The Well Lifelong Learning at Romemu

The Rabbis taught: “Water stands for Torah, as it is said (Isaiah 55:1), ‘All those who are thirsty, come for water.’” (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kama 82a)

Fall 2015 Like Water, Like Torah… WELCOME TO THE WELL! “The words of Torah are likened to water, as it is written, O all who are thirsty, September, 2015 / Tishrei, 5776 come for water.” (Isaiah 55:1) Friends, Just as water is a source of life for the world, so is Torah a source of life for the world; In the Torah, good things happen when people gather around a well. The Torah is compared to a well, and the word in Hebrew for ‘well’, be’er, is also the word for Just as water is from the heavens, so too is Torah from the heavens; ‘explanation’ (be’er hay’tev). The well is a watering hole, a place to quench thirst, a place to meet beloveds, a place for textual healing, a place to meet deeper Just as water makes many sounds, so is the Torah heard in many voices; dimensions of our faith, our tradition, our community and our lives. Just as water restores the soul, so does Torah restore the soul; At Romemu, our desire is to make the world a better place, one heart at a time. Just as water purifies a human being from impurity, so does Torah purify; Jewish life is beautiful and variegated, transformative and supportive. You hold in your hands many options with which to slake your spiritual thirst. Please take as Just as water falls drop by drop and accumulates into mighty streams and rivers, much as you like. After all, it belongs to you. so too a person learns two laws today, and two tomorrow, until they become like a gushing river; In blessing and peace, Rabbi David Just as water doesn’t taste sweet unless one is thirsty, so too Torah isn’t sweet unless one is [spiritually] thirsty.

Just as water leaves a high place and flows to a low one, so too, Torah leaves one whose spirit is arrogant and cleaves to one whose spirit is humble. Dear Friends,

Song of Songs Rabbah (Vilna Edition) 1:3 I am thrilled to announce our new initiative for communal study at Romemu, Torah Tuesdays. This program launches our traditional house of study, or beit midrash (literally “house of seeking”), a place for communal inquiry and dialogue, and The במים )ישעיה נה) הוי כל צמא לכו למים…. Kabbalah Learning Institute (KLI), which provides the opportunity for ongoing מה מים חיים לעולם, כך תורה חיים לעולם. Kabbalah study. In addition, this fall Torah Tuesdays will feature “Tikkun Olam as מה מים מן השמים, כך תורה מן השמים. a Spiritual Path” and “G-dwrestling”, exploring the life of Jacob and the alchemy מה המים בקולי קולות, כך תורה בקולי קולות. of becoming whole. We will, of course, continue to offer The Well’s staples, which מה המים משיבין הנפש, כך תורה משיבין הנפש. have allowed our community to immerse in the well of Jewish life, wisdom and מה המים מטהרים את האדם מטומאה, כך תורה מטהרת הטמא מטומאתו. ומה מים יורדין טיפין טיפין ונעשית נחלים נחלים, כך תורה אדם למד ב׳ הלכות היום וב׳ .spirituality למחר עד שנעשה כנחל נובע. מה מים אם אין אדם צמא אינה ערבה בגופו, כך תורה אם אין אדם עיף בה אינה ערבה בגופו. We created The Well as a place for all to quench their thirst with our myriad ומה המים מניחין מקום גבוה והולכים במקום נמוך, כך תורה מנחת מי שדעתו גבוהה עליו opportunities for sacred study. Meet us there. Take a few sips or a long nourishing ומדבקת במי שדעתו נמוכה עליו. drink. The Well is waiting for you! שיר השירים רבה )וילנא) פרשה א:ג Wishing each of you endless blessings of Torah study,

Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses Director of Lifelong Learning

The Well Lifelong Learning at Romemu 3 The Well Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Torah Tuesdays - Fall 2015 Announcing… 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street

Torah Tuesdays 6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. House of Seeking: Romemu’s revolutionary evening of (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) Romemu’s Beit Midrash study, featuring: (open to all)

7:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Coffee Shmooze and / or (open to all) Bring-Your-Own-Dinner

1. House of Seeking: Romemu’s Beit Midrash - We begin with our traditional 7:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Courses* beit midrash - literally, “house of seeking”, including lecture, study in pairs and (open to enrollees) Participants may enroll in one course from either group discussion led by Rabbi David Ingber, Romemu clergy and guest faculty. option per session. Bring your seeking and your insights and get ready to immerse yourself in Session 1 will consist of 4 course meetings. sacred wisdom! Session 2 will consist of 6 course meetings. 2. Featured Courses - The second half of the evening features two concurrent course offerings: Option 1: Option 2: Kabbalah Learning Living Spiritually A. The Kabbalah Learning Institute (KLI) - Rabbi David Ingber’s new Institute (KLI) with initiative offers participants a fresh lens on the ancient art of living life Rabbi David Ingber as a spiritual journey. G-dwrestling with Session 1 Deep (Basics) B. Living Spiritually - This fall we feature two ground breaking courses: Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses “G-dwrestling” with Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses and “Tikkun Olam as a Tikkun Olam as a Spiritual Path Deeper Spiritual Path” with Dr. Michael Gottsegen and Miram Rubin. Session 2 taught by Michael Gottsegen, and (Intermediate) co-facilitated with Miriam Rubin See pages 19-21 for detailed descriptions of House of Seeking, KLI, and Living Spiritually. Course descriptions and meeting dates are listed on pages 19-21. *In Spring 2016, KLI courses will repeat; Option 2 courses will be different. Table of Contents

