Shivti: Shabbat MeditationCo-led by Larry Schwartz, Beth Sandweiss, Rabbi David Ingber and Guest Teachers
Larry Schwartz is a student of Mindfulness Training at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Each session will focus on meditation, with Kavanot (intentions) inspired by the weekly parsha, calendar, and our daily lives. The intention is to help members to develop a sitting practice. There is no better time to meditate than on Shabbat. No prior experience is required. All are welcome.
Dates: Every Shabbat (Saturday)
Time: 4:30pm-6:00pm
Location: Jewish Life Home on 120 W 106th St.
(between Columbus and Amsterdam) in the auditorium that is one flight up from the main floor.
Led by Shelley Levine
A graduate of a Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training program, Shelley will honor the Hindu origins of Yoga but demonstrate how many of the elements are expressions of Jewish spirituality. Many of us practice yoga. Now you will have an opportunity to experience the deep connections between this ancient practice and Jewish tradition. Shelley will invite other teachers to lead from time to time.
Led by Rabbi David Ingber
This ongoing, drop-in style class, weaves a spiritually rich tapestry from Hassidic and Kabbalistic sources, discussing how to apply Jewish mysticism and wisdom to our everyday lives. No prior learning required.
Dates: Tuesdays
Time: 7–8:30pm
Location: 229 W. 97th Street, apt. 2A
Members: Free/ Non-Members: $5
Material fees: $5 one time for the duration of the class
Explore the weekly Torah portion from the perspective of Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl's Me'or Eynaiyim.
Rabbi David will follow this Chassidic master's teaching throughout the year parsha by parsha. This is an advanced class. Familiarity with text study strongly suggested, but all are welcome.
This is a 12-week course with an option to continue throughout the year.
Dates: Thursdays, beginning January 12
Time: 8–10pm
Location: 260 Riverside Drive Apt. 7B (Entrance on 98th Street)
Members: Free/ Non-Members: $18
Material fees: $5 one time for the duration of the class
Led by Nathaniel Berman
Register now
“Prayer is itself divinity” [התפלה בעצמה היא אלוקות]: one of the most striking sayings of Pinhas of Koretz, an early Hasidic rebbe. It is far from coincidental that it was this same sage who also thanked God for creating him after the Zohar was revealed, because “the Zohar has kept me within Judaism.
Prayer occupies a role in the Zohar and classical kabbalah that often surprises and even shocks those educated in other interpretations of Judaism, and especially those who have found it difficult to find spiritual depths in the traditional liturgy. Under the influence of the Zohar, the meaning of the existing Jewish liturgy was completely re-imagined, deepened, and revitalized — and new prayers, perhaps most famously Kabbalat Shabbat with its central gem, the Lecha Dodi, were introduced.
Under the influence of the Zohar, moreover, all of Jewish practice, perhaps even all of life, perhaps even, as Pinhas of Koretz suggests, the divine itself, was reinterpreted as prayer. In this course, we will study a variety of Zoharic texts:
This course will combine intensive textual study and experiential exercises. We will seek to understand Pinhas of Koretz’s declarations that is was only through the Zohar, with its unique conception of divinity-as-prayer, that he remained within Judaism — and, hopefully, to strive, each of us in his or her own way, for a renewed practice of davening.
Sundays- Beginning February 19 - April 22
Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm
Members Free / Non-Members: $180
Material fees: $5 one time for the duration of the class
Register now.
Led by Shir Yaakov Feinstein-Feit
What is a prayerbook and how do we get inside? We'll start at the very beginning, with an orientation to the content, structure, form and language of a siddur. We'll look at the anatomy of a blessing, the flow of different services and techniques for inspiration, contemplation and meditation. We will also learn how to sing the songs of Romemu, explore their meaning and open to what it means to have a regular prayer practice.
Register now.
Led by Rabbi Henry Glazer
Rabbi Henry Glazer will offer his popular Shalom Aleichem, a one day intensive (eight hours, including lunch) for fifteen members, which will give students the ability to recognize and read Hebrew prayer in a basic way. Henry will offer this course twice in the Semester.
There is a limit of 15 people for this class, members receive consideration first.
Date: Sunday, February 26
Time: 10:00am-5:00pm
Location: 301 W. 108th st. # 4A.
Material Fees: Participants will be asked to contribute $15 towards books, lunch, and snacks.
Led by Rabbi Henry Glazer
This course, which will be held in an intimate environment, is a continuation of the “Shalom Aleichem” introduction to Hebrew. Rabbi Henry will guide students through seven 1 ½ hour sessions. Ayn Kelohaynu will emphasize greater reading fluency, combined with a discussion of the meaning of the Shabbat morning service, its vocabulary, rituals and structure.
Dates: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Members Free/Non-Members:$18
Materials Fee: $10
Class Limited to 15
Led by Rabbi David with Guest Teachers
This 8-week course will cover all of your necessary topics to up your JQ (Jewish Quiotient). We will cover topics like Shabbat and Synagogue life; Torah, G-d and the Chosen People; Spirituality, Sex and the Afterlife; Bible, Talmud and other Big Jewish Books. Join us as we build a strong foundation for Jewish literacy.
Dates: TBD
Time: 7-8:30 pm
Location: TBD
Members: TBD / Non-Members: TBD
Material fees: $5 one time for the duration of the class
Led by Nili Weissman
In this class we will develop skills to live deeply with our own personal pasuk (verse of Torah) as a travel companion in our lives. Month by month we will navigate a different theme toward developing a relationship with our pasuk. As a result, its deep teaching will continuously be speaking to us, becoming a window into our deep inner lives. We will meet once a month to witness, support and listen to the stories of this unfolding process. This yearlong journey will offer us a unique experience of learning Torah from eachother as we learn how to listen deeply to a sacred text in our lives. We will embark on this holy journey together following the receiving of our pasukim at the Simchas Torah ritual in October. All are welcome; class size will be small and intimate.
Dates: Sunday, March 4
1st Sunday of Every Month
Time: 6:00pm
Location: 131 Riverside Drive, Apt 10D