Ritualwell

Borrowed Language: The Cento and the Piyyut
2023-05-15 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
As Jewish writers, we inherit an ocean of text with which to be in relationship. How can we make creative use of our lineage as People of the Book and play with the language we’ve been given? In this generative workshop, we will explore two poetic forms of ancient origins: the Cento (Latin for patchwork) and the Piyyut (Hebrew for storytelling, a liturgical poem), which both borrow heavily, sometimes entirely, from pre-existing textual materials in order to create something new. We’ll read classical and contemporary examples of these forms and explore what they share. Participants will be guided through writing exercises, leaving with at least one new poem draft of their own.
Mónica Gomery is a rabbi and poet. Her work explores queerness, diaspora, ancestry, theology, and cultivating courageous hearts. Her second poetry collection, Might Kindred, won the 2021 Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize and is forthcoming from the University of Nebraska Press, fall 2022. She is the author of the poetry collection Here is the Night and the Night on the Road and the chapbook Of Darkness and Tumbling. Mónica serves as a rabbi at Kol Tzedek Synagogue and on the faculty of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva and is also a co-founder of Let My People Sing!
The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
We are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.

What My Hands Tell: Exploring Ekphrasis
2023-05-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
“My heart cannot bear to say what my hands tell.” —Maxine Silverman
A certain alchemy happens when different art forms speak to each other, which is known as ekphrasis. Poems that respond to visual art offer new avenues into expressing what the heart wants to say. In this session we will examine artwork and poems in relationship as they challenge and illuminate each other. We will explore ekphrastic poems and visual art from a variety of Jewish creatives (e.g., Maxine Silverman, Celia Dropkin) to inspire our own writing.
Cathleen Cohen was the 2019 Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, PA. A painter and teacher, she founded the We the Poets program at ArtWell, an arts education non-profit in Philadelphia. Her poems appear in journals such as Apiary, Baltimore Review, Cagibi, East Coast Ink, 6ix, North of Oxford, One Art, Passager, Philadelphia Stories, Rockvale Review and Rogue Agent. Camera Obscura (chapbook, Moonstone Press), appeared in 2017 and Etching the Ghost (Atmosphere Press) in 2021. She received the Interfaith Relations Award from the Montgomery County PA Human Rights Commission and the Public Service Award from National Association of Poetry Therapy. Her paintings are on view at Cerulean Arts Gallery (ceruleanarts.com).
The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
We are happy to offer this session for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.

ADVOT End-of-year Celebration
2023-06-29 19:00 - 20:00
Celebrate the end of our second year of ADVOT@Ritualwell, our cohort of ritual innovators, poets and liturgists. Members of our community will read work created this year and we’ll celebrate the publication of our second annual anthology Like a Tree By Water.
Purchase the ADVOT anthology, Like a Tree By Water.
ADVOT@Ritualwell is an online creative community of ritual innovators, poets, and liturgists who meet regularly to share work and support and empower each other to create and innovate Jewish ritual, poetry, and liturgy. Launched in 2021, ADVOT means “ripples” in Hebrew. RIPL (pronounced “ripple”) is the acronym of “Ritual Innovators, Poets, Liturgists.”
Thank you to Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah for supporting ADVOT.
This event will be recorded and sent to registrants.
We are happy to offer this event for free. A suggested $18 donation has been added to the ticket. If you are unable to donate, you may remove that suggested amount from the ticket. Please consider donating if you’re able, to help us continue to offer free programs like this one.
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Let's Get to Know Advot@Ritualwell
2023-10-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
You are invited to an informational session to learn more about Advot@Ritualwell.

Advot is an online creative community of Jewish ritual innovators, poets and liturgists who meet regularly to share work, support, and empower each other and learn together. Whether a beginner or seasoned writer, Advot@Ritualwell welcomes you wherever you are in your writing journey.

Now in its third year, Advot can support you in creating and innovating Jewish ritual, poetry and liturgy; as well as exploring fiction, prose, song and memoir writing.

