Exploring the Zohar: Real Kabbalah, No Red Strings Attached
If you've learned the basics of kabbalah and are thirsty for more, turn to the Zohar, the masterpiece of the kabbalah. In this class, well work directly with the text (in translation but with the original handy) to explore the themes and symbols of Jewish mysticism as theyre expressed in the kabbalah itself. Prepare for an enlightening journey with Jay Michaelson, a doctoral candidate in Jewish thought at Jerusalems Hebrew University, adjunct professor at City College, author, and the creator of www.learnkabbalah.com. This class is the perfect 'next step' for someone who's taken an introductory workshop, or read a couple of books, and now wants to learn more. It's the way the Kabbalah is meant to be taught: straight from the source.
Taught at: The Open Center, The National Havurah Institute, The Manhattan JCC, and elsewhere

Introduction to Jewish Mysticism/Kabbalah 101
So, you're curious about Kabbalah. Why does Madonna wear a string around her wrist? What is the Zohar about? And can you get the answer to these questions without checking your healthy skepticism at the door? Learn the answers to these questions at this short introduction to Kabbalah led by Jay Michaelson, who has been learning and teaching Kabbalah for ten years. We will focus on the core symbols of the "theosophical" Kabbalah, including the Zohar; the meditative practices of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia; the popularization of Kabbalah through Hasidism; and folk beliefs including golems, angels, demons, reincarnation, even the red string. Most importantly, no questions are off the table; no beliefs are assumed; and no products will be for sale. This is the ideal opportunity to learn about the core teachings of Jewish mysticism with no strings attached -- magical or otherwise. Whether you find it inspiring or merely diverting is up to you.
Taught at: The 14th Street Y, Makor, The Dorot Foundation, the Skirball Center, and many synagogues. This course has been taught in 3, 4, and 8 sessions. An enlarged an academic version of the course was taught at Yale University and City College of New York.

Kabbalah and the Erotics of the Infinite
Unlike those religious systems which see spirit as separate from the body and sexuality as a necessary evil, the Jewish mystical and esoteric traditions known as Kabbalah hold that the body is a place of sanctity, and sexuality is a key to unlocking the greatest of Divine secrets. And centuries before "The Da Vinci Code," Kabbalah sought the return of the Divine Feminine from Her exile and concealment. In fact, with both human beings and the Godhead possessing male and female energies, the permutations of gender and consciousness challenge simplistic notions of normative sexual expression. Indeed, it is fair to say that the entire world as we experience it, in space and in time, is an expression of the Divine lovemaking. Together we will explore some of these provocative notions, including how "God" and the world are mutually dependent, how the Infinite comes to know Itself through the union of the linear and the cyclical, and how these mysteries are reflected in the diverse experiences of our lives.
This lecture was the Pincus Lecture at Drew University in 2005.

Everything is God, So What? The Texts and Practices of Nondual Judaism
If you spend time in the spiritual world today, you've probably heard people say that "everything is God," or that God is Ein Sof, without end even filling the atoms of your computer screen. For many of us, this offers a promise of liberation, but, after the thrill wears off, confusion as well. Was God in the gas chambers too? And if God is everything, what's the point of doing anything?
In this unique class, we will explore Jewish texts on Nonduality, from Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed to the Zohar, Moses Cordovero to the little-known teachings of Rabbi Aaron of Staroselse. We will compare these teachings with those of Tibetan Buddhism and Advaita. And we will balance the study with practices of contemplation, inquiry, prayer, meditation, and a nondual approach to the mitzvot to cultivate a boundless awareness, omnipresent, always available, and, in a sense, the most obvious thing in the world even though it's really hard to say anything about it. If you've had some exposure to Kabbalah, Hasidism, or nondual Buddhism, come deepen your understanding, practice, and realization. Be prepared for surprise: enlightenment is not what you think and neither is God.
To be taught as a weeklong retreat at Elat Chayyim, 2007

A Four Worlds Friday Night: Integrating Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit to really "Receive" Shabbat
Kabbalah means "receiving," implying that an experience of God is not about adding to our experience, but _subtracting_ something so that we can receive it more fully. That something -- the "yetzer hara" in Jewish texts, the sense of self in others -- can be quieted down, using the technologies of meditation, prayer, song, and movement. Jay's unique Kabbalat shabbat ("receiving of the Sabbath") services follow the form of the traditional service, but not the content, as we explore ways to expand our capacity to receive YHVH -- What Is.

