Hashpa’ah: Training Program for Jewish Spiritual Directors
Hashpa’ah (Being in the Divine Flow or consciousness of God’s Presence)
Hashpa’ah (Being in the Divine Flow or consciousness of God’s Presence) is the traditional term for the relationship with a Jewish spiritual director or mashpia who offers guidance and support on matters of faith and practice, and on a personal relationship with the Divine. The ALEPH Hashpa’ah program was designed by Rabbi Shohama Wiener and colleagues, with the guidance and blessing of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the visionary founder of Jewish Renewal. The program continues to evolve under the leadership of Rabbi Nadya Gross, Director, Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Associate Director, and other training faculty.
This program, unique in Jewish history, offers a three-year concentration in Jewish Studies as it informs Spiritual Direction. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate as Mashpia/Spiritual Director. Clergy may also receive Ordination (smicha) as Mashpia Ruchani. The Program is open to graduates and students of all Jewish seminaries approved by OHALAH: Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal and candidates, not on a clergy path, whose background makes them eligible for this work.
Hashpa’ah is multi-disciplinary, integrating diverse spiritual guidance approaches and skills from classic and contemporary schools of training and practice, while emphasizing the legacy of hashpa’ah that can be found in the literature and praxis of Hasidism and the Jewish mystical tradition.
Cohort 5 Graduation Ceremony
January 11, 2020
The requirements of the training program include five Intensives, video-conference coursework spread over the program’s duration, five semesters of supervised practice with individuals and groups, and supplemental learning in related areas. Participants train individually and in group settings with mashpi’im who support their spiritual growth in relationship to G*d and sacred service, and model for them diverse modalities of spiritual direction.
Faculty members will present and demonstrate various models of spiritual guidance as they engage the participants in prayer, meditation, and probing dialogues, intended to explore new possibilities of receiving guidance in the presence of the Divine.
Program Details
- Two Winter Intensives (the Tuesday afternoon through Friday afternoon before the OHALAH conference each January),
- Three Summer Courses (a five-day training held during the ALEPH Ordination Program Intensive Study Week, aka “Smicha Week.”)
- Five Semesters Supervised Practice (with individuals and groups)**
(ALEPH rabbinic students earn one unit of credit in Kli Kodesh for each of the 5 intensives)
Semester-length Video-Conference courses
Courses specifically for the Hashpa’ah Program cohort
- Issues in Hashpa’ah – Spring semester, year one
- Sacred Text and Hashpa’ah – Fall semester, year two
- Issues of Sage-ing and Hashpa’ah – Fall semester, year three
(For ALEPH rabbinic students, courses 1 and 3 count as units in Kli Kodesh, and course 2 may count either as Kli Kodesh or as Tanach.)
Courses required from the larger roster of AOP classes:
(These already exist either as part of ALEPH Ordination Programs’ offerings, or as part of ALEPH’s core requirements for becoming a paradigm-shifting spiritual leader. Credit will be given for comparable courses taken in other seminaries and elsewhere; this will be determined in the registration process.)
- Storytelling for Spiritual Transformation
- Deep Ecumenism (interfaith studies and new cosmology) must be taken through AOP
- Hasidic Texts and Spiritual Practice/ or Mussar/ or Reb Zalman’s Writings for Transformation
Foundation courses – requirement determined based on prior experience, in consultation with Program Director
- Introduction to Hasidut
- Foundations of Jewish Practice
- Navigating the Prayerbook: Introduction to Jewish Liturgy
- Jewish Traditions of Sacred Time: Theology of the Jewish Year
- Themes of the Jewish Mystical Tradition: Yesh Sod la-Davar
- Introduction to Jewish Renewal and Reb Zalman’s Thought- offered as a Public Course in Spring 2021 – click HERE for details
Practical Rabbinics:
- CPE / can be either one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education or our ‘in-house’ specially designed course.
- Pastoral Counseling
- Meditation
- Davvenen Leaders Training Institute [optional for non-clergy]
Two reflection papers required per year.
Revised Spiritual Autobiography required in the final year.
Topics for Intensive have included:
- Styles of Hashpa’ah and Holy Listening
- Personal Theology and Prayer
- Transpersonal Guidance – God, guides, ancestors and malachim/messengers
- Hashpa’ah and Rituals (for blessing, healing, and transformation)
- Group Spiritual Direction
- Multi-faith/Interfaith Spiritual Direction
Application Process
Application to the ALEPH Ordination Program in HASHPA’AH consists of:
- filling out an online Application Form
- submitting a Spiritual Autobiography and
- providing two Letters of Recommendation. If you are presently an ALEPH student, one of your letters of recommendation must be from your DOS.
Please email a brief Spiritual Autobiography to:
Rabbi Nadya Gross: ngross@aleph-ordination.org
Rabbi Shawn Zevit: szevit@aleph-ordination.org
Rabbinic Pastor Sandra Wortzel: swortzel@aleph-ordination.org
In addition to this form and spiritual autobiography, 2 letters of recommendation are to be submitted to Rabbi Nadya, Rabbi Shawn, and RP Sandra.
If you are presently an ALEPH student, one of your letters of recommendation must be from your DOS.
By submitting this application I attest that the answers provided are true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I also affirm the following fees (click HERE for worksheet of enrollment costs):
- Non-refundable application fee* to be submitted with this application – $75, ordained clergy; $50, students
- Annual tuition** – $2500
- Admin Fee (for students who are not in an AOP Smicha track) payable at the start of each year with tuition; $600
- $18/month Chai Sustaining Membership in ALEPH, beginning in the first month of the program if you are not yet an ALEPH Sustaining member.
It is important to be working with a mashpia for at least six months prior to entering the training. We can help you locate a mashpia who is a good fit for you.
For more information, please write an email – with some details about yourself and your interest in hashpa’ah – to Rabbi Nadya Gross, Director of the Hashpa’ah Program (ngross@aleph-ordination.org). NOTE for Gmail users: Recently, our replies have ended up in the Spam folder – please check and (1) mark our replies as “Not Spam” and (2) add our email addresses to your Contacts list, if you’d like to receive future emails from us.
*The application fee is not refundable. However, you may withdraw from the program if you notify Rabbi Nadya Gross by letter or email – ngross@aleph-ordination.org Because a limited number of spaces are available, any student cancelling after this date will be responsible for half the first year’s tuition.
**Tuition includes all winter intensives, 3 core courses and supervision fees. Not included are fees for Smicha Week and additional courses from the AOP roster to complete adjunct requirements.