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Course Descriptions ��10 Thursdays Sparks ��23 Sundays The Sky Within – new night! ��24 Aleph-Bet ��10 Social Action Film Series with Vodka and Herring ��24 Nigun Jam ��10 Living Deeply with a Sacred Text: Saturdays: Shabbat Awakening to Gan Eden in Our Own Lives ��11 The Open Book ��25 Wear Black, Leave Town: Explorations at the Fringes of Community ��12 SHABBATONIM: Weekend Retreats What is Prayer? ��12 Soul Food Lunch & Learn ��26 Mondays Shivti Yoga & Meditation ��27 In the Beginning ��14 Seudah Shlishit with JTS ��28 The Open Door ��15 The Write Prescription: Instructor Bios ��30 Telling Your Story to Move With and Beyond Illness ��16 Literature and Jewish Identity: Israel and America ��17 ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE ��38 Torah Tuesdays House of Seeking: Romemu’s Beit Midrash ��19 Living Spiritually G-dwrestling: The Path to Wholeness ��20 Tikkun Olam as a Spiritual Path ��20 Kabbalah Learning Institute (KLI) Deep (Basics) ��21 Deeper (Intermediate) ��21 Wednesdays: Soul Spa Soul Spa ��22 Souls, Songs and Stories: A Rebbe Nachman Immersive ��22

6 7 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE & REGISTRATION INFO REGISTER AT ROMEMU.ORG/WISDOM/ADULT-EDUCATION

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Sundays Mondays Torah Tuesdays - 805 Columbus Avenue

Aleph-Bet In the Beginning Tuesdays Tuesdays (Oct. 20 - Nov. 10 only) Tuesdays (Nov. 17 - Dec. 22 only) 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 43 Central Park North 43 Central Park North House of Seeking: Kabbalah Learning Institute Kabbalah Learning Institute Members: Free Members: $560 Romemu’s Beit Midrash (KLI): Deep (Basics) (KLI): Deeper (Intermediate) Non-members: $100 Non-members: $700 6:15 - 7:15 p.m. (doors open 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. at 6:00 p.m.) 805 Columbus Avenue 805 Columbus Avenue Nigun Jam The Open Door 805 Columbus Avenue Members: $80 Members: $120 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Open to all Non-members: $100 Non-members: $150 UWS location shared upon registration 43 Central Park North Suggested contribution: $10 Members and Non-Members: Free Members Only: $560 Contact Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer directly to register, at G-dwrestling Tikkun Olam as a Spiritual Path [email protected] 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. 805 Columbus Avenue 805 Columbus Avenue Living Deeply with a Sacred Text The Write Prescription Members: $80 Members: $120 Cohort 1: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Non-members: $100 Non-members: $150 Cohort 2: 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. UES location shared upon 43 Central Park North registration Members: $60 / $120 / $80 (Fall / Spring / Summer) Members: $120 Non-members: $75 / $150 / $100 (Fall / Spring / Summer) Non-members: $150

Wear Black, Leave Town Literature and Jewish Identity Wednesdays Thursdays Saturdays December 13 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. UWS location shared upon Soul Spa Sparks The Open Book Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street registration 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. 9:00 - 9:55 a.m. Members: $40 Free and open to 12 participants 165 West 105th 43 Central Park North 165 West 105th Street, Chapel Non-Members: $45 Street, 3rd floor Members: $20 per session Free and open to all Free and open to all Non-members: $25 per session What is Prayer? November 15 Souls, Songs and The Sky Within Soul Food Lunch & Learn 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Stories 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. 43 Central Park North 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. 43 Central Park North 165 West 105th Street, Members: $20 165 West 105th Members and Non-members: Basement Non-Members: $25 Street, Chapel $10 per class, payable in class Free and open to all Members: $120 Non-members: $150

Social Action Film Series with Shivti Yoga & Meditation Vodka and Herring 2:30 - 5:30 p.m. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. 165 West 105th Street, 3rd Floor 43 Central Park North Free and open to all Free and open to all

Seudah Shlishit with JTS October 24 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 165 West 105th Street, 3rd floor Members and Non-Members: $10

