Opening to Love
HaMakom
is delighted to invite you to join us for our
2025 Summer Retreat
in partnership with Or HaLev
Led by Rabbi Dorothy Richman
Zac Newman and Miri Cohen
With Yoga led by Raka Tavasmi
Tuesday 5th August to Sunday 10th August
Nanpantan Hall
Leicestershire, UK
Retreat is a gift you give to yourself
This retreat, like much of our lives, is strung between the poles of greatest difficulty and deepest love.
We begin two days after Tisha b’Av (the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av) a day when we are invited to remember and mourn the most challenging and painful moments in our collective experience, both historically and in the face of the acute uncertainty and anxiety of the days we are living through right now. One week later – on the final full day of our retreat we have the opportunity to mark Tu b’Av (the 15th day of the Jewish month of Av) a lesser known rich, radical and often forgotten holiday whose primary association is love.
Gathering together in community, in silence, punctuated by spiritual practices including chanting, we will support one another to open to love, to grief and all that arises within us. In the protective container of silent community we will explore these connected currents of feeling which we repeatedly encounter within.
We will practice embodying what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as a goal of Jewish living: “to feel the hidden love and wisdom in all things”.
There will be space and time for davening (prayer) for those that wish to. The retreat will culminate in a deep celebration and honouring of Shabbat. We really welcome all forms of Shabbat practices – traditional, progressive, non-traditional… Please be in touch to discuss any specific details or questions which are significant for your Shabbat observance. We will do our utmost to support your practice.
We are delighted that Raka will be joining us again (for a second year) to lead us in daily optional periods of gentle yoga/movement practice.
Throughout the retreat we will maintain social silence. See the “Social Silence” tab above for an explanation of this.
On a longer retreat, the possibilities for deepening both individually and collectively are profound. This 5 day retreat offers us plenty of space and time to ease in, to settle, to open and perhaps to heal. We would love to share this precious time with you.
We are so excited to have Nanpantan Hall again as the venue for this retreat. It is a breathtaking 30-acre venue, sitting on the side of a beautiful valley within the Charnwood Forest, site of the discovery of the oldest known complex life form in the world. A place of profound beauty and peace with wonderful grounds, views and wildlife to rest in, explore and enjoy.
As we feed our souls, we are so delighted that Guimas Pina and Nicole Pisani (both Ottolenghi trained chefs) will be with us for a 3rd year to provide us with delicious and nourishing food.
As with all HaMakom retreats, we are delighted to welcome people of all ages (18+), of all faiths or none, beginners or experienced practitioners or anyone in between. No previous experience of meditation or Judaism is assumed or required. This invitation applies equally whether you’ve been on retreat a hundred times, or this would be your first retreat; whether you are clear in your intention, or whether it feels more of a step into something unknown, which you are inclined to try out trusting.
If you are moved to join, please complete the registration form through the yellow tab above, or be in touch with one of our team to ask any questions you may have (contact details are shown below).
Our Teachers:
Rabbi Dorothy Richman
Dorothy serves as Rabbi of Makor Or: Jewish Meditation Centre (founded by Rabbi Alan Lew and Norman Fisher – the former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center) and Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco. She teaches on the faculty of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Leadership Program and is a regular contributor to the IJS daily online sits. She is on the Faculty of Or HaLev and a founding faculty member of the Romemu Yeshiva, a six-week immersive program of spiritual study and practice. Dorothy’s work centers on the spiritual practices of Torah study, meditation, prayer, and justice. Rabbi Dorothy has many years experience leading meditation retreats with some of the other leading Jewish Meditation teachers from the USA and Israel. She is a soulful leader of traditional and creative ritual, and released an album of original music called Something of Mine, available on Bandcamp.
Zac Newman
Zac Newman is Program Director at Or HaLev, Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation. Until March 2025 Zac was HaMakom’s Community Director, and he remains a member of our Faculty. Zac is a rabbinical student in the ALEPH Ordination Program. He trained to teach mindfulness through the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University. Zac is a long-standing student of religious studies and psychotherapy. He is continually interested in how we can wake up to the wisdom of our tradition and the goodness of our lives.
Miri (Bev) Cohen
Miri 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. Miri is on the Faculty of HaMakom and facilitates meditation groups in person and online for HaMakom as well as for secular organisations and gives one to one sessions. She is a member of the Community Dharma Leader system at Gaia House, Devon, UK. Miri is a student of the late Rob Burbea and his teaching influences her approach. Miri is also a long-term practitioner of interfaith dialogue. Bev Cohen is now using her middle name, Miriam, so she is Miri.
