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I keep G-d Before me always...
Jewish Spiritual Direction at CHL
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Chochmat HaLev is pleased to introduce a new Jewish Spiritual Direction Program to community members. Spiritual Direction is a process wherein an individual, or group of people, meets at regular intervals (often once per month) with a spiritual director for the purpose of exploring and cultivating a relationship with God. This process is not about being “directed”; rather it encourages the growth of awareness of holiness in the joyful, the painful, and the ordinary moments of life. Additionally, Spiritual Direction is a place to take questions, doubts, and struggles with God. The director acts as a companion and witness, helping the directee discern her/his own unique experiences of God’s presence.

 

Spiritual Direction is not psychotherapy. The focus of the process is in opening to the Divine in one’s life, rather than problem-solving or facing unresolved psychological issues. Spiritual Direction can be time set aside for deep, personal communion with one’s own spiritual longings and inclinations, and for directing one’s attention to the Sacred in others, in the planet, and in oneself.

 

Pre-registration is required for all spiritual direction programs.

To pre-register, please call phone (510) 704-9687 or email email frontdesk@chochmat.org.

 

Walking the Mourner's Path:
a Spiritual Direction Group for the Grieving w/ Laura Goldman

This is a Spiritual Direction Group for those who have experienced a recent death, and those who have not previously had the opportunity to grieve an older loss in a clear or healing manner. We will meet monthly, using meditation, prayer, reflection, and ritual to move through a mourning process in a safe, and spiritual atmosphere. Additionally there will be teachings regarding various Jewish mourning practices and Jewish views of the afterlife.

As with other Spiritual Direction offerings, this is a contemplative group designed to track the sacred dimensions of our lives, including the grieving process. Participants should be willing to both share something of their own experience of loss, as well as listen to the stories of others.

Please call Laura at phone (510) 528-1835 to obtain additional information and to schedule an interview.

Dates: 7 to 9 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: 1/27, 2/17, 3/17, 4/14, 5/19, 6/2

Fee: $200 for members of Chochmat HaLev; $250 for non-members

 

Standing Together Again at Sinai
A Beginning Jewish Spiritual Direction Group w/ Laura Goldman

Dates: Wednesday nights, 7 to 9 pm: 11/12, 12/10, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/15, 5/13, 6/03.

Fee: $300 general public/$250 CHL members


Our tradition teaches us that we were all present for the Revelation at Sinai, and further, that Revelation is a continuous process, available at any moment. Perhaps you have felt a spark of the Sacred, have brushed up against the Mystery, and wish to deepen this experience. Perhaps you live with a sense of God’s Presence, and long to find a way to talk about it. Perhaps your heart yearns to feel a connection to Holiness, and yet you have not found an entry.

This group is for those who are interested in beginning an exploration of their spiritual lives with others on a similar path. We will support each other as we deepen our abilities to listen with our hearts and discover our unique response to the eternal Revelation. Through the use of meditation, prayer, silence, and words, we will create a spiritual community of safety and interconnection.

For additional info, and to arrange for an interview, please contact Laura Goldman at phone (510) 528-1835.

Individual Spiritual Direction
w/Laura Goldman

Each member of Chochmat HaLev is eligible for one free 1-hour individual session of Spiritual Direction per year. In individual Spiritual Direction, the time is devoted to contemplatively exploring and discerning the movement of God in your life right now. Through conversation, prayer, and silence we reflect on your personal spiritual journey with the intention of opening and deepening. Subsequent individual sessions are available for a fee.

To schedule an individual session of Spiritual Direction, contact Laura Goldman at phone (510) 528-1835.

Drawing from the Well:
A Jewish Spiritual Guidance Group
w/ Estelle Frankel

Dates: Sunday evenings from 7:00-9:00: 10/19, 11/16, 12/14, 1/17, 2/14, 3/8, 4/12, 5/17, 6/14

Fee: $300 general public/$250 CHL members

Group Limit: 12 participants

In Jewish legend and in many spiritual traditions, the “well,” (Be’er, in Hebrew), is a symbol of the infinite and inexhaustible Source of all Being—the Ein Sof. The Torah and the soul are likened to a well of living waters (be’er mayim chayim)—an ever-flowing spring of unfathomable depths. And though this nourishing well is available to all of us at all times, access often feels blocked, especially when our lives become too busy and over-programmed.

This group will provide a safe and supportive space for seekers who long to share their spiritual journeys with an intimate circle of friends. Monthly gatherings will include meditation, chant, contemplative Torah study and time for exploring and sharing how God is moving through our lives.

To obtain additional information and to arrange for an interview call Estelle at: phone (510) 525-2105


Your Spritual Direction Facilitators

Estelle Frankel is a practicing psychotherapist,and spiritual teacher who blends the healing wisdom and practices of the Kabbalah with depth psychology. She is an ordained Rabbinic Pastor (Mashpiah-Maggidah) and the author of Sacred Therapy: Jewish Spiritual Teachings on Emotional Healing & Inner Wholeness.

Laura Goldman is a practicing psychotherapist and spiritual director. She is a teacher of Jewish meditation and leader of contemplative worship at Chochmat HaLev.

 





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