Integral Judaism: An Introduction to Ken Wilber, Spiral Dynamics, and The Torah of Everything
How does Torah fit into the evolution of the world & consciousness? How does the evolution of the world & consciousness fit into Torah? In this workshop, we'll look at one non-Jewish "theory of everything," philosopher Ken Wilber's adaptation of Spiral Dynamics, to see how the universe has unfolded from inanimate matter to spiritual enlightenment, and what redemption and mashiach might mean in an actual, this-world context. Charts, maps, and memes will be provided.

Four Worlds, Four Elements, Four Souls: Authentic Integral Kabbalah
Rabbi Jill Hammer writes, "One of the building blocks of Jewish time, space, and soul is 'fourness.' There are four letters of God's name, four matriarchs, four promises of liberation, four mystical worlds of being, four guardian angels, and four layers of the spirit. On a more physical level, there are four elements, four winds, four seasons, four phases of the moon, and four directions and the four souls are contained within the body's flesh, circulation, respiration, and life-force. There are four ways of interpreting Torah: pshat, drash, remez, and sod (the plain meaning, the allegorical meaning, the interpretive meaning, and the mystical meaning), and four rivers in the garden of Eden." In this class, which can be taught either as a lecture, discussion, or four-day experiential workshop, we will come to know this "fourness" on multiple levels. Depending on the workshop, we may crawl through underground caves or read texts of the Hasidic masters. We may learn the basic structure of the Book of Creation (the Sefer Yetzirah) and meditations based upon it -- or explore the interrelatedness of our bodies, hearts, minds, and spirits with our oldest teacher, Elohim - HaTeva - Nature. Whether informative or transformative, you'll never see the number four in quite the same way.

Other Kabbalah and spirituality courses and workshops:
Evil, pantheism, and antinomianism in Kabbalah
The Meditation Practices of Abraham Abulafia
Does the World Exist?
Experiencing and Embodying the Sefirot
The History and Phenomenology of Jewish Mysticism
God and Human, or, the Real Da Vinci Code
The Number 2 (Existence/non-existence, illusion/reality, Hasidism/Mitnagdism, pure/impure, permitted/forbidden, female/male, spirit/letter, spirit/body, finite/infinite, etc.)
Kabbalah and Popular Culture
Other Jewish spiritual workshops:
The High Holidays: Breaking our Shells, Calling us to the Now
The Place of Sadness in Contemplative Jewish Practice
Sitting with God: Using the Ashrei as a Guided Meditation
Meditation Exercises in Psalm 145
The Four Worlds in our Davening Practice
Closeness and Distance in Jewish Liturgy
 

Meditation and Contemplative Practice

Insight Meditation Retreats
Meditation is the practice of slowing down thought enough to observe the mind more clearly. It is a non-dogmatic and non-sectarian practice that shows demonstrable results: more calm, less selfishness; more clarity of mind, less confusion; more awareness, less suffering. The only way to truly experience the benefits of meditation is on extended retreat. Daily practice is valuable, but everyday life is too busy and noisy for the deeper benefits of meditation to take hold. And yet, meditation retreats are often expensive, or are connected to particular religious traditions, or seem to cater to particular socio-economic groups.
Jay Michaelson's retreats, beginning in 2007, attempt to make serious meditation practice accessible to all. Jay has many years of experience as a student and teacher of meditation, including sitting a six-week silent retreat in 2004. He teaches the basic practice of insight meditation (vipassana), which is derived from Theravada Buddhism. It requires neither belief nor disbelief -- just a dedication to noticing the mind and focusing attention on the breath. Jay can also combine insight meditation with Jewish religious practice, in new, sophisticated, and self-aware ways.
Meditation is not a narcotic. It is not "feel-good" spirituality. It is often difficult, but almost always rewarding; simply by slowing down and seeing clearly, remarkable and powerful insights, perhaps about your mind, perhaps about the world in which we live, perhaps about the nature of life itself, arise on their own. Meditation also provides a stable ground for anyone on a spiritual or shamanic path, enabling deeper journeys and more security, even in the midst of chaos.

