Part of a weekend retreat at Elat Chayyim
September 9-11, 2005
Accord, New York
Click here to register
As the new year approaches, experience the ancient process of Return as you never have before. Meditate, drum, study, pray. Walk in nature and meet earth, air, fire, and water. Harvest inner worlds of heart, body, mind, and spirit...

...and let’s get our groove on!

Join us at summer's end for the new moon of Elul and the anniversary of 9/11. This introductory workshop will teach ways of living Jewish life that are new and ancient, embodied and energetic.

Your facilitators:
Rabbi Jill Hammer, Ph.D., is the director of Tel Shemesh and author of Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women. A ritualist and myth-maker, she conducts workshops on midrash, the seasons, the Divine feminine, and creative ritual.
Jay Michaelson is a teacher of Kabbalah, Embodied Judaism and contemplative practice, the creator of learnkabbalah.com, and chief editor of Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture.
Shoshana Jedwab is a drummer, educator, and co-founder of Tel Shemesh.

A rough schedule of the weekend:

Friday:
Spiritual davening with Elat Chayyim community, drum circle, singing, spiritual mikva.
Saturday:
Ecstatic davening with visualization and meditation
Learning about the four worlds, four souls, four elements, four "E"s
Learn how to create and "read" holistic, integral ritual
Group dynamics and fun
Learn how ecstatic ritual works with the soul to create devekut
Havdalah
Build your own ritual with natural objects and themes
Optional dancing at the Freestyle Frolic at night!
Sunday:
Entering the dark places - we will take a trip to an underground stream, and explore the turning of the seasons, 9/11, and how to work with body, mind, heart, and spirit to elevate the shadow.
Learn practical skills, historical precedents, and examples of holistic Jewish ritual.
Sunday:  Nature, "holy paganism," Judaism, and creative ritual: finding and experiencing your path. 

Elat Chayyim is a full-service retreat center with a variety of winterized accommodations, tennis courts, and hot tub. It is located two hours north of New York City in the Catskill mountains. All meals are kosher, and most are vegetarian.

The weekend begins Friday afternoon, and ends Sunday at 2pm. The cost is $185 for basic accommodations, with premium accommodations available for an additional fee. This includes all room, board, and expenses, as well as the teaching fee. To register, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Jay Michaelson via email.