Opening to Revelation
A HaMakom and Or HaLev Retreat
with
Rabbi Dr James Jacobson-Maisels
and Zac Newman
These are very painful and difficult times. Revelation will often and understandably feel remote or inaccessible. But our tradition teaches us that it is not just a historical event that took place in the wilderness of Sinai long ago. Revelation is a resource which is available here and now, emerging continually to offer us the grounding, connection, clarity, refuge and refreshment which we all need. Sometimes revelation is that small moment of release, of comfort, of connection, in the midst of challenge. It is the opening which allows us to hold what is true from a wider perspective. It is something we can learn to come home to, time and again, in big ways and small. Join us on retreat, and we’ll come home together.
Led by Rabbi Dr James Jacobson-Maisels, Zac Newman and Bev Cohen, we’ll spend the weekend exploring the healing possibilities of Jewish mindfulness practice. We’ll create community with sitting meditation, walking meditation, sacred chanting, Shabbat practice, talks, Q&A and sharing experiences in small groups. Everyone is welcome, whatever experience of meditative or Jewish traditions you have or have not had. This will be a unique weekend dedicated to the practice of Jewish mindfulness meditation, and an experience of the Jewish path to wellbeing, wisdom & awakening.
Throughout the retreat we will maintain social silence. See the “Social Silence” tab above for an explanation of this. The retreat will also offer optional periods of movement practice, in the form of subtle yoga led by Mika Hadar. There will be space and time for davening (prayer), for those that wish to. We welcome people of all ages, of all faiths or none, beginners or experienced practitioners or anyone in between.
Our venue is the beautiful Park Place Pastoral Centre, Wickham, Fareham, Hampshire, UK PO17 5HA.
About Rabbi Dr James Jacobson-Maisels
Rav James leads and directs the vision of Or HaLev. Ordained by Rav Daniel Landes, with a doctorate in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago, he has been studying and teaching meditation and Jewish spirituality for over twenty five years. He was the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Romemu Yeshiva and has taught and innovated programs in Jewish thought, mysticism, spiritual practices and meditation at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Haifa University, Yeshivat Hadar and in a variety of settings around the world. He strives to integrate his study with his practice, and to help teach and live Judaism as a spiritual discipline.
About Zac Newman
Zac Newman is HaMakom’s Community Director. He is responsible for the day-to-day running of our organisation. In addition to this role, Zac is a regular teacher for HaMakom. He teaches Jewish meditation widely, including for Or HaLev and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Zac is a long-time teacher of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme. He has taught mindfulness in schools since 2013. He trained to teach through the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University. Prior to this he studied Theology at the University of Cambridge, and then spent a fellowship in the graduate school at Yale University. Zac has spent extensive time on retreat.
About Bev Cohen
Bev has been practising meditation for over 25 years, mainly in the Insight tradition. She is an NHS-trained Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy/Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher and a graduate of Yesod, the Jewish meditation programme from Or HaLev and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Bev facilitates meditation groups in person and online for HaMakom and secular organisations and gives one to one sessions. She is a member of the Community Dharma Leader system at Gaia House, Devon, UK. Bev is a student of the late Rob Burbea and his teaching influences her approach. Bev is also a long-term practitioner of interfaith dialogue.
About Mika Hadar
Mika comes from a long line of Hasidic healers. Being trained in a variety of mind-body systems including the Alexander Technique, Hatha Yoga and Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Mika has developed the unique practice of Subtle Yoga. Her work explores the subconscious self-alignment and self-healing capacity of the body alongside re-education. At the heart of her work is an emphasis on psycho-physical integration. Mika is based in London and teaches internationally.
The retreat will begin at 4.00pm on Thursday 30 May and will end at 12.00pm on Sunday 2 June. Lunch will be available after the end of the retreat for all those who wish to stay.
Registration will be from 2.00pm to 3.30pm on Thursday 30 May. Please arrive at Park Place Pastoral Centre between 2.00pm and 3.30pm.
HaMakom and Or HaLev endeavour to keep costs as low as possible, and to be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. The price of our retreats is set to reflect just the basic costs of arranging the retreat at the beautiful Park Place Pastoral Centre (parkplacecentre.uk). This includes all meals and accommodation.
The meals provided by the retreat centre will all be vegetarian. We are also able to offer vegan, dairy free and gluten free options. If this does not suit your kashrut practice please contact us so that we can explore what arrangements will support you. We aim to accommodate everyone’s dietary and kashrut requirements, as best we can. Please be sure to give us full details in your registration form.
We also offer the option for you to be an offsite participant and to arrange your own accommodation. If you prefer this option you will pay a reduced rate and will need to make your own accommodation arrangements. Camping may also be possible. Please be in touch with Zac (zac@hamakom.community) if you would like to book either of these options.
At the end of the retreat, you will be invited to give donations to support Rav James’ livelihood, and to support HaMakom in its ongoing work. The registration fee you pay goes towards the basic costs of delivering the retreat and does not include any payment to Rav James.
