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Calendar

March 2024

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1
Kabbalat Shabbat
6:00 pm

Friday, March 1, 6pm

In person and on Zoom
Meeting ID 878 1040 4956
Passcode 972073

Join Chochmat HaLev for a Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat) service, a mystical tradition full of embodied prayer, soulful singing, ecstatic dancing, guided meditation, sharing of ancestral wisdom, and connection in intergenerational community. This service will be led by Zvika Krieger and special guests Lauren Arrow and Nathanial Markman.

Service will start promptly at 6pm — please arrive a few minutes early to check in and be seated.

Community Potluck after services, followed by HeartSpace featuring our second “AMA” or “Ask Me Anything” with Zvika on the Israel/Palestine crisis. 

If you’re planning to attend in-person, please register in advance.
If you’re planning to attend via Zoom, the link is here: https://zoom.us/j/8781040495


During service

Childcare is available. Please register so we know you’re coming!

After service

Please bring a vegetarian dish to share at our Community Potluck!

Then join us for another special HeartSpace circle, our second “AMA” or “Ask Me Anything” with Zvika on the Israel/Palestine crisis.  Zvika previously worked Egypt and Jordan as a journalist and in the US Defense Department and State Department on Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations, security cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
 

DONATION INFO

Our Shabbat services are supported by donation. Each donation, small and large, allows us to continue with this offering. Please contribute when you register, or at one of the links below:
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @chochmat 
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

Accessibility

ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/87810404956

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID 878 1040 4956
Passcode 972073
Notice: Our Zoom recordings are for archival purposes only, and therefore are not available to the public.

Physical Access

Entrance

Entrance to the Sanctuary is at the corner of Prince St. and Fulton St.. There are 8 steps into the main entrance of the Sanctuary. There is an accessible ramp at a separate entrance on Fulton St. Please let a volunteer or staff know if you need to use this entrance; you can also email us in advance at shalom@chochmat.org

Seating

We have folding chairs (some with padding, some without), pillows, and floor cushions available for you to use, along with limited bench seating in the back of the Sanctuary. 

COVID Protocols
Our policy effective May 19th, 2023 is as follows:
Chochmat HaLev, in consultation with our medical advisor and based on community survey results, will discontinue masking requirements for attendance at events. Masks, although not required, are recommended. We understand people will need to make their own decisions about exposure and risk based on their own personal preferences, and health status.

Chochmat HaLev will provide passive ventilation (e.g., open windows and doors under the supervision of security-trained personnel) and other equipment as available.

Chochmat HaLev will include specific guidelines for those attending in person events on our website and in announcements regarding events.
Chochmat HaLev will provide seating adjacent to a window in an end-of-the-row seat to individuals upon request.

DO NOT attend an event at CHL if:

  • you are experiencing any potential symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness
  • you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days and have not had a negative antigen test on Day 6 or later
  • you have had a known exposure to COVID-19 in the past 3-5 days
  • a household member has tested positive in the last 10 days and has not had a negative test on Day 6 or later

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE
By attending this event, you consent that recordings or photos of you may be used by Chochmat HaLev. If you have any questions, please contact shalom@chochmat.org.

, …
2
Torah Study
9:30 am

Saturdays, 9:30 – 11am
with Eric Strellis
Join with Zoom

It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it, and whoever keeps hold of it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.  – Proverbs 3:17-18

If Torah is our Tree of Life, where are its roots, how does it flower, what does its fruit taste like?

Answers to these questions, and more, are revealed to us every week when we study together. Engaging with Torah allows us to access an Eternal Wisdom that often seems intimidating, hidden and unreachable. Explore the parsha, the week’s Torah portion, with a warm, supportive, questioning community.  Together, we luxuriate in the specialness of Shabbat, delving deeply into the text. We read the entire parsha aloud in English and see where the discussion leads us.  Prior experience with the text is not required as we read it again, together, for the first time.

Join us and deepen your connection to Torah, Shabbat, and Jewish community. Everyone is welcome, every voice is valued.

For more information, please reach out to Eric Strellis at eric@chochmat.org.

DONATION INFO
We rely on your contributions to cover our expenses. Please consider donating, or become a member!

Free for Chochmat members
$5 requested donation for non-members
• Donate online here
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.
Join with video
https://zoom.us/j/652501750

Join by phone
1-669-444 9171
1-346-248-7799
1-253-205-0468

Meeting ID: 881 8385 9402
Passcode: 986927

, …
3
4
Monday Night Meditation
7:00 pm

Mondays – 7 – 8:00pm
by donation
On Zoom ONLY

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

SCHEDULE
1st Mondays – Judy Fleischman
2nd Mondays – Jen Roitman
3rd Mondays – Daniella Salzman
4th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler
5th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler

DESCRIPTION

Want to see God (or at least It’s shadow)? Lower your blood pressure? Manage your spiritual confusion? Connect with a deeper Jewish consciousness? Learn about Judaism’s esoteric side? Get a whiff of enlightenment?

