Kallah Links
Kallah
ClassesKallah 2025 Classes
We are honored and excited to announce our lineup of four-day classes!
Get to know our class teachers by clicking on the “Faculty” tab above.
If you’re looking for one-day workshops, stay tuned!
Each class will meet for four sessions—Tuesday through Friday—each lasting 2.5 hours, for a total of 9.75 hours of class time (slightly shorter on Friday as we prepare for Shabbat.)
You may select ONE morning class and ONE afternoon class, and by selecting a class, you commit to attending all four sessions of that class. Class hopping is not permitted.
NEW THIS YEAR: You may also select one or both of the lunchtime/dinnertime classes, if you like.
When you register for Kallah, you’ll select your classes and/or workshops. Please read through the class and workshop lists thoroughly to make your selections prior to registering for Kallah. Note that each class has a strict maximum number of participants, and once that class is full, you will no longer be able to select that class.
If you have any questions about classes, please reach out to us at kallah@aleph.org.
Morning Classes
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AM101: Sh’ma/Listening: Made for These Times
Rabbi Phyllis Ocean Berman
In a time/world of extreme divisiveness–red vs. blue, conservative vs. progressive, right vs. left, white vs. black, straight vs. queer, native vs. immigrant, rich vs. poor, rumor vs. truth–it is very hard to listen to “the other.” And even in our close-in relationships with family and friends–and in our closest relationship to the Inner Voice within ourselves which some call G!D–it’s often hard to LISTEN until we recognize that the key organ for listening is not our ears; it’s our heart!
Someone speaks and what do we do? Judge—agreeing or disagreeing? Thinking we know it already or it’s not interesting to us? Interrupting because we want to give advice or tell our story? Being distracted by our own concerns? These are normal human responses but they’re not the same as listening to understand, to be curious and learn, to create connection and intimacy, to be Present, to love, to be spiritual listeners.
In this four-day class, using chant, meditation, interactive presentation, and small group work; we will learn, practice, and hopefully integrate a philosophy (not a technique) of reflective listening with our hearts that comes from the teachings of psychologist Carl Rogers through his doctoral student Charles Curran, a Catholic priest, at Ohio State in the 1940s. It is central to Rabbi Phyllis’ practice as a mashpiah/spiritual director in the ALEPH Ordination Program (and beyond) as she listens to my people of all ages, each one so unique, and accompanies them into being their Inner Voices.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; no experience required
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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AM102: Towards a Jewish Post-Activism: Reimagining Jewish Holidays as Portals for Public Prophetic Action
Rabbi Nate DeGroot
Is activism broken? While our response to this question is likely varied, perhaps we might agree that to co-create the world of existential wholeness for which we so dearly yearn, new types of thinking, new types of gathering, and new types of activism will be needed.
Over our four days together we will explore the ideas of post-activism as articulated by public intellectual Bayo Akomolafe and applied by The Shalom Center. In an irreverent provocation, Akomolafe asks, “What happens when our response to the crisis is part of the crisis?” Our chevre will explore the contours of post-activism, we’ll consider post-activism’s implications for Judaism and Jewish activism, and we will work in small groups to creatively discern and design examples of “actifests,” Jewish post-activist celebrations and observances of Jewish holidays.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: SOCIAL JUSTICE
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AM103: Cultivating Spiritual Maturity
Rabbi Shefa Gold
The world needs our unique wisdom. In the building of conscious community, each of us is sent to our own spiritual work of becoming whole, connecting ourselves to a Larger Reality, healing the source of our reactivity and opening to blessing. And we can support each other in this work. We step onto the path of spiritual maturity when we stop blaming anyone (including ourselves) and instead learn to call on the inner Divine resources that have been planted within us, and begin sharing that flow of abundance in collaboration with the whole wide world. In this class we will open to that flow, and rise to meet the obstacles and resistances that can show us the path of true healing towards wholeness and connection.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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AM104: The Hidden Imperative of the High Holiday Season: U’vcharta b’Chaim — Choose Life!