Retreat Rates
Standard Rate: the Standard Rate is £252 and covers the basic running costs of the retreat.
Scholarship Rate: the Scholarship Rate is £196, and is there to enable anyone who would otherwise be unable to attend, to come on retreat.
Supporter Rate: the Supporter Rate is £341. If you are in a position to do so, we invite you to pay a higher registration fee. This in turn supports those with more limited finances to participate, and to enjoy the gifts of retreat. Our deep aspiration is that these gifts should be equally available to everyone who seeks them, regardless of financial or any other circumstances.
The retreat centre offers different accommodation options. The rates above are for a standard twin room.
Single room options are available on payment of a supplement of £75.
Ensuite rooms (both twin and single) are also available on payment of a supplement of £45 per person.
If you choose a twin room you have the option in the registration form to let us know who you would like to share with.
Cancellations
Cancellations before Thursday 25 April are fully refundable less a £10 fee for administration and payment processing. Cancellations before Thursday 9 May are 50% refundable less a £10 fee. We will not be able to refund cancellations notified to us after Wednesday 8 May.
The Benefits of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
(from: The Institute for Jewish Spirituality)
We are dedicated to introducing this practice into the Jewish world for several reasons:
- to enliven and enhance Jewish prayer, celebration, ritual and community;
- to be part of working for the betterment of our fragile and vulnerable planet; and
- to recognize the true and deep sources of happiness in a world filled with seductive, competing and ultimately unsatisfying short-term fixes.
How can Mindfulness Meditation Help?
Mindfulness meditation is training the mind. Just as we go to the gym to make our bodies stronger and more flexible, so mind training helps make our minds more spacious, perceptive and most of all free.
We train our capacity to pay attention by turning our attention, like a flashlight, on our own minds. This helps us see more clearly the nature of our own minds. We become aware of the patterns and habits that run our lives but have not been previously visible.
We begin to realize that these patterns and habits may serve our goals, desires, and purposes – but often they do not. We start to realize that there actually is a “pause button” built into our system. This pause button can be activated when we become triggered by an event outside ourselves and are tempted to act in reactive, patterned and unskilful ways.
The “pause button” wakes us up, creates a space in our mind where we can ask the question: ”What is the skilful, wholesome, wise, goal oriented action I need to take in this moment?” “What are my choices here?” The development of this capacity for inner freedom is why we train in mindfulness. This can be profoundly useful in our lives, especially in our relationships, and in any task we undertake to realize our dreams or express our creativity.
By cultivating attention, we are also able to feel more satisfied with each moment of our experience.
We learn to rest in this moment as it unfolds.
We learn to bring our awareness to the flow of energy in the body which is the very miracle of our aliveness. We learn to be more receptive to the fullness of each moment, rather than resisting what has already occurred or projecting what is not yet here. We learn to notice the arising and passing of all experience, recognizing how short and precious this life is.
We learn to treasure each day for the miracle it is. This is itself a source of happiness. According to modern neuroscience, the mind is a dynamic flow of experiences rather than a fixed state. When we experience this for ourselves, we feel less isolated, less caught in judgment and adversity, and more open to the mystery and majesty of this very life.
Being in Peace & Quiet / Social Silence
You are invited to experience the retreat in peace & quiet/social silence. This means that from Thursday evening until Sunday lunchtime, we invite you to observe silence at all times.
Spending time in silence can be a powerful way to support the deepening of meditative calm and insight. Being together in this way is an opportunity for us to explore a degree of solitude, while having the support of the group.
Being in silence can foster a sense of safety and refuge. Letting go of the familiar world of words, we can give ourselves the opportunity to find space from the complexity of personal interaction, and to see our mind and its activity more clearly.
Experiencing life directly, rather than through language and concepts, allows us to develop insight into the way things are. This direct seeing is the foundation for inner peace, wisdom and compassion.
There will be time for asking questions. Each person will also have the opportunity for small group meetings with one or more of the teachers over the weekend, where you can share what you choose to of your experience, and receive personalised feedback and guidance.
We will explain how the silence will work, what to do if you need to speak to someone and answer any questions at the start of the retreat.
General registration for this retreat is now closed. There may be a chance you can still join us. Please email zac@hamakom.community to find out more. If not this time, we hope to welcome you on another retreat soon.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Meditation retreats can be beautiful and powerful journeys of healing and transformation. However, they are not necessarily safe and appropriate for everyone at all times. We therefore ask potential participants to be aware of the following: if you have suffered an episode of mania or psychosis in the last six months, this retreat is not appropriate for you. Please join us on retreat when there has been more than six months since your last episode of mania or psychosis or other serious mental health episode. There are other mental and physical health issues which might mean that this retreat is not appropriate for you. Please do not attend this retreat against the advice of a medical professional. If you have a history of trauma or serious mental health challenges, retreat may be appropriate and beneficial for you. It is important that you are in touch with us in advance so that we can ensure this retreat will be supportive for you.
