June Program Spotlights!
These are truly awesome — don’t skip this one!
Scroll down for:
· Judith Rontal’s Yoga Shabbat Nosh and Nourish Series
· Gavi Berk’s Dinner and Discussion on the interconnectedness of Judaism and mind-body wellness
· Mo Goltz’s StorahTelling Shabbat
· Bevin Fritz-Waters’s Meditative Havdallah in Mumbai
· Rishe Groner, Celine Torkan, and Yoni Levinger’s Jewish Rituals at Festivals
· Special Bonus Step-by-Step Havdallah Set Making by Kathryn Kushner
Yoga Shabbat Nosh and Nourish Series
Judith Rontal, Washington D.C.
“This series is something I started after getting frustrated in group fitness classes, especially yoga. I go pretty regularly, and only felt like I became a part of the ‘community’ they talk about once I started working part-time cleaning the studio!
I realized the intention I set in my Shabbat practice is the same as how I begin my yoga practice: with a pause. I then got the idea to combine the two, providing a way to fill the void I was feeling from my yoga classes with the nourishment I get from Shabbat. Hence — Nourish and Nosh!”
“I think Shabbat is something that people from all backgrounds can connect to, and by using yoga as a platform, I have been able to help others realize that as well.”
— Judith Rontal, Washington D.C.
June Women’s Dinner
Gavi Berk, Scottsdale, Arizona
“I host a monthly women’s dinner, and mind-body wellness is a topic that arises often. I think in order to establish a spiritual identity, we have to be comfortable with other aspects of ourselves. Additionally, I am trying to use MHWOW as a platform to learn from Jewish professionals in the community. This was an awesome way to feature health coach Toby Benton!
What Toby is showing us in the photo is the “Life Balance Wheel.” The categories on the wheel are: Spirituality, Creativity, Finances, Career, Education, Health, Physical Activity, Home Cooking, Home Environment, Relationships, Social Life, and Joy. The activity asks everyone to mark dots for each of these categories — the closer to the edge the dot is, the more fulfilled you feel for that life element. You then connect the dots to see how balanced your circle is, and determine what you can do to make your life more balanced. This activity forced us to consider the aspects of life that are overlooked, and it represented the interconnectedness of spirituality with the rest of our lives.”
“Being Jewish is not a solitary identity, it’s heavily influenced by everything else happening around us, and this highlighted that.”
— Gavi Berk, Scottsdale, Arizona
StorahTelling Shabbat
Mo Goltz, Fort Wayne, Indiana
“Let’s have a Shabbat dinner party. After dinner, you’ll be invited to participate in an short and informal discussion based on a theme introduced in this week’s Torah portion and how we relate to that theme in our own lives. You’re also encouraged to share a true personal story that relates to that theme. The story can be anything you think fits: funny, strange, serious, or whatever.”
— Mo Goltz, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Meditative Havdallah in Mumbai
Bevin Fritz-Waters, Renton, Washington
“This was an opportunity to feel the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of ending the Sabbath while on a JDC Entwine trip to Mumbai.”
— Bevin Fritz-Waters, Renton, Washington
If you also want to learn about Jewish life around the world, check out JDC Entwine’s Insider Trips for Young Professionals!
Jewish Rituals at Festivals
Rishe Groner, Celine Torkan, and Yoni Levinger
Why host Shabbat at Festivals?
Rishe Groner, Brooklyn-based MHWOW Host and founder of The Gene-Sis, answers the question. Rishe creates Jewish experiences at festivals all over the US — including Burning Man! Check out The Gene-Sis’s GoFundMe page!
“People at festivals are thirsting for spiritual and meaning, are open to it because they’ve already shown up, and those with Jewish ancestry are often unaware that such richness exists in their own tradition. It is the perfect place to bring these practices without any agenda, without any intention of even seeing these people again, knowing that the miraculous alignments of festival spaces means you will see whoever you need to see again at the right time — for now it is just the experience, in the moment.”
— Rishe Groner, Brooklyn, New York
Thanks to MHWOW host Yoni Levinger for introducing us to Shabbat Tent, a nonprofit that provides Shabbat and Havdallah experiences, food, events, and just an awesome community at festivals!
And last but not least…
Kathryn Kushner and Ilana Snyder, DC-based MHWOW hosts, put on a Havdallah Set Making program in June. Kathryn wrote a Step-by-Step Guide so you can also make Havdallah sets as a MHWOW program!
As always, THANK ALL OF YOU for everything you do to build community. If there is a program that you’d like me to feature next month, email me at leah.jalfon@moishehouse.org. I would love to hear from you!
All the best,