Rabbi Rachel Dorit Goldberg
In the prayers of the high holidays we plead with G!d to write and seal us in something called “The Book of Life.” This alone might give us the idea that the fate of whether we live or die in the coming year rests solely in the hands of the divine. However, sprinkled throughout the texts of the season from Elul through Simchat Torah is a very clear theme about our duty to actively choose life, even and especially during times that the burdens of life could distract us from life’s blessings.
In this class, we will study the thematic arc of this textual journey, embarking together on a condensed, yet contained, psycho-spiritual journey in preparation for the high holiday season. In addition to text study, we will use the traditional healing modalities of prayer, chant, meditation, storytelling, and compassionate listening as we collectively engage this transformative process.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic
CATEGORY: LITURGY
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AM105: “If Torah is True, Make it Speak to You…” A Poetic (And Musical?) Journey Into the Parshiyot of Our Torah
Rabbi Elizabeth Goldstein, Ph.D. and Dr. Kimberly Burnham
In connecting our hearts to Torah, we connect ourselves to the truth of Torah. Over our four days together, we will examine select parashiyot through our bodies with song and meditation, through our minds with text study and contemplation, and through our hearts with creative writing, expression and sharing. Rabbi Elizabeth spent 2023-2024 studying, listening and singing what she gleaned from each Torah portion. Kimberly Burnham has been writing poetry inspired by the Torah portion for eight years, among her other jobs as healer, writer, and publisher. Bringing their experiences together, they will share their unique approaches to finding their hearts in Torah to create a unique learning experience.
Each session will primarily focus on one parashah. We will engage with the parashah in multiple ways: through our bodies with song and meditation, through our minds with text study and contemplation, and through our hearts with creative writing, expression and sharing. Each session will open with a song or chant from Rabbi Elizabeth’s parashah project after which she will share some context and describe her process. Each day Kimberly will then share ways to create Torah poetry from the parashah using four different methods: 1) Found Poetry Techniques, 2) Haikus, 3) Guiding lines and 4) Persona Poems. Following our warm-up and didactic time, we will engage in contemplative parashah study to be followed by ample time for participants to write and share (if desired) their own poetry and lyrics. At the conclusion of the Kallah, if the group desires, we will collect the poetry and publish an anthology of the work created throughout our time together.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; no experience required
CATEGORY: TEXT STUDY
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AM106: Show, Don’t Tell: Techniques Beyond Words for Living and Leading Jewish Prayer and Meditation
Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D.
“Words, words, words,” Hamlet protests to Polonius in Act IV, Scene I. Too often, when we are leading services or meditations—especially if we are nervous or uncertain—we resort to over-orientation and over-explanation. Instead of just “doing it,” we feel we a need to ask or invite—verbally. And, rather than trust people to have their own safe, spiritual experience, we, as leaders, feel compelled to provide it to them.
Using his twenty plus years of leading chant and meditation across the world as the Kirtan Rabbi, Reb Drew will teach how to guide Jewish prayer intuitively, without resorting to words – showing, not telling. In the class, we will chant and sing—a lot; we will meditate; we will move; and, yes, we might even look at a text. But mostly, together, we will explore how to exist in the space beyond all words and explanation, and then learn from there to bring others in by example. While this course is focused on leadership, anyone who is interested is welcome. The first two days will focus on concrete, repeatable techniques. After that, those who desire will have opportunities to lead and, in a positive, supportive atmosphere, hone their skills.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences
CATEGORY: LITURGY
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AM107: Bridging the Divide
Aura Hammer and Itaf Awad
Join Itaf Awad (Palestinian Israeli) and Aura Hammer (Jewish Israeli)—who have worked together for over 20 years to build and support peace, equality and connection—for a training on the Way of Council. They will share how their work partnership and sisterhood has survived the difficulties over the years; especially since the Israel-Gaza war. Through listening and speaking from the heart—which created the strong roots of their connection and work together—they will teach how they work through their conflicts and challenges, and how this may be applied in many various situations.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: SOCIAL JUSTICE
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AM108: A River Flows Through Me
Rabbi Elizheva Hurvich
In the second chapter of Genesis we are introduced to four rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden. These rivers water the garden and are symbolic of creative abundance. With four biblical bodies of water to inspire each of four class sessions, students will be invited to write and/or create visual midrash. Using techniques of “handmade midrash” and meditation, Elizheva will guide students in a process of creation, making interpretive visual art based on Torah text. Bring a journal, pen, and an open heart. Put on your seatbelt and get ready for a fun ride! No experience necessary.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: ART
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AM109: Age-ing to Sage-ing: Bringing Hope to Our World
Sage-ing Vatika Lucinda Kurtz, M.A. and Sage-ing Vatik Oran Hesterman, Ph.D.