Just as healthy foods nourish our body, Jewish meditation nourishes our soul.  It has been around for centuries and includes forms such as chanting, visualization, silence, and movement. It can revitalize and transform Judaism from the blasé familiar into a profound and constantly renewing spiritual practice.

As one of the first modern Jewish institutions to teach these forms when we opened our doors in 1995, we invite you to join us in a journey that is both personal and communal, a claiming and reclaiming of ancient pathways that open and deepen our capacity to live in connection.

Some of the teachers are skilled in Classical Jewish styles of meditation, while others are practitioners of other forms but have integrated Jewish wisdom, liturgy, and concepts into their teaching. All provide an interesting, engaging and meaningful experience.

For beginners and experienced meditators alike. No previous meditation or Jewish experience required. By donation.

DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Our meditation program is supported entirely by donations. Each contribution, small and large, allows us to keep bringing you meaningful offerings.
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.

Join with video:  https://zoom.us/j/848045873?pwd=bHpOZEpwTGJkbDNRLzNoVjNoZ01vZz09

Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833, or 1-346-248-7799, or 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 848-045-873

Passcode: 847352

BIOS
Jen Roitman
Jen experienced the power of chanting and meditation at a contemplative Rosh Hashanah service led by Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man and has been practicing Jewish and Vipassana meditation for more than 18 years.  She is a graduate of Rabbi Shefa Gold’s Kol Zimra Chant Leader Training, and The Sati Center Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. 

For Jen, the combination of chant and silence is particularly powerful. In her experience chanting helps the meditation go deeper, and she loves how when we do this  in community, it helps us to open our hearts, connect with each other and access those more transformational places.

Zvi Bellin
Originally from Brooklyn, Zvi moved out to the Bay Area about 10 years ago. Professionally, he teaches counseling and has a private psychotherapy practice. Spiritually, he draws from Judaism and Vipassana traditions, with a humble twist from Thich Nhat Hanh. He is drawn to storytelling and connection in diverse communities. Zvi has led therapeutically-oriented mindfulness training and retreats and loves engaging with texts to connect ancient practice to contemporary life.  Let’s practice together and make meaningful moments.

Daniella Salzman
Daniella Salzman is deeply committed to revelation and revolution. Having trained as a dance expressive arts therapist, meditation and mindfulness teacher, and community organizer, she is inspired by leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming both our inner and outer worlds towards a lasting and integrated peace.

Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey Kessler has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics, and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.

, …
5
6
Meditation of Presence
8:15 am

with Jeffrey Kessler
Wednesdays  |  8:15 – 9am
By Donation  |  On Zoom 

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

Torah is our technology for encountering the Divine Presence. Silence provides a necessary space for that encounter. According to Jewish tradition, the Presence dwells continually within and around us, but we must learn deep listening to receive its generative wisdom. Shemah – in a word that sounds like an exhalation of breath,  we are directed to listen in order to understand the Divine Oneness. We are to open to this Oneness with all of our heart, our soul, our strength. We must listen to our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts, all that is deep within us.

Join us as we sit together in silence, after a brief teaching on meditation practice in connection either with the weekly Torah portion or where we find ourselves in the Jewish sacred calendar.


About Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.


DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Every contribution, large or small, allows us to keep bringing you meditation, services, and much more. 
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org


ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/520703203?pwd=RnJNRittSkZNcnkxNm03WGxvcFgyQT09

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 520 703 203
Passcode: 062729

, …
7
8
9
Torah Study
9:30 am

Saturdays, 9:30 – 11am
with Eric Strellis
Join with Zoom

It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it, and whoever keeps hold of it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.  – Proverbs 3:17-18

If Torah is our Tree of Life, where are its roots, how does it flower, what does its fruit taste like?

Answers to these questions, and more, are revealed to us every week when we study together. Engaging with Torah allows us to access an Eternal Wisdom that often seems intimidating, hidden and unreachable. Explore the parsha, the week’s Torah portion, with a warm, supportive, questioning community.  Together, we luxuriate in the specialness of Shabbat, delving deeply into the text. We read the entire parsha aloud in English and see where the discussion leads us.  Prior experience with the text is not required as we read it again, together, for the first time.

Join us and deepen your connection to Torah, Shabbat, and Jewish community. Everyone is welcome, every voice is valued.

For more information, please reach out to Eric Strellis at eric@chochmat.org.

DONATION INFO
We rely on your contributions to cover our expenses. Please consider donating, or become a member!

Free for Chochmat members
$5 requested donation for non-members
• Donate online here
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.
Join with video
https://zoom.us/j/652501750

Join by phone
1-669-444 9171
1-346-248-7799
1-253-205-0468

Meeting ID: 881 8385 9402
Passcode: 986927

, …
Shabbat Morning Service
10:30 am

Saturday Morning Prayer Service
with Zvika Krieger

Saturday, 10:30 am
In person and on Zoom

Meeting ID 878 1040 4956
Passcode 972073

Join Zvika Krieger and an amazing team of prayer leaders and musicians for a Shabbat morning Shacharit prayer service, full of soulful singing, ecstatic dancing, and guided meditation. Our interactive Torah experience mines the texts of our ancestral wisdom for modern meaning.
 