8 9 Course Descriptions REGISTER AT ROMEMU.ORG/WISDOM/ADULT-EDUCATION

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Sundays Living Deeply with a Sacred Text: Awakening to Gan Eden in Our Own Lives Aleph-Bet with Nili Weissman with Jeremy Rosenshine Sundays, 43 Central Park North Sundays, 43 Central Park North Cohort 1: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. October 18; November 15; December 13; January 10; February 7; March October 18, 25; November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; December 6, 13, 20 6; April 3; May 1; June 5; July 10; August 7; September 4; October 2 This Hebrew class is good for those who have some familiarity with the Hebrew Cohort 2: 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. letters, but would like to improve their reading skills, better understand the October 25; November 22; December 20; January 24; February 21; meanings of the words and delve into some basic Hebrew grammar. To make your March 13; April 10; May 15; June 26; July 24; August 28; September 18; reading come alive, we will uncover some of the hidden secrets behind the words, October 16 make connections to other letters and word roots and understand some basic Come join this very intimate community for a year-long, once-a-month journey principles of grammar. through the Torah of our lives. Having your own verse of Torah to live with for the Members: Free year, our theme will be ‘Awakening to Gan Eden in our Own Lives.’ “Ayekah? Where Non-Members: $100 are you?” What do you feel called to do in this beautiful garden of your life? G-d clothed Adam and Eve in garments of skin when they became self-conscious. The Nigun Jam Hebrew for ‘garments of skin’ also means ‘Light.’ How are we clothed in Light? with Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer Through this experiential journey and year-long art project, we will explore ‘the Dream G-d dreamed the day we were born.’ Sundays at an UWS location to be shared upon registration 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. October - December October 4; November 1; December 6; January 17 Members: $60 Non-Members: $75 Explore new nigunim (wordless songs) and marinate in familiar melodies! All you January - June need is a song in your heart — no musical prowess required. Members: $120 Members and Non-Members: Free Non-Members: $150 Registration for this monthly gathering is not done through our website; instead, please July - October contact Rabbi Jessica at [email protected]. Members: $80 Non-Members: $100 There is a one-time art materials fee of $30.

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Wear Black, Leave Town: Explorations at the Fringes of Community A guided tour at the Museum of Modern Art with Samuel Klein Sunday, December 13 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 11 West 53rd Street Rabbi Ila’i said: “If a person senses themselves overpowered by their urges, they should go to a city where they are not known, dress in black clothes, cover their head in black, and do what their heart desires, but let them not desecrate G-d’s name in public”. (B. Talmud Moed Katan 17a)

Our tour of the permanent collection at MOMA will reflect on what motivates the internalization of rules, behaviors and norms in Jewish communities. Should there be any norms? What happens when the urge for self-expression and self-actualization threatens to rupture those norms? How elastic can the bonds of our community stretch to accommodate heterodox behaviors? In dialogue with the work of contemporary artists, from Andres Serrano to Kara Walker, we will explore the individual’s struggle with meaning-making and identity formation in the context of Jewish community. Members: $40 Non-Members: $45 (Fee covers the $20 museum admission, the guided tour, and supplemental reference materials.) A maximum enrollment of 20 people will ensure intimacy and the opportunity for everyone to participate.

What is Prayer? with Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz Sunday, November 15 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 43 Central Park North What is prayer, anyway? What does it accomplish? Who are we addressing? In this two-hour session, Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz, a leader in the field of pastoral care in Israel, will lead participants in an exploration of these questions. Drawing upon traditional and contemporary texts as well as personal experience and insight, participants will emerge with a deepened understanding of the efficacy of prayer. Members: $20 Non-Members: $25

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Mondays The Open Door with Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer and David Curiel, and with Special Guest Teachings In the Beginning from Rabbi David with Moshe Goodman Mondays, 43 Central Park North 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Mondays at 43 Central Park North October 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; December 7, 14, 21; January 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 11, 25; February 1, 8, 22, 29; March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 4, 11, 18; May 2, 9, October 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; December 7, 14, 21; January 16, 23, 28*; June 6 11, 25; February 1, 8, 22, 29; March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 4, 11, 18; May 2, 9, 16, 23; June 6 Traditionally, one becomes a bat or bar mitzvah at the age of twelve or thirteen. Some of us did not have that opportunity and want a second chance! The Open Romemu welcomes everyone exactly as they come, regardless of Jewish Door, Romemu’s Adult B Mitzvah course, prepares participants for a deepened background. But, in order to take full advantage of the Jewish experience that experience of this Jewish rite of passage with fellow spiritual travelers in a one- Romemu offers, it helps to understand the basics of Jewish life, including study, year program. holidays, prayer and diverse ideas of G-d. For example, why do Jews believe in one G-d, eat unleavened bread on Passover, and sit in flimsy huts during Sukkot? Students engage in weekly 3-hour study sessions, organized as two back-to-back Why do some Jews cover their heads and have tassels coming out of their shirts? classes with two dynamic educators. Together, we will explore: the language of What are tefillin, tallit, and mikveh? Such questions and much more will be explored prayer, Torah study (with an emphasis on the midrashic tradition), writing midrash, in this year-long course that provides a map to Jewish life, practice, theology and and leynen (chanting Torah). The program also features special holiday workshops wisdom, as well as personal reflection on one’s Jewish soul and psyche. and urban Shabbatons. NOTE: For those without prior Jewish education this course is a required part of Prerequisite: Students must possess a basic grasp of Hebrew letters and vowels, the conversion process at Romemu and a prerequisite for the Adult B Mitzvah (i.e., be able to slowly decode a verse in Hebrew). program, “The Open Door”. Members: $560 If you have any questions, please contact Rabbi Jessica at: [email protected] Non-Members: $700 *The whole community is invited on Saturday, May 28th to witness and celebrate the class as they become B Mitzvah! Members Only: $560

