Is life a random accident, or is there meaning and direction to our journeys? We may never know for certain, but the story each of us tells about our lives can either give us a sense of purpose and direction or a sense of aimlessness and despair. The Torah simply assumes that life has a purpose, and that every individual’s task is to discern that purpose and attempt to fulfill it. The Torah assumes that we are being tested by life, rather than that life is meaninglessly burdensome and difficult. Judaism assumes that something is asked of us, and that our task is to respond to the challenge.

A story we tell about our lives becomes Torah when we work to discern the teaching and purpose with which it imbues us. And when we discern the Torah of our lives, we become teachers and models for others.

In this workshop we will explore key stories in our lives and tell them in new ways; we will write and share and reflect our interpretations to one another, studying one another’s stories as we study the Torah, drawing new meanings and connections. We will leave this workshop enlivened with a sense of wonder and renewed direction for the miraculous journeys of each of our lives.

“The Joys of Jewishing” is an experiential introduction to Jewish practice and thought, with an emphasis on the joy and fulfillment inherent in this wise and beautiful tradition. Whether or not you are Jewish, you will be welcome to partake. There are no wrong questions, and there will be good nourishment for the mind and spirit. Join us!

This joy fills us as water fills a well from a deep and unseen source, fills us to overflowing so that we effortlessly become sources of joy for those near to us.

In this workshop we will learn to cultivate joy. Judaism offers many teachings and opportunities to help us practice. Together we will study, eat, breathe, pray, sing, dance, meditate and reflect in ways that open us and fill us with the simple, sustaining pleasure of being alive. As Reb Nachman of Bratslav taught, “Mitzvah gedolah lih’yot b’simcha tamid!” – “It is a great mitzvah to always practice being in a state of joy!”

(This workshop was originally designed for the celebration of Sukkot, but works anytime!)

In the Jewish tradition, the voice of God is the silent letter Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the sound before sound, the “still small voice”. And it is the first letter of the first word of the Ten Commandments: Anochi – I am. Jewish tradition teaches that the Children of Israel camped at Mount Sinai and prepared and opened themselves to hear that silent opening that we usually miss, and were therefore able to receive the Torah, the moral and spiritual Teaching that has since guided the Jewish People.

Jewish tradition teaches that the revelation at Mount Sinai was not a discrete moment in the ancient past, but rather a timeless experience that is still available to those who seek it. The Aleph is always silently reverberating; our challenge is to learn how to receive it.

During this retreat we will study Jewish teachings on how to hear the Voice of God; we will engage in practices to help quiet our minds; we will spend rich time out of doors; we will open ourselves through art, music and writing.

Our goal is that every participant will come away both with mind-blowing Jewish teachings about the meaning of “the Voice of God”, and with their own deeper and abiding connection to their own still, small Voice of guidance and wisdom.

From the earliest psalms, through medieval forms and up to modern free verse, Jewish poets have adapted Hebrew to match the aesthetics of each era, always mingling ancient references into contemporary content. The poems give us a wonderful context in which to appreciate the remarkable longevity and creativity of the Hebrew language and of the Jewish People. We will sample, explore, and analyze Hebrew poetry from every era.