Service will start promptly at 10:30 am — please arrive 15 minutes early to check in.

No childcare available on Saturday mornings. Email shalom@chochmat.org to join our Families WhatsApp group.

After Services: Enjoy a delicious kiddush lunch and schmooze with our community.

DONATION INFO

Our Shabbat services are supported by donation. Each donation, small and large, allows us to continue with this offering. Please contribute when you register, or at one of the links below:
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @chochmat 
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

Accessibility

ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/87810404956

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID 878 1040 4956
Passcode 972073
Notice: Our Zoom recordings are for archival purposes only, and therefore are not available to the public.

Physical Access

Entrance

Entrance to the Sanctuary is at the corner of Prince St. and Fulton St.. There are 8 steps into the main entrance of the Sanctuary. There is an accessible ramp at a separate entrance on Fulton St. Please let a volunteer or staff know if you need to use this entrance; you can also email us in advance at shalom@chochmat.org

Seating

We have folding chairs (some with padding, some without), pillows, and floor cushions available for you to use, along with limited bench seating in the back of the Sanctuary. 

COVID Protocols
Our policy effective May 19th, 2023 is as follows:
Chochmat HaLev, in consultation with our medical advisor and based on community survey results, will discontinue masking requirements for attendance at events. Masks, although not required, are recommended. We understand people will need to make their own decisions about exposure and risk based on their own personal preferences, and health status.

Chochmat HaLev will provide passive ventilation (e.g., open windows and doors under the supervision of security-trained personnel) and other equipment as available.

Chochmat HaLev will include specific guidelines for those attending in person events on our website and in announcements regarding events.
Chochmat HaLev will provide seating adjacent to a window in an end-of-the-row seat to individuals upon request.

DO NOT attend an event at CHL if:

  • you are experiencing any potential symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness
  • you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days and have not had a negative antigen test on Day 6 or later
  • you have had a known exposure to COVID-19 in the past 3-5 days
  • a household member has tested positive in the last 10 days and has not had a negative test on Day 6 or later

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE
By attending this event, you consent that recordings or photos of you may be used by Chochmat HaLev. If you have any questions, please contact shalom@chochmat.org.

, …
“Love Isn’t Blind” Dating Gameshow
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Love Isn’t Blind, a comedy/dating game show that’s been featured in LA Magazine, LAist, and more, is coming to Chochmat HaLev on March 9th! You can find clips from the show on the host’s insta; this clip is one of the most popular, with 1M+ views. Apply to be on the show or grab early bird tickets. (We expect it to sell out).

Doors at 7 for drinks & mingling, show at 8, after-party to follow. Stay all night!

To volunteer in exchange for a free ticket, email brittany@chochmat.org!

For this upcoming iteration, the contestants will be men who date women (We are looking for 4 bachelors and 1 bachelorette, could it be you?), with a Gay Dating Game Show planned for the future. However, our March 9th experience will feature concrete ways for people of all gender preferences and expressions to meet folks in the activities before and after the show. Swipe right and see you soon!

Physical Access

Entrance

Entrance to the Sanctuary is at the corner of Prince St. and Fulton St.. There are 8 steps into the main entrance of the Sanctuary. There is an accessible ramp at a separate entrance on Fulton St. Please let a volunteer or staff know if you need to use this entrance; you can also email us in advance at shalom@chochmat.org

Seating

We have folding chairs (some with padding, some without), pillows, and floor cushions available for you to use, along with limited bench seating in the back of the Sanctuary. 

COVID Protocols
Our Covid policy effective May 19th, 2023 is as follows:

Chochmat HaLev, in consultation with our medical advisor and based on community survey results, will discontinue masking requirements for attendance at events. Masks, although not required, are strongly recommended. We understand people will need to make their own decisions about exposure and risk based on their own personal preferences, and health status.

Chochmat HaLev will provide passive ventilation (e.g., open windows and doors under the supervision of security-trained personnel) and other equipment as available.

Chochmat HaLev will include specific guidelines for those attending in person events on our website and in announcements regarding events.

For this event, Chochmat HaLev will provide a “masked-only” seating section adjacent to the windows.

DO NOT attend an event at CHL if:

  • You are experiencing any potential symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness
  • You have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days and have not had a negative antigen test on Day 6 or later
  • You have had a known exposure to COVID-19 in the past 3-5 days
  • A household member has tested positive in the last 10 days and has not had a negative test on Day 6 or later
, …
10
11
Monday Night Meditation
7:00 pm

Mondays – 7 – 8:00pm
by donation
On Zoom ONLY

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

SCHEDULE
1st Mondays – Judy Fleischman
2nd Mondays – Jen Roitman
3rd Mondays – Daniella Salzman
4th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler
5th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler

DESCRIPTION

Want to see God (or at least It’s shadow)? Lower your blood pressure? Manage your spiritual confusion? Connect with a deeper Jewish consciousness? Learn about Judaism’s esoteric side? Get a whiff of enlightenment?