Meet the Advot facilitators: Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer and Adva Chattler. Gabrielle, an award-winning author, will lead a writing exercise to give you a tiny taste of Advot. Adva, a founder of Advot, will answer all the questions you might have.

This event is free to all who are interested in joining Advot @Ritualwell. Advot begins on Oct. 20. The early-bird price is being extended until Oct. 4.

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 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.

Holding Each Other: Israel on Our Hearts
2023-10-11 12:00 - 12:45 | Zoom
Gather with the Ritualwell community for reading, prayer and meditation. Hear the voices of Alden Solovy, Rabbi Haviva Ner-David, Sivan Rotholz and Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein. Together we will say Mi Sheberach for healing and Kaddish for the fallen, and pray for the captives.
Registration through Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rd-6vqzMsGtcB1HbAjZ3lo286SW7gQw62

Ritualwell Community Event: Holding Each Other: Israel on our Hearts
2023-10-19 12:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Take time to pause and pen with the Ritualwell community this Thursday, October 19 at 12-12:30 p.m.
We’re all holding many emotions and concerns that change day by day, hour by hour. Poetry, prayer and creative expression can bring comfort and provide us with support.
Together we will say the Mi Sheberach for healing and Kaddish for the fallen, and pray for the captives.
Bring pen and paper–poet Cathleen Cohen will lead us in an expressive prompt.
Pour out your feelings in words, images, doodles or whatever works best for you.
We look forward to seeing you. Invite a friend or loved one who might appreciate this comforting space.
Registration through Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsdeGtrjwrGNQMObJ6Y8-MJfI3Sakj_2qW

Verses of Resilience: Poetry & Ritual From the Path of Cancer
2023-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Ritualwell, along with our partner Sharsheret, a Jewish breast and ovarian cancer community, invites you to join us for an hour of poetry, prose, and ritual relating to any aspect of the cancer (or other illness) experience.

Come with a piece that you have already written or come to hear others share their stories. We will create the opportunity for everyone to begin writing something personally meaningful and healing through our writing prompts. No previous writing experience necessary–our focus is on the power of expressing personal stories. This session is open to all; please feel free to invite friends, loved ones and those who have provided support.

All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Melissa K. Rosen, Sharsheret’s Director of Training and Education, holds a master’s degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and has been working in the non-profit sector for over 30 years. Her professional experience includes informal education and programming, advocacy, and community outreach. Melissa has facilitated unique and lasting connections among organizations in the diverse American Jewish community. Melissa oversees community education throughout the country, training health care professionals, Jewish professionals, and Sharsheret’s volunteers. She also manages Sharsheret’s Community Partnerships. Herself a two-time cancer survivor, Melissa has used writing as a healing technique. She is passionate about the Jewish community and cancer support and advocacy.

Ritualwell Community Event: Holding Each Other with Rabbi Annie Lewis
2023-10-26 12:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Take time to pause and pen with the Ritualwell community on Thursday, October 26 at 12-12:30 p.m.
We’re all holding many emotions and concerns that change day by day, hour by hour. Poetry, prayer and creative expression can bring comfort and provide us with support.
Together we will say the Mi Sheberach for healing and Kaddish for the fallen, and pray for the captives.
Bring pen and paper–Rabbi Annie Lewis will lead us in an expressive prompt.
Pour out your feelings in words, images, doodles or whatever works best for you.
We look forward to seeing you. Invite a friend or loved one who might appreciate this comforting space.
Registration through Zoom.
Rabbi Annie Lewis was ordained from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2012, received a master’s degree in Jewish women’s and gender studies and was awarded a Wexner Graduate Fellowship. She served as Assistant Rabbi of Germantown Jewish Centre from 2012-2016. Rabbi Lewis has served as a visiting rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Gulfport, Mississippi and has led community organizing trainings with JOIN for Justice. Annie studied linguistic anthropology at Brown University and at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She fell in love with Judaism at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, delved into Torah at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and spent a year as a madricha (counselor) for the Conservative Movement’s Nativ College Leadership program in Israel. Rabbi Lewis has been in training as a couples and family therapist and brings this relationship toolkit to supporting people through life transitions and to officiating at life cycle events. She is a singer, poet and performance artist with roots in the Storahtelling ritual theater company. Her writing has been published by Ritualwell, Lilith and Kveller. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Rabbi Yosef Goldman, and their children, Zohar Lieba and Shir Emet.

