participants to stay in a single room during the in-person retreats. The lower level enables participants to share a double room with another participant. All rooms have their own bathrooms. 

      Tuition and Single Room at In-Person Retreats

      $11,500

      Payable all at once, in 4 equal payments, or in 10 equal payments.

      Tuition and Shared Double Room at In-Person Retreats

      $9,500

      Payable all at once, in 4 equal payments, or in 10 equal payments.

      Application

      In order to ensure individualized and intensive training, the Kol Dodi cohort size will be up to 30 people.

      Participants must apply and acceptance is not guaranteed. Requirements for admission include having at least six months’ experience being in Spiritual Direction before the program begins. Participants must also remain in spiritual direction for the duration of the program. If you need assistance finding someone to work with, here is a list of spiritual directors who completed Kol Dodi. Additional spiritual directors can be found on the website of Spiritual Directors International.

      APPLY NOW

      Applications are due by Thursday, October 29 at 3:00 PM ET and require a $120 application fee.

      Financial Support is available upon request. Jews of Color, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities will receive priority support. Please fill out the Financial Support Request Form.

      If you have any questions please contact Rabbi Elisa Goldberg at elisag@jewishspirituality.org.

      Faculty

      Rabbi Elisa Goldberg

      For over two decades, Rabbi Elisa Goldberg has accompanied others on their spiritual journeys as a spiritual director, professional chaplain, congregational rabbi, and educator. For many years, Elisa served as a spiritual director at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She taught at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College on Rabbinic Ethics and Pastoral Counseling, and provided clinical supervision for students. She has served as Director of the Office of Rabbinic Placement for the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and led community chaplaincy services at the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Philadelphia for fourteen years. Elisa authored a guidebook on spirituality and recovery with Drexel University and consults on the integration of spiritually informed care. She was honored to be the first woman to lead the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis. She maintains a private spiritual direction and pastoral counseling practice and provides consultation and coaching for rabbinic colleagues.

      Rabbi Nicole Auerbach

      Rabbi Nicole Auerbach (she/her) is a rabbi, spiritual director, teacher of Jewish mindfulness meditation, and Hevraya member (CLP4). She is the URJ’s director of Community Growth & Strategy, focusing on bringing leaders of innovative and emerging communities into the Reform Movement. She has dedicated her rabbinate to creating opportunities for people to create and deepen relationships with one another, with Jewish community and tradition, and with sacred experience.

      She is a co-author, with Dr. Ron Wolfson and Rabbi Lydia Medwin, of “The Relational Judaism Handbook: How to Create a Relational Engagement Campaign to Build and Deepen Relationships in Your Community” (Kripke, 2018).

      Mentors

      Cantor Ellen Dreskin

      Ellen Dreskin is an ordained Cantor and Spiritual Director who uses sacred listening and a variety of resources and spiritual practices to help people connect non judgmentally to their own inner/spiritual journey. She has been in the field of faith for almost 40 years. She has extensive experience as a prayer leader, musical artist, storyteller, pastoral counselor, and educator in a number of Jewish settings.

      Spiritual Directors International helps us understand spiritual companionship as “conversations about life in the light of faith.” It is an opportunity to connect more deeply and intentionally with one’s core/source/inner life, as well as what is infinite and eternal in both time and space. This exploration/spiritual practice takes place in the company of another who holds a non-judgemental, confidential space in which one’s spiritual story can be acknowledged and encouraged as a source of wisdom, nourishment, and support.

      Ellen was introduced to mindfulness and other forms of contemplative spiritual practice through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality many years ago. In 2019, she completed a two-year course of study in order to become a Spiritual Companion, and now spends the majority of her professional time deeply engaged in this practice.

      Rabbi Shir Meira Feit

      Rabbi Shir Meira Feit is a musician, composer, ritual facilitator, and spiritual director who has facilitated countless circles of communal ceremony and song, helping people of myriad backgrounds connect with depth, wisdom, humor, and joy. Shir worked as a serial spiritual entrepreneur for twenty years in the Jewish Renewal movement, and in the Zen Peacemakers Order, co-facilitating their Bearing Witness Retreats in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Today, Shir offers teachings as an independent educator, performer, and spiritual companion, helping others to grow and flourish at the dynamic edge of spiritual emergence. Shir’s most recent offerings are influenced by the spiritual practice of parenting, interpersonal neurobiology, somatic psychology, neuroqueer theory, DJing, contact improvisation, and psychedelics. Shir lives with their family in New York’s Hudson Valley.