Just as healthy foods nourish our body, Jewish meditation nourishes our soul.  It has been around for centuries and includes forms such as chanting, visualization, silence, and movement. It can revitalize and transform Judaism from the blasé familiar into a profound and constantly renewing spiritual practice.

As one of the first modern Jewish institutions to teach these forms when we opened our doors in 1995, we invite you to join us in a journey that is both personal and communal, a claiming and reclaiming of ancient pathways that open and deepen our capacity to live in connection.

Some of the teachers are skilled in Classical Jewish styles of meditation, while others are practitioners of other forms but have integrated Jewish wisdom, liturgy, and concepts into their teaching. All provide an interesting, engaging and meaningful experience.

For beginners and experienced meditators alike. No previous meditation or Jewish experience required. By donation.

DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Our meditation program is supported entirely by donations. Each contribution, small and large, allows us to keep bringing you meaningful offerings.
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.

Join with video:  https://zoom.us/j/848045873?pwd=bHpOZEpwTGJkbDNRLzNoVjNoZ01vZz09

Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833, or 1-346-248-7799, or 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 848-045-873

Passcode: 847352

BIOS
Jen Roitman
Jen experienced the power of chanting and meditation at a contemplative Rosh Hashanah service led by Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man and has been practicing Jewish and Vipassana meditation for more than 18 years.  She is a graduate of Rabbi Shefa Gold’s Kol Zimra Chant Leader Training, and The Sati Center Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. 

For Jen, the combination of chant and silence is particularly powerful. In her experience chanting helps the meditation go deeper, and she loves how when we do this  in community, it helps us to open our hearts, connect with each other and access those more transformational places.

Zvi Bellin
Originally from Brooklyn, Zvi moved out to the Bay Area about 10 years ago. Professionally, he teaches counseling and has a private psychotherapy practice. Spiritually, he draws from Judaism and Vipassana traditions, with a humble twist from Thich Nhat Hanh. He is drawn to storytelling and connection in diverse communities. Zvi has led therapeutically-oriented mindfulness training and retreats and loves engaging with texts to connect ancient practice to contemporary life.  Let’s practice together and make meaningful moments.

Daniella Salzman
Daniella Salzman is deeply committed to revelation and revolution. Having trained as a dance expressive arts therapist, meditation and mindfulness teacher, and community organizer, she is inspired by leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming both our inner and outer worlds towards a lasting and integrated peace.

Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey Kessler has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics, and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.

, …
12
13
Meditation of Presence
8:15 am

with Jeffrey Kessler
Wednesdays  |  8:15 – 9am
By Donation  |  On Zoom 

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

Torah is our technology for encountering the Divine Presence. Silence provides a necessary space for that encounter. According to Jewish tradition, the Presence dwells continually within and around us, but we must learn deep listening to receive its generative wisdom. Shemah – in a word that sounds like an exhalation of breath,  we are directed to listen in order to understand the Divine Oneness. We are to open to this Oneness with all of our heart, our soul, our strength. We must listen to our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts, all that is deep within us.

Join us as we sit together in silence, after a brief teaching on meditation practice in connection either with the weekly Torah portion or where we find ourselves in the Jewish sacred calendar.


About Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.


DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Every contribution, large or small, allows us to keep bringing you meditation, services, and much more. 
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org


ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/520703203?pwd=RnJNRittSkZNcnkxNm03WGxvcFgyQT09

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 520 703 203
Passcode: 062729

, …
14
Let’s Talk Prophets
7:00 pm
No meeting on 9/14!

Read aloud and discuss Kings 1, Chapters 21-22 and Kings 1, Chapters 1-2. Our reading concludes Eliah’s story. We will meet via Zoom.

All donations appreciated!

7pm on Zoom »
Meeting ID: 895 6011 5951
Passcode: 573038

“Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.” Our Torah Scroll ends with the death of Moses and the People of Israel poised to enter the Promised Land.  What a classic cliffhanger!

But the story of the Jewish people continues and the book of Nevi’im, or Prophets: For those of you who love a good story, maybe even hero and anti-hero themes, you are in luck. Our readings chronicle the story of the Israelites in the promised land and the challenges they face.  It is truly amazing that the Divine One has put up with all this!

Come explore these fascinating texts with us on every 2nd Thursday of the month at 7pm.

The text can be found on Sefaria

Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses….

Deut. 34:1″

, …
15
Kabbalat Shabbat
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
16
Torah Study
9:30 am

Saturdays, 9:30 – 11am
with Eric Strellis
Join with Zoom

It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it, and whoever keeps hold of it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.  – Proverbs 3:17-18

If Torah is our Tree of Life, where are its roots, how does it flower, what does its fruit taste like?