As sages we can transform the world as we transform ourselves and become the Hope-makers this world desperately needs. This inspiring program for spiritual growth as the saging program helps us to harvest the fruits of our spiritual eldering and to live joyfully on our holy, enlightening journey on this sacred planet. Building on the teachings of our beloved Reb Zalman z”l, our transformative sage-ing tools are rooted in Jewish practices as well as the wisdom of other traditions and contemplative mind sciences while learning how to turn it all into sage blessings for wholeness and peace. Harvesting the wisdom of our life experience, we learn from facing our mortality, maturing in our relationships, developing a regenerative spirit. With conscious awareness based on a commitment to a hopeful, evolving future, we find ourselves drawn to take active leadership roles as honored elders in our communities and society.
Join us in this intergenerational workshop as we offer presentations intertwined with journal writing exercises, study texts, share stories, chant, and experience interactive and individual meditations. We’ll learn how to transform what appear as obstacles into new pathways and channels for shefa, holy creative energy. That can be the biggest blessing of all!
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: PERSONAL GROWTH
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AM110: Renewing Our Relation to Creation (AOP Credit Option Available)
Rabbi Natan Margalit, Ph.D.
Creation stories matter. They inform our understanding of being human: what is our place in the world? What are our responsibilities? Judaism focuses on the creation stories of Genesis, but there are many other creation stories in Midrash, Kabbalah, Hasidic sources, and other parts of Torah. Many of these stories are inspirational and can help us renew and reawaken our deep feelings of kinship with the world, our sense of awe at being a part of a holy creation.
We will discover lesser known versions of Creation in Judaism and new ways to reread our traditional stories from Genesis. We’ll especially focus on the way Hasidic Master Kalonymous Kalman Shapiro, the Piasezcner Rebbe (1889 – 1943), the Rebbe in the Warsaw Ghetto, understood our relation to creation. With these understandings, we can go into the world as activists, artists, teachers, and citizens to help turn our culture toward a sense of partnership with creation as we confront climate, other ecological, and social crises. Students will be guided and encouraged to bring these creation stories into inspirational forms for today, such as dance, drama, visual art, storytelling, and meditation.
This course will also be offered for AOP credit. AOP students interested in the credit option may click here for detailed information.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: ECO-JUDAISM
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AM111: Inherited Trauma 101
Merissa Nathan Gerson
The inheritance of trauma and memory is braided into Jewish history throughout time. Now as we navigate this new era, we must learn what to do with the compounded trauma of the past and the present. This class will look at the modern impacts of loss, dislocation and war on our past and current generations. We will look at trauma and its shifting definitions through multiple lenses: psychiatric, physical, cultural, and spiritual, as we learn how to recognize collective and individual patterns that too often perpetuate violence in our lives. This class offers new tools and insights, weaving compassionate mindfulness with our study of how Jewish spiritual practice and prayer was used to stabilize traumatized populations and can also help us to navigate our lives in this modern moment.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics
CATEGORY: PERSONAL GROWTH
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AM112: We Are the Stories We Tell
Rabbi Mark Novak and Renée Brachfeld
Israeli evolutionary historian Yuval Harari teaches that what separates human beings from all other species is the ability to tell stories. Through stories we transmit heritage, share values, and introduce ourselves to each other and the world.