Brit Beyond Milah: Exploring Baby-Welcoming Rituals
2023-10-26 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Thursday, October 26, 2023
12-1:30 p.m. EDT
Join us for a fascinating discussion of baby-welcoming rituals. How might we sanctify and honor the traditional brit (covenant) in ways that offer alternatives to traditional milah (circumcision)? What would it look like to welcome baby boys into the covenant without circumcision? Together we will explore issues involved in deciding to circumcise or not to circumcise, including personal experiences around this decision and alternative rituals to circumcision. Ritualwell welcomes the variety of opinions shared by the speakers and supports an open discussion. We seek not to endorse any particular view on this topic but to provide support and a welcoming space for the evolving traditions of the Jewish communities around us. We invite the audience to take part in a facilitated Q&A and to be inspired to create personal rituals that support their own Jewish life and expression. Rabbi Elyse Wechterman will share her views and journey as a mother and Rabbi; Max DuBoff and Lisa Braver Moss will describe the founding and activities of the organization Bruchim: Opting Out of Circumcision; and Rabbi Haviva Ner-David will discuss her experience navigating and helping spiritual companion clients make a decision, as well as her latest novel, To Die in Secret, which explores this decision as well. All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Rabbi Elyse Wechterman is the CEO of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association. She has taught at the college and adult level in many settings and worked broadly with children and families with special needs to create inclusive communities for Jews of all abilities and backgrounds. She also previously worked for the national Reconstructionist movement as Director of Congregational Services and consulted with congregations throughout the movement on governance, growth, decision making and other congregational issues. Her article, “A Plea for Inclusion,” arguing for the welcoming and inclusion of families questioning or opting-out of brit milah in Jewish communities, was published in The Covenant of Circumcision: New Perspective on an Ancient Jewish Rite (edited by Elizabeth Wymer Mark) in 2004. Her Brit Atifayh (Covenant of Wrapping) on Ritualwell has been widely used since its creation in 1995.

Max DuBoff is a PhD candidate in Philosophy and Classics at Yale University researching various topics in philosophical bioethics. As Director of Education for Bruchim, Max helps create resources in a variety of media to facilitate engagement with Jewish perspectives on circumcision. Max is the lead author of the recent paper “B’rit Shalom: A Jewish Ritual Alternative to Newborn Male Circumcision,” published in a special issue of the International Journal of Impotence Research on child genital cutting. Max is passionate about the intersection between Jewish law and practice and bioethics.

Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David is a rabbi and writer. She is the rabbinic founder of Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind, Body, and Soul, the only mikveh in Israel open to all to immerse as they choose. Ordained as both a rabbi and an interfaith minister, certified as a spiritual companion (with a specialty in dreamwork), and holding a doctorate on mikveh from Bar Ilan University, she offers mikveh guidance and spiritual companioning for individuals and couples and mikveh workshops and talks for groups. She is the author of three spiritual journey memoirs, two novels, and the first and only children’s book on mikveh. She lives in Israel on Kibbutz Hannaton, is the mother of seven children, a teacher and lives with FSHD, a genetic muscular disease, which has been her biggest life challenge.

Lisa Braver Moss is President and co-founder of Bruchim, a nonprofit that helps find welcoming Jewish communities for families opting out of circumcision. She is the author of several books including The Measure of His Grief (Notim Press, 2010), the first novel to tackle the Jewish circumcision conundrum. Her first essay on this topic appeared in a 1990 issue of Tikkun; since that time, she has published dozens of articles about Jewish circumcision. Additionally, Lisa is co-author of Celebrating Brit Shalom (Notim Press, 2015), the first-ever book of ceremonies and music for Jewish families seeking alternatives to the traditional bris. Born in Berkeley, California, Lisa still lives in the area with her husband, with whom she has two grown sons and two young grandsons.

