SEVEN DIRECTIONS:
A Beit Kohenet Summer Lecture Series
In this exciting summer series, we’ll encounter diverse voices in mystical, earth-based Judaism and learn about practitioners’ approaches to ritual, magic, journeys, connecting to our ancestors, and the aliveness of our world. We’ll hear from each speaker in a brief interview, receive a teaching and/or a sacred practice, and have time for Q and A. Broaden your spiritual horizons—join us for the summer series!
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July 9, 7 pm ET | Sacred Time with Rabbi / Kohenet Sarah Bracha Gershuny
Learn about the mystical teachings and practical life advice we get from the Jewish calendar via the Sefer Yetzirah and other sources.
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July 16, 7 pm ET | Post-Birth Ritual with Rose Espinola
Rose Espinola is an earth-based practitioner and scholar who studies the oral histories and traditions among Jews of color on pregnancy, birth, abortion, pregnancy loss, and postpartum. Explore these rituals and engage in embodied learning toward next steps.
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July 23, 7 pm ET | Holy Travel with Rabbi Rayzel Raphael
Rabbi Rayzel Raphael has taken Jewish groups to India, Morocco, Greece and beyond, said kaddish at cemeteries, done ceremony in synagogues, and visited sacred Goddess sites. Come hear her stories and about her experiences and explore the intersection of ritual and travel.
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July 30, 7 pm ET | Jewish Magic with Dr. Noam Sienna
Dr. Noam Sienna will discuss fascinating insights from his extensive research on Jewish magic and folk rituals in Sephardic, North African, and Middle Eastern communities, and share some exciting magical traditions.
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August 13, 7 pm ET | On Being an Observer at a Human Rights Tribunal Regarding Indigenous Sovereignty with Dr. Lara Doan
Dr. Lara Doan has served in Teacher Education with a focus on social justice and responsibility, and has also acted as an observer at a human rights tribunal involving Indigenous complainants. In this lecture, gain insight into their experience and perspectives on Indigenous sovereignty.
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August 20, 7 pm ET | Radical Ritual with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder of Labshul, has been on the cutting edge of Jewish ritual and prayer. On the eve of Elul, he’ll share with us some of his secret recipes making ancient rituals relevant and radical, reimagining the season of high, holy and healing days.
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August 27, 7 pm ET | Kol Refuah: Song & Sound Healing with Cantor / Kohenet Shayndel Adler
Cantor and Kohenet Shayndel Adler is a practitioner of sacred music who uses music and vibration for healing, ritual, and connection to Spirit. Learn about her practices and experience Uncovering the Voice exercises, chant, and sound healing.
PRICING OPTIONS:
Flexible pricing options ensure that you can participate in our summer lecture series in the way that best aligns with your preferences. Choose the full series bundle, a four-lecture bundle, or individual sessions.
FULL BUNDLE:
Bundle the entire Summer Lecture Series - $280
FOUR-LECTURE BUNDLE:
Choose any four lectures during the Summer Series - $180
INDIVIDUAL LECTURE:
Pay per lecture - $50
*If you choose to register for individual lectures, please note that each session requires a separate registration and checkout. We appreciate your understanding.
Wednesday, July 9 | Sacred Time with Rabbi / Kohenet Sarah Bracha Gershuny
Learn from Rabbi and Kohenet Sarah Bracha Gershuny about the mystical teachings and practical life advice we get from the Jewish calendar via the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation) and other sources.
Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny is a writer, ritualist, musician, healer and teacher. In addition to being a Kohenet (Dalet, 2015), she holds a degree in history from Cambridge University, rabbinical ordination and a master’s in Jewish education from Hebrew College, and is currently studying for ordination with the Wisdom School of SOPHIA.
She is the former spiritual leader of Congregation Nevei Kodesh in Boulder, CO, and has taught for My Jewish Learning, the Romemu Yeshiva, Tamid at Hebrew College Open Circle and others. Both freelance rabbi and professsional priestess, she is passionate about the wisdom path of the Jewish calendar, and loves to facilitate spaces in which people can connect to deeper parts of themselves and each other.
Wednesday, July 16 | Post-Birth Ritual with Rose Espinola
Rose Espinola is an earth-based practitioner and scholar who studies the oral histories and traditions among Jews of color on pregnancy, birth, abortion, pregnancy loss, and postpartum. Explore these rituals and engage in embodied learning toward next steps.
Rose Espinola (they/she) is a graduate of Aleph’s Earth-Based Judaism program and creator of the Jews of Color Pregnancy & Postpartum Project. Rose’s mother is Ashkenazi Jewish and father is Mexican. Rose was raised Jewish, and came to social justice work through el Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) and Xicana spirituality. Rose is also a social justice organizer and data scientist who has won more than a dozen campaigns including comprehensive sex education, unionization fights, and prison divestment. Learn more about Rose’s work on their website.
Wednesday, July 23 | Holy Travel with Rabbi Rayzel Raphael
Rabbi Rayzel Raphael has taken Jewish groups to India, Morocco, Greece and beyond, said kaddish at cemeteries, done ceremony in synagogues, and visited sacred Goddess sites. Come hear her stories and about her experiences and explore the intersection of ritual and travel.
Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael is an “unorthodox” visionary rabbi, your basic wild woman Shechinah Priestess. Ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she is also an active member of Jewish Renewal, serving as the Director of Spiritual Arts at Aleph. She authored two children’s books: Angels for Dreamtime and New Moon and released 6 CDs. As co-founder of Women of the Wall and the co-producer of the Jewish Feminist and Gender-Inclusive Music Archive housed at Hanover University, she is a creative force! In her spare time she leads Jewish Spiritual Travel Adventures to places around the world- which have included, Israel, India, Spain, Morocco and Greece. Shechinah is always along for the ride. Next year in Croatia and Bosnia!
