Institute For Jewish Spirituality Inc

THE INSTITUTE SEEKS TO TRANSFORM JEWISH LIFE BY CREATING MINDFUL LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND REINVIGORATE THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF AMERICAN JUDAISM

CLERGY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (CLP) IS AN EIGHTEEN-MONTH, PRACTICE-BASED PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR JEWISH CLERGY TO DEEPEN THEIR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING, PRACTICES, AND LIVES. OUR CURRENT COHORT HAS 41 PARTICIPANTS DRAWN FROM ACROSS JEWISH DENOMINATIONS AND THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF FOUR IN-PERSON RETREATS, INTERIM PRACTICE AND LEARNING DONE WITH A CHEVRUTAH (OR STUDY PARTNER), AND REGULAR MEETINGS WITH A FACULTY MENTORS. CLERGY LEARN THROUGH STUDY AND PRACTICE TO ACCESS AN INNER CALM AND CLARITY, CONFIDENCE, STRENGTH, AND GRATITUDE THAT NOURISHES AND SUSTAINS THEM IN SERVICE TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY.

HEVRAYA, OR "COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS," IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPANION PROGRAM OPEN TO THE MORE THAN 550 ALUMNI OF OUR CLERGY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, WHO COLLECTIVELY SERVE OVER 250,000 PEOPLE. HEVRAYA PROVIDES VITAL ONGOING TEACHING AND SUPPORT TO CLP GRADUATES AS THEY DEEPEN THEIR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND BRING THE WORK BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. OFFERINGS INCLUDE MONTHLY ONLINE PRAYER AND PRACTICE SESSIONS AND AN ANNUAL FIVE-DAY IN-PERSON RETREAT.

HEVRAYA ("COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS") IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPANION PROGRAM OPEN TO THE MORE THAN 550 CLP ALUMNI WHO COLLECTIVELY SERVE OVER 250,000 PEOPLE. HEVRAYA PROVIDES VITAL ONGOING TEACHING AND SUPPORT TO CLP GRADUATES AS THEY DEEPEN THEIR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND BRING THE WORK BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. PROGRAMMING FOR HEVRAYA INCLUDES MONTHLY MEETINGS, AN ACTIVE LISTSERV, AND ANNUAL (AND HIGHLY ATTENDED) IN-PERSON FIVE DAY RETREAT. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, WE PLAN TO EXPAND PROGRAM OFFERINGS THROUGH HEVRAYA.

AWARENESS IN ACTION IS A PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON SPIRITUAL AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, GROWING MORE CONSCIOUS OF HABITUAL REACTIVITY AND LEARNING TO RESPOND INSTEAD WITH WISE WORDS AND ACTIONS INFORMED BY MIDDOT, INNATE SPIRITUAL CHARACTER TRAITS. THIS PROGRAM COMBINES ONLINE LEARNING AND DAILY PRACTICE PROMPTS WITH LIVE WEEKLY PRACTICE SESSIONS LED BY RABBI MARC MARGOLIUS.

CYCLES OF REST, RELEASE AND LIBERATION: ANTIRACISM AND SHEMITAH AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WAS OFFERED FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE 2022 BY IJS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YAVILAH MCCOY OF DIMENSIONS EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING. THIS SIX-MONTH PROGRAM COMBINED JEWISH TEXT, ANTIRACISM TEACHING, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING PARTICIPANTS BETTER UNDERSTAND AND UNDERTAKE ANTIRACISM AS JEWISH SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED FOUR LIVE WEBINARS LED BY YAVILAH MCCOY, EACH FOLLOWED BY TWO OPTIONAL CAUCUS SPACE SESSIONS. THE CAUCUS GROUPS WERE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE SELF-DEFINED RACIALIZED IDENTITIES OF PARTICIPANTS, IN ORDER TO HELP THEM PROCESS THE COURSE MATERIAL WITH OTHERS FROM SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS. THIS PROGRAM WAS OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE.

PRAYER PROJECT IS A SET OF INTENSIVE COURSES ON PRAYER THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP PARTICIPANTS FOCUS ON CULTIVATING A SPECIFIC MODALITY OF PRAYER PRACTICE. ONCE A WEEK STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL WITH A SHORT VIDEO TEACHING, RECORDED BY ONE OF OUR TEACHERS. THESE VIDEO TEACHINGS ACCOMPANY A WRITTEN LESSON, WHICH MAY INCLUDE LINKS TO JEWISH TEXTS, SECULAR WRITINGS, POEMS, MUSIC, VIDEOS, AND OTHER REFERENCES TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR LEARNING. AS AN OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE COURSE, PARTICIPANTS CAN CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN A WEEKLY PROCESSING GROUP WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR. THEY OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR TEACHER AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN A "LIVE" ENVIRONMENT ON ZOOM.