R E V E A L: An all-night Tikkun Leil Shavuot of immersive ritual, learning, and performance
Come experience the ancient tradition of Tikkun Leil Shavuot with Chochmat HaLev and LABA BAY AREA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture.
Shavuot is one of three Jewish pilgrimage festivals, when seekers from across the land would convene at the sacred Temple to encounter each other and the Divine in elaborate ritual and shared abundance. Since the destruction of the Temple, Jewish mystics have spent all Shavuot night immersed in study and practice, seeking to relive the revelation at Mt. Sinai, that moment of raw exposure between God and her seekers. What was invisible becomes visible. What was concealed is revealed.
Our evening will start with provocative and immersive ritual theater designed and led by Rabbi Amichai Lau Lavie, Founding Spiritual Leader of Lab/Shul NYC and star of the award-winning Sabbath Queen documentary, and Rabbi Zvika Krieger, Spiritual Leader of Chochmat HaLev, with sacred chanting led by Lauren Arrow. You can then choose your own adventure: mystical study sessions led by Rabbi Amichai, Rabbi Zvika, and Judaic scholars Professors Deena Aranoff and Sam Shonkoff, as well as music, dance, art, embodiment experiences, and a specially designed immersive art installation – all created and led by LABA artists, curated by Elissa Strauss. See below for bios of all of the contributors.
- INTERACTIVE DANCE with Liv Shaffer
- SITE-SPECIFIC IMMERSIVE ART INSTALLATION from Hila Amram
- PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY SHOW from Ari Salomon
- GROUP VOICE AND MOVEMENT IMPROV from David Israel Katz
- REVELATION SOUND INSTALLATION from Forest Reid
- SENSORY SHAVOUT INSPIRED FEAST from Chef Daniella Bensimon
Join us early at 6pm for dinner and shmoozing (seperate ticket for dinner). Libations and delicacies will be served throughout the night in our cozy tea lounge.
Stay for our late night/early morning program (1am-6am) that will include transportative visualizations, sacred improv, song circles, and sunrise prayer.
Last year the event was sold-out. (See photos and videos from last year’s incredible Tikkun experience).Register soon to secure your place on this mystical journey.
We have THREE invitations for you:
1) Your prompt arrival is strongly requested for the opening ritual. Please arrive by 7pm to experience the full immersive ritual with Rabbi Amichai Lau Lavie and Rabbi Zvika Krieger. If you arrive after it has begun, we may need to ask you to wait until a less-disruptive moment to enter.
2) As participants in what the Kabbalists refer to as “the Divine wedding,” we invite you to join us in the mystical tradition of dressing in all white clothing.
3) If you plan to stay late, and/or want to be cozy, you are welcome to bring blankets, sleeping bags, and anything else that would make you more comfortable!
We need a few volunteers to ensure the evening runs smoothly — if you’re able to volunteer, email brittany@chochmat.org. We’re happy to provide a complimentary ticket for volunteers.
Teachers and Artists
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him) is the Co-Founding Spiritual Leader of the Lab/Shul community in NYC and the creator of the ritual theater company Storahtelling, Inc. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2016, the 39th generation of rabbis in his family — the first one to be openly queer. Rabbi Amichai is the star of Sabbath Queen, the award-winning documentary film, 21 years in the making, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024.
Rabbi Amichai serves on the Executive Board of Rabbis for Human Rights, is a co-founding member of the Jewish Emergent Network, a founding faculty member of the Reboot Network, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Sulha Peace Project for Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers, the Leadership Council of the New York Jewish Agenda, the Advisory Council for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and as an advisor to Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.
Rabbi Zvika Krieger is the Spiritual Leader of Chochmat HaLev, a progressive spiritual community in Berkeley, CA for embodied prayer and mindfulness, heart-centered connections, and mystical wisdom. He is co-founder of Shevet: Jewish Mindfulness Collective and thirdhouse: Sacred Leadership Lab, and has served in board and leadership positions for Sukkat Shalom/Milk+Honey camp at Burning Man, Jewish Studio Project, DC Minyan, and other organizations dedicated to nourishing the mind, body, and soul.
Zvika has previously served as Facebook/Meta’s first-ever Director of Responsible Innovation, co-founder of the World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the US Department of State’s first-ever “Ambassador to Silicon Valley,” and Middle East Correspondent for Newsweek. Follow him on Instagram at @zkrieger.