Raka Tavasmi
Raka has practiced yoga since 2005 and teaches both online and in-person. She is also trained in craniosacral work, a therapeutic model with subtle touch that is physical, emotional and energetic. Her thinking and practice is influenced by contemporary dharma training, and studies in health and healing. On this retreat, Raka’s focus will be to support the embodiment of our meditative skills, to welcome the body as a gateway to awakening. To learn more about her, see thisbelovedbody.com
Our Chefs
Nicole Pisani and Guimas Pina have worked together for over 12 years, first meeting at Ottolenghi’s Nopi in Soho and later joining forces at Chefs in Schools, a charity committed to transforming food in primary and secondary schools across the UK.
Their shared passion for food is rooted in a belief that it should be both nourishing and joyful. Together, they bring a holistic approach to cooking, viewing food as a vital part of supporting wellbeing, particularly in moments of retreat, reflection, and rebalancing.
Their menus are thoughtful, vibrant, and grounded in seasonal, wholesome ingredients designed to energise the body and calm the mind. Nicole and Guimas say: We can’t wait to feed and nourish you.
The retreat will begin at 5.00pm on Tuesday 5 August and will end at 1.00pm on Sunday 10 August.
Lunch will be available after the end of the retreat for all those who wish to stay.
Registration will be from 3.00pm to 4.30pm on Tuesday 5 August. Please arrive at Nanpantan Hall between 3.00pm and 4.30pm.
We 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. This includes all meals and accommodation.
At the end of the retreat you will be invited to give a donation to support Rabbi Dorothy in her ongoing work and, if you are able, a donation to HaMakom.
Rate A : £975 this covers the basic running costs of the retreat, including all your food and accommodation over the five days. We hope that if your financial means allow you will choose to join us at this rate.
Rate B: because we recognise that Rate A may not be possible for some people, we have been able to make some funds available so that we can offer a reduced rate of £825. If choosing this rate would enable you to join us then please do so, you are so welcome!
Scholarships: we really hope you will join us no matter what your financial circumstance. If you need a further reduced rate, whatever that might be, please complete the registration form and enter “scholarship” when prompted to type an invite code. We will then contact you to discuss what is possible. We really hope to be able to offer a subsidised place to all who need it.
Supporter Rate: it is a very special thing to have the opportunity to spend 5 nights in the environment of safety, support, stillness and beauty which retreat offers. Our deep wish is that these opportunities are available as widely as possible, and not limited by financial means. If you are able to, please consider making an additional donation. We will use this entirely towards subsidising places for others to attend. In this way, you are a vessel for transformation and healing. Our suggested supporter donations are £100, £150 or £250. We will gratefully receive any supplementary amount you are able to offer.
We can 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 Sara (sara@hamakom.community) if you would like to book either of these options.
Rooms
The bedrooms at Nanpantan Hall are of two different sorts:
Most of the rooms are medium-sized ensuite single or twin bedrooms on the top (second) floor of the building, most with sloping (attic) ceilings. There is a lift (it will not be a Shabbat-compliant lift).
On the first floor there are 7 much larger rooms, however these are not ensuite. The shared bathrooms and toilets are close by.
At the bottom of this page you can see an example photo of each of the two sorts of rooms.
The booking form gives you the opportunity to choose which style of room you would prefer. All rooms will be booked on a first come first served basis. If your choice of room is not available we will let you know and you will have the opportunity to withdraw your booking and receive a full refund.
All rooms will be single occupancy unless you specify that there is someone you wish to share with.
Food
The meals provided by our chefs will all be vegetarian. We are also able to offer vegan, dairy free and gluten free options. If this does not suit your kashrut (Jewish dietary) 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.
Cancellations
Cancellations received by us in writing before 7th July are fully refundable less a £25 fee for administration and payment processing. We will not be able to refund cancellations notified to us after 7th July.
Example of an ensuite room
Example of a non-ensuite room
Here are some images of Nanpantan Hall. The image at the top of this webpage is the view from the house looking over the valley.
You can also view a short walkthrough video by clicking here. It gives a sense of the beauty of the place.
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 Friday evening until Wednesday 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.
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.