      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.

      Ashley Plotnick, D.Min., LCSW

      Ashley (she/her) completed training in spiritual direction through the Morei Derekh program in 2014. Along with her work at IJS, she is a co-trainer for the interfaith IFS-based spiritual direction training program at The Center for Engaged Compassion, where she also received supervision training.  Ashley spent many years in congregational Jewish educational leadership, and in addition to her spiritual direction work, she now focuses professionally on her private psychotherapy practice and on working with clergy through the CCAR as a spiritually oriented counselor. 

      Ashley recently completed a Doctor of Ministry degree through Claremont School of Theology, where her research focused on the Shekhinah in the practice of spiritual direction. She holds Masters’ degrees in Social Work, Human Sexuality Education, and Jewish Studies. Ashley lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and three children, her greatest loves and most essential spiritual practice.  

      Senior Retreat Faculty

      Rabbi Myriam Klotz

      Rabbi Myriam Klotz

      Rabbi Myriam Klotz is former senior core faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) and retired after 23 years there in November 2024. She was the Founding Director of IJS Kol Dodi Jewish Spiritual Director Training and of Bekhol Levevkha JSD training at HUC-JIR; the former Director of the Spirituality Initiative at HUC-JIR; led inclusivity work at IJS including creating the LGBTQ+ Beit Midrash and the monthly LGBTQ+ sit (co-sponsored by Keshet!); co-created and co-directed Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Yoga Teacher Training at Isabella Freedman; and served on the Spiritual Directors International board of directors. She lives in Philadelphia with her wife Margot, son Raffi, and dog. Another son, Samm, lives in CA with his wife and cat.

      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 an orientation at 5:00 PM ET and dinner at 6:00 PM 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 on a sliding scale. 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 are offering sliding scale pricing.

      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.

      Yaakov Ginsberg-Schreck

      Yoga Instructor

      Yaakov Ginsberg-Schreck (he/him) is the Founder and Executive Director of RUACH, a Boston-based collective of teachers in embodied Jewish practice. He completed his 200-hour Yoga teacher training through One Down Dog Studios in Los Angeles in 2019, under the mentorship of Evelyn (Ducky) Punch. From 2019-2023, he pursued rabbinical studies at Hebrew College, where he began RUACH as a student project. In order to pursue full-time organizational leadership, Yaakov left the Beit Midrash (study hall) when RUACH incorporated as a nonprofit. In addition to stewarding RUACH’s organizational development, he teaches Yoga, breath practice, and Jewish meditation as pathways toward recovering the living mystery and redemptive possibilities within Jewish tradition and human imagination. As a past participant and guest teacher for Shevet, he is deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful retreat.

      Register Here

      Refuge in the Ark: A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat

      Refuge in the Ark: A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat

      Dec 10, 2025

      Refuge in the Ark:

      A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat

      Sunday, November 15 – Thursday, November 19, 2026

      Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY

      Click Here to Register Now

      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 a sense of newness and hope, feeling restored and strengthened. After this kind of retreat, we’re able to return to our lives with greater clarity and wisdom to respond to the realities of the world around us.

      The IJS community will create our own ark of calm connection this fall,

      and we hope you will join us.

      This mostly silent, Jewish mindfulness meditation retreat will be at the serene Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY. Our retreat will be led by IJS faculty and other experienced, beloved instructors. Over five days, we will focus on deepening our practice through silent meditation enhanced with Jewish teachings, meditation instructions, mindful prayer, and yoga/embodied practice. We will use silence as a tool to deepen our sense of calm, safety, and spiritual development, following Rav Shimon Ben Gamliel’s teaching: “I have found nothing better for a person than silence” (Pirkei Avot 1:17).

      Mornings on retreat will include two tracks — one for those newer to Jewish mindfulness meditation (including those who are new to retreats) and one for those with more experience. These tracks will offer different length meditation periods and tailored instructions. There will also be opportunities to mindfully explore the beautiful grounds and forested trails of the Garrison Institute.

