Winter Retreat Courses 2011

These courses are scheduled to be held at the Winter Retreat. The times and locations will be announced at the Retreat.  When you register, please indicate your course preferences by number to aid us in planning.

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1 Dreams in Torah

In Torah, dreams are a sacred window into the unfolding future. We will explore ways in which the text depicts dreams in the lives of individuals, families and communities.Also, we will seek to better understand the teachings of Torah for our own spiritual lives.

Alan Ullman travels around New England teaching Torah as a spiritual path at synagogues, churches, businesses, private study groups and retreats to people who share in the desire to study Torah as a way to guide and inform the spiritual journey that is our lives today. He also leads adult hiking/study trips to Israel, the Alps, the Canadian Rockies and St. John.

2 Judaism and Silence?

5 Bible Stories You Didn't Learn in Hebrew School

Rape. Murder. Incest. Even child sacrifice. We will read biblical stories that our religious teachers somehow never got around to teaching. English translations will be used.

Ronnie Levin is a long time member of the Havurah community, whose doctoral studies at Brandeis focused on Bible texts. She is a popular teacher throughout the Havurah movement.

6 Thou Shalt Not Covet

What does our tradition say about the tenth commandment? What exactly does it forbid? Is it possible to fulfill this expectation? May one covet another's covetlessness?

Joe Rosenstein is a former NHC Chair and author of Siddur and Mahzor Eit Ratzon.

7 We're not Farmers, but our Ancestors Were

The laws and stories of the Torah reflect an ancient agrarian sensibility - an intuition we no longer automatically bring to the study of the "p'shat' - the simple literal meaning of our texts. We will explore how our ancestors' vital connection to the land and their agrarian wisdom can give us better insights into reading and living our holy texts in the 21st century.

Knowledge of Hebrew not required. (This course is one of a two part series. Participants may attend either or both sessions.)

Andrea Cohen Kiener is a rabbi, story teller and teacher from West Hartford CT. She led the InterReligious Eco-Justice Network, a faith-based initiative in environmental theology and practice for ten years, and is the spiritual leader of Congregation Pnai Or of Central Connecticut.

8 Spiritual Journeying -- the "magic number" 42?

In the Torah portion of our retreat weekend, Yosef and others undergo significant journeys and transitions. The Hasidic master Baal Shem Tov taught that everyone undergoes 42 spiritual journeys as life unfolds, just as the Israelites traversed 42 'stations' in the desert. We will examine some original texts in translation, and consider how they relate to our own spiritual journeys.

Carl Woolf, with a PhD in Philosophy, is a long-time NHC teacher and spiritual leader,  teaches mystic meditation, and is currently an ALEPH rabbinical student.

9 God the Beloved: a New Liturgical Poem

The Bible has a greater variety of images of God than you'd expect. By juxtaposing verses that are explicitly about God with those that traditions tells us are references to God, we can expand the ways we perceive God. The verses will be presented initially as quotes and then in a poetic form which weaves the images into a single experience of one person's search to understand God. Texts will be provided in Hebrew and English.

Aliza Arzt is a long-time member of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, and long-time teacher at the NHC.

10 Perspectives on the Shoah

Workshop #1: Where was God during the Shoah?

Workshop #2: How have perceptions of the Shoah influenced the Arab-Israeli conflict?

These are participant-interactive seminars, with Raphael guiding and eliciting participant exploration of the issues. Attend one or both.

Raphael Colb is a graduate of the International Seminar for Holocaust Educators at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. An Israeli citizen, he served in the Israel Defence Forces and taught English as a Foreign Language at Hebrew University.   

11 Chanting with Sound and Silence

One need not have a fine tuned singing voice to raise ones voice in prayerful repetition of a sacred phrase. All that's required is a desire to experience prayer as a path to an emotional and embodied connection with/to  the Divine.  We will talk about this practice and how the pace of such a practice (namely the interplay of sound and silence) can lead to a profound sense of self as it relates to ones practice of Judaism as well as ones participation in the larger community. We will have time for practice as well as discussion. No previous experience chanting is necessary.

Rayzl Feuer was ordained in 2003 by the ALEPH community as a Mashpiah Ruchanit (Spiritual Counselor) and a Jewish Reverend. She leads the PNAI shORe Havurah on the shoreline of Connecticut. She is a free lance teacher within the Jewish community and is also called upon to introduce Judaism to interfaith communities.  She studies ongoingly with Rabbi Shefa Gold to continue to deepen her practice of chant.

12 Prayers for a Good Night's Sleep: "Kriyat Shema Al Ha-Mita"

How did our ancestors "wind down" at the end of a stressful day? Using both Hebrew and English texts, we will examine the traditional prayers before going to sleep. We will look at themes of faith, forgiveness and protection, and sing some songs that go with the prayers. Learn natural techniques that can help you feel safe, fight insomnia and avoid/nullify bad dreams!

Miriam Diamond is a published author on religio-spirituality, and a poet in both Hebrew and English.

13 Song of the Soul

When we crossed the Reed Sea and realized we were free of Egyptian bondage, we sang.  Songs, whether musical or spoken, can express the deepest yearnings of our soul.  Our Sages describe the many ways in which song can reveal our inner soul and link us to Divine knowledge.  We will explore the teachings of Maimonides, Rav Kook and others to uncover new meanings to the song of the soul. Our study will serve as the foundation for a meditation that follows.

You are invited to join in on the study and the meditation or either one alone. 

Louis Rieser is Rabbi Emeritus of Etz Hayim Synagogue in Derry, NH and founder of Nishmat Torah: Jewish Learning and Meditation in Boynton Beach, Fl. He is the author of The Hillel Narratives.  His articles have appeared in a variety of publications.  He studies meditation through the Jewish Meditation Institute Jerusalem with Rabbi Natan Ophir. He is a long-time teacher for the Havurah Winter retreat and the NHC Summer Institute.  

14 A Woman's Voice is Indecent, Shameful, Lustful, Lewd, Seductive, and Generally Distracting!

The Talmud says that “The voice of a woman is ervah. (indecent, shameful, lustful, lewd, or distracting.) Torah stresses the affirmation of life, joy and creativity. Could it be true that the sages came up with a halachic ruling that seems to support the suppression of women? Is there really a halachic ban on women speaking, praying or singing? 

This workshop will explore issues and texts associated with Kol Isha, and share a video showing how a group of Orthodox women in Israel have found new freedom within the framework of ""Kol B'Isha Erva"".  

Rahel is a musical and spiritual path-paver; an award-winning singer-songwriter, educator, and music practitioner. She lived in Israel from 1976-1998 where she was a co-founder, and the only secular member of Tofa'ah, the inspiring and phenomenal all-woman band performing for women only according to the halachic ruling of “kol b’isha erva”. Rahel's numerous recordings are available at: www.rahelmusic.net   

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