Description

Awakening the Divine.

The Psalms teach that the human soul is the light of God, illuminating our hearts and minds, our actions and relationships, for the Divine to enter. Yet too often we fail to experience the awakening and joyous presence which is our nature and instead find ourselves mired in the worries, demands and distractions of everyday life, running from class to test, from studies to events, from party to activity, and never deeply pausing to experience our divine nature.

This retreat offers the opportunity for a sacred pause to open to the joy and presence which is our divine nature and take that awakening back with us into our everyday lives, to transform the sometimes muffled, tense or distracted experience of our lives into an open-hearted engagement with every moment. It offers the opportunity to touch that still, small voice within each of us and the soul-wisdom which is our birthright. It offers the opportunity to transform our Jewish practice and lives into a deep mode of spiritual awakening.

Combining prayer, mindfulness meditation, silence, text study, group work and other modes of spiritual practice, this retreat will introduce participants to the profound depths of Jewish spirituality and the offer the possibility of finding life-transforming meaning in the Jewish tradition. Mornings of the retreat will be spent in silence and meditation, including meditation instruction and questions and answers, with a transition in the afternoon and evening into mindful speaking, group activities and text study before returning to silence before bed. Evenings will include opportunities for teachings, sharing, art and activities. The retreat will conclude with a deep celebration of Shabbat helping participants experience one of Judaism's most important spiritual practices. At the conclusion of the retreat, the teachers will provide participants with resources and techniques to continue practicing and growing in their universities and home communities.

The retreat requires no experience or knowledge of meditation, spirituality or Judaism and is open to those of every denomination and type of observance. The retreat is kosher and supportive of Halakhic observance, and Shabbat will be observed in public spaces. At the conclusion of the retreat, the teachers will provide participants with resources and techniques to support them in their continued individual practice and growth in their universities and home communities.

Faculty

Rabbi James Jacobson Maisels has been studying and teaching meditation and Jewish spirituality for over fifteen years. He has founded numerous Jewish spirituality initiatives and programs including the Pardes Self, Soul and Text Track and the first Jewish mindfulness meditation retreats in Israel and is currently pursuing a PhD in Jewish mysticism at the University of Chicago.

Yael Shy is the Founder and Director of The Spirituality Project at New York University. A student of mediation for over ten years, Yael was also a co-founder of the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn and in 2010 was named one of the Jewish Week’s '36 under 36' Jews reshaping Jewish life in the US.

Shuli Passow has been practicing yoga since the age of 7 - the same year she received her first siddur. Since then, she has continually sought ways to bring asana yoga - and other embodied practices - into relationship with her Jewish spiritual practices and has taught at Yeshivat Hadar, the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn, and Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, among other locations. Off the mat, Shuli is a second year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prior to JTS, Shuli served as the Director of Community Initiatives, supporting Jews and Jewish institutions around the country to work for social change.

Dates

January 3 - 8, 2012

Cost

$350

Location

Pearlstone Retreat Center, Maryland

Registration

Please click here to fill out a registration form

Deadline: December 1, 2011 (after this, registrations will be processed only if space allows)

In order to reserve your place, we require a $50 non-refundable deposit, which will be applied toward the full cost. The balance is due by December 1, 2011.

For questions about registration, contact Naomi Adland.

From Students Who Attended Last Year

"Thank you, thank you, thank you on a million thank yous. You both are truly divine and inspirational. Keep doing what you're doing. So much love will be spread in so many different directions as a result of this week." - Rebecca, Wesleyan.

"I don't think it is premature to say this: thanks for changing my life. I appreciate both of you deeply" - Rose, NYU.

"I came expecting to learn some interesting new things and to relax, but not expecting to be transformed. And I was transformed. Thank you!" - Dan, Wesleyan.