Meditation on the Run
You dont have to set aside 45 minutes a day to meditate in peace and quiet. Even if you have kids or a crazy business schedule, you can easily relax, be present and gain the benefits of meditationwith zero minutes of spare time. Learn several simple and effective meditation practices that you can integrate into your busy, stressed-out life.
Taught as a one-session workshop at Makor, Limmud, and the 14th Street Y. Available also as a multi-session class.

Eat Your Way to Enlightenment: The Art of Eating Meditation
Meditation offers many rewards -- relaxation, healing, and perhaps insight into the meaning of life. But how are you supposed to do it when you don't have 45 minutes to sit quietly every day? Or even 5? Eating meditation, combining the wisdom of the Buddha with the brilliance of the bagel, is one simple practice that really can give your mind the spaciousness it needs. And, nu, a little nosh. This class will teach you all you need to know to make this practice part of your daily life, including sacred intentions, mindfulness practice, and the basic framework of meditation. Come hungry!
Taught at countless seminars and weekends as a one-session workshop.

Introduction to meditation for college students
Learn the basics of meditation at this specially-priced program for college students. Led by Jay Michaelson, who teaches Kabbalah and meditation to people of all ages, we will learn practices that can work well with a low-sleep, high-energy student lifestyle, and find out practical ways to integrate these techniques in our own lives for more calm, concentration, and focus. If youre curious about meditation, this is the perfect introduction for you
Taught at NYU, the JCC of Manhattan, and Wesleyan University

Meditative davening Services
Jay's services usually follow the structure of the traditional liturgy, but do not include all of its substance, instead allowing those who wish to daven traditionally to do so alongside our own creative interpretation and improvisation. On Friday night, Jay leads services based on the "Beerot" minyan which he created and hosted for two years. Structured along the framework of the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv services, though not containing all of their elements, the services are a mindful and heartful way to bring in a Sabbath of tranquility and alertness, regardless of your level of religious observance or Hebrew knowledge.

Deep Rest: A Shabbat Mini-Retreat
This Shabbat, we will experience a miniature silent retreat, combining insight meditation, chanting, movement, and eating meditation. Blending mindfulness techniques from the Buddhist world and heart-opening ones from the Jewish tradition, we will cultivate a deep restfulness and awaken an awareness of the Divine Presence. Participants are asked to come on time, and observe "social silence," not speaking except for designated moments in the program. Please note that we will not be following the liturgy or conducting a Torah service; this is an experiment with a different mode of spiritual practice.

YHVH Means 'What Is': Integrating Buddhism and Judaism
It's an open secret that many of America's leading Buddhist teachers come from Jewish backgrounds, and many of America's leading teachers of Jewish spirituality have spent time on Buddhist retreat. What do these two seemingly disparate traditions have in common? How are they influencing one another? And what, really, is Buddhist about Buddhist meditation anyway? This evening's program will be a combination of theory and practice -- we'll talk a little about some of these questions, and, because map is not territory, we'll learn some basic Buddhist meditation practices that can help cultivate stillness and mindfulness even in a life filled with stress, reading, and midterms. We are joined by Jay Michaelson (www.metatronics.net), a teacher of Kabbalah, spirituality, and mindfulness who recently completed a six-week silent retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.

A Day Spa for the Soul: An Interfaith Day of Mindfulness
Join Jay for a day of meditation, community-building and spiritual practice for GLBT people and their allies. Our day will include sitting, eating and walking meditation; body-centered spiritual practices including yoga and movement; and time to connect with one another. It's like a day-spa for the soul!
Taught at the JCC of Manhattan and Easton Mountain
 

Embodied Spiritual Practice/ God in Your Body

God in Your Body: Body-centered spiritual practice in the Jewish tradition
What's the best place to start experiencing God, freeing yourself from stress, and practicing the vast majority of Jewish commandments? Your body. Join Jay Michaelson, author of the book God in Your Body and fresh from a year of Kabbalah study in Jerusalem, to learn how the mystical and the mundane, the Jewish and the Buddhist, the traditional and the transformative can be unified in an integral embrace -- beginning and ending with the body. This will be a week you will not forget. Over the course of our week together, we will study text, walk in the woods, meditate with potato chips, and even learn how to use the bathroom according to Kabbalah.
Taught as a weeklong retreat at Elat Chayyim, and as one- and three- session workshops at several synagogues.