      *Please note: Part of the power of retreat at the Garrison Institute comes from its long history as a monastery and practice center. And, this historical building is limited in accessibility. While our meditation and meals will be on the first floor, there is limited accessible housing on the first floor and no elevator to upper floors. Please be in touch with us if you have any questions about accessibility on this retreat.

      Our instructors will include Senior Core Faculty Rabbis Jordan Bendat-Appell, Sam Feinsmith, Miriam Margles and Marc Margolius, Program Faculty Cantor Lizzie Shammash, and Core Faculty Rebecca Schisler.

      This retreat is open to all participants 18+, and all experience levels. This retreat will be held mostly in social silence, except for opening and closing meals, Q&A, communal prayer, and one-on-one sessions with instructors. See FAQs below for more information.

      Retreat Costs and Financial Support

      We want to help ensure that the cost of enrollment is not a barrier to participation. A limited amount of financial assistance is available upon request. Please request financial support using this form.

      Single Room

      $2,200

      Shared Double

      $1,800

      Single for Health Reasons

      $1,800

      Commuter

      $900

      Registration Lottery

      This year, we will be admitting registrants to the retreat using a lottery system. Last year’s retreat filled up quickly, catching many potential registrants off-guard. Although ultimately almost everyone who wished to attend was able to, we felt adjustments would be beneficial.

      We are changing to a lottery this year to help decrease anxiety around registration and to allow sufficient time to register for those new to IJS or to this retreat. A registration lottery also enables IJS to distribute our limited financial support more equitably to those requiring it in order to attend.

      We will inform everyone who signs up if they are able to attend the retreat by Friday, August 21, 2026. More details on the registration process can be found on the registration page. 

      Register Today

      Sample Daily Schedule

      6:45         Sitting Meditation (or personal prayer)

      7:15         Shacharit / Morning Prayers / Chanting

      8:15         Breakfast 

      9:15         Tracks 1 and 2: Meditation with Instruction

      12:00       Lunch

      1:45         Sitting Meditation

      2:15         Walking Meditation

      3:00         Q&A and Sitting Meditation

      3:45         Yoga, Embodied Practice or Outdoor Walk

      5:00         Sitting Meditation / Mincha / Afternoon Prayers

      5:30         Dinner 

      7:00         Evening Teaching

      8:00         Walking Meditation

      8:30         Sitting Meditation and Ma’ariv / Evening Prayers

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Is this retreat for me?

      This retreat is open to beginner and more advanced students alike. We will have two tracks for the morning practice to help support both of these groups. If you have never meditated on a retreat before, you are welcome! Our practice guidance will be both accessible and deep.

      We also strive to make this retreat inclusive for all bodies through ensuring the availability of gender neutral bathrooms and chairs without arms. Please note below information about accessible housing. If there are additional ways that we can support your sense of belonging during this retreat, please reach out to us.

      Meditation is contra-indicated to some mental health conditions. If you are not sure whether retreat is right for you at this time, please contact us at support@jewishspirituality.org.

      How is silence practiced on this retreat?

      Shortly after our opening program and dinner on the first day, we will enter into what we call “social silence.” We see this as a warm, loving silence, in the presence of others, that helps us be more fully present. This silence will continue until the closing program of the retreat.

      We are inviting you to not speak with other participants, check your phone/email, or otherwise “exit” the silence for the duration of each day. This enables you to slow down, sink deeply into the practices, and truly “re-source” yourself in the spaciousness of the silence.

      You will have the chance to ask questions of the faculty after instructional periods, in small groups, and during designated Q&A periods throughout the day. We will also be chanting and singing/praying together each day.

      How will we be observing Jewish tradition?

      Our retreat is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, and you are welcome to participate regardless of your background. All Hebrew terms will be translated and explained. Our Jewish practice will be egalitarian and contemplative, and will include singing, prayer, and embodied practice.

      We will be engaging in prayer as a full group, and there will be time built into the schedule for participants to engage in their personal prayer practice as well. There will be an opportunity to say the Mourner’s Kaddish three times every day.

      Our retreat will be kosher, according to IJS Kashrut Standards.

      Food on Retreat

      A sensory highlight of this retreat will be the healthy and delicious gourmet food served by the Garrison Institute. Our menu will be vegetarian — with vegan, dairy, and fish options. We will be kashering the Garrison kitchen and working with their kitchen team to offer kosher food according to IJS Kashrut Standards. When registering, you will have the opportunity to let us know about any dietary restrictions you may have.