Join Renée and Rabbi Mark for this fun, thought provoking, and community-building exploration of personal storytelling. Renée & Mark create a fun and safe environment where stories arise naturally. While there will also be opportunities to learn and tell traditional folk tales in a group setting, the main focus will be on telling personal stories without notes. Through games, exercises, and guided practice, we can identify, craft, and share our own stories. Whether you are new to personal storytelling or an experienced teller, this experience is designed for you. Warning: This class is a lot of fun!
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; no experience required
CATEGORY: PERSONAL GROWTH
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AM113: Joyful Movement
Dr. Cia Sautter
This class promotes the experience of Creation as a source of hope and joy. Dr. Cia is a dancer, actor, storyteller, playwright, and teacher whose performance art engages ritual, dance, and theatre as a means of encountering sacred values; exploring the concept of human connection to the more-than-human-world.
The class is based on the upcoming publication of her book, “The Environment of Compassion: Ecology, Religion, and Embodied Story.” We will share a four worlds approach, addressing the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual realities of learning, including: somatic and yoga warm ups; cognitive and affective study of current Jewish scholarship and Torah text; simple creative movement and dance exploration; and time for journaling and reflection.
This class is appropriate for all levels, though willingness to deal with academic inquiry is important. The level of movement and dance participation will be based on student experience and interest. All are welcome, regardless of mobility.
Best for folks who are: looking for embodied experiences
CATEGORY: DANCE/MOVEMENT
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AM114: Hashpa’ah/Spiritual Guidance: Living Soulfully Everyday (AOP Credit Option Available)
Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit
Hashpa’ah/Jewish Spiritual Direction is a process for exploring our connection with what we experience as God, Spirit, Truth, Ultimate Purpose, however we express and understand the sacred in our lives. Using an integrated, interactive, and reflective four-worlds approach as developed in the ALEPH Training Hashpa’ah program over 20 years, we will explore the foundational elements to spiritual guidance and work to open, discern and cultivate an ongoing connection to the Divine direction in our lives, whether for self-realization, activist service in the world, spiritual leadership or wherever we are called to be!
This course will also be offered for AOP credit. AOP students interested in the credit option may click here for detailed information.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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Afternoon Classes
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PM201: Unlearning Jewish Anxiety
Rabbi Caryn Aviv, Ph.D.
Jewish anxiety is real! It’s not our fault; and it’s not inevitable. We have agency and choice in how to respond to stress, fear, and uncertainty. We don’t have to suffer simply because of our challenging, traumatic history and learned anxiety habits. We can unlearn these habits to free ourselves and live more fully with joy.
Unlearning Jewish Anxiety offers concepts and tools to understand ourselves better, and how to respond to life’s difficulties with more self-compassion and equanimity. In this four-day course, we will explore how we unconsciously internalize anti-Jewish oppression around our safety, worth, and belonging. We’ll also learn the neuroscience of anxiety and habits. Finally, we’ll explore Jewish embodied spiritual wisdom, and kindfulness practices, to help us navigate an uncertain world.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: PERSONAL GROWTH
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PM202: Entering the Song of Creation (AOP Credit Option Available)
Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Ph.D.
Let’s explore Perek Shira, the Song of Creation, a hymn sung by all the planet’s creatures. In this mysterious, thousand year old Jewish text, landscapes, plants, and animals each chant a verse from the Psalms. No one knows who composed Perek Shira—or whether they had in mind a work of interpretive midrash, metaphysical Kabbalah, or ethical mussar. Studying in a multi-faceted way, combining careful text study, guided reflection, exuberant music, and ecological facts, we will explore and listen for the wisdom of our fellow creatures, and perhaps even glimpse their unique spiritualities.
This course will also be offered for AOP credit. AOP students interested in the credit option may click here for detailed information.
Best for folks who are: no experience required
CATEGORY: ECO-JUDAISM
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PM203: Turning Our Sorrows Into Song: Judaism’s Secret Recipe for Finding Strength for the Present & Hope for the Future
Rabbi Ilan Glazer
How do we pick up the pieces of our lives after tragedy comes our way? How do we have the chutzpah to keep believing in a better future when the present is so full of war, grief, sadness and pain for so many people?