It's Not All In Your Head: Food, Sex, and the Enlightenment of the Body in Jewish Tradition
Today, most of us think that religion is about the spirit, and the "spirit" is distinct from the body. Surprisingly, this is not at all how it's seen either in Jewish tradition or in contemporary meditation practices. In this one-session class we'll learn the theory and practice of embodied spirituality: how to wake up to God (whatever that means) not by leaving the body behind, but in simple, embodied acts like eating, washing, walking, having sex, and staying healthy. We'll gain practical skills and a mind-opening look at Jewish enlightenment.

Embodied Judaism: Experiencing God in the Body and in Nature
How do you learn Kabbalah? By reading a book, which gives you a map of the body and soul, or by experiencing the body and soul themselves? In an Embodied Judaism class, we experience Kabbalistic concepts such as the four souls -- nefesh (earth, life force, flexibility, core balance), ruach (uniting air and water, circulation, chi/chai), neshamah (air, breath), and yechidah (spirit) -- by actually learning to perceive them. True Kabbalah is not about blind faith; it is about experience: enabling the self to receive and express its true nature. Imagine moving your body in gentle undulations, movements drawn from the modalities of pilates and gyrotonic, synchronized with the breath -- this is the place of ruach. Then imagine a shift to breath-meditation based on the three "mother letters" of the Book of Creation: this is a way to experience neshamah. Embodied Judaism is drawn directly from core teachings of the Kabbalah -- it isn't yoga in a yarmulke. But it also is experiential, real, and vital.
We learn Kabbalah, but we learn the concepts through our bodies, not just our minds and hearts. We bend, breathe, and balance, and although the spiritual nature of the movement practices will be familiar to students of yoga, we are not confined to a mat. At the same time, Embodied Judaism is accessible to persons of all levels of physical fitness, and is especially beneficial for those with injuries or debilitating physical conditions such as chronic back pain. Other classes may focus on experiencing the sefirot in the natural world -- Ari and Jay have taken grandmothers rock-scrambling, and teenagers into caves. Or, classes may center around the spirituality of ordinary experience, such as eating or walking. With attention, the thinking mind may become quieted, and the sense of self (the yetzer, or self-centered inclination) can slowly drop, revealing that what you've actually been looking for all this time is actually Who you really are.
Embodied Judaism classes have been taught at the Wexner Summer Institute (weeklong seminar), Elat Chayyim (weeklong retreat), the 14th Street Y, and numerous synagogues.

Embodied, Ecstatic, Energetic, Earth-Based: An Introduction to Holistic Jewish Ritual
Let's get our groove on! Ancient Jewish ritual was celebratory, Earth-based, and, often, an embodied, ecstatic experience. This is an introduction to the "Four E's" of ritual -- embodied, ecstatic, Earth-based, and energetic -- as we usher in a fifth "E," the introspective month of Elul. Through meditation, contemplation, and ecstatic practice, we will meet the four worlds and the four elements out in nature and deep within the self. We will explore traditional and innovative Jewish sources that unify heaven and earth, wind and water, fire and spirit.
Taught as a weekend retreat at Elat Chayyim, Fall 2005.

More Classes in Embodied Spiritual Practice
Movement, Mindfulness, and Balance
Osho's Dynamic Meditation Practice
Meditation: It's a Walk in the Park
God is in the Deltoids: Hike, Climb, and Cave Your Way to Wisdom
Rock scrambling, hiking, biking, caving trips for adults and teenagers
 

GLBT Spirituality and Judaism and Sexuality

Sexuality and Scripture: What does the Bible really say about homosexuality?
Jay leads this introductory seminar exploring Biblical sources relating to homosexuality. This multi-faith workshop, which Jay will co-lead with representatives of Christian traditions, will teach attendees the scripture-based arguments often made against homosexuality -- and the truth about what the Bible really says.
Taught as a one-session workshop for the Empire State Pride Agenda, at Easton Mountain, and for several interfaith groups.