Answers to these questions, and more, are revealed to us every week when we study together. Engaging with Torah allows us to access an Eternal Wisdom that often seems intimidating, hidden and unreachable. Explore the parsha, the week’s Torah portion, with a warm, supportive, questioning community.  Together, we luxuriate in the specialness of Shabbat, delving deeply into the text. We read the entire parsha aloud in English and see where the discussion leads us.  Prior experience with the text is not required as we read it again, together, for the first time.

Join us and deepen your connection to Torah, Shabbat, and Jewish community. Everyone is welcome, every voice is valued.

For more information, please reach out to Eric Strellis at eric@chochmat.org.

DONATION INFO
We rely on your contributions to cover our expenses. Please consider donating, or become a member!

Free for Chochmat members
$5 requested donation for non-members
• Donate online here
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.
Join with video
https://zoom.us/j/652501750

Join by phone
1-669-444 9171
1-346-248-7799
1-253-205-0468

Meeting ID: 881 8385 9402
Passcode: 986927

, …
KABBALAH/ HAVDALAH
7:30 pm

Saturday, March 16th, 7:30 pm (in-person only).

Chochmat HaLev is teaming up again with LABA BAY: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture to present KABBALAH / HAVDALAH : Embodied, An experiential evening of Kabbalah with Sam Shonkoff, immersive movement with LABA artists, and guided ritual with Chochmat leaders.
 
Suggested donation (sliding scale): $18/$25/$36

Sam Shonkoff is Taube Family Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and a faculty member at LABA BAY. His scholarship focuses on Jewish spirituality, particularly in German-Jewish, Hasidic, and neo-Hasidic realms. He is co-editor (with Ariel Mayse) of Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community, and Life in the Modern World and the editor of Martin Buber: His Intellectual and Scholarly Legacy.

LABA uses classic Jewish texts to inspire the creation of art, culture, conversation, and community. By presenting Judaism’s rich literary and intellectual tradition in a free and creative setting, these fertile stories and ideas spark new thought and creative work. The output from our laboratory hubs push the boundaries of what Jewish culture can be and what Jewish texts can teach.

**Note – this is a kosher-style kitchen. Please do not bring pork, shellfish, or other non-kosher foods into the facility. We prefer meals to be dairy/fish based. If you are planning on serving chicken or beef, or if you have any questions about what is appropriate to serve, please contact us.

, …
17
Finding the Light Workshop
10:00 am – 12:30 am
18
Monday Night Meditation
7:00 pm

Mondays – 7 – 8:00pm
by donation
On Zoom ONLY

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

SCHEDULE
1st Mondays – Judy Fleischman
2nd Mondays – Jen Roitman
3rd Mondays – Daniella Salzman
4th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler
5th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler

DESCRIPTION

Want to see God (or at least It’s shadow)? Lower your blood pressure? Manage your spiritual confusion? Connect with a deeper Jewish consciousness? Learn about Judaism’s esoteric side? Get a whiff of enlightenment?

Just as healthy foods nourish our body, Jewish meditation nourishes our soul.  It has been around for centuries and includes forms such as chanting, visualization, silence, and movement. It can revitalize and transform Judaism from the blasé familiar into a profound and constantly renewing spiritual practice.

As one of the first modern Jewish institutions to teach these forms when we opened our doors in 1995, we invite you to join us in a journey that is both personal and communal, a claiming and reclaiming of ancient pathways that open and deepen our capacity to live in connection.

Some of the teachers are skilled in Classical Jewish styles of meditation, while others are practitioners of other forms but have integrated Jewish wisdom, liturgy, and concepts into their teaching. All provide an interesting, engaging and meaningful experience.

For beginners and experienced meditators alike. No previous meditation or Jewish experience required. By donation.

DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Our meditation program is supported entirely by donations. Each contribution, small and large, allows us to keep bringing you meaningful offerings.
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.

Join with video:  https://zoom.us/j/848045873?pwd=bHpOZEpwTGJkbDNRLzNoVjNoZ01vZz09

Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833, or 1-346-248-7799, or 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 848-045-873

Passcode: 847352

BIOS
Jen Roitman
Jen experienced the power of chanting and meditation at a contemplative Rosh Hashanah service led by Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man and has been practicing Jewish and Vipassana meditation for more than 18 years.  She is a graduate of Rabbi Shefa Gold’s Kol Zimra Chant Leader Training, and The Sati Center Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. 

For Jen, the combination of chant and silence is particularly powerful. In her experience chanting helps the meditation go deeper, and she loves how when we do this  in community, it helps us to open our hearts, connect with each other and access those more transformational places.