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The Write Prescription: Telling Your Story to Move With and Literature and Jewish Identity: Israel and America Beyond Illness A Book Club with Ronnie Scharfman and Rhonna Rogol with Judi Hannan Monthly on the first Monday of the month at an UWS location to be Mondays at an UES location shared upon registration shared upon registration 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. October 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 november 2; December 7; January 4; February 1; March 7; April 4; May 2; June 6 Without words, illness can isolate us. We can become strangers to our former selves and to the world we used to move in — our family, friends, colleagues, Modern Israeli and American Jewish literature constitutes a rich, diverse corpus community. Writing and sharing our stories connects us to ourselves and others. that probes issues such as the Jewish relationship to tradition and modernity, In this workshop on writing about physical and mental illness, prompts will be given memory and history, rootedness and exile, catastrophe and redemption, humor to guide our exploration into our inner narrative — the one that includes illness and tragedy, self and other. What can we learn about ourselves through reading as well as the larger context of life. Reading our words back to ourselves and to such literature, about the various ways in which, as individuals and as a people, others in the group will add deeper meaning to our story, creating a supportive and we constitute our identities? This is more a book group than a course per se, non-judgmental space to reveal our narratives. No previous writing experience is inviting discussion from all its members. We will read a number of authors, such as required. Open to patients, survivors, caregivers and family members. E. Keret, S.Y. Agnon, G. Paley, P. Roth, J.S. Foer, N. Krauss, A. Oz, D. Grossman, G. Shteyngart, A. Appelfeld, etc. Members: $120 Non-Members: $150 Members & Non-Members: Free A maximum enrollment of 10 people will ensure intimacy and the opportunity for A maximum enrollment of 12 people will ensure intimacy and the opportunity for everyone to participate. everyone to participate.

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Torah Tuesdays House of Seeking: Romemu’s Beit Midrash with Rabbi David Ingber, Romemu clergy and special guests Tuesdays at 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street 6:15 - 7:15 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) October 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22 Join us as we explore core themes of spiritual life, including: faith, love, joy, loneliness, Jewish identity, relationships, and more. In our Beit Midrash we will explore one theme each month, primarily using the lens of the Jewish mystical tradition - Kabbalah and Hasidut - along with more classical Jewish works such as Bible, Midrash and Talmud. We will also study wisdom from other faiths, such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, alongside texts from secular disciplines such as literature, philosophy and psychoanalysis. The format for this hour will be that of a traditional Jewish house of study. Beginning with an introduction, students will move into guided study in pairs or small groups. This will be followed by a brief lecture and group discussion and questions.

This is a drop-in class; participants should feel free to join as they can. However, we encourage regular attendance so participants can draw the most meaning and power from this integrated and multidisciplinary study experience. Open to all Suggested contribution: $10

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Living Spiritually Kabbalah Learning Institute (KLI) G-dwrestling: The Path to Wholeness with Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses Deep (Basics) Tuesdays at 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street with Rabbi David Ingber 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays at 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street October 20, 27; November 3, 10 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. What does it mean to be “G-dwrestlers?” In this four-session course, we October 20, 27; November 3, 10 will explore the life of our ancestor Jacob, who was renamed Israel (literally, Come and learn the rhyme and reason of Kabbalah, Judaism’s ancient “G-dwrestler”) after he wrestled with an angel. As we investigater his story, we map of the essential nature of reality. You will encounter basic Kabbalistic will grapple with Jacob’s moral failings and seek to understand how, despite concepts like sefirot, tsimtsum, kelim, and klippot, and acquire a basic everything, he became the patriarch for whom we are named. We will discover how understanding of the essential contours of this mystical lens on life. G-dwrestling is the key to understanding how Jacob became Israel, and how we, Members: $80 too, might achieve wholeness through G-dwrestling. Non-Members: $100 Members: $80 Non-Members: $100 Deeper (Intermediate) with Rabbi David Ingber Tikkun Olam as a Spiritual Path Tuesdays at 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street Taught by Dr. Michael Gottsegen, and co-facilitated with Miriam Rubin 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays at 805 Columbus Avenue, at 100th Street november 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. november 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22 Now that you have a sense of the Kabbalistic landscape, you’ll learn how to walk within it. What is Kabbalistic meditation? What does it look like to Many of us feel profound sadness upon encountering the suffering of so many ascend the five levels of consciousness? Begin to travel through the four people in our world and the mounting threats to the earth, to its animal species worlds or levels of reality - action, formation, creation and emanation - as and to its ecosystems. Overwhelmed by the enormity of these challenges, or you apply these Kabbalistic concepts to your own life. paralyzed with grief and fear, we struggle to respond. What can I do? What portion of humanity’s moral responsibility falls to me? Our tradition calls upon us to seek Prerequisite: Deep (Basics) or previous instruction in Kabbalah. If you justice – personally, communally, politically – and to create a better world imbued have not had previous instruction in Kabbalah, please contact Romemu’s with respect for humankind and creation. We will explore these teachings, their Rabbinic Fellow, David Curiel, at [email protected] to discuss your spiritual and political dimensions, their relevance for our lives, and how to deepen eligibility for this course. our commitment to tikkun olam – to the work of repairing and perfecting the world Members: $120 as a practice and as a way of life. Non-members: $150 Members: $120 Non-Members: $150

