My years of rabbinical, chaplain and spiritual direction experience have prepared me for this moment to accompany you. We study Torah together, co-design Healing Circles, I accompany you and your family at end of life and what follows, officiate lifecycle rituals, lead services, facilitate writing/devotional listening groups and so much more.
Teaching Torah
I have developed a unique approach to studying Torah that I call Torahscope. We begin with each participant’s birth portion. This means, what Torah was being read in synagogue the week you were born. This approach has been highly successful helping the most skeptical grasp the power of Torah study. I am also available for other forms of Torah study. I believe that we need to ask the question, “how can this text guide me, our communities, or the world?”
Healing Circles
Personalized or congregational healing circles with the opportunity for prayer, chant, sharing, and sacred witnessing. I often use self reflective writing to help people uncover their creative unconscious.
End of Life, Grief, Mourning
Let me accompany you and your family at the end of life or as you tend the broken heart. Funerals, memorials, shivas and one on one accompaniment are available.
Lifecycle Events and Rituals
Wedding, funeral, shiva, baby welcoming, retirement, recovery, healing. I welcome working with people of all walks of life, inter – spiritual couples/families and people with no religious or spiritual affiliation. Family is defined openly. The possibilities are endless.
Interim Rabbi/Guest Rabbi
While your congregation is searching for a permanent rabbi, is on sabbatical, or on vacation. You might just need someone to join your team to lead High Holy Days, lead a service, or teach Torah study on occasion. Over the past 20 years I have served in these various capacities for Or Shalom Jewish Community, Temple Beth Ora in Edmonton, Kol HaEmek in Ukiah, Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville, Coastside Jewish Community in Half Moon Bay, Beth Shalom in Walnut Creek, Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont, Yavneh in Raleigh, N. Carolina, Beit Haverim in Oregon, Chadeish Yameinu in Santa Cruz, and Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley.
Jewish Buddhist Gatherings
With my beloved friend and colleague Buddhist teacher and musician Eve Decker, we draw upon the traditions of both Judaism and Buddhism. We offer personally designed workshops and healing circles and led the second day Rosh Hashanah services at Kehilla Community Synagogue for ten years.
Individual and Group Spiritual Direction
Individual and group spiritual direction is a delicious process to help you deepen your relationship with your spirituality. No specific religious affiliation is necessary to connect with the Sacred.
Speaking Opportunities
I have taught about many topics, including:
- Reducing the stigma of suicide in the Jewish tradition.
- What the Jewish tradition says about healing and supporting the sick.
- Jewish rituals that support the mourning path.
- How to design a meaningful spiritual support group.
- Jewish liturgy/prayer and Torah.
- Using creative expression to support your work team
For Chaplains and Chaplain Students
- Serving Jewish patients.
- Providing support to chaplain teams through creative expression and devotional listening.
- The importance of religious diversity on chaplain teams.
- Assessing patients through writing with them.
- Using writing as a way to process stressful work and stay a chaplain.
Learn more about my offerings for chaplains here.
Ongoing Events and Groups
- Jewish Liturgy/Prayer as Medicine Using Writing offered periodically
- Spiritual Direction Groups focusing on Devotional Listening through Writing. (groups of 5-6)
See my upcoming offerings here.