….To Renew the Old and Make Holy the New
Celebrating 50 Years!
Please Note our new phone number (510) 761-7710
Parshat VaYakhel Exodus
35:1-38:20
Haftarah - 1 Kings 7:40-50
Kabbalat Shabbat Services are at 7pm PST
Friday March 21st Kabbalat Shabbat will be community led on Zoom
Shabbat Shacharit Services are at 10am PST
Saturday March 22nd Shabbat Shacharit will be led by Rabbi Seidel on Zoom
Join us for PURIM !!
We hoped you enjoyed our Hybrid Purim celebration at Temple Beth Sholom. Missed it? View the recording!
Click HERE
Aquarian Minyan Yeshivah - Spring 2025 Classes Now Open For Registration
יְשִׁיבַת מִנְיַן אַקְוֵרִיאַן
Everyday Holiness: A Fresh Approach to Kabbalah, Meditation, and Ecstatic Prayer with Rabbi T’mimah Ickovits
Wednesdays 12pm Pacific Time
March 12, 19, 26, and April 2, 9
To Register Click HERE
*There is a suggested minimum donation of $72 -$125 and above (generosity level) for all five sessions of this class. Recordings will be provided to all who register. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Join Rabbi T’mimah in a practical and in-depth overview of kabbalistic practice for the everyday, presented in a new Key for our challenging times. Deepen your prayer practice through a fresh exploration of the traditional Eitz Chaim (Tree of Life), the Sh’ma prayer, the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Holiness) and the Kedushah (Holiness Prayer). Follow in the footsteps of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and learn to explore “davenology” for our time using tools that Rabbi T’mimah herself uses, incorporating more recent academic work in kabbalistic meditation and prayer. Rabbi T'mimah will lead you through the experiential journey of the interiority of the ecstatic that is Penimiyut. Each session will conclude with a guided meditation by Rabbi T'mimah.
About Rabbi T'mimah Ickovits
Rabbi T’mimah Audrey Ickovits, BSE, is a spiritual guide, translator, and prayer leader. Her work enriches the lives of those seeking to experience where the mystery, science, and our natural world intersect. Rabbi T’mimah’s expertise in compiling and translating siddurim and mystical texts makes the profound beauty and depth of ancestral teachings accessible to a broad audience. Rabbi T’mimah creates sacred spaces where individuals can find solace and community, promoting a shared journey toward spiritual growth. Her passion for nature shines through in her hobbies, such as hiking and walking along the beach, reflecting her belief in the importance of nurturing body and spirit. Her love for growing produce also enriches Shabbat and holiday celebrations, bringing fresh, homegrown joy to her gatherings. She can be reached at:
www.HolisticJew.org
RabbiTmimah@HolisticJew.org
Outer Flame, Inner Light: Timeless Jewish Visualization Techniques for Meditation with Steven Siegel
Tuesdays 12 noon Pacific Time/ 3pm Eastern
March 25, April 1,8, 15, 22, and 29
To Register Click HERE
*There is a suggested minimum donation $72-$125 and above (generosity level). Recordings will be provided to all who register. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Join veteran meditation teacher Steven Siegel as he unpacks several traditional types of visualizations and meditative techniques culled from Chassidic Masters and Kabbalists through the centuries. Over five weeks develop your visualization skills through the following techniques accompanied by a sixth week incorporating a powerful breathing technique.
Week 1 The use of an external object as a visual focal point: Candle flame meditation based on Zohar (13th Cent.) and Tikkunei Zohar (14th Cent.)
Week 2 Contemplation of a holy verse: Several traditional Shiviti practices that arose from various sources based on Psalm 16
Week 3 Visualization based on embodiment of a particular spiritual trait Tzadik visualization, based on Rebbe Maharash (4th Chabad Rebbe 19th Cent.)
Week 4 The use of the imagination to visualize a higher reality: Light of Shekhinah practice from Rabbi Elazar Azikri of Sefat (1533-1600)
Week 5 The Development of deeper awareness and presence: R. Chayim Vital’s (1542-1620) and the Komarno Rebbe’s (1770-1818) technique for Rising above Physicality
Final Week. A breathing technique for devekut based on the teachings of the Ba'al Shem Tov, the Maggid and Rabbi Schneur Zalman (the Alter Rebbe)
In each class we will look at texts from Kabbalistic and/or Chassidic sources, examine the sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious, meditation or visualization they describe, and then experience the practice or practices.