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Wednesdays: Soul Spa Thursdays Soul Spa Sparks with Basya Schechter, Rabbi David Ingber, Laura Wolfe, and special guests In Memory of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l Wednesdays at 165 West 105th Street, 3rd Floor Monthly on Thursdays, 43 Central Park North 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. October 14, 21, 28; November 4, 11, 18; December 2, 9, 16 December 17; January 7; February 11 Join us for a Wednesday night prayer service as we bring Shabbat into our week A series of conversations between Rabbi David Ingber and leading Jewish spiritual and our week into Shabbat. This service will feature chanting of sacred phrases leaders and thinkers on essential issues of our times. and prayers, wordless melodies (nigunim), silent meditation and a short d’var Torah (words of Torah). December 17 The Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path Free and open to all with Rabbi Jay Michaelson in conversation with Rabbi David January 7 Souls, Songs and Stories: A Rebbe Nachman Immersive What We Mean When We Say God with Basya Schechter and Eden Pearlstein with Dr. Judith Plaskow in conversation with Rabbi David Wednesdays at 165 West 105th Street, Chapel Upcoming in the Spring Semester: 7:30 - 9:00 P.M. november 4, 11, 18; December 2, 9, 16 February 11, 2016 God’s Body Experience Hasidic teaching through a creative lens. Join Basya Schechter with Dr. Joy Ladin in conversation with Rabbi David and Eden Pearlstein on an existential adventure into the spiritual world of Nachman of Breslov. Reb Nachman was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Members: $20 per session Non-members: $25 per session Tov and is considered by many to be one of the most radical and enigmatic Hasidic masters of the early 19th century. According to Reb Zalman, “To sit at More exciting Sparks conversations to come in the spring semester! the feet of R. Nachman is to learn how to connect thought and feeling clusters in unprecedented ways.” Each week we will explore one of his mind-boggling teachings, practical techniques of spiritual refinement, or mythical stories refracted through the collaborative Darshan process of melody, mystical poetry and each participant’s own creative response. Members: $120 Non-Members: $150

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The Sky Within – new night! Saturdays: Shabbat with Alina Bloomgarden and Caren Fried Monthly on Thursdays, 43 Central Park North The Open Book 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. taught by Rabbi David Ingber, Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer, Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses, September 16; October 8; November 12; December 3; January 14; and Romemu Rabbinic Fellow, David Curiel February 11; March 10; April 7; May 12; June 9; July 14; August 11 Saturdays at 165 West 105th Street, Chapel 9:00 - 9:55 a.m. This once-a-month class explores the intersection of Jewish astrology, Rosh Begins October 10th Hodesh (the new moon) and Mussar, a 200-year-old Jewish practice aimed at improving one’s character virtues. Participants will deepen their engagement and Prepare yourself for prayer by dipping into sacred text study before services begin. intentions through writing, studying their natal astrological charts, and working Participants will study the parsha (Torah portion) of the week, with commentary, poetry, in chevrutah (partnerships). Class begins with a half hour of group sharing of our Hasidic wisdom and more. Prepare for a deeper, more resonant Torah service. Mussar practice. Free and open to all. Members and Non-Members: $10 per class, payable in class.