Writing Our Aging Selves
2023-11-02 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Thursday, November 2, 2023
12-1:30 p.m. EDT
There are so many new things to pray about as we age! Our memory, skin, mobility, and hair color have all changed, developed, and evolved slowly and noticeably. We accumulate wisdom and peel away shame, caring less about what the world thinks of us and more about what we think about ourselves and the changing world around us. Join instructor Trish Arlin to design your own prayers and rituals of gratitude, worry, anger and hope for the life that is unfolding before you. Write, reflect and share your creative self with the Ritualwell community in this free, open for all session. No prior writing experience is required.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Trisha Arlin is a liturgist, writer, performer, and student of prayer in Brooklyn, NY. She has served as a liturgist, scholar, and artist in residence and taught for venues including the National Havurah Committee’s Summer Institute, Ritualwell.org, Haggadot.com, and for synagogues around the country. She is a builder of Bayit’s Liturgical Arts project. Trisha received a BA in Theater from Antioch College in 1975 and an MFA in Film (Screenwriting) in 1997 from Columbia University. In 2009/2010, Trisha was an Arts Fellow at the Drisha Institute. In 2011, she graduated from the sixth cohort of the Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI). Trisha’s liturgy has been used in services, for ritual occasions, and at venues of many denominations nationwide. She is the author of Place Yourself: Words of Poetry and Intention (a collection of liturgy and kavannot). Her work has appeared in a variety of journals, siddurim, and collections of liturgy and can be found online at TrishaArlin.com, Ritualwell.org, and opensiddur.org.

Light the World: Dancing in Community for Hanukkah
2023-12-07 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Thursday, December 7, 2023
12 – 1:30 p.m. EST

Every person must know and understand
That a candle burns deep within them,
And their candle is unlike their friend’s
And no person without a candle exists.
And every person must know and understand
That they must strive to uncover
The light of the candle publicly
And light it into a great torch
And light the whole world
–Rav Abraham Isaac Kook
In this FREE session, we’ll welcome Hanukkah through the Nia movement practice. We’ll bring the light of community into the world to music by Matisyahu, Erran Baron Cohen, Divahn, Noa, and Balkan Beat Box, followed by prompts for reflection and writing.
Nia is based on the philosophy that everyone can enhance their potential for a healthy, meaningful life by engaging their senses and listening compassionately to their bodies. It is adaptable to individual needs and abilities. Its core principle is finding your body’s joy of movement, whether that’s swaying gently in a chair or stomping up a sweat.
What you’ll need

Clear a space so you have room to move. However, Nia can also be done seated.
Nia is low-impact and designed to be done barefoot. But it’s fine to wear tennis or jazz-dance shoes if that’s best for you.
Have writing materials at hand. You may want art materials, as well.

All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Janice Steinberg (she/her) holds a Black Belt in the Nia dance-fitness practice and has been teaching for 15 years. Last spring, she offered an Omer Nia program through Ritualwell. She is the author of the novel The Tin Horse (Random House) and a five-book mystery series published by Berkley.

Writing Poetry in the Shadow of War
2024-01-08 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
At all times but especially in a time of war and grief, we need literature to remind us of what it means to be human, what justice demands, where our struggles and conflicts, our strengths and hopes reside.In this Ritualwell event, we will see how other poets have responded to disasters and conflicts Jews have faced and are facing. We will see how poets including Marcela Sulak and Bob Hicok are responding to the Israel-Hamas War and the resurgence in antisemitism and also look at poetry from the Holocaust. In between these readings and discussions of the poems, you will write your own poems based on prompts that will help you shape your thoughts. This experience is all about finding a way through poetry to express ourselves in this critical time.
This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Lynn Levin is a poet and writer. She is the author of nine books, most recently, her debut collection of short stories House Parties (2023). Widely published as a poet, Levin’s five poetry collections include The Minor Virtues (2020); Miss Plastique (2013), a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in poetry; Fair Creatures of an Hour (2009), a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in poetry; Imaginarium (2005), a finalist for Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award; and A Few Questions about Paradise (2000). She is co-author, with Valerie Fox, of Poems for the Writing: Prompts for Poets (2019, 2013), a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in writing/publishing. She is the translator, from the Spanish, of Birds on the Kiswar Tree (2014), poems by the Peruvian Andean poet Odi Gonzales. Levin is also the producer/director of the 2017 video documentary Life on the Napo River: A Glimpse of the Ecuadoran Amazon, Its People, and Their Traditions.
She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and teaches English and creative writing at Drexel University, where she received the Adjunct Award for Teaching Excellence. For many years, she taught creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.