Our ancestors were no strangers to trauma, exile, and living through difficult times. How did they find the will to keep going again and again? How can we? This class is an exploration of our people’s responses to tragedy, and an invitation for us to incorporate their wisdom into our own lives. Using music, text study, story, and contemplative practices, we’ll see how (some of) our ancestors found ways to transform their suffering, and how we can hopefully do the same. Can we write a hopeful next chapter of our story? Can we still sing songs of joy even in a strange land of trauma and grief? Yes, and the wisdom of our people can show us how and guide us home.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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PM204: Drumming as a Spiritual and Worship Practice
Mitch Gordon
Bring your open heart, voices, (and a drum if you have one!) to this exciting four-day program to find the healing and spiritual powers of the drum. Engage in a practice that is as old as Israelite tribes, as relatable as Miriam and her timbrel, and feel the joy of drumming and chanting as if you were there when we crossed the Sea from Egypt as you connect, reflect and drop deeply into spiritual relationship with the others in the ALEPH Kallah community. Join Master Drummer and Storyteller Mitch Gordon to make a joyful noise and you will find your connection to the Source, to the Universe, and to Torah and liturgy through drum and chant.
All levels and experiences welcome, and some drums will be provided (please bring your own or a borrowed drum if you can.) Drumming and chanting is a participatory activity – come ready to join in!
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: MUSIC
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PM205: Undertorah: Dreams as a Practice of Wonder and Discovery (AOP Credit Option Available)
Rabbi Kohenet Jill Hammer, Ph.D.
Dreams offered revelation long before the Torah was given at Sinai. Around the word, dreams are a source of wisdom, inspiration, truth and healing. In this class, we’ll explore Jewish dream practices from the TaNaKH, Talmud, Kabbalah, Hasidic tradition, and Jewish magical sources. Through exploring the dreamwork that has been a part of Jewish tradition from the earliest days of our tradition, we’ll identify useful dream practices in the present by learning how dream images, places and events can help us deepen our own waking lives. We’ll learn methods for working with our dreams as individuals and in small groups, and we’ll practice those methods together as well as develop strategies for remembering and recording dreams.
Please bring at least a few dreams, recent or from a long time ago, to work with—you’ll only be sharing them if you wish to.
This course will also be offered for AOP credit. AOP students interested in the credit option may click here for detailed information.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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PM206: Toratah 101: Reimagining Sacred Stories
Yael Kanarek and Scott Reiter
In this introductory course, we will explore Toratah, a groundbreaking project that reimagines the Biblical narrative by placing women at the center and introducing men into the domestic sphere through the re-gendering of all characters. Together, we’ll study the Creation stories through this transformative lens, engaging with the sacred text in a way that offers fresh perspectives on gender, power, and spirituality.
Further expanding on our work with the Creation narratives, we will examine a selection from the weekly Torah portion, inviting participants to experience the depth and richness of Toratah’s approach to sacred language and its reimagining of traditional teachings. This course aims to expand theological imagination, offering new ways to understand sacred texts and the divine. It is open to all who are curious about the intersections of gender, tradition, and theology, and how these elements shape our relationship with sacred texts.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; Hebrew literacy recommended; no experience required
CATEGORY: TEXT STUDY
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PM207: From Tshuvah to Tzedek: Creating Justice Through Repair
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
We are living in a time of unprecedented chaos. We have SO MUCH WORK TO DO! And we need each other more than ever. Reb Zalman z”l knew that this moment demands “NOT a patch job on the existing paradigm,” but rather the birthing of an altogether new world. We were born for this moment, Megillat Esther reminds us.
Over the millennia, Jews have cultivated remarkable epigenetic resilience, navigating through devastating challenges and architecting new paradigms for ourselves and the world. Entraining us with exquisite skills in repair, accountability, wholeness and healing, the practice of teshuvah has been at the heart of our success.