Social Action Film Series with Vodka and Herring SHABBATONIM: Weekend Retreats with Scott Osman Spend Shabbat with Romemu in a day long Shabbaton (immersive Shabbat experience) Monthly on the third Thursday of the month, 43 Central Park North 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. On select Shabbatot, we offer the full gamut of Jewish experiences for body, mind October 15; November 19; January 21; February 18; March 17; April 21; and spirit. Awaken your senses with Shabbatasana Yoga and Meditation (weekly at May 19; June 16 8:30 a.m. on the 3rd floor), or open your mind with The Open Book. Elevate your spirit at Shabbat Morning Services (at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary), then attend Open your eyes and gain new perspectives on the world while sampling some Soul Food Lunch & Learn to quench both your physical and intellectual hunger and vodka and herring with friends. Film topics have included the environment, hunger, thirst. Stay for Shivti Yoga and Meditation to tone your body and quiet your mind. women’s rights and income inequality. While the films are not explicitly Jewish, the conversation inevitably intertwines Torah, spirit and social justice. Free and open to all

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Soul Food Lunch & Learn Shivti Yoga & Meditation Romemu Clergy and special guests with Shelley Levine, Larry Schwartz, and special guests Monthly on Saturdays following Shabbat Morning Services, 165 West October 17; November 14; December 5, 165 West 105th Street, 105th Street, Basement 3rd floor

Come and be nourished physically and spiritually on Shabbat after services, as we learn Torah from a wide variety of dynamic teachers. Yoga 2:30 - 3:45 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Help restore your body and soul through guided movement, chanting and RSVP is required; check the Romemu weekly email and website for RSVP links. pranayama (breathing practices). This gentle yoga also serves as a preparation for September 19 the meditation that follows at 4PM. Geared to beginners and advanced students Shabbat Shuvah wanting an embodied Shabbat experience. Please bring a mat. with Rabbi David Ingber Meditation Elevate your heart and soul during the Days of Awe with spiritual teachings from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Rabbi David. Come learn how to practice different types of meditation, focusing on the October 17 breath, loving-kindness, and awareness, in a Jewish context. Class consists of Hachnasat Orchim - Hospitality two 20-minute sits, which are framed through the Torah portion of the week or with Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses lifecycle event on the Jewish calendar. Inviting guests into one’s home, according to some commentators, is much more than, well, inviting guests into one’s home. Rather, in a radical reading of the story of Abraham’s three visitors, these Jewish and Christian commentators claim it is an opportunity to come face to face with the Divine Herself. Come and learn ancient wisdom on this vital community practice as Romemu prepares for a Shabbat of hosting and being guests.

November 14 Inner Transformation for External Transformation: Practicing to Change the World with Stosh Cotler Join Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, to explore how our spiritual practices for inner transformation can provide a foundation for visionary and sustainable social change.

December 5 TBA

26 27 REGISTER AT ROMEMU.ORG/WISDOM/ADULT-EDUCATION

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Seudah Shlishit with JTS (last meal of Shabbat, on Saturday as night falls) with our invited guests from the Jewish Theological Seminary October 24 at 165 West 105th Street, 3rd floor 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Join us for a delicious seudah shlishit with nigunim (wordless melodies), zemirot (Shabbat songs), and teachings from Romemu and JTS rabbis and faculty, including Rabbi David Ingber, Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer, Rabbi Dianne Cohler- Esses, Rabbi Danny Nevins, Dean of the JTS Rabbinical School, and Rabbi Joel Alter, Director of JTS Rabbinical School Admissions.

Note: For this event musical instruments will not be used until after Havdalah. Members and Non-Members: $10

28 29 Instructor Bios

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz Stosh Cotler Rabbi Miriam C. Berkowitz, an accredited Israeli and NAJC Stosh Cotler is the Chief Executive Officer of Bend the Arc. chaplain, is a leader in pastoral care in Israel. She founded Ms. Cotler has twenty years of leadership experience as an Kashouvot in 2010 to educate the public about chaplaincy, educator, trainer, and organizer within social and economic and advance recognition of the field. She earned a BA justice movements. The Jewish Daily Forward featured Ms. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1993 and an Cotler in the publication’s 14 Jewish Women To Watch in 2014 MA and Rabbinic Ordination from the Schechter Institute and again in the annual Forward 50 list of American Jews who in Jerusalem in 1998. She served as Assistant Rabbi at Park have had the most impact on the national conversation. Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan for three years and seven years in Boca Raton, Florida as an adult educator. You can read about her work at www.kashouvot.org. David Curiel David is a rabbinic student in the ALEPH Smicha program and the incoming Romemu Rabbinic Fellow. Prior to his Alina Bloomgarden year of study in Israel, he had been tending to the spiritual Alina Bloomgarden has studied and practiced astrology for development of children and adults in and around Boston. over 40 years and has been teaching it for the past three. David is a lifelong student of tai chi / chi gung, a singer and a She’s very excited to bridge astrology with her Jewish mashpia (spiritual director) in training. learning and to share how one’s natal chart can be seen as a holy encoding of the soul work laid out for each of us in this lifetime. Caren Fried Caren Fried has been engaged in facilitating/participating in Rosh Hodesh groups for the last 20 years and has been a Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses Mussar student/practitioner for the last 12 years, learning Dianne Cohler-Esses, Romemu’s Director of Lifelong with Alan Morinis’ Mussar Institute. She is a Clinical Social Learning since 2012, is the first woman from the Syrian Worker, community activist, and leader in the Jewish Jewish community to be ordained. She received ordination community. Caren is the immediate Past Chair of the from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1995 and has Romemu Board and currently serves on the Executive since served as an educator, scholar-in-residence, and Committee of the Romemu Board. administrator for multiple organizations, including: CLAL, the Bronfman Youth Fellowship, The Curriculum Initiative and UJA Federation. In 2007 the Washington Post online named Moshe Goodman her one of fifty top rabbis in the U.S.. She teaches and speaks Moshe is a Jewish educator committed to collaborative widely and writes frequently on Torah, Jewish ethnicity, and and empowering learning. Moshe’s second life as a theatre Judaism and disabilities. artist informs his work as a Jewish educator, helping him to recognize that creating our own Jewish lives and creating beautiful art are not such different processes.

