 Staff
Larisa Blum
Larisa, Executive Director, has been with Chochmat since
May 2006. A former litigator, she has turned her life
into an on-going spiritual quest. To this end, she feels
blessed to work for Chochmat, which allows her to align
her analytical and creative skills with her insatiable
curiosity for at once asking and experiencing the timeless
question/answer of "what is." She also feels
extremely lucky to be able to work towards building
community and supporting a space that serves as a milestone
for many others on their spiritual journeys. When not
in the office, you can find Larisa dancing (sometimes
in the office, too).
Kerrick A. Lucker
Kerrick is our Office Manager. He grew up in the mountainous, chilly land of Florida
and moved to Berkeley in 2005 for graduate school. He
studies museum education, community-based organizations,
and how people build community and identity. He's just
(re)learning Jewish spirituality, and appreciates the
warm welcome here at Chochmat HaLev.
Amielle Zemach
Amielle is our facilities coordinator, events
registrant extraordinaire, meditation garden monitor
and sunshine spreader. If you have a question about
reserving facilities for your life-cycle events or other
gatherings, please email Amielle and she'll be happy
to help. Amielle, too, dances at Shabbats.
Sean O'Laoghaire
Sean is our resident building manager with a winning,
Irish accent. He can be found in the back of the sanctuary
during Shabbat services (with the cool kids), manning
the sound-board. He can fix anything, and we mean anything!
Tim Ponti
Tim is our new part-time IT person. Bio forthcoming.
Board
of Directors (Click here for Bios)
- Maurice Abrams, Vice President
- Susan Berger, President
- Lainey Feingold
- Jeff Fry
- Dolores Leavitt
- Hank Obermayer
- Jim Sinkinson, Treasurer
- Miriam Smolover
- Abro Sutker
- Andrew Utiger
Religious
Service and Meditation Leaders
Brian Schachter-Brooks
Martin Buber asked, "Can there be a religion of
Presence? Not of remembrance or of hope, but of Presence?"
Brian dedicates himself to answering this question with
his life; imperfect and wavering though his answer may
be. Brian lives in North Oakland with wife Lisa and
son Eidan. He is certified as a Jewish meditation teacher
through Chochmat HaLev and holds a Bachelor of Music
Composition from The Eastman School of Music. He has
written, taught and performed Jewish spirituality for
twenty years; perhaps one day it will be said that he
lived It.
Click here to visit Brian's Page.
Jeffrey Kessler
Jeffrey Kessler, MA, holds degrees in philosophy,
mathematics and spiritual psychology. He is a long-time
practitioner and teacher of Tai-Chi Chuan. A graduate
of Chochmat HaLev's Jewish Meditation Instructor's Training
program and a student of various traditions and psycho-physical
systems, he is dedicated to the deepening of Jewish
Spiritual practice.
Jonah Sharkey
Jonah Sharkey, a graduate of Chochmat Halev's Jewish
Meditation Teachers Certification Program, has been
a part of the Chochmat Halev community since the High
Holy days of 1998. His Conservative upbringing informs
his curiosity in finding the sweetness within our liturgy,
and his love of the sweet intricacies of Torah leads
him to further explore its application in day to day
Jewish life.
Laura Goldman
Laura Goldman, L.C.S.W., is a Psychotherapist, Jewish
Spiritual Director, and Jewish Meditation Teacher.
She is a graduate of Chochmat HaLev's Teacher's Certification
Program in Meditation, and of the Morei Derekh Training
Program in Spiritual Direction. She is currently
swimming upstream in the cultural current: cultivating
a contemplative life full of quiet, peace, and a growing
relationship with the Unknown and the Unknowable.
 Zelig
Golden
Zelig Golden is an active member of the Chochmat community
and a Maggid in training with Yeshivat Simchat Lev.
He facilitates morning prayer and meditation, works
to bring earth Torah to the community with events like
Sukkot on the Farm, and will begin leading vision quests
for the Jewish community this summer. During the day,
Zelig is a staff attorney with the Center for Food Safety,
where he works to challenge harmful food production
technologies such as genetically engineered crops and
to promote sustainable alternatives.
 Maggid
shir' Az
Maggid shir 'Az has been a chant, meditation and service
leader at Chochmat HaLev since 2002, and has served
the greater East Bay in a spiritual leadership capacity
since 2000. She completed Chochmat HaLev's Jewish Meditation
Teachers Certification Program in 2004 and received
smicha (ordination) as a shamanic maggid from Rabbi
Avram Davis in 2007. shir 'Az presently works in community
development and is an independent teacher, Jewish shamanic
healer and spiritual practice advisor.
Jen Miriam Kantor
Jen Miriam Kantor has a rich and unique background as
an early childhood educator, musician, teacher, performer,
puppeteer and therapist. She has a passion for Judaism
and especially loves to create experiences where people
of all ages can celebrate together. Check her out at
her website at www.jenmiriam.com.
Musicians & Vocalists
- Artyom Ash
- Ben Bernstein
- Jen Miriam Kantor
- Saul Kaye
- Yari Mander
- Sam Markewich
- Josh Miele
- Nina Perlman
- Naomi Robinson
- Eliyahu Sills
- Bon Singer
- Risa Wallach
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