Holding Each Other
2024-01-11 12:00 - 2024-03-28 12:30 | Zoom
Two is better than one…for should they fall one can lift the other.
–Ecclesiastes 9-10
We are here. We’re in this challenging time together.
Ritualwell invites you for a weekly meeting time where we will lift each other up with prayer, song and creative prompts. Join us every Thursday from 12-12:30pm EST
Bring pen and paper– each week a different poet/liturgist will lead us in an expressive prompt. Pour out your feelings in words, images, doodles or whatever works best for you. We look forward to seeing you. Invite a friend or loved one who might appreciate this comforting space.
Upcoming Date: March 28th
Guest speaker: Tiferet Welch

Tiferet Welch is a poet whose work is inspired by kabbalah. She writes: “My poetry is, I hope, steeped in modern Jewish mysticism and draws on the arc of Torah and deeply felt personal experience to create a sensuous and sensual swirl of living in and through the four worlds, especially in the time of the pandemic, the death of my mother, and sadly, post October 7th. Exploring the parshiot by way of the sages, drawing out the kaballistic essence, mining the subterranean allusions of the Hebrew letters and binding them all within the personal, the poems form a chronicle of this liminal time.”

The Golden Shovel: Digging in Text for New Meaning
2024-02-01 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Thursday February 1, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EST

To receive the spiritual impact of our traditional texts, sometimes we need to turn the words upside down and inside out. In this workshop, we will use poetic forms and techniques to bypass the logical brain and discover new levels of meaning and insight in verses from the Torah. Join Tzivia Gover in this generative workshop and learn to create a Golden Shovel poem—with a twist. The poems that results, like a shirt that’s been turned inside out, will reveal new patterns beneath the familiar ones.
No previous experience writing poetry is necessary! You will receive step-by-step guidance and support as you learn inventive ways to approach and adapt this poetic form. You can bring 1-3 verses to work with, or use the ones that will be provided. Everyone is welcome, whether you consider yourself a poet or not, and no matter your familiarity with traditional texts.

The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Tzivia Gover is the author of ‘Dreaming on the Page: Tap into Your Midnight Mind to Supercharge Your Writing’, and other books about dreams, writing, and everyday joy. She is the creator of ‘The Life of H: Sarah, Reimagined’ an online poetry project. The founder of 350 Dreamers, an online international community dreaming for global healing in this time of climate crisis, Tzivia is a board member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and a past Director at the Institute for Dream Studies. Tzivia is a Certified Dreamwork Professional and a Certified Proprioceptive Writing Instructor. She has her MFA in writing from Columbia University, and has taught in college and community settings domestically and abroad. Learn more at www.thirdhousemoon.com and https://tziviagover.substack.com.

Disability Wisdom and Knowing Ourselves Whole
2024-02-13 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EST
In recognition of Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month and our ongoing commitment to disability inclusion and advocacy, we are delighted to bring the Ritualwell community the opportunity for learning and reflection with scholar and activist Rabbi Julia Watts Belser. In this session, Rabbi Belser will lead us in interactive text study with a spiritual focus. We’ll begin by grappling with questions about reimagining the nexus of disability, beauty, and belonging—and then explore micro practices for loving our own bones. What tiny gestures and small reorientations might we use to nourish and sustain ourselves and each other, as we navigate an ableist world?
The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Rabbi Julia Watts Belser (she/her) is a scholar, spiritual teacher, and longtime activist for disability, LGBTQ, and gender justice. She is a professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University and core faculty in Georgetown’s Disability Studies Program. She’s also an avid wheelchair hiker, a devoted gardener, and a lover of wild places. Her latest book is Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole.

