FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Debra Kolodny, Executive Director, ALEPH
DATE: November 30, 2004
Phone: 301-565-0719
Email: DebraRuth@mac.com

Dear Editor:

Enclosed is the November 2004 ALEPH News Service. We hope you run one or more of the following articles, and look forward to hearing from you if you do. This release contains:

1. ALEPH Jewish Renewal Boston Caravan Gives Local Community Hope On Sunday, November 7 Temple Beth Zion and B'nai Or hosted ALEPH's third Caravan. In the wake of the election, highlights of the conference included two workshops on spirit in action, one on eco-justice and the other on disputation for the sake of heaven.
2. Jewish Spiritual Education Conference a Success The fourth conference on Jewish Spiritual Education took place from November 10-12 in Chandler, AZ. Approximately 30 educators participated, representing Renewal, Reform, and Conservative congregations across the country.
3. ALEPH/Or Tzafon Milwaukee Caravan Delights all Comers On Sunday, November 21 Jewish seekers and their friends from Madison, Chicago and Milwaukee deepened their prayer practice and rejoiced in community at Congregation Sinai.

For further information on ALEPH or the enclosed articles please contact me at DebraRuth@mac.com or 301-565-0719.

ALEPH is a core institution in the Jewish renewal movement, dedicated to the Jewish people's sacred purpose of partnership with the Divine in the inseparable tasks of healing the world and healing our hearts. ALEPH supports and grows the worldwide movement for Jewish renewal by organizing and nurturing communities, developing leadership, creating liturgical and scholarly resources, and working for social and environmental justice. ALEPH has attracted and energized thousands of seekers returning to Judaism, including many whose journey has led them through other spiritual traditions. ALEPH's affiliated projects include the ALEPH Kallah, a biennial convocation; OhaLaH: The Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal; ALEPH's Rabbinic Studies Program; The Jewish Renewal Life Center; the Network of Jewish Renewal Communities; ALEPH's Sage-ing Program; C-DEEP (The Center for Devotional, Energy, and Ecstatic Practice); and The Shalom Center.

I look forward to working with you.
Debra Kolodny /s/

ALEPH Jewish Renewal Boston Caravan Gives Local Community Hope

On Sunday, November 7, Temple Beth Zion and B'nai Or Boston hosted ALEPH's third one-day festival of prayer and study. In the wake of the election, workshops on spirit in action were highlights of the conference, focusing on environmental activism and on how to dialogue effectively when you strongly (perhaps even vehemently) disagree with someone.

Visiting Rabbi Andrea Cohen Kiener conducted two sessions entitled, "Renewing our Sacred Trust with Creation: Eco-Justice." She explored the theological roots of living and acting in right relationship with the environment and offered dozens of powerful tools for making a real difference in environmental preservation. Her work as the Director of the Connecticut based InterReligious Eco-Justice Network provided years of grounding in effective faith based activism. In her words, "The complex of issues that affects our environment includes over-consumption. But it also includes a kind of spiritual and social loneliness. I believe that in reclaiming our social wealth and our spiritual purpose, faith communities can address environmental issues at their deepest root."

Bnai Or Co-Spiritual Leader and ALEPH Director of Spiritual Resources Rabbi Daniel Siegel led a workshop on "Renewing our Sacred Trust with Each Other: Disputation for the Sake of Heaven," where he taught the textual basis for engaging in discourse that honors the holiness of all involved. Rabbi Siegel and participants discussed the practical applications of these texts, learning how to be more effective at dialogue across difference.

Participants were also treated to a morning service co-led by Rabbis Moshe Waldoks of Temple Beth Zion and Bnai Or Co-Spiritual Leader, Hannah Tifferet Siegel, who wove a mix of traditional nusach and innovative chants and liturgical melodies for a beautiful start to the day.

Rabbi Waldoks later offered a stimulating and provocative workshop entitled, "Renewing our Sacred Trust with Community: Houses for Prayer and Study" and Rabbi Tifferet Siegel elevated participants with melody and joy in "Renewing our Sacred Trust with the Source of Life through Song and Movement."

