Retreat is a gift you give to yourself

We are delighted to be launching a new retreat this September. Whilst open to everyone, it has been created especially for people from Orthodox and halachically observant communities who are seeking a deeper encounter with Jewish mindfulness, meditation, prayer and spiritual practice. For more details please see the tab above ‘An Orthodox Framework’.

Elul, the month before the Jewish new year, is a month of soul-searching and reflection. In the run up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the High Holy Days of renewal) the month of Elul invites us to reflect on our shared and personal past and on the potential that awaits us in the future; to consider our habits and ideas, and to prepare ourselves for a fresh start.

On this retreat we will explore Jewish mindfulness, soulful prayer, habit-building and other tools for spiritual connection and personal growth. In an atmosphere of stillness and silence, we will hear the songs and melodies of our tradition and the call of the shofar to return — a return to the present moment of innocence, a return to our deeper, truer, holy selves.

As the sound of the shofar calls to us to wake up and reset, mindfulness, reflective prayer and song within the beautiful container of quiet will encourage us, more gently, to become aware, to open up, to be with whatever is arising with kindness and curiosity, courage and joy, peace and friendship, so that we can direct ourselves and our lives with our families, our communities and our jobs towards a place of greater wisdom and composure.

Throughout the retreat we will maintain social silence. Many people find that silence creates a rare sense of spaciousness and depth, allowing us to settle more fully into presence, rest and inner listening, while still feeling connected to, and supported by, community. See the ‘Social Silence’ tab above for a further explanation.

There will also be opportunities for smaller group / individual practice discussions with the teachers during the retreat.

Our venue is Waterperry House, a stunningly beautiful stately home with ornamental gardens (https://waterperryhouse.org.uk/).

All food will be vegetarian and kosher supervised.

If you are moved to join, please complete the registration form through the yellow tab above, or be in touch with Danny Newman (Executive Director of HaMakom) to ask any questions you may have at: rabbidanny@hamakom.community 

Our Teachers:

Rabbi Dov Cowan is a dynamic educator, therapist, and Jewish meditation teacher who has been facilitating Jewish meditation classes, retreats and experiences for over fifteen years.

Dividing his time between communal duties as a Rabbi at JLE and South Hampstead Synagogue and his private psychotherapy practice, Rabbi Dov is also the creator of Soul Forest Experiences, a pioneering wilderness therapy project which integrates Torah wisdom with mindfulness, therapeutic tools, and nature-based practices.

He holds a BA in History from McGill University, and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Dov lives in Golders Green with his wife Rochelle and their five children.

Dr Tamra Wright specialises in contemporary Jewish thought. Inspired by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, she is currently focused on the idea of developing a ‘new mussar’, combining Jewish teachings with Positive Psychology to help people lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.

She is a certified Tiny Habits coach and Positive Intelligence coach and has drawn on these approaches to develop “Radical Resilience for Faith-Based Leaders”, a unique programme designed to help leaders flourish in challenging times.

Tamra is a Senior Research Fellow at LSJS and has held visiting fellowships and lectureships at St Benet’s Hall Oxford, King’s College London, Cambridge University and SOAS.

Rabbi Dan Gigi MA is a Sephardic Rabbi, author on Jewish Meditation and the Ecstatic Kabbalah, the founder of Maayan Hatum: Centre for Contemplative Judaism and a teacher of mindfulness as The Meditation Rabbi.

He holds a master’s degree in Jewish education and supports a contemplative approach to Jewish education through mindfulness, meditation, mussar and Hasidut. He is the author of 28 Jewelled Crown: A Comprehensive System of Jewish Meditation and Mysticism based on the meditative framework of the Sefer Yetzirah and the Ecstatic Kabbalah.

He is a trained Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teacher and promotes an embodied, heart-centred approach to wellbeing, personal development and spiritual growth.

This retreat is part of HaMakom’s wider commitment to making Jewish mindfulness and spiritual practice available across the full spectrum of Jewish life. Our existing HaMakom retreats are intentionally broad and inclusive, bringing together people from secular, traditional, Progressive, Orthodox and Masorti backgrounds, with prayer and other spaces that seek to reflect that diversity.

This new retreat will be held within a different religious container with a teaching team who are all from the Orthodox world. While there will always be a space available for personal prayer and reflection, the public davening /prayer spaces will follow traditional Orthodox practice with men and women sitting separately.

This retreat will therefore have a more traditional and halachically observant feel than other HaMakom retreats. People from all backgrounds are, of course, warmly welcome, assuming they are comfortable participating within and respecting this framework. We want to be clear about this so that everyone can discern whether this is the right retreat for them.

As always, the heart of HaMakom remains the same: sharing Jewish wisdom, compassion, love, care, presence, inner work, cultivating wellbeing and deep spiritual practice.

Our venue is the stunningly beautiful Waterperry House and its ornamental gardens, just outside of Oxford. 

Here you can find some images of the venue: https://waterperryhouse.org.uk/gallery

The Benefits of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation

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.

(Courtesy of The Institute for Jewish Spirituality)

Being in Peace & Quiet / Social Silence

Spending time in silence can be a powerful way to support calm and spiritual connection and growth. In this spirit, our weekend will be held largely in social silence, with specific periods where you will be able to speak, express your feelings or share your experience. There will be classes, lectures, Q&A sessions, and inquiry groups with a teacher. The silence will also be punctuated and accompanied with song, the sounds of prayer and nigunim.

Silence can help support a calm and steady mind. Being quiet together gives you space to turn inward, while still feeling held within a group setting. Stepping back from conversation and interaction can also make it easier to notice your thoughts, habits, and reactions more clearly. Rather than focusing on words and explanations, you are encouraged to experience things more directly—through attention to your body, your breath, and your surroundings.

There will be opportunities to ask questions. Everyone will also have time in a small group with a teacher during the weekend, where you can speak, share as much or as little as you like, and receive guidance.

At the beginning of the retreat, we will explain how the silence works, including when it is appropriate to speak and how to get support if you need it. You are also welcome to contact us in advance with any questions.