Zvi Bellin
Originally from Brooklyn, Zvi moved out to the Bay Area about 10 years ago. Professionally, he teaches counseling and has a private psychotherapy practice. Spiritually, he draws from Judaism and Vipassana traditions, with a humble twist from Thich Nhat Hanh. He is drawn to storytelling and connection in diverse communities. Zvi has led therapeutically-oriented mindfulness training and retreats and loves engaging with texts to connect ancient practice to contemporary life.  Let’s practice together and make meaningful moments.

Daniella Salzman
Daniella Salzman is deeply committed to revelation and revolution. Having trained as a dance expressive arts therapist, meditation and mindfulness teacher, and community organizer, she is inspired by leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming both our inner and outer worlds towards a lasting and integrated peace.

Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey Kessler has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics, and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.

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19
20
Meditation of Presence
8:15 am

with Jeffrey Kessler
Wednesdays  |  8:15 – 9am
By Donation  |  On Zoom 

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

Torah is our technology for encountering the Divine Presence. Silence provides a necessary space for that encounter. According to Jewish tradition, the Presence dwells continually within and around us, but we must learn deep listening to receive its generative wisdom. Shemah – in a word that sounds like an exhalation of breath,  we are directed to listen in order to understand the Divine Oneness. We are to open to this Oneness with all of our heart, our soul, our strength. We must listen to our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts, all that is deep within us.

Join us as we sit together in silence, after a brief teaching on meditation practice in connection either with the weekly Torah portion or where we find ourselves in the Jewish sacred calendar.


About Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.


DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Every contribution, large or small, allows us to keep bringing you meditation, services, and much more. 
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org


ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/520703203?pwd=RnJNRittSkZNcnkxNm03WGxvcFgyQT09

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 520 703 203
Passcode: 062729

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22
23
Torah Study
9:30 am

Saturdays, 9:30 – 11am
with Eric Strellis
Join with Zoom

It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it, and whoever keeps hold of it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.  – Proverbs 3:17-18

If Torah is our Tree of Life, where are its roots, how does it flower, what does its fruit taste like?

Answers to these questions, and more, are revealed to us every week when we study together. Engaging with Torah allows us to access an Eternal Wisdom that often seems intimidating, hidden and unreachable. Explore the parsha, the week’s Torah portion, with a warm, supportive, questioning community.  Together, we luxuriate in the specialness of Shabbat, delving deeply into the text. We read the entire parsha aloud in English and see where the discussion leads us.  Prior experience with the text is not required as we read it again, together, for the first time.

Join us and deepen your connection to Torah, Shabbat, and Jewish community. Everyone is welcome, every voice is valued.

For more information, please reach out to Eric Strellis at eric@chochmat.org.

DONATION INFO
We rely on your contributions to cover our expenses. Please consider donating, or become a member!

Free for Chochmat members
$5 requested donation for non-members
• Donate online here
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.
Join with video
https://zoom.us/j/652501750

Join by phone
1-669-444 9171
1-346-248-7799
1-253-205-0468

Meeting ID: 881 8385 9402
Passcode: 986927

, …
Contemplative Shabbat – Saturday Morning
11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Saturday March 23, 11am

Join us for an in-person Shabbat service. Kiddish Lunch 12:30 pm, Care Circle 1:00 pm.

Janet Kalk and Jeffrey Kessler will be conducting Chochmat’s beautiful Contemplative Service, created by founding member Nan Gefen and Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man. The service follows the arc of the traditional morning Shabbat service in distilled form – with alternating periods of chant and silence, time for personal prayer, Torah teaching, and Mourner’s Kaddish.

This service will be followed by a Kiddish lunch and Chesed Care Circle, sponsored by Heart 2 Heart. This offering is free and in-person. No registration required. 

This month’s Chesed Care Circle will be led by Amos Lans, Chochmat member will offer two activities from his InterPlay practice.This is approximately a 15-20 minute optional fun exchange then back to eating and schmoozing.

First, Amos will introduce folks to the “Joys of Exformation”—ways to release tensions & stress caused by information overload. The second will be a Solo Hand Dance for Guidance, a relaxing and slow movement form which people can use to obtain guidance for questions in our lives.

Amos first started attending Chochmat’s Contemplative Shabbats in 2006, and has relished the slow pace of those services and the chance to chant in such a caring community. He has been a regular attender of the Thursday Men’s InterPlay class since 2008, and has been leading InterPlay for 11 years.  For more information about interplay, email: amoslans6@gmail.com

Janet Falk has been associated with Chochmat HaLev since 2006, when she started participating in Monday Night Meditation. She has been a regular meditator since that time and has co-led the monthly Contemplative Shabbat morning service for several years, along with Jeffrey Kessler. Janet has also served on the board of Chochmat HaLev, was the Board President for 2 years, and continues as chair of the High Holy Days Committee.

Jeffrey Kessler has been a spiritual seeker all his life. Coming from an interfaith background, his exploration of various spiritual traditions and psycho-physical systems has always been with an eye to ‘what is the common’ to all. As a life-long seeker of truth, he understands that the process of teaching effectively requires intentional exploration of what is still unknown in the landscape of the self. Jeffrey is a longtime practitioner and teacher of meditation, Tai-Chi, Chi Gung, and Mussar. His gentle presence is a foundational bedrock at Chochmat.

