Samuel Ben-Or Avital

Samuel Ben-Or Avital, author of “The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew Letters,” will be holding a seminar on authentic Kabbalah, starting January 20 in Boulder, CO.  The seminar, entitled Gathering of the Sparks: Authentic Kabbalah and Practical Wisdom, will run January, 20, 27 and February 3, 10, 17, 24, 2011, six Fridays from 10 am – 12 noon.  This series will focus on the Hebrew letter Sheen.

Avital, descendent of Moroccan Kabbalists tracing their lineage to 15th Century Spain and before, explains that the Hebrew letters are one of the most basic keys to properly explore the Kabbalah’s “mysteries.”  In his seminars, Avital delves into the spiritual meanings and discoveries contained in each letter.

Avital shared just a few of the meanings of the letter SHEEN, which will be explored in the upcoming workshop:

The SHEEN ש, which among other things represents the flame, could be an invitation to ignite your spiritual spark and to learn a new way to discover the great inner treasures of our Jewish tradition.  The SHEEN reaches high like three flames, purifying and changing the external conditioning that has been built into our lives, and can also can be understood as the original three ways of learning, to be and become one with oneself and aligned with the whole of Creation.

In the Kabbalistic tradition, the Hebrew Letters are understood as the building blocks of the creation of the universe – each letter stores and contains within it certain spiritual powers, and serves us as a unique tool of practice and exploring ourselves and the universe in an unconventional way of learning how to learn, think and be.

The Sheen with its three vertical lines could symbolize the inner dimensions of being, three ways, gates, levels, and the three branches of the tree of Life – left pillar, middle pillar, and right pillar.  The three branches relate to the right and left extremes, and to the rampant human tendency to go to the extremes – teaching us to intelligently and willingly choose to apply the middle and balanced way of becoming – the middle path.

It can also teach us much about applying creative processes, and to learn to think in a circular way (spelled out fully, the Sheen ש י ן  comes to 360, the perfect number for the circle).  It is also in the pronouncement of being, the YESH י ש .  It stands as an invitation to keep the sacred flame alive, despite all the odds.”

For more information on the Gathering of the Sparks Seminar, or to register, please visit:

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/index.html

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/application.html

Come to our Purim gathering March 20 and find out why Purim is not just for kids! We’ll talk about the mystical significance of Purim and what it can mean in our lives today. Our children will have a great time dressing up and taking part in a Purim parade to live musical accompaniment, in addition to stories, songs, and more.

All levels of observance, interfaith families, and different lifestyles are honored. Join us and meet other families of young children! The fee is $10 per session. Sign up through www.Mazeltot.org for a discount.

Classes are held at Nevei Kodesh, 3269 28th St., monthly on Sundays, 10:30 – noon, March 20, 2011; Apr. 10, 2011; May 22, 2011; June 19. 2011; July 10, 2011; Aug. 14, 2011; Sept. 18, 2011.

Babies and Buddies is led by Patrice Spitz, Rabbinic Pastor student and mother of two. For info, contact patricespitz@yahoo.com or call Patrice at 303-459-4521.

Taking place on Sundays April 10th and 17th at 9:30 AM in the South Building at Har HaShem, this class is for those who want to learn customs and traditions in Jewish life or review the basics of keeping a Jewish home. Components will include an overview of the ritual objects, habits, and traditions that go into having a Jewish home; what it means to “get ready for Shabbat” and what Jews do to make Shabbat more meaningful and powerful; as well as how to prepare for and welcome Passover in a way that brings family together and enriches the experience.

Expect surprising ideas and teachings from the tradition and a lot of practical, use-it-starting-today ideas to help deepen the Jewish feeling in your home. This class will be useful for interfaith families and also for those who grew up Jewish but want to know more about keeping a Jewish home.

There is no cost, but registering by April 6th is mandatory. Register online here.

For information, contact school@harhashem.org or call (303) 499-7077. Congregation Har HaShem is located at 3950 Baseline Road in Boulder.

Raj Seymour

Shal OM Yoga – An all-levels yoga flow with a Jewish  Flavor. Every Sunday at 1:00pm starting January 3rd at Vida Yoga ( 2749 Iris Avenue (303) 562-5963).  This is a donation based class and all are welcome.  Raj will be teaching most classes with occasional guests.

