Calendar

April 2024

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31
1
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.

, ...
2
3
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

, ...
4
5
Kabbalat Shabbat with Wilderness Torah!
6:00 pm

Friday, April 5, 6pm

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

Join Chochmat HaLev and Wilderness Torah 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 KriegerRabbi Paige LincenbergAdirChai Haberman-BrownsLauren Arrow, and special guests.

 

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

Community Potluck oneg after services, followed by HeartSpace. 

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/878104049

During service

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

After service

Please bring a delicious vegetarian contribution to our Potluck oneg and schmooze with our beloved community!

Then join us for another special HeartSpace with AdirChai Haberman-Browns.

Gather with us for an intimate circle of communal singing, sharing, questions, and moments of silence, led by AdirChai Haberman-Browns, a spiritual entrepreneur, musician, founder and leader of the Kula Liba community in Jerusalem. After serving in an elite commando unit in the 2014 Gaza operation, he is now a reservist in the current Israel-Hamas war, operating in central Gaza for a month and a half and now stationed on Israel’s northern border. Together we’ll grapple with the complexity and devastation of the current moment, and make space for the full spectrum of emotion.

 


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.

, ...
6
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

, ...
7
8
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.

, ...
9
10
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

, ...
11
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″

, ...
12
13
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, April 13th 10:30 am
In person and on Zoom

Meeting ID 878 1040 4956
Passcode 972073

Join Join Zvika, Lauren Arrow, and special guests Kyle Lemle, Kele Nitoto and Jesse Sachs from WildChoir for a joyful morning full of soulful singing and interactive Torah experience.
 
Shabbat morning Shacharit prayer service, full of prayerful 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 potluck kiddush lunch and schmooze with our community. Bring a dish to share!

Kyle Lemle (Founder and Co-Artistic Director) is a co-founder of the Wildchoir & Thrive Street Choir, through which he is blessed to write & perform his original soul-stirring music for justice & healing. Kyle is also a forester and climate organizer, having worked around the world on community forestry and climate justice organizing (kylelemle.com). Kyle is also the co-founder of Lead to Life, a collective of artists transforming guns into shovels, hosting transformative public rituals and planting trees at sites impacted by violence (leadtolife.org). IG: @lemle)

Jesse Sachs In addition to being a founding member of Wildchoir, Jesse is a guide, mentor, teacher and creative. He has been at the helm of Back to Earth since 2014, where he offers young people a direct, personal relationship with the Natural World. Jesse has been practicing Qigong in the Ren Xue system since 2014 and is a certified Level 2 teacher. He is currently a full-time acupuncture student at AIMC in Berkeley, CA.

Kele Nitoto. Pulling from the cultures of the African diaspora to weave a tapestry of music and spirit, Kele Nitoto uses traditional drumming and singing as well as storytelling and hip hop, to explore the meaning of music in our lives; the connections between modern and traditional musics, as well as its connections with the wider, and inner worlds.

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.

, ...
14
15
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.

, ...
16
17
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

, ...
18
19
Kabbalat Shabbat
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
20
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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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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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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27
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

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

Jen Roitman 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 Community Care Circle, sponsored by Heart 2 Heart. This offering is free and in-person. No registration required. 

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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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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