Deena Aranoff is the Faculty Director of the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. She teaches rabbinic literature, medieval patterns of Jewish thought, and the broader question of continuity and change in Jewish history. Her recent publications engage with the subject of childcare, maternity, and the making of Jewish culture.
Sam Shonkoff is the Taube Family Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union. His scholarship focuses on themes of embodiment, revelation, and interpretation in modern Jewish spirituality. He is the author of a bunch of journal articles and book chapters, as well as co-editor (with Ariel Mayse) of Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community, and Life in the Modern World and editor of Martin Buber: His Intellectual and Scholarly Legacy. He is currently completing a book on Buber’s interpretations of Hasidic sources. Sam taught formerly at Oberlin College and holds a PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Elissa Strauss is an artistic director and curator. She directs the local Bay Area hub of LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture, and helps oversee the network of LABAs around the world. In 2024, Elissa curated the California Jewish Open at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. She regularly leads workshops for Jewish organizations on how to expand the Jewish imagination.
In addition to her curating work, Elissa is a journalist, essayist and cultural critic who has been writing about the politics and culture of parenting and caregiving for more than fifteen years with work appearing in publications like the Atlantic, the New York Times, Glamour, ELLE, CNN.com and Slate. Her critically-acclaimed book, “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others,” is out now from Gallery Books.
Hila Amram is a multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco. Through sculpture, video, and mixed media, her work explores the intersections of nature, science, and art. She addresses the profound impact of human activities on the natural world. Amram has exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale and major institutions worldwide. hilamram.com
Lauren Arrow (she/her) is a queer Jewitch Songtender and Facilitator based in the San Francisco Bay Area on unceeded Miwok and Pomo land. After overcoming a debilitating fear of singing and sharing her voice, she has spent the past 13 years dedicated to holding trauma-informed singing circles, helping people reclaim their voices and embrace their creativity and musicality through her organization, ProcessSING.
Forest Reid is a Bay Area based sound designer, composer, and installation artist. His audio-visual work engages with Jewish mysticism, Yiddish culture, and repurposed archives. He has diverse experience with sound, including archival preservation, data sonification, and studio engineering. He has created installation work for the La Jolla Playhouse and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and has had his work featured in the Without Walls (WOW) festival in San Diego and Sukkahwood in New York. His 2023 LABA project, DREYDL: ZOL ZAYN MIT MAZEL” is an interactive, repurposed slot machine that connects twelfth-century Kabbalah with video poker, the game of dreidel, and stories from American Jewish immigrants, appeared at the California Jewish Open at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. In 2025, Reid partnered with artist Day Schildkret, creating a sound installation for “The Broken Seder. jamesforestreid.wordpress.com
Ari Salomon, a San Francisco-based fine art photographer, reimagines the performative act of uncovering candid moments, blending them with conceptual perspectives that challenge traditional narratives. His work delves into how photography can reveal the nature and limitations of human perception. Salomon has exhibited widely across the USA and internationally, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Paris, and Poland.
Liv Schaffer is a dance artist and educator with a focus on intergenerational practice. She has performed with AXIS Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Robert Moses’ Kin, and the Dance Exchange. Liv is a Community Engagement Artist with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and on faculty at the University of San Francisco’s Performing Arts & Social Justice department, where she teaches contemporary technique and directs an on campus intergenerational dance company, Dance Generators.
www.dancegenerators.com
www.instagram.com/dancegeneratorsw
www.instagram.com/livschaffer/
Chef Daniella Bensimon is a private chef and cooking instructor based in Oakland, CA. Her culinary journey started at an early age in her hometown of Seattle, WA., influenced by the ethnic diversity surrounding her and enriched by her Moroccan, Swedish and Israeli roots.
Chef Daniella specializes in farm-to-table North African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine, with a California fresh twist. She also cooks for variety of diets including vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, Whole 30, etc.
Links:
DONATION INFO
Our ticket prices only reflect part of the cost of our events; this program is made possible by your donations. Each donation, small and large, allows us to continue with offerings like this. Please contribute at one of the links below:
• Venmo @chochmat
• Paypal shalom@chochmat.org
Accessibility
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
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
Refund Policy
Tickets are not refundable, but may be transferred with 24 hours notice.