About Steven Siegel
Steve Siegel has been a student and teacher of Jewish and Himalayan meditation and Kabbalah for more than 45 years. He has been blessed with the opportunity to study with many of the outstanding teachers of our times including Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z"l HaRav Avraham Brandwein z"l Dr. Daniel Matt, Rav Avraham Sutton, Rabbi DovBer Pinson, Rabbi David Cooper z"l Sri Swami Rama z"l and Swami Veda Bharati z"l On the instructions of Swami Veda, he created the group “Prayag: A Center for Meditation and Spiritual Growth ” in 2012 to teach meditation in the tradition of the Himalayan yogis and Jewish Kabbalists and to explore their points of commonality. Steven can be reached at:
Creating Our Own Midrash of the Exodus and Liberation with Rabbi Elizheva Hurvich
Thursdays 12pm Pacific Time/ 3pm Eastern
March 27, April 3, April 10 and April 17
To Register Click HERE
*There is a suggested minimum donation of $60 for all four sessions of this class. Recordings will be provided to all who register. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
"In every generation, each person should see themselves as if they had been liberated from Egypt"
Join Rabbi Elizheva Hurvich in this four part class on Midrash. In every generation we have celebrated our liberation and its current implications and read the Biblical and post-Biblical readings of this essential and foundational narrative of the Creation of the Jewish people. In this class we will explore classical and contemporary midrash (stories, close readings, interpretations, folklore) on leaving Egypt and traveling through the desert, and we will also create our own Midrash. Each class will include time for meditation, reading, and writing. Bring a pen or workpad and get ready to let your imagination flow. You are welcome to bring original work or work in progress.
About Rabbi Elizheva Hurvich
Rabbi Elizheva Hurvich, recently ordained by ALEPH, the Alliance for Jewish Renewal has been a Jewish educator for many years - a true mistress of pedagogy, using holistic methodologies that allow students to personally confront, re-read, and integrate the Biblical story through one’s own spiritual/ aesthetic lens. She has recently served as a spiritual leader and teacher at Chochmat haLev and been a visiting Rabbinic presence at the Aquarian Minyan for several years. In 2022 Elizheva taught a very well received course on the Book of Esther.
Psalms of the Omer: A Journey from Liberation to Revelation with Rabbi Dr. Brielle Rassler
Psalms of the Omer: A Journey from Liberation to Revelation with Rabbi Dr. Brielle Rassler
7 Wednesdays 12pm Pacific /3 pm Eastern
April 16/23/30 and May 7/14/21/28
To Register Click HERE
*There is a suggested minimum donation $72 - $125 and above (generosity level) for all seven sessions of this class. Recordings will be provided to all who register. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
The seven week period from Passover to Shavuot invites us into a treasure trove of potential for spiritual insight and growth through a daily spiritual practice known as the counting of the Omer. Join Rabbi Dr. Brielle Paige Rassler, award winning author of Psalms: A Millennial’s Interpretation, on a soulful journey through this process, guided by the wisdom and sacred healing power of the Psalms. Each week, Rabbi Brielle will uncover new ways of connecting with these sacred texts and spiritual practices, as we journey together from the liberation of Passover to the revelation of Shavuot. No prior experience with the Omer or the Psalms is necessary to benefit from this spiritual journey. Just bring your open heart, curious mind, and together we’ll discover where the Divine will take us from there.
About Rabbi Dr. Brielle Rassler
Rabbi Dr. Brielle Paige Rassler is a licensed psychologist, spiritual director, author, and artist. She maintains a private practice and serves as Lead Chaplain of Integrative Wellness at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. In addition to her emerging translation series, Rabbi Brielle has authored a reference guide to the Talmud, a manual for religiously integrated treatment of Jewish women with eating disorders, and has released two albums of original liturgical music. Her Psalms translations have been featured in multiple publications and her full translation, “Psalms: A Millennial’s Poetic Interpretation” was selected as a Gold Award winner of the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards
The 50th Anniversary Celebration has no Expiration Date !!
To read the J Weekly article about our 50th celebration click here:
Reviving, Renewing and Celebrating the Old Aquarian Minyan Spirit, Serving up Joy to the Divine in Difficult Times - Mazal Tov to all of us and thank you to the Planning Committee that worked HARD on the Jubilee
Aquarian Minyan Groups and other offerings
The Aquarian Minyan Book Club — meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the Month at its new start time of 2:00PM
JOIN THE AQUARIAN MINYAN BOOK CLUB IN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION OF THE OUTSTANDING STUDY BY DR. SHOSHANA FERSHTMAN. THE BOOK CLUB NOW MEETS TWICE MONTHLY!
Note: The Aquarian Minyan Book Club meets again on Tuesday February 2025
To Join the book club on Zoom click HERE
*New members are cordially welcomed. For more information, please contact Shoshana Dembitz (sdembitz@gmail.com)
Sunday Nights Minyan Sharing
Weekly, Sundays, 7pm Pacific Time
in Memory of Martin Potrop Sept. 23, 1951- April 1, 2024. Z”L