Creating a Queer-Positive Jewishness: Resources and Challenges.
This is a broad lecture combining some 'reports from the field' of what's happening (same-sex marriage, new ritual, halacha) and some 'resources' (medieval homoerotic Jewish poetry, theology, the gay spirituality movement, readings of Bible and Kabbalah) to present the big picture of how GLBT people are creating their own forms of Jewish identities and practices. The focus is not "whether it's ok to be gay and Jewish" but go from there to ask what's special about being that way.

Queer Spirit Heroes
There is no gay bar mitzvah, yet, and so GLBT people have no formal way to learn about their heritage. Yet from David and Jonathan to Allen Ginsberg and his many loves, there are ample heroes in the past for thoughtful and spiritual GLBT people today. In this workshop, we'll learn about some of them and explore what they can mean to us today.

Turning It Around and Taking It Back: Religious Activism in a Time of Dissent
What role will progressive activism play in the national discourse on values? How can liberal people of faith reclaim what it means to be "moral" in America? How can a united progressive movement influence political dialogue today? Learn about current visions for religion in America in line with progressive activism.

Queer Spiritual Valentines: Poetry from the GLBT Mystical Tradition
experience a "higher love" at this evening of amazing, passionate, spiritual love poetry written by queer mystics from across the ages. You'll hear ancient and contemporary voices, set to music and rhythms and staged in a way that is anything but a "reading." Hear Judah haLevy the way you've never heard him before, be moved by Hafiz and James Broughton, and hear the words of new poets as they sing their queer love poems for God.
Led at Easton Mountain and the JCC of Manhattan

Other classes and workshops on religion and sexuality:
The status of homosexuality in Halacha
The status of gays and lesbians in the different movements of Judaism
Personal stories of 'the closet' and 'coming out'
Queer Here Now: The Theory and Practice of Queer Spirituality
Women who Rub: Lesbianism in Halacha
Toward a queer Jewish theology
Queer imagery in the Kabbalah
Judaism and Sexuality (for teenagers)
Sacred Sexuality and Emotional Healing
Body Electric style bodywork
Liquid Mind, Liquid Body: An Exploration
 

Jewish Philosophy and Theology

Radical Amazement: An Introduction to Abraham Joshua Heschel
The Philosophy of Halacha
Halachic Man and trans-subjective religiosity
The Meaning of Life
Buber, Rosenzweig, Levinas, Derrida: Toward the Other
How Not to Believe in God
The Religious Romanticism of Friedrich Schleiermacher
Classical Arguments for the Existence of God: What are they, and do they work?
The Concept of Nothing
Toward a queer Jewish theology
Motherland, Mother Earth, and the Divine Mother: Dreaming of the Land of Israel
 

Judaism and Nature

The Face Behind the Mask: Encountering God in Nature
In Hasidic wisdom, Hateva, nature, is equivalent to Elohim, the aspect of God that both conceals and reveals the Divine. In this class, you will learn, and practice, some of the ways in which our ancestors sought Gods Face in nature. We might practice hitbodedut, Rabbi Nachmans method of soul-searing meditation, aided by the songs of the grass. Or we may practice mindful walking and learn the Jewish attention-blessings to be recited in places of natural beauty. Through meditation, study, and experience, we will together learn a Jewish path for appreciating natures beauty, and the Divine life within.
Taught as a weekend retreat at Elat Chayyim

Other workshops in Judaism and Nature
Rock scrambling, hiking, spelunking, and bike trips (for adults and young adults; taught for several years at Camp Ramah and Elat Chayyim)
Rabbi Nachman's "Song of the Grass"
Blessings, nature, and embodiment
Jewish environmental ethics and the Four Worlds Model
Doing Real Spiritual Work with Kids on the Trail (for educators; taught at Teva Learning Center)
Autumn Leaves and Blessings: A Jewish Path of Embracing Nature's Beauty
 

The New Jewish Culture / Contemporary Judaism

Is the Torah a Basis for Liberal values?
Today, it's common in some circles to hear claims that the Bible aligns with modern liberal ideas such as taking care of the less fortunate, pursuing peace and justice, and ending baseless hatred. So does that mean that far-right Jewish ideologues, and Jewish neo-conservatives, are just plain wrong? Join Jay Michaelson for a frank look at Biblical texts on such issues as poverty, the death penalty, slavery, and multiculturalism. This text workshop and discussion is sure to provoke.