Come! Find hope and inspiration through Torah and Talmudic text. Discover historical strategies for birthing new beginnings, and explore spiritual practices like meditation, art, prayer, dance and Bibliodrama. Learn from the wisdom of our subconscious and our bodies, from our sages and our flesh and blood ancestors. Together we will grow hope and joy as we RE-build this world with Spirit-led justice and enduring love.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics
CATEGORY: SOCIAL JUSTICE
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PM208: Seeking Presence No Matter What: Embodying the Psalms Through Creative Expression
Dr. Julie Leavitt
The ancient voice of the Psalms/Tehillim have been translated into many languages and reflect a deep longing related to whatever is going on at any time in our lives. We will enter various Psalms, inviting inquiry through our bodies. We will move, make art, write, sing, and find silence together listening for our authentic connection to the humanity in these time-honored words, that can feel like a “calling out from the soul.” No prior experience with the Psalms needed. We will use English versions and Hebrew will be available. Please wear clothing that is comfortable to move in. Come as you are.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: DANCE/MOVEMENT
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PM209: Davvenen’ Through the Worlds: A Master Class in Making Prayer Come Alive
Rabbi Marcia Prager and Hazzan Abbe Lyons
Join an adventure in Jewish prayer leadership: a taste of “DLTI,” the acclaimed two-year Davvenen’ Leadership Training Institute – an intensive training program in the high art of Jewish prayer. Our Kallah class becomes a living laboratory for you to discover the deep structure of prayer and a range of leadership styles that tap the potential of your own personal presence. Learn to use voice, body and gesture with comfort; to let melody create mood; and to shape phrasing so that your teaching also becomes prayer. Come explore how the practice of Jewish communal prayer can activate the body, touch the heart, engage the mind and nourish spiritual growth. DLTI has trained over 700 rabbis, cantors, educators, students and lay leaders from across the world and touching all Jewish denominations. Whether you are an experienced leader or just beginning, this experience can support you in making your prayer come alive.
Best for folks who are: Hebrew literacy recommended
CATEGORY: LITURGY
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PM210: Soul-Guiding and the Kabbalistic Journey of the Soul: Birth, Death, Afterlife, and Reincarnation
Rabbinic Pastor Simcha Raphael, Ph.D.
Kabbalah teaches us that the human soul is forever in cycles of transition from birth into life, from death to rebirth. Through study of Zohar and Midrash, enhanced by meditative journey work, we will explore these texts as transformational maps of consciousness offering insight and hope in times of grief, mourning and cultural distress—much needed for spiritual living today. This multi-modality class will be an exploration in “spiritual archaeology,” bringing to light little-known teachings that provide meaning for ourselves, and compassionate wisdom for others who are dealing with dying, grief and mourning.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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PM211: Hasidic Tales of Discovery, Loss, and Renewal
Rabbi Or Rose
In this course we will examine a variety of stories composed by Eastern European Jewish mystical leaders and their followers. These tales provide us with a window into the spiritual and cultural world of various teachers, preachers, and seekers as they encounter the beauties, mysteries, and challenges of daily life. Our study will include materials by and about the Ba’al Shem Tov (d. 1760), Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (d. 1809), Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (d. 1810), and other lesser-known figures (historical and fictional.) In contextualizing these sources, we will compare them to other forms of Hasidic writing—homilies, conduct literature, letters, etc. We will also explore how these stories have been interpreted by Neo-Hasidic figures, including Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and our beloved Reb Zalman z”l.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: SPIRITUALITY
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PM212: Symbols of the Sacred: A Jewish Mystical Art Journey
Kohenet Bekah Starr
Step into the mystical world of Jewish sacred texts and artistic expression. In this immersive four-day class, we will uncover the ancient Jewish practice of sigil-making. Sigils are sacred symbols imbued with intentional meaning, often serving as visual representations of spiritual concepts, divine energies, or deeply personal intentions. In Jewish contexts, they draw inspiration from mystical traditions, sacred texts, and the creative power of the Hebrew alphabet, functioning as tools for focus, meditation, and connection to the divine.