       

      Accessibility & Accommodations

      • Wheelchair/Scooter Access: First floor rooms are accessible, including dining and meeting spaces. The building entry is via a ramp at the main entrance. The dining hall uses a temporary metal ramp to bypass a few entrance stairs.
      • ADA-Compliant Rooms: There are two double ADA-compliant wheelchair accessible rooms and one single ADA-compliant wheelchair accessible room on the first floor with a semi-private shared ADA-compliant bathroom between them.
      • Bathroom for Accessible Rooms: The three ADA-compliant wheelchair accessible rooms share one semi-private bathroom (single toilet and shower stall). Private signage prevents other guests from using it.
      Save Your Spot

      Retreat Faculty

      Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell

      Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell is Senior Core Faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), where he teaches Jewish mindfulness and text and directs cohort and retreat programs. Jordan began working for IJS as rabbinical student intern in 2005, and was on staff from 2011-2017, as a teacher of Jewish Mindfulness, leading retreats, and as Director of the Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jordan also taught meditation to rabbis and cantors through IJS’ Clergy Leadership Program.

      Currently at IJS, Jordan focuses on teaching Jewish mindfulness and text, planning and directing retreats, and leading the development of a new training program for advanced teachers of Jewish mindfulness.Jordan will also continue to share his expertise through online courses and on retreats, fostering mindful engagement with Jewish wisdom and tradition.

      Rabbi Sam Feinsmith

      As Senior Core Faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Sam directs the IJS Clergy Leadership Program and serves on the faculty of Gates of Awareness, a training program for aspiring teachers of Jewish mindfulness meditation. He is one of two lead teachers for our online course on the fundamentals of Jewish mindfulness meditation, The Gift of Awareness, and has written the IJS year-long Hasidic text study offering for a number of years running. After close to fifteen years teaching contemplative practices grounded in mindfulness to teens and educators, Sam originally came on board at IJS to develop and direct the Educating for a Jewish Spiritual Life Program, which brought these practices to hundreds of Jewish day- and religious-school educators and their students.

      Rabbi Miriam Margles

      Miriam has a long and rich association with IJS, having taught on various retreats and programs over the years. She joins the Institute as a Senior Core Faculty after over a decade as the rabbi of the Danforth Jewish Circle in Toronto. She is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, an alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Jerusalem Fellows at the Mandel Leadership Institute. Miriam as a founding faculty member at the Romemu Yeshiva, serving as a fellow with the Rising Song Institute, co-founding Encounter – the award-winning educational program working toward informed, courageous and resilient Jewish leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and recording her original Jewish music with the Hadar Rising Song ensemble.

      Rabbi Marc Margolius

      Rabbi Marc Margolius serves as advisor for overall programming for IJS, and directs programming for lay leaders as well as Hevraya, the alumni of our Clergy Leadership Program. He hosts the “Daily Sit,” IJS’s online daily mindfulness meditation sessions, and teaches courses for IJS, including Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character through Mindfulness and Middot, our online program in tikkun middot practice, integrating Jewish mindfulness with attention to core middot, character traits.

      Previously, Marc served as rabbi at West End Synagogue in Manhattan and Congregation Beth Am Israel in Penn Valley, PA, where he pioneered a Shabbat-centered model of congregational engagement. He developed and led the Legacy Heritage Innovation Project at the Legacy Heritage Fund from 2005-2010, an initiative to promote systemic educational change in congregations around the globe.

      Long active in social justice activism, Marc is a graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and of Yale Law School and lives in New York City.

      Cantor Lizzie Shammash

      Cantor Lizzie Shammash’s first career as an opera singer brought her to Iyengar and Kripalu Yoga studies. She completed teacher training at Om Yoga with Cyndi Lee and continued her studies in pranayama, restorative and prenatal yoga. After graduating from Jewish Theological Seminary, Lizzie’s love of yoga and Judaism found their authentic fusion through studies with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality where she currently serves as a faculty member teaching yoga and mindfulness to rabbis and cantors. She leads yoga and contemplative prayer inspired by the Jewish calendar nationally for synagogue communities. Lizzie is passionate about helping others bring Judaism into the body, voice, and heart—through both methodical and creative embodied practice—and she lives in Philadelphia, where she has served two congregations. 

      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.

      Join Us!