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).

William A. Turner
Will is our IT Guru, Web Master, and Customer Service Specialist, and Jack of all trades. Working since December of 2005, he is quite knowledgable about CHL's history. He is proficient in backpacking, Japanese sword fighting, as well as anything relating to computers or technology (especially video games). Give Chochmat a call today and he'll be glad to help!

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.

Melanie Grubman
Melanie is a Maggid in Training and a Rabbi to be. She joins Chochmat as our Programming Director, to plan and manage programs and workshops lasting 4 weeks to two years. If you have a workshop idea or something to teach our community, please contact Melanie.

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!

Board of Directors (Click here for Bios)

• Maurice Abrahms, Vice President
• Susan Berger
• Russ Cashin
• Inette Dishler
• Janet Falk, President
• Hal Feiger
• Lainey Feingold
• Jeff Fry
• Nan Gefen
• Dolores Leavitt
• Nancy Newman, Secretary
• Jon Rosenfield
• Grace Schoeniger
• Abro Sutker
• Rick Zarlow

Meditation Leaders

Ruchama Burrel

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 iscurrently swimming upstream in the cultural current:  cultivating a contemplative life full of quiet, peace, and a growing relationship with the Unknown and the Unknowable.

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.

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.

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.

Shir'Az Strobel

Service Leaders

Rabbi Sara Shendelman
Rabbi Sara Shendelman has cantorial smicha from Rabbis Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Shlomo Carlebach, rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Gershon Winkler, and was given the title of Eshet Hazon (Woman of Vision) from the Jewish Renewal Movement. The Founder and Director of the Jewish Arts and Culture School, she has published 3 CDs and a book: Traditions: The Complete Book of Prayers, Rituals & Blessings for Every Jewish Home (Hyperion).

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.

Cyrise Beatty

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

Teachers

Rabbi Avram Davis, PhD
Avram Davis, Ph.D. is founder of Chochmat HaLev and the founder & director of Yeshiva Simchat Lev. He received his B.A. and M.A. in Jewish Studies and Ph.D. in comparative philosophy. He has studied at Yeshiva Adar Torah, Yeshiva Mossas Rav Kook and Yeshiva Bratzlav. In meditation, his studies have also included periods with non-Jewish teachers. He is the author of two books: The Way of Flame, Judaic Mysticism, and the editor of Meditation From the Heart of Judaism.

Estelle Frankel, MFT
Estelle Frankel, MFT, is a therapist, spiritual advisor, and rabbinic pastor (mashpiah-maggidah) who blends depth psychology with the wisdom and healing practices of Kabbalah.  She is the author of Sacred Therapy:  Jewish Spiritual teachings on Emotional Healing & Inner Wholeness. Visit www.sacredtherapy.com

Jueli Garfinkle

Rabbi Daniel Lev

Hana Matt
Hana Matt works as a Jewish Spiritual Director in Berkeley is finishing her book, Jewish Spiritual Direction and Meditation from Kabbalah and Hassidut. It includes teachings on transforming depression, anxiety, addictive patterns and imbalanced relationships. She teaches classes in Kabbalah, Hasidut, and Meditation in the Zohar.