Our contemplative circle, held the first Saturday of each month at HAMAKOM, is a sacred and serene space where we gather together to engage in deep introspection and mindfulness practices. It is communal in nature, and is designed to promote peace, self-awareness and spiritual growth by targeting the heart, spirit, emotion and body. We gain access to our inner landscape through meditation, chanting, study, gentle movement, breath and prayer.

Led by Rabbi Richard Camras, Hazzan Mimi Haselkorn, Cantor Jenni Asher, Rabbinic Intern Sarah Klein, and Valerie Edwards. 

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Our next Contemplative Circles will be held on:

In this introductory course in the Wise Aging Series, we explore the four foundational tools of the Wise Elder, tools which will enable us to profoundly change how we view and relate to the later stage of life. Instead of seeing aging only as a time of inevitable decline and loss, we Adopt a Positive Attitude and choose instead to view this stage of life as a time of opportunity, spiritual growth and deep meaning. We engage in the powerful practices of Mindfulness and Reframing Our Life Stories, as well as the Cultivation of Spiritual Qualities, which help us transform our lives into the rich journey towards becoming Wise Elders. During class we draw on text study, discussion, meditation, journaling, art and storytelling to help us on our way to finding our most authentic, joyful and resilient selves.

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Study texts will be provided. Participants may wish to acquire their own personal copy of “Wise Aging: Living With Joy, Resilience and Spirit” by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Dr. Linda Thal, from which much of our Wise Aging curriculum is drawn. This spiritually and emotionally uplifting book will enable you to deepen your experience of this and subsequent courses.

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This course (or its equivalent) is the required prerequisite for taking all the other Wise Aging courses in the series.

In this course we discover ways to apply the four foundational tools of the Wise Elder (Positive Attitude, Mindfulness, Spiritual Qualities and Reframing Our Life Stories), which we practiced in the "Introduction to Wise Aging" course, to the challenges and opportunities of our everyday lives. Topics include Our Changing Bodies, Cultivating Nourishing Relationships, and Finding Light While Living With Loss. By deepening our practice of Wise Aging through text study, discussion, meditation, journaling, art and storytelling, we continue the journey towards becoming our most authentic, joyful, and resilient selves.

​Study texts, drawn from “Wise Aging: Living With Joy, Resilience and Spirit” by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Dr. Linda Thal, and “Getting Good at Getting Older” by Richard Siegel and Rabbi Laura Geller, will be provided. Participants are encouraged to acquire their own personal copies of these wonderfully uplifting and practical books, which will enable them to deepen their experience of this and subsequent Wise Aging courses.

Participants must have taken “Introduction to Wise Aging” or its equivalent in order to be accepted into this class. Anyone who isn’t sure whether they’ve met the necessary prerequisites for this class should contact me at valerie.edwards9999@gmail.com to discuss their individual situation.  Those who register for the class but don’t attend the first session may be dropped from the class.

"Where is God? (God is Here!)" is a series of five in-person conversations held at HAMAKOM on the last Thursday of each month from 10:00-11:30 am. Come to the entire series or to any individual sessions you like. ​​Materials will be provided at each session. This course is inspired by the wonderful book, “God is Here: Reimagining the Divine,” by Rabbi Toba Spitzer. You are encouraged to purchase your own copy of the book, but it is not required for this class.

We all need a system of meaning to make sense of our lives. What all great religions share is an awareness of something both within and beyond us, a power that shapes and guides our lives. For those of us raised in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions, that power is called, in English, “God”. But the basic assumption is that, when we're talking about God, we're referring to some kind of superpower entity, a Someone or a Something ‘out there’ that exerts Its influence over us. We tend to talk about God using very human language: God knows, God acts, God loves, God judges, God gives and takes away life. So, somewhere in the back of our minds, whether we explicitly believe it or not, there is an image of God as a big ‘Guy in the Sky’ who knows everything and can do anything they want.

The problem is, many of us just can't believe in a God like that. We can't, or won’t, believe in a big person who controls the world and our own lives like a puppet master. Our own lived experience tells us that we have free will, that our choices are real, and that our hearts perceive a Divine Something that doesn’t match the description of Master Puppeteer. In this class, we will accept Rabbi Toba Spitzer’s invitation to delve into the realm of cognitive linguistics and metaphor as the first steps towards creating a new way of thinking about, experiencing, and talking about God.

Can we overcome our fear of the unknown long enough to learn from it instead of immediately running back to what is safe and familiar?

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Lena, a US Army biologist, volunteers for a dangerous, secret expedition into the interior of an anomalous quarantined zone within the St Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, known as “The Shimmer”, where the laws of nature don’t apply.

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​​​​Watch the film on your own, then join us for the discussion, hosted by Valerie Edwards. This event is free and open to the community. 

The Jewish approach to mindfulness and self-care traces back to the roots of creation. The concept of a week comes from the Jewish marking of six days of work and one day of rest. For six days each week, we actively interact with the world. On the seventh, we reflect on our actions. We pause, rest, reflect and reboot. In this course, we will explore Shabbat and the role of time in Judaism, along with other prescribed Jewish practices that ask us to pause, reflect and refrain from business as usual. Together, we will reflect on the practices that allow us to start anew, week after week, and year after year. Come and refresh yourself!

The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning™ engages adult learners in a life-enhancing study of Jewish texts and ideas that nurtures and deepens Jewish community worldwide. Through classes (both in-person and online) and travel seminars, Melton learners find Jewish texts and ideas accessible and relevant to their lives. They become part of a worldwide movement of committed learners who are empowered to enrich Jewish life.