Activities & Classes

Deepening the High Holy Days with
Chochmat HaLev

The month of Elul is a time of spiritual preparation for the New Year. It is a time for Teshuvah - realigning our lives with our highest ideals. It is also a time when we reflect on the changes we must make in our lives in order to find inner peace and create a sense of connection to the Divine. These courses will offer participants a safe space to prepare for the High Holy Days by acquiring the necessary spiritual tools for Teshuvah within a community setting.

Please register for programs in advance by calling 510.704.9687 (except where otherwise noted). Thank you!

From Grief to Gladness: the Teshuvah Journey from Av through Elul to Tishrei
Wednesdays, July 7; August 11, 18, 25; September 1, CHL,
with Rabbi SaraLeya Schley
Fee: $90 members/$125 general public. Drop-in participation is welcome ($20 per session members/$28 for general public)
Rabbi SaraLeya guides us through the experience of Jewish sacred time in preparation for the High Holy Days. Our text will be This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation by Rabbi Alan Lew, z”l. Through chant, sharing, journaling and text study we'll walk together through the annual cycle of transformation this season offers us.

A Pre-High Holiday Walk through
the Four Worlds
Sunday, August 15, 1-5 pm. CHL, with Shulamit Sophia
Fee: $36 members/$48 general public
Join us as we travel through the Four Worlds and engage in a process to eliminate the Klippot that inhibit and obstruct our spiritual growth to prepare ourselves for living life of divine inspiration. In the “World of Action” we will look at what values are important in our lives and pick one to cultivate a higher expression of our innate Godliness. In the “World of Emotion” we will identify areas of negativity and automatic responses to emotional triggers to eliminate “hardheartedness” and develop compassion. In the “World of Thought” we will examine old beliefs and misguided thinking in the context of Ego and see how thoughts impact feelings which impact actions. Finally, in the “World of Spirit” we will do a spiritual assessment to determine where we are in our relationship to Divinity and develop a dialogue with God. Each section will involve a mediation, an exercise and a Yoga pose.

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Tuning Your Heart for the High Holidays Through Chant and Meditation
Tuesday , August 31, 7-9 pm, CHL,
with Miriam Smolover
Fee: $18 members/$24 general public.
Do you land at high holiday services in a rush, still carrying the stress and concerns of your daily life? The spiritual journey that we begin on Rosh Hashanah and carry through Yom Kippur is greatly enhanced by taking time to become aware of the yearning of our hearts. In this program, we will alternate periods of chanting and meditation, to foster inner security necessary to be self-reflective in the way our tradition asks, touching into the vulnerability of what wants our tikkun/healing, and affirming the loving presence of the Divine as we go through the Days of Awe.
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The Ecology of Oneness & The Dance of Forgiveness: Jewish and Sufi Insights
for the Days of Awe
Sunday, August 29, 6:30-9pm. CHL, with Estelle Frankel and Ibrahim Farajaje
Fee: $36-$18 by donation--sliding scale
The Jewish New Year is a special time for healing the soul and re-establishing harmony in all our relationships, human and divine. Join Estelle and Ibrahim for a sparkling evening exploring the intersection of Jewish and Sufi teachings on forgiveness, as we prepare our hearts for the New Year.

High Holy Day Liturgy: Explore the New Mahzor - 3rd Shabbat Meal
September 4, 5:30-7:30pm, CHL, with Rabbi SaraLeya Schley
You are invited to spend some time getting to know our new Mahzor as together we study the High Holy Day liturgy and eat Seuda Sh'lishit - 3rd Meal of Shabbat. Bring some vegetarian healthy snacks and finger foods as we bring Shabbat to a close and nourish our spirits and our bodies.

S'lihot Service
Saturday, September 4, 7:45-10:15pm, CHL, with Leah Shelleda, Jueli Garfinkle, Laura Goldman and Rabbi SaraLeya
Immerse in final preparations for the Days of Awe as we recite the Forgiveness Liturgy together and deepen our process of self-examination and T'shuvah. We will begin with the Havdallah ceremony for the end of Shabbat. Bring journaling materials.

High Holy Day Community Immersion Ritual (Mikvah)
Sunday, September 12, 9-11am , Lake Anza, Tilden Regional Park, with Laura Goldman and Jeffrey Kessler
Fee: $18 for members/$24 for general public. This event is for adults only.
Please join us at Lake Anza, where we will, as a community, immerse in living waters in preparation for the deep and sacred observance of Yom Kippur, which begins which begins that Friday at sundown. With prayer, song, and silence we will engage in the embodied act of spiritual purification, through immersion, in order to come more fully and mindfully into the experience of the High Holy Days. This immersion is open to both men and women, and will be co-led by Meditation and Contemplative Service leaders, Laura Goldman and Jeffrey Kessler. Bathing Suits are required at Lake Anza. You may find this ritual more meaningful if you bathe immediately prior to coming to Lake Anza, removing anything that separates your body from the water, such as make-up, jewelry, nail polish, etc.
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