Scroll down to meet the new Advot’s co-facilitator, an Award-winning author: Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer
What is ADVOT@Ritualwell?
An online creative community of Jewish ritual innovators, poets and liturgists who meet regularly to share work; support and empower each other to create and innovate Jewish ritual, poetry and liturgy; and explore fiction, prose, song and memoir writing.
Join our live, online session: Let’s get to know Advot@Ritualwell, to meet our community leaders, hear from our members and engage in creative writing. Sign up today!
ADVOT + Ritualwell Immersions
ADVOT membership packages (see below) include your choice of Ritualwell Immersions, our online learning experiences. Support your creative writing process, try new modalities, find inspiration, and learn from leading teachers in the Jewish writing world. Browse our Ritualwell Immersions schedule below.
What does ADVOT mean?
ADVOT means “ripples” in Hebrew. RIPL (pronounced “ripple”) is the acronym of “Ritual Innovators, Poets, Liturgists,” the community we are serving and cultivating. ADVOT brings Jewish writers, poets and ritual creators together for creative support, learning and nourishment. Each member will gain the tools and confidence to share their creative gifts with their communities. This experience will have a ripple effect, inspiring Jewish creativity and leading to more vibrant, engaged Jewish communities where people feel empowered to make Judaism their own.
Why did we create ADVOT?
Writing can be a solitary experience. We have heard from writers who use Ritualwell that there is a need for connection, accountability and additional ways to develop and share work with others. After meeting with regular Ritualwell readers, learners and writers, we designed ADVOT to serve this need for creative development and connection.
Who is this for?
People of all backgrounds, levels of Jewish knowledge and writing experience looking to deepen their writing practice in a Jewish community.
What our members are saying
I am so grateful to you for birthing this idea and creating this amazing space with these incredible neshamot.”
I'm just so impressed with the level of talent and willingness to share and support. It was really great, being seen and heard, a lot of mutual sharing and respect.”
I use the weekly writing time sometimes to just write, but also to ask for support and go into a breakout room with somebody. It’s always, somehow, exactly what I needed, and exactly what the piece needed.”
I was writing this ritual and feeling kind of stuck. I was able to hop into the writing studio in a breakout room and get feedback on the ritual. I felt so supported."
2023–24 Schedule
Weekly online writing space
Fridays, starting October 20, 2023 to June 21, 2024 from 12-1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Online retreats
Friday, December 15, 2023, from 12 – 3 p.m. Eastern.
Friday, May 17, 2024, from 12 – 3 p.m. Eastern.
End-of-year celebration
Thursday, June 27, 2024, from 7-8:30 p.m. Eastern.
Ritualwell Immersions Schedule
Membership Packages
#1: Dive In
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Access to weekly online sacred space to write and share work in community
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Creative connection: get matched with rotating hevruta partners
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Two online retreats
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Publication in annual print anthology
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Participation in annual public event online
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20% off all Ritualwell Immersions
#2: Make Waves
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Access to weekly online sacred space to write and share work in community
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Creative connection: get matched with rotating hevruta partners
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Two online retreats
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Publication in annual print anthology
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Participation in annual public event online
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20% off all Ritualwell Immersions
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Two Ritualwell Immersions (valued at $250 each)
#3: Dive Deep
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Access to weekly online sacred space to write and share work in community
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Creative connection: get matched with rotating hevruta partners
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Two online retreats
-
Publication in annual print anthology
-
Participation in annual public event online
-
20% off all Ritualwell Immersions
-
Four Ritualwell Immersions (valued at $250 each)
#1: Dive In
-
Access to weekly online sacred space to write and share work in community
-
Creative connection: get matched with rotating hevruta partners
-
Two online retreats
-
Publication in annual print anthology
-
Participation in annual public event online
-
20% off all Ritualwell Immersions
#2: Make Waves
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All the benefits of the “Dive in” package
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Plus two Ritualwell Immersions (valued at $250 each)
#3: Dive Deep
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All the benefits of the “Dive in” package
-
Plus four Ritualwell Immersions (valued at $250 each)
What to know when applying
The only requirements: a commitment to your creative practice (see our “brit” below), an interest in being part of a Jewish creative community, and an openness to sharing your work and giving/receiving respectful feedback. All applicants will be invited for a short Zoom interview for us to get to know you, answer your questions and ensure this program is right for you. Once accepted, your membership payment will be due to secure your spot. We can set up a monthly payment plan for you (Early-Bird discount does not apply to monthly plans). A limited number of scholarships are available. Reach out to us at ritualwell@reconstructingjudaism.org to learn more.
ADVOT Brit (Community Pact)
When you join ADVOT, you are making a commitment to being part of a dynamic Jewish creative community. You will get the most out of the experience as an active participant. While we are all juggling life obligations, please consider if you can make the commitment to be actively involved in the community. We ask our members to commit to:
- Attend one writing studio per month (minimum)
- Meet once per month with hevruta (minimum)
- Submit writing for the annual print anthology
- Attend our two online retreats
- Participate in our annual public online event
Who are we?
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer (she/her)
Director of Virtual Content and Programs
Gabrielle Ariella Kaplan-Mayer is an author and educator whose work focuses on spirituality, creativity and disability. Her personal essays have been featured in Tablet, Shondaland, NBCThink, Wisdom Daily, WHYY and many other publications and she has published several nonfiction books as well as plays for children. Gabrielle is currently working on a memoir about the power of intuition and ongoing conversations with her ancestors. She writes a Substack newsletter called “Journey With The Seasons,” a weekly practice of meditative reading with creative self-expression prompts. Gabrielle holds a BFA in theater and creative writing from Emerson College and an MA in Jewish Studies from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. For the last 12 years, she has held various positions at Jewish Learning Venture —an organization based in the Philadelphia suburbs — and has also been part of the education staff at Congregation Mishkan Shalom, in Philly proper, where she’s been a member for 25 years. She is the proud recipient of the 2022 Covenant Award and currently edits the Jewish Disability Inclusion News. Gabrielle’s family includes husband Fred, kids George (20) and Jeremy (18) and fur baby Odin (a Saluki rescued from Qatar). She lives in Elkins Park, Pa.
Adva Chattler (she/her)
Managing Director of Engagement and Innovation
Adva Chattler is an Israeli-Mizrahi Jew, born and raised in Be’er-Sheva, Israel. She loves to create meaningful experiences through her cooking and baking that prompt sharing stories, teachings and rituals about Judaism, Israel and Mizrahi Jewish cultures and heritage. Her rituals, prayers and poems were published on Ritualwell. Adva is passionate about bringing people together in ways that spark relationship building and connecting to others on a deeper level, both in the challenging and ever-changing world of online gatherings, and in person. She holds a MA in conflict Resolution and Management from Ben Gurion University of the Negev and BA in Public Administration and Management from Sapir College in Sderot, Israel. With her experience in teaching and curriculum building, she support facilitators and presenters for Ritualwell and Reconstructing Judaism and encourage them to bring not only their best self, but best practices and tools for successful teaching online. Adva is also a mother and a foodie who lives in Del Rio, Tx., with her husband, two daughters and two dogs.