Wednesday, July 30 | Jewish Magic with Dr. Noam Sienna
Dr. Noam Sienna will discuss fascinating insights from his extensive research on Jewish magic and folk rituals in Sephardic, North African, and Middle Eastern communities, and share some exciting magical traditions.
Noam Sienna is a historian and artist whose work focuses on medieval and early modern Jewish culture, especially in the Islamic world. He holds a PhD in Jewish history from the University of Minnesota, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto. He is also the author of the award-winning collection A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts (Print-O-Craft Press, 2019).
Wednesday, August 13 | On Being an Observer at a Human Rights Tribunal Regarding Indigenous Sovereignty with Dr. Lara Doan
Since February of this year, Dr. Lara Doan (Black Canadian; Displaced African) has been an observer at a Human Rights Commission Tribunal involving a First Nations person (Okanese First Nation, Cree, Two-Spirit) who is the complainant and a Big Oil company that is the respondent. While they have much more to share about their observations to date, for the purposes of this presentation—interweaving song, prayer, and poetry to gesture towards how earth-based feminist Jewish spirituality offers a valuable framework for being in “right relations” with Indigenous communities on Turtle Island—they will narrow their focus to highlight some of the ways they have witnessed the interdependent forces of imperialism and colonialism in present day collude with the destruction of land and waters, which have been stewarded since time immemorial by Indigenous peoples, while concurrently seeding systemic discrimination and anti-Indigenous racism.
Dr. Lara Doan (they/them) is an avid and steadfast seeker of wisdom (sacred and mundane), embracing journeys of learning, exploration and revelation. They earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Women's Studies, and a Ph.D. in Education (Language, Culture and Teaching). Lara was in the first cohort of The Torah of Gathering JOC Fellowship through Ammud Jews of Color Torah Academy in partnership with Pardes North America (2023). They travel via video conferencing platforms to Batei Midrash across time (zones) and space (e.g., geography). In pursuit of rich wisdom of Judaism aligned with feminist earth-based spiritual practice, some years ago, Lara began davening with Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute where they felt a divine sense of belonging. Lara is deeply grateful to be part of the Beit Kohenet beloved community and is looking forward to supporting the Beit Kohenet community in meaningful ways
Wednesday, August 20 | Radical Ritual with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder of Labshul, has been on the cutting edge of Jewish ritual and prayer. From the radical faeries to the halls of the Jewish Theological Seminary, he’s brought his unique voice and creativity. On the eve of Elul, he’ll share with us some of his secret recipes making ancient rituals relevant and radical, reimagining the season of high, holy and healing days.
Social activist and storyteller, writer and community leader, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him) is the Co-Founding Spiritual Leader of the Lab/Shul community in NYC and the creator of the ritual theater company Storahtelling, Inc.
Israeli born, he’s been living in New York since 1998. He received his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2016, the 39th generation of rabbis in his family — the first one to be openly queer.
Rabbi Amichai is the star of Sabbath Queen, Sandi DuBowski’s award-winning documentary film, 21 years in the making, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024. Watch there trailer here >
Rabbi Amichai serves on the Executive Board of Rabbis for Human Rights, is a co-founding member of the Jewish Emergent Network, a founding faculty member of the Reboot Network, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Sulha Peace Project for Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers, the Leadership Council of the New York Jewish Agenda, the Advisory Council for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and as an advisor to Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.
He’s been named “an iconoclastic mystic” by Time Out New York, “a calm voice for peace’ by NPR, a “rock star” by the New York Times, a “Judaic Pied Piper” by the Denver Westword, a “maverick spiritual leader” by The Times of Israel and “one of the most interesting thinkers in the Jewish world” by the Jewish Week. In 2017 he was named one of America’s Top 50 rabbis by The Forward.
In June 2017 Rabbi Amichai published The JOY Proposal with a radical response to the reality of Intermarriage and taking on a personal position on this issue, including his resignation from the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement.
In 2022 Rabbi Amichai began publishing Below the Bible Belt a daily digital project extended over 42 months, critically queering and re-reading all 929 chapters of the Hebrew Bible.
Amichai is Abba to Alice, Ezra and Cai-Hallel.
For the latest updates, follow Amichai on instagram @amichailaulavie
Wednesday, August 27 | Kol Refuah: Song & Sound Healing with Cantor / Kohenet Shayndel Adler
Cantor and Kohenet Shayndel Adler is a practitioner of sacred music who uses music and vibration for healing, ritual, and connection to Spirit. She weaves prayer and sound meditations and guides 'Uncovering the Voice' singing sessions. Learn about her practices and experience Uncovering the Voice exercises, chant, and sound healing.
Hazzan Kohenet Shayndel Adler is a dual-ordained spiritual leader through ALEPH and the Kohenet Institute. She is also a certified Atma Buti sound therapist, Uncovering the Voice singing teacher, holistic health practitioner, Soul Memory Discovery facilitator, and Waldorf educator. Shayndel is currently pursuing an MDiv in Embodied Spirituality. She is the mother of four and lives in Denver, CO.
PRICING OPTIONS:
Flexible pricing options ensure that you can participate in our summer lecture series in the way that best aligns with your preferences. Choose the full series bundle, a four-lecture bundle, or individual sessions.
FULL BUNDLE:
Bundle the entire Summer Lecture Series - $280
FOUR-LECTURE BUNDLE:
Choose any four lectures during the Summer Series - $180
INDIVIDUAL LECTURE:
Pay per lecture - $50
*If you choose to register for individual lectures, please note that each session requires a separate registration and checkout. We appreciate your understanding.