Why Jews Under 30 can't stand Judaism, and what to do about it
Many in the institutional Jewish community have begun sounding the alarm about dangerous demographic trends among Jews under 30: high intermarriage, low affiliation, and a generally negative view of Jewish life. What can be done to reverse these trends? Jay Michaelson, a leading figure in the so-called "New Jewish Culture" and an educator for fifteen years, for an honest discussion about the failure of 20th century Judaism to connect in the 21st. We'll talk about why the 'sacred trinity' of American Judaism -- Israel, the holocaust, and the survival of the Jewish people -- just don't matter to younger Jews, and why no amount of slick advertising is going to dress up a boring, stifling synagogue service. What's needed is a serious look at what needs and desires Judaism still meets today: not tribe but spirit, not history but art and culture, not conventional values but emotional and intellectual seriousness.

Jewish Spiritual Searches: A View from the Path
What are the new forms of Jewish spirituality? How are young people today seeking, finding, and then re-seeking new ways of connecting to spirit and to tribe? Blending personal story, intimate anecdotes, and reports from the cutting edge of Jewish spirituality, this workshop will inform and challenge our preconceptions about authentic spiritual search today.

Alternative Judaisms of the 20th Century
In the 20th century, many new alternative forms of Judaism were created. In this class, or series of classes, we'll learn about them first-hand. Topics covered include: Jewish Socialism and Labor Unions, The American Jewish Left & the American Jewish Right, Radical Zionism & Canaanism, Radical Jewish Nationalism, the 60s Radicals, the Chavurah Movement, Jewish Renewal/ New Age and 20th Century Kabbalah, Chabad, Reconstructionism, BuJus, Jewish Feminism, and Queer Judaism.

Integral Judaism: An Introduction to Ken Wilber, Spiral Dynamics, and The Torah of Everything
How does Torah fit into the evolution of the world & consciousness? How does the evolution of the world & consciousness fit into Torah? In this workshop, we'll look at one non-Jewish "theory of everything," philosopher Ken Wilber's adaptation of Spiral Dynamics, to see how the universe has unfolded from inanimate matter to spiritual enlightenment, and what redemption and mashiach might mean in an actual, this-world context. Charts, maps, and memes will be provided.
What is there to "get" about New York's New Jewish Culture?
On Being a Leftist and Zionist
The History and Phenomenology of Antisemitism
Contemporary Jewish Subcultures

Law
Antilawyerism and Antisemitism
Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Pricing of Human Lives
Understanding the International Court of Justice opinion about the Israeli "separation wall".
 
 
Institutions where Jay has taught

Colleges and Universities
Yale University
American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting (Fall 2007)
Cardozo Law School/ Jews and the Legal Profession Conference
City College of New York
Yale University Hillel
Wesleyan University Hillel
Drew University
NYU Bronfman Center
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Jewish Educational Programs & Centers
Wexner Foundation Summer Institute
Elat Chayyim Jewish Retreat Center
The Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning
The National Havurah Institute (Summer 2007)
Makor/92nd Street Y
The Manhattan JCC
Limmud UK (invited lecturer)
Limmud NY
The Sol Goldman 14th Street Y
The Dorot Foundation
National Union of Jewish LGBT Students Conference
Hazon Food Conference 2006
Berkshire Hills Emanuel - Adult Vacation Center

High Schools and Youth Programs
JTS Prozdor High School
The Trinity School
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
USY Metny Summer Encampment
USY on Wheels
The Teva Institute
J-High Queens
Makom Hebrew High School in Connecticut

Synagogues
Park Avenue Synagogue, New York
Congregation Kol Ami, Tampa, FL
Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta, GA
Temple Beth Shalom, Rockland County
Kehilat Romemu, New York
Kehilat Hadar, Shavuot Retreat

GLBT Centers and Programs
Pride in the Pulpit
The New York LGBT Center
Out and Faithful
Riverside Church/Maranatha Society
Easton Mountain
New York GLBT Center
Gay Spirit Culture Summit
Ken Page Spring Retreat

Other The New York Open Center
Burning Man