DONATION INFO
Our Shabbat services are supported by donation. Each donation, small and large, allows us to continue with this offering.
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

Chochmat HaLev  Covid Protocols

  • All attendees must properly wear an N95 mask or a double surgical or other non-cloth mask.
  • Cloth masks of any kind are not acceptable.
  • Individuals  must assess their own personal risk tolerance for attending events in person. 
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Purim Festival at Urban Adamah
5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
24
25
Monday Night Meditation
7:00 pm

Mondays – 7 – 8:00pm
by donation
On Zoom ONLY

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

SCHEDULE
1st Mondays – Judy Fleischman
2nd Mondays – Jen Roitman
3rd Mondays – Daniella Salzman
4th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler
5th Mondays – Jeffrey Kessler

DESCRIPTION

Want to see God (or at least It’s shadow)? Lower your blood pressure? Manage your spiritual confusion? Connect with a deeper Jewish consciousness? Learn about Judaism’s esoteric side? Get a whiff of enlightenment?

Just as healthy foods nourish our body, Jewish meditation nourishes our soul.  It has been around for centuries and includes forms such as chanting, visualization, silence, and movement. It can revitalize and transform Judaism from the blasé familiar into a profound and constantly renewing spiritual practice.

As one of the first modern Jewish institutions to teach these forms when we opened our doors in 1995, we invite you to join us in a journey that is both personal and communal, a claiming and reclaiming of ancient pathways that open and deepen our capacity to live in connection.

Some of the teachers are skilled in Classical Jewish styles of meditation, while others are practitioners of other forms but have integrated Jewish wisdom, liturgy, and concepts into their teaching. All provide an interesting, engaging and meaningful experience.

For beginners and experienced meditators alike. No previous meditation or Jewish experience required. By donation.

DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Our meditation program is supported entirely by donations. Each contribution, small and large, allows us to keep bringing you meaningful offerings.
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.

Join with video:  https://zoom.us/j/848045873?pwd=bHpOZEpwTGJkbDNRLzNoVjNoZ01vZz09

Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833, or 1-346-248-7799, or 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 848-045-873

Passcode: 847352

BIOS
Jen Roitman
Jen experienced the power of chanting and meditation at a contemplative Rosh Hashanah service led by Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man and has been practicing Jewish and Vipassana meditation for more than 18 years.  She is a graduate of Rabbi Shefa Gold’s Kol Zimra Chant Leader Training, and The Sati Center Buddhist Chaplaincy Program. 

For Jen, the combination of chant and silence is particularly powerful. In her experience chanting helps the meditation go deeper, and she loves how when we do this  in community, it helps us to open our hearts, connect with each other and access those more transformational places.

Zvi Bellin
Originally from Brooklyn, Zvi moved out to the Bay Area about 10 years ago. Professionally, he teaches counseling and has a private psychotherapy practice. Spiritually, he draws from Judaism and Vipassana traditions, with a humble twist from Thich Nhat Hanh. He is drawn to storytelling and connection in diverse communities. Zvi has led therapeutically-oriented mindfulness training and retreats and loves engaging with texts to connect ancient practice to contemporary life.  Let’s practice together and make meaningful moments.

Daniella Salzman
Daniella Salzman is deeply committed to revelation and revolution. Having trained as a dance expressive arts therapist, meditation and mindfulness teacher, and community organizer, she is inspired by leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming both our inner and outer worlds towards a lasting and integrated peace.

Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey Kessler has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics, and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.

, …
26
27
Meditation of Presence
8:15 am

with Jeffrey Kessler
Wednesdays  |  8:15 – 9am
By Donation  |  On Zoom 

Check out our Timeline of Jewish Meditation »

Torah is our technology for encountering the Divine Presence. Silence provides a necessary space for that encounter. According to Jewish tradition, the Presence dwells continually within and around us, but we must learn deep listening to receive its generative wisdom. Shemah – in a word that sounds like an exhalation of breath,  we are directed to listen in order to understand the Divine Oneness. We are to open to this Oneness with all of our heart, our soul, our strength. We must listen to our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts, all that is deep within us.

Join us as we sit together in silence, after a brief teaching on meditation practice in connection either with the weekly Torah portion or where we find ourselves in the Jewish sacred calendar.


About Jeffrey Kessler
A graduate of Chochmat HaLev’s first Jewish Meditation Teacher Training Program, Jeffrey has studied many spiritual traditions. With degrees in philosophy, mathematics and spiritual psychology, Jeffrey has spent his life exploring the many creative disciplines of staying open in order to connect with the Nameless One. He sees Meditation and Mussar practice as key to the renewal of Jewish spirituality.