Questions?  Want to be on the Shal OM mailing list and get schedule updates? You can email me at rseymour35@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.

Blessings, ShalOM, Namaste, and Happy New Year!

Raj

See Raj’s original article, “Shal OM — The Practice of Jewish Yoga” for more information on how Raj developed this class.

The seminar will provide practical information for parents who are preparing their children for Kindergarten and the primary grades. In addition, the seminar will provide a venue for families to explore their own vision of their children’s Jewish future. The seminar will consist of a lecture and a workshop, a light dinner, which will be made by the school’s 4th and 5th grade class, dessert as well as educational opportunities fair.

The first session, What to expect as you prepare your child for Kindergarten, is a lecture designed to help parents ease their child’s transition into grade school and will be based on Stanley Greenspan’s book Playground Politics. This session will be a brief overview of the emotional, physical, and psychological changes that children will face during this transition, and it will prepare them for issues that will inevitably arise such as peer and adult relationships, competition, friendship, etc. Parents of older children may also benefit from additional insights or tools regarding their child’s development.

The second session, Envisioning your family’s goals for lifelong learning, is based on the adage; the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. In this practical workshop, we will offer parents the opportunity to think about what they would like their children’s attitudes towards Jewish traditions and learning to look like 5 or 10 years from now and help create their family’s vision for getting there.

The seminar will conclude with an informal dessert and Educational Opportunities Fair, where community organizations will provide information regarding their programs and services and will be on-hand to answer questions. Sessions will be led by BJDS faculty. Tours of the school will also be available upon request. Each family will go home with a gift-bag including Greenspan’s book and some other BJDS goodies.

The cost of the event is $10 per family. Child care will be provided and RSVP is required by 12/9 to rsvp@bjds.org.

Organizations wishing to co-sponsor the event are invited to contact the school at bjds@bjds.org and will be sent Co-Sponsorship information.

The Boulder Jewish Day School (BJDS) is an independent accredited community day school serving Boulder, Broomfield, Longmont and North Metro Denver. The school offers an Early Childhood Program (2.5 to 5 years) as well as an Elementary program – Kindergarten though Fifth Grade and aftercare. BJDS provides child-centered, integrated learning in a supportive environment with a low teacher-student ratio. Critical thinking skills are stressed and a strong secular academic standards-based program is integrated with second language learning, Jewish studies, art, music, community building and physical education. BJDS is a pluralistic environment that welcomes students and families from all backgrounds dedicated to growing the next generation of community leaders. Financial aid is available. For more information about BJDS or to schedule a tour, please contact us at 303.449.5569 or bjds@bjds.org or check out our website at www.bjds.org.

In the seminars, Avital presents a wide range of Kabbalistic knowledge.  He explains that his purpose is to present tools for students to explore and understand the Kabbalah for themselves.  He views Kabbalah as tradition that is “personal, practical, and universal,” and is available to all who have “a sincere heart desire to learn.”

Avital explains that the Hebrew letters in particular are one of the most basic keys to properly explore the Kabbalah’s “mysteries.”  In his seminars, Avital delves into the spiritual meanings and discoveries contained in each letter, what each letter stores within her story.  He describes the letters as the “blueprint from which the stuff of creation is created, formed and made,” explaining that “Each verb has built in its essence a nucleus and a root to plant and build oneself within “the world.”  Each letter contains and symbolizes a spiritual power or energy.”

Avital grew up with a family background steeped in Kabbalah.  He was born in Sefrou, near Fez in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, from a family which traces its roots to 15th Century Spain and before, as he explains it, “carrying from father to son in an unbroken line the ancient, beautiful and practical wisdom of the Hebrew Science of the Kabbalah.”

Samuel later became an accomplished performer of and teacher of mime and physical theater.  He developed the BodySpeak™ method, a system of body work that address the whole human organism within and without, uniting thought and action, and integrating all aspects of a human being into one perfectly functioning and balanced whole.

Samuel studied extensively in Paris, France with Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux.  He is the founder and director of Le Centre Du Silence mime school in Boulder, CO.   Next year the school will celebrate its 40^th anniversary (1971-2011).  Notably, the school has sustained for 40 years without support or grants from any institution in the world.