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Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Dr. Michael Gottsegen Samuel Klein Dr. Michael Gottsegen (Ph.D., 1989) was trained as a political Samuel Klein is Executive Director of the Bronfman Jewish theorist at Columbia University and in Religious Studies at Education Centre in Montreal and lead project educator for Re- Harvard, and has worked in and out of academia since the Imagining Jewish Education Through Art at Yeshiva University early 1990s, having taught at Columbia and Brandeis before Museum. A lecturer and writer on religion and the arts, Samuel coming to Brown. A book based on his thesis, “The Political studied at several Yeshivot including Yeshivat Keren B’Yavneh, Thought of Hannah Arendt,” was published in 1994. He is Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shappells and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah presently completing a manuscript on the tension between and received MA degrees in History of Art from University College ethics and politics in the thought of the French Jewish London and in Theology from Jesus College, Cambridge University. philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas. Joy Ladin Judi Hannan Joy Ladin’s return to Yeshiva University as a woman after Judith Hannan serves on the board of Romemu, and is the receiving tenure as a man made her the first openly transgender author of Motherhood Exaggerated (CavanKerry Press, employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution and made page-3 2012), a memoir chronicling her journey as a mother during news in the New York Post. Her memoir of gender transition, her daughter’s treatment for cancer. She speaks before Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey Between Genders, medical students and professionals on patient stories and is was a finalist for a 2012 National Jewish Book Award, and winner a writing mentor with Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Visible Ink of a Forward Fives award, and she was named to the 2012 program. Her book, The Write Prescription, will be released in Forward 50 list of influential or courageous American Jews. She the fall of 2015 by Archer Lit. is also the author of seven books of poetry, including Psalms, Lambda Literary Award finalist Transmigration and newly published Impersonation. Her work has been recognized with Rabbi David Ingber a Fulbright Scholarship and an American Council of Learned Rabbi David is the founder and spiritual director of the Societies research fellowship. She has spoken about gender Romemu Community. identity issues around the country, and was featured on NPR’s “On Being” with Krista Tippett and other NPR programs. Named by Newsweek as one of 2013’s top 50 most influential rabbis in the United States as well as by The Forward as one of the 50 most newsworthy and notable Shelley Levine Jews in America, Rabbi David promotes a renewed Jewish Shelley Levine infuses Yoga for the Jewish spirit with teachings mysticism integrating meditative mindfulness and physical from the parsha, calendar and our great rabbis resulting in awareness into post-modern Judaism. A major 21st Century an embodied Jewish experience. Shelley has practiced yoga Jewish thinker and educator, his full-bodied approach to for over 15 years, teaches therapeutic yoga to those with Jewish learning has brought him to speak throughout the chronic pain, those having suffered sexual assault and other United States and across the world. trauma. She is a graduate of the Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher Training, a 200-hour vinyasa flow teacher training and the 500-hour American Viniyoga Teacher Training offered by Gary Kraftsow and is currently enrolled in their Yoga Therapy Training. She teaches yoga in the tri-state region and in Israel.