This is My Jewish Heart
2024-04-10 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EDT

“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that I may multiply My signs and marvels in the land of Egypt” –Exodus 7:3

It is now known that trauma is stored in the body and that the heart, in particular holds onto grief, sadness, shame and ancestral loss. No other biblical story focuses more on the heart than the provocative story of Va’eira when Pharoah’s heart is hardened against the plight of the Jewish people as we suffer and fight for freedom from slavery. Poet, performer, and holistic health coach Corie Feiner will lead a discussion on this parsha, our relationship to our own hearts, and introduce a guided poetry writing exercise where we will write the stories of our hearts and make our way from a narrow place of anxiety and pain towards inner and outer liberation. Included in this workshop will be breathwork, movement, and supplemental text from the poet, Dorriane Laux. Seasoned writers and those new to writing are welcome to join.

The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Corie Feiner is the Poet Laureate Emeritus of Bucks County, PA and an award-winning poet, performer and educator called “wonderful” by The New York Times and “absorbing” by Backstage Magazine. She is the author of the poetry book, Radishes into Roses and the children’s book Who Was Born at Home. Dedicated to embodied Judaism, she has been commissioned to perform her inspiring
Jewish poetry and psalms for synagogues and peace organizations across the world. For the past ten years she has been a dedicated homebirthing, homeschooling, cook from scratch tiger mama, whose latest project, A Poem for Every Pose arose out of her at-home yoga practice and her belief that inner strength and inner peace are essential for creating a more peaceful world. You can learn more about Corie and and her current projects by subscribing to her Substack at: https://coriefeiner.substack.com

Moses, A Stranger Among Us: A Conversation with Rabbi Maurice Harris
2024-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
1-2:00 p.m. EDT

In his book, Moses: A Stranger among Us, Rabbi Maurice Harris leads us to look beyond familiar and popular portrayals of Moses so that we can discover the Moses whose lesser-known attributes and experiences provide us with surprisingly fresh ethical and spiritual guidance. You may have seen Rabbi Harris sharing his perspective about Moses on Netflix’s new docudrama series, Testament: The Story of Moses.

Now, you have an opportunity to ask your questions about this complex prophet with Rabbi Harris himself! Join us for a conversation between Ritualwell’s Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer and Rabbi Harris, focused on understanding Moses through traditional religious interpretations, academic Bible scholarship, psychological and sociological analysis, feminist readings, and more. Participants will have the chance to ask questions, join the conversation and write your own creative midrash about Moses’ legacy.

We’ll draw names of everyone who joins us and raffle off two autographed copies of Moses: A Stranger among Us!

The session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2003, Rabbi Maurice Harris is Associate Director for Thriving Communities and Israel Affairs Specialist at Reconstructing Judaism. Previously, Maurice served as Associate Rabbi and Head of School at Temple Beth Israel in Eugene, OR. Maurice is the author of three books: Moses: A Stranger Among Us (2012), Leviticus: You Have No Idea (2013), and The Forgotten Sage: Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah and the Birth of Judaism as We Know It (2019), all from Cascade Books. He blogs at theaccidentalrabbi.substack.com.