As a mime, Avital teaches his students to “make the invisible visible” and the “abstract concrete” and to “communicate obvious universal truths without using of words.”  Avital is also the author of five books, including “The Invisible Stairway: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Hebrew letters.”

Avital shared some of the meanings of the letter Ayin, which will be covered in the upcoming workshop:  “The Letter AYIN ( ע ) = 70 symbolize Sight, Light and what to see, observe, and sense. AYIN will assists us HOW and WHY to SEE the world from inside out and from outside in. And how it can indicate to us in a concrete way, what to do, how to be, the meaning of being, and when and how that BRIGHT SIGHT is activated by the purity of one’s own thought.

Our sages in Mechilta, Shemot 19, 9. observed that: “HEARING is not COMPARABE to SEEING.”The verb of AYIN - עין – suggests a fountain “MA’YAN מ ע י ן flowing and emanating watery light and lighted water from the “Garden of EDEN-BEING.”

Also the word EEYOUN – ע י ו ן which means observation, deep seeing and learning, contemplation, teaches us how to use this EYE technique (the EYE Compass exercise) in order to clarify and clear our brains from early toxic thoughts (memes or klipot) that have clogged our brain cells, and how to reverse the broken state to the restored state of being.

At the workshop, we will explore the hidden code, insight, that this Hebrew letter reveals, and learn to see ourselves and the world from another the “AYIN perspective” that could, in turn, guide us to advance toward changing the “broken” way of thinking now to a “restored” way of thinking, and thus balance our lives on all levels and activate the inner guidance that inspires us to help the other and to restore oneself.”

For more information on the Gathering of the Sparks Seminar, or to register, please visit:

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/index.html

http://kabbalahnow.indranet.com/seminars/application.html

Raj Seymour

I am writing this piece because I am exploring my spirituality, and yoga has been a powerful tool for me to discover stillness and intention.  My connection to my Judaism is very important to me and I am interested in investigating an integration of the two.   I began exploring a potential synthesis about a year ago and have slowly been able to join these two incredibly spiritual practices. In a discussion at the Hazon Jewish Food Conference many questions came up and were discussed:  How can we bring Judaism into our Yoga practice?  Is their any connection there?  Does it mean anything?  Do we want to explore it?  What can we do as like-minded Jews and Yogis, both as individuals and collectively?  While no definitive answers came from this discussion, a seed was planted for me to start something in Boulder.

I started a Jewish Yoga group, where Jewish Yoga teachers and practicing Jews and Yogis could meet and talk about the parallels and connections. There was talk of bringing sun salutations into prayer, comparison of the chakras and the sefirot, and the similarities between the Yamas and the Niyamas, the observances and restrictions, and the Commandments.  We also discussed the importance of having your own practice in both in order to be able to mesh the two. I was speaking with someone about the conversation a few days later and some interesting thoughts came up.  She said that she believed that the tenets of Judaism are to teach one to be a positive force in the world, while she believed a deep yoga practice teaches one to turn inward,  pratyahara, and focusing on the inner self that can lead to withdrawal from society.  I believe there are aesthetics in all walks of life and that the yoga and the Judaism of the past is not the yoga or Judaism of today.  Each is evolving and changing in order to help people find meaning and balance in their lives.  There are tools in both to help individuals work on themselves and be a positive force in the community and the world.

I taught a Jewish Yoga and Meditation class to all girls at Hebrew High last year and will again this coming semester, and have also taught sessions at the Teva conference in New York as well as at Limmud Colorado.  I am excited to announce that I will start teaching a donation-based Jewish Yoga class for the community in September.  I have not found a location or picked the time yet but I plan on holding them in the evening on a weekly basis.

I will send out an announcement when I have more details, or you can email me at rseymour35@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.

Blessings, ShalOM, and Namaste,

Raj

This adult program has appealed to people in the Boulder Jewish community and beyond for many years. The class has been helpful for mixed couples where one is thinking of conversion and the other is wanting a refresher, for parents who want to add depth and breadth to their childrens’ education and those who want to reconnect to Judaism.

Classes begin August 22nd, from 6-8 p.m. To register please click here. For more information, email office@boulderhaver.org or visit our website boulderhaver.org . Derech Chayim is sponsored by Haver, the Boulder Rabbinic Fellowship.