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Lifelong Learning at Romemu

Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer Eden Pearlstein Jessica Kate Meyer, Romemu’s Assistant Rabbi and co-Music Eden Pearlstein is a contemporary Jewish poet, musician, Director, was ordained in June 2014 by Hebrew College ritual artist and educator. As a founding member of the Rabbinical School. She strives to build community through Darshan Project, along with Shir Yaakov and Basya Schechter, prayerful music, and music through prayerful community. Eden’s creative work combines Jewish text and tradition with creative process and consciousness practice. Eden holds During rabbinic training she developed inter-generational two Master’s degrees in Experiential Jewish Education and education programs and prayer services for Temple Beth Jewish Thought and Philosophy from JTS. Zion in Brookline, MA, interned with a Masorti community in Tel Aviv, and directed leadership programs for the organization Encounter in Jerusalem. Jessica led Romemu’s Judith Plaskow inaugural adult b’nai mitzvah class last year -- and looks Judith Plaskow is professor emerita of religious studies at forward to deep Torah learning with this new cohort! Manhattan College and a Jewish feminist theologian. Co- founder and co-editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Rabbi Jay Michaelson Religion, she is author or editor of several works in feminist theology, including Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Dr. Jay Michaelson is an author, activist, and academic. He Feminist Perspective and The Coming of Lilith: Essays on is currently a Visiting Scholar at Brown University, Director Feminism, Judaism, and Sexual Ethics 1972-2003. She and of the LGBT Global Rights Initiative at the Democracy her friend Carol P. Christ have recently completed a book Council, and a weekly columnist for the Forward and the entitled Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Daily Beast. Jay is the author of five books and over three Embodied Theology that will be published by Fortress Press hundred articles on religion, sexuality, law, and contemplative in 2016. practice. His work has been featured on NPR, CNN, and in The New York Times. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Thought from Hebrew University, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and Rhonna Rogol nondenominational rabbinic ordination. His new book, “The A Montreal native, Rhonna attributes her passion for Gate of Tears: Sadness and the Spiritual Path”, is forthcoming languages and literature to the inspiration of her 7th grade from Ben Yehuda Press. teacher and beloved lifelong friend and mentor, the late Shlomo Jaacobi. An attorney by profession, she recently Scott Osman relocated from Connecticut to Manhattan, where she hopes to engage in volunteer programs and continue to Scott is a teacher and entrepreneur who was the global be immersed in Jewish education. She loves teaching both director of the corporate social responsibility strategy teens and adults, but loves learning even more. Recent practice at Landor Associates, and a visiting professor of endeavors include translating works by S.Y. Agnon for Ethics and CSR at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, a Toby Press in Jerusalem and training to be a docent at the guest lecturer at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Tuck School of Business and the founder of Good Omen, a purpose-led strategy and innovation consultancy.

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Jeremy Rosenshine Basya Schechter Jeremy grew up in Israel where he lived most of his life. His Basya Schechter, Romemu’s Music Director, is also well experience teaching goes back to his days training soldiers known for her group, Pharaoh’s Daughter, a 7-piece world in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and later, teaching music ensemble that travels effortlessly through continents, Hebrew school. Jeremy is an Israeli-trained attorney and has key signatures, and languages with a genre-bending sound. extensive experience as a Hebrew-English translator. Basya Schechter’s earthy, soulful, beautiful voice rings out over instruments that form a vibrant collage of East/West. Miriam Rubin She is also a full time student at Aleph’s Cantorial School. Miriam currently serves as the Director of Programming at Romemu. She has been committed to environmental activism Larry Schwartz since she was 5 years old. During and after earning her BA in Larry Schwartz, a Romemu board member, has been Environmental Science from Barnard College she became meditating for over 20 years. He has completed the Jewish active in the food justice movement, fighting for indigenous Mindful Teacher Training Program of the Institute for Jewish rights and climate justice. Before joining the staff at Romemu Spirituality and The Integrated Study and Practice Program Miriam produced events at an interfaith conference center at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Larry co-founded committed to social justice in New York’s Hudson Valley. It was the Jewish Meditation Center of Montclair NJ and started there that faith and activism began to weave together within the Shivti program at Romemu. He teaches mindfulness her as a spiritual practice and a way of life. at the Beit Raban elementary school on the UWS. He is taking courses at the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Rabbinical school and is the President of the Institute for Dr. Ronnie Scharfman Jewish Spirituality. Ronnie Scharfman is a Ph.D. in French Literature from Yale. She was professor of postcolonial French literatures at Purchase College, SUNY for 30 years. Her research and Nili Weissman writing on the themes of identity and exile led her to explore Nili is a lover of life and the deep inner mysteries of the comparative Jewish literatures as well, creating courses soul’s journey. that she fine-tuned over several years before retirement. Since then she has been an avid Jewish studies learner and She has studied with shamans, rabbis, healers and medicine recently became an adult Bat Mitzvah with the first cohort workers in all walks of life. She is a painter and student of to go through this training at Romemu. She is a poet and the Russian icon tradition, a hand-spinner and weaver, and midrashist, finding endless inspiration in Jewish narratives. a midwife for those healing from illness and navigating the transitional moments of their lives.

36 37 ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Lifelong Learning at Romemu

ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Kim Schneiderman Chair

Arthur Fried Ronnie Scharfman Moshe Goodman Dr. David Kaufman Academic Advisor

ROMEMU EDUCATION TEAM

Rabbi Dianne Cohler-Esses Director of Lifelong Learning

Danny Drachsler Education and Programming Associate

38 39 Romemu is a progressive, fully egalitarian, Jewish spiritual community. We are committed to tikkun olam (social justice), dynamic and spirited prayer, practices that quiet the mind and open the heart, and to living an inspired life, one breath at a time. Unabashedly eclectic, we infuse traditional liturgy with the energy of ecstatic chant, engage in body practices like yoga, and ground our practice with meditation and contemplation.

We are young and old, traditional and innovative, G-d lovers and atheists, multi-faith and multi-ethnic, multi- gendered and multi-sexually oriented. We are pluralistic and inclusive, a safe and nonjudgmental community that honors and embraces the Divine Image in each of us.

romemu.org