Participants will design their own sigils, embedding them with personal meaning and divine intention, and then incorporate these symbols into a collage art piece. Each day will begin with a 10-15 minute introduction to a unique collage art technique, from layering and texture creation to mixed-media integration. The remaining class time will be devoted to hands-on creation, offering a space for deep reflection, artistic exploration, and community connection.
Participants of all artistic levels are welcome—whether you are a seasoned artist or new to creative expression, you will find inspiration, growth, and joy in this journey of sacred art-making. Creative expression through art creation is healing and can be a deeply satisfying form of self-care and comfort when navigating challenges and stress. By the end of the class, participants will leave with a completed artwork that serves as a tangible manifestation of hope, healing, and intention.
Please note that this class will have a small materials fee to be paid to the instructor on the first day of class. Exact amount will be determined based on the number of registrants (likely $20-25,) and will not exceed $36 per registrant.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: ART
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PM213: B’Tselem Elohim: A Four Worlds Exploration of the Alchemy Between Self-Liberation (Tikkun HaLev) and Collective Liberation (Tikkun HaOlam)
Shir HaShirim Rabbi Dr. Pesach-Lev Zeitz and Shir HaShirim Rabbi Lynna Schaefer
Using holy curiosity, we will explore what it means to manifest the precept of B’Tselem Elohim—all humans having equal value—in the quest for self and collective liberation. As we face the turbulence and uncertainty surrounding us, we will unleash the power of our imaginations. Gathering under the banner of G-d’s Love we will participate in experiential practices with the ultimate goal of creating healing in our hearts, leading to healing in the USA, in Israel/Palestine, and in the world.
In this class we will form beloved community, adapting the experiential learning style of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l, to practice skills and tools together to sustain our journey. Sourcing spiritual practices from Love at the Center created by Rabbi Shefa Gold, Revolutionary Optimism: 7 Steps for Living as a Love-Centered Activist by Dr. Paul Zeitz, ALEPH Principle 16, and inter-spiritual wisdom, we will chant, meditate, journal, share, and connect deeply with spirit buddies to experience the polarization of the Jewish communal soul, ground our awareness for healing in ourselves and in our divided societies, examine our internal tangles contributing to the outer divisiveness, and expand our love consciousness and inner spaciousness to begin healing and explore practical actions for bridging the divide towards our self- and collective-liberation.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; wanting to spark conversation on edgy topics; no experience required
CATEGORY: PERSONAL GROWTH
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Lunchtime and Dinnertime Classes
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AFT301: Kallah Klezmer Kapelye
Klezmer Basye Khannah (Beth) Cohen
Join the Kallah Klezmer ‘Kapelye’ (Yiddish for ‘band’) and experience joy in the old country heimishe (homey) style. Play, sing and dance Freylekhs (joyous dances), Khosidls (earthy prayerful Hasidic dances), walking slow horas, and fast ecstatic Bulgars and Hongas. We will also sing and play some Hasidic nigunim and sing a lidele Yiddish. We will experiment with the traditional klezmer scales and modes and explore their emotional counterparts via the soloing traditions of doina, vorshpiel and taxim. You only need to know the basics of your instrument. Ability to read music is helpful, but not necessary. Tunes will be taught “by ear” – sheet music will be also provided. Recording devices are welcome.
Best for folks who are: looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences
CATEGORY: MUSIC
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AFT302: Kallah Chorale
Cantor Linda Hirschhorn
Singing is transformative and connects our hearts with what our mind has learned. Singing in harmony connects us with each other’s hearts. In this week long intensive we will study the ‘kavanah’ (intention) of our prayers and explore how the richness of melodies, rhythms and harmonies elucidate the richness, depth and complexity of text to give it new meaning. Each person will be challenged and inspired to find personal relevance in the words they sing. The songs will reflect our commitment to social justice and celebration of life.
Best for folks who are: new to ALEPH and Jewish Renewal; looking for a deep dive into the topic; looking for embodied experiences; no experience required
CATEGORY: MUSIC
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Navigating Toward Hope