The Boston Caravan is part of a national program created by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, an organization committed to the inseparable tasks of healing the world (tikkun olam) and healing our hearts (tikkun halev). Learn more about ALEPH at www.aleph.org.

Jewish Spiritual Education Conference a Success

The fourth conference on Jewish Spiritual Education took place from November 10-12 in Chandler, AZ. Made possible by a generous gift from a family foundation the conference was organized by Rhonda Mason of the Jewish Renewal community Shir Ha Yam in San Diego, Conservative synagogue educator Jim Dricker from Greenland, N.H. and Rabbi Ayla Grafstein, the spiritual leader of the Renewal community Ruach Hamidbar in Arizona.

Approximately 30 educators participated in the three-day conference and represented Renewal, Reform, and Conservative congregations across the country.

Those gathered explored the theme of "Tikkun ha Nefesh: Renewing the Spirit through Jewish Education." Conference workshops focused on models for b'nai mitzvah education, the role of spiritual direction on students and teachers, using music and art in the classroom, Judaism and nature education, family education, and A. J. Heschel's contribution to spiritual education.

The conference began with a video of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi reflecting on what constitutes a spiritual education, and on the most effective ways to educate our children to become conscious of God in their lives.

Presenters included Rabbis Burt Jacobson, Goldie Milgram, Avruhm Addison, Victor & Nadya Gross. Also presenting were Elizheva Hurvich, Jim Dricker, Gabe Goldman, Sandra Razieli, and Susan Deikman

The movement for Jewish renewal has been evaluating the learning needs of children and adults and designing approaches to Jewish spiritual education since 1999, when the first conference on this topic was held in Berkeley, CA. Educators again met to explore these issues at two major Jewish renewal biennial events in the intervening years, first at Ruach HaAretz in 2002 and then at the 2003 ALEPH Kallah. Plans are under way for another session at the July 2005 ALEPH Kallah, to be held from July 25-31 at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

One of the most gratifying aspects of this November's conference was the presence and active engagement of two generations of Jewish educators. All who came evidenced a deep commitment to continue the nation wide sharing and development of curricula materials.

ALEPH/Or Tzafon Milwaukee Caravan Delights all Comers

On Sunday, November 21 Jewish seekers and their friends from Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago and Milwaukee deepened their prayer practice and celebrated in community at Congregation Sinai. From the opening prayer service, filled with rousing music, deep teaching, powerful healing and spontaneous joy until the closing session, marked by poignant meditation, highlights of the day and abundant blessing, participants were moved by the offerings which reflected a broad cross section of Jewish renewal teaching and practice.

Visiting Rabbis David Zaslow from Havurah Shir Chadash in Ashland Oregon and Chava Bahle from the Or Tzafon Retreat Center in Traverse City Michigan taught workshops on the Tree of Life, applying the mystical teachings of the Kabbala to our senses, our bodies and our spiritual journeys. Rabbi Bahle said of the day: "As always it was an honor to work with ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal here in the Midwest. We believe the potential for Jewish outreach and growth is strong throughout the Great Lakes region, and our success in Milwaukee supports this vision for a renewed, vibrant, engaged Judaism." Gloria Krasno, long time student of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, teacher of meditation and yoga and chaplain, presented a beautiful teaching on dancing through the Hebrew Letters.

Singer/songwriter Marge Eiseman, Milwaukee's 2004 Educator of the Year and Local Coordinator for the event led a workshop entitled, "Sing a New Song to God," where participants found their authentic voices, created new music and then performed it for the rest of the participants at the day's closing circle.

ALEPH's Executive Director, Debra Kolodny, was one of the service leaders and offered teachings at the opening and closing of the day. She spoke of the importance of taking the liturgy's messages of peace, of service to God and of finding the oneness of people across the four corners of the earth out of the synagogue and into our daily lives, so we can actualize the full power and holy purpose of prayer.

The Milwaukee Caravan is part of a national program created by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, an organization committed to the inseparable tasks of healing the world (tikkun olam) and healing our hearts (tikkun halev). Learn more about ALEPH at www.aleph.org. It is also part of a series of programs given by Midwest center Or Tzafon, the regional Jewish meditation and retreat center serving the Great Lakes region. For more information call (231) 929-4330 or email finerabbi@aol.com.