DONATION INFO
$18 suggested donation. Every contribution, large or small, allows us to keep bringing you meditation, services, and much more. 
• Donate online chochmat.org/give
• Venmo @Chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org


ZOOM INFO
Join with video  https://zoom.us/j/520703203?pwd=RnJNRittSkZNcnkxNm03WGxvcFgyQT09

Join by phone  1-669-900-6833, 1-346-248-7799, 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 520 703 203
Passcode: 062729

, …
28
Heart Song – A Music and Mindfulness Event
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Since ancient times, music has been used to connect us to our internal world and to help us explore different parts of ourselves. We would like to invite you to a unique opportunity to celebrate the connection between sounds, voice, silence, music and our inner experience. 

In this workshop we will explore your essential self through mindfulness and the soul connecting quality of music. No musical ability is necessary. You can be tone deaf! Music has the capacity to touch us very deeply, evoke our feelings, move our bodies and inspire our spirits.   

We are born with an innate sense of love, personal mission, natural self-expression, authenticity and grace that often becomes compromised through the inevitable hurts and disappointments that wound us, and around which we tend to contract away from our essence. This workshop is designed to help you reconnect with what is deepest in you, the music of your soul, the richness of your own song that is longing to be sung.  You will be supported in embodying your own uniqueness in a safe, gentle and music filled environment where you can rediscover yourself in connection with others. 

In this workshop we will use world music to sing, chant, meditate and study the different experiences that music evokes in us. 

Allow music to begin the process of healing the wounds which separated you from yourself and yourself from others 

  • Connect with others from a place of authenticity and celebration through music 
  • Participate in music that will evoke your compassion for self others 
  • Use traditional music from different parts of the world and modern exercises to bring our attention inward.  
  • Use music as a tool for transformation and growth. 

Lior Tsarfaty
Lior Tsarfaty is an internationally touring musician and recording artist.  He uniquely weaves music and various healing modalities to create transformative experiences for his audience and clients.  He is the musical director of Chochmat Halev. Lior does music “peace work” with Muslims and Jews and offers mindfulness and chanting workshops in the Bay area, Israel and China.  Lior is the founder of Village Song, a school and a movement that brings the power of music to Alzheimer communities.

Rob Fisher, M.F.T. (License # MT 22886), Rob is a composer, author and Hakomi Mindfulness Based Somatic Psychotherapy trainer who teaches mindfulness, nature therapy and couples therapy in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. He is a certified Hakomi Therapist and Trainer as well as the author of Experiential Psychotherapy With Couples,A Guide for the Creative Pragmatist and of a number of chapters and articles published internationally on couples therapy and the pyschodynamic use of mindfulness for publications such as the Psychotherapy Networker, The Therapist, The Journal Of Couples Therapy, The USA Body Psychotherapy Journal, Psychotherapy in Australia and others.  An advocate of the use of mindfulness and present experience in psychotherapy, he is an adjunct professor at at JFK University. As the Co-Developer of the Mindfulness and Compassion in Psychotherapy Certificate Program at The California Institute of Integral Studies, he has brought together many of the leaders in the realms of mindfulness and psychotherapy in one of the only programs in the US that teaches, not just the skills pf psychotherapy, but helps participants develop their internal state as well. 

For Whom
The workshop is open and relevant to both clinicians and the general public.

Registration/Tuition
Tuition: $65 or $108 if you bring a friend (please contact info@embodywise.com for payment instructions for two or more registrations) 
Final Registration Date: March 25, 2024
Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.

Cancellation Policy
No refunds will be made for this workshop. 

For More Information
For more information, including accommodation for special needs and details about our grievance process, contact our administrator at info@embodywise.com.

, …
29
30
Torah Study
9:30 am

Saturdays, 9:30 – 11am
with Eric Strellis
Join with Zoom

It is a tree of life to all who take hold of it, and whoever keeps hold of it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.  – Proverbs 3:17-18

If Torah is our Tree of Life, where are its roots, how does it flower, what does its fruit taste like?

Answers to these questions, and more, are revealed to us every week when we study together. Engaging with Torah allows us to access an Eternal Wisdom that often seems intimidating, hidden and unreachable. Explore the parsha, the week’s Torah portion, with a warm, supportive, questioning community.  Together, we luxuriate in the specialness of Shabbat, delving deeply into the text. We read the entire parsha aloud in English and see where the discussion leads us.  Prior experience with the text is not required as we read it again, together, for the first time.

Join us and deepen your connection to Torah, Shabbat, and Jewish community. Everyone is welcome, every voice is valued.

For more information, please reach out to Eric Strellis at eric@chochmat.org.

DONATION INFO
We rely on your contributions to cover our expenses. Please consider donating, or become a member!

Free for Chochmat members
$5 requested donation for non-members
• Donate online here
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org

ZOOM INFO
If you are new to Zoom, join early and follow the prompts to download the free software.
Join with video
https://zoom.us/j/652501750

Join by phone
1-669-444 9171
1-346-248-7799
1-253-205-0468

Meeting ID: 881 8385 9402
Passcode: 986927

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