Exploring Jewish Meditation & Spirituality

Work is hard. Family is hard. The world is hard. Life is hard. Even meditation seems hard. But it doesn’t have to be.

In this series of Happenings, we’ll explore Jewish teachings, music, and mindfulness meditation practices designed to make life feel a bit less hard, a bit more joyful, a bit more aligned. No experience with meditation needed. Come comfortable and curious.

Wisdom from the early Chasidic movement points to a spirituality that lives in daily life. Mindfulness meditation practices can help ground us and enable us to tap into that spirituality with less of the noise that often obscures our awareness. Music and poetry awaken our creative, non-rational minds.

In each session we will learn a bit of Jewish wisdom which will form the inspiration for our meditation and will be augmented by contemporary poetry and Jewish meditative music. Meditation will be partially guided and partially silent. Novice meditators will have plenty of support, direction and the opportunity to find a new way of being present in life. Experienced meditators will be enriched by the energy of practicing with companions in a framework of Jewish spirituality.

These sessions are designed to be accessible for everyone at every level. Text, music, poetry, meditation – If you are an expert in any of these, you are welcome. If you are a beginner, you are welcome.

Rabbi Elissa Sachs-Kohen served two Reform congregations for a total of 26 years: Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, CT and Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in Baltimore, MD. Her rabbinate and personal spiritual life are deeply shaped by her participation in the Clergy Leadership Program with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, an 18-month fellowship bringing together early Chasidic wisdom, mindfulness meditation, yoga, music, and prayer.
Join Rabbi Sachs-Kohen for Mediation Workshops in November, January, and into 2027.