Climate Emotions and the Wisdom Our Bodies Carry
2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
7-8:30 p.m. EDT
Our emotional reactions to the climate crisis are highly individual, and shaped by our personalities, resources, circles of care, the news and media we absorb—and by inherited ways of thinking about the future. In this trauma-informed workshop, led by climate change chaplain Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner, we will cast a gentle light on our climate emotions, and deepen our awareness of how they show up in our hearts and bodies. Learn how our reactions to climate change may be shaped by our ancestors’ experiences, and how we can expand our capacity for ease, connection, and action in this moment.
This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner is a meditation teacher, climate change chaplain, and educator who leads with warmth, curiosity, gentle humor, and compassion. Over the past 15 years, she has worked in prisons, hospitals, and congregations to steady folks through hard times.
Exploring Apocalypse is an extension of her rabbinic and pastoral care work (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, 2016), and is shaped by additional professional trainings in Climate Psychology (California Institute of Integral Studies, 2022), Clinical Pastoral Education (East Jefferson General Hospital, 2017 and Bellevue Hospital, 2013), and certified yoga and meditation teacher training (Yoga Sanctuary Academy, 2011), as well as graduate work in intergenerational trauma narratives (University of Toronto, 2008).

Advot End-of-Year Celebration and Poetry Reading
2024-06-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Thursday, June 27, 2024
7-8:30 p.m. EDT

Join us for an evening dedicated to celebrating the contributions of our Advot@Ritualwell members and the unveiling of our third anthology showcasing their creations. Advot@Ritualwell serves as an online community for Jewish writers to learn, connect, and collaborate, providing a platform for mutual support in what can often be a solitary journey. Members bring their diverse backgrounds and expertise to share, co-create, and inspire one another. This event is their opportunity to showcase their work to you. Show your support by attending! Registrants will receive a 15% discount on their purchase of the anthology.

The members of our ADVOT community include: Elliott batTzedek, Elizabeth Caplun, Alex Carter, Cathleen Cohen, Audrey Cohn-Ganz, Muriel Dance, Batya Diamond, Tzivia Gover, Joanne Greene, Judith Kerman, Rabbi Janet Madden, Mandie McGlynn, Yael Navid, Rabbi Taylor Poslosky, Melissa Rosen, Anne Schulman, Janice Steinberg, Cantor Karen Webber and McKenzie Wren,

ADVOT@Ritualwell Open House
2024-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Monday, August 12, 2024
12-1 p.m. EDT

Now more than ever, Jewish writers and other creatives need a nurturing home to encourage each other and uplift each other’s creative work.

Join us for an open house to learn about ADVOT@Ritualwell, a creative home for poets, liturgists, ritual creators, songwriters, and other Jewish artists. Meet fellow writers, learn more about ADVOT & engage in a creative writing prompt! learn more about ADVOT here.

Reading and Writing the Mourner's Kaddish
2024-09-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Monday, September 9, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EDT

It has been noted that the Mourner’s Kaddish is not explicitly about death or loss; rather, on the surface, it appears to be a prayer of praise and exaltation. But what is the relationship between grief and praise? Who is the Mourner’s Kaddish for? What have been our own experiences of this prayer? Join us for a special Elul program where we get inside the structure of one of Judaism’s most powerful and enigmatic prayers, examining some of the context and history of this liturgy and then mapping and writing our own versions.

This event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Rabbi Joshua Boettiger is Jewish Chaplain and Visiting Assistant Professor of Humanities at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. He is the current Rosh Yeshiva for the Center for Contemporary Mussar and for the last decade, directed the Mussar program at Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland, Oregon. Joshua also teaches Jewish Meditation and co-leads silent retreats. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Pacific University and his poetry has appeared in the Missouri Review, the Southern Review, B O D Y, and elsewhere.

Reading and Writing Mi Shebeirach Le'Holim, the Jewish Prayer for Healing
2024-09-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Monday, September 16, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EDT

In another special Elul event, we will study the origins of Judaism’s central healing prayer; reading between the lines in an effort to discover its theological underpinnings, and how/when/why it has been utilized historically. What does the Mi Shebeirach teach us about how Judaism understands healing? Are there risks in saying it or not saying it? We will also and craft and share our own original versions of this healing prayer.

This event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Rabbi Joshua Boettiger is Jewish Chaplain and Visiting Assistant Professor of Humanities at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. He is the current Rosh Yeshiva for the Center for Contemporary Mussar and for the last decade, directed the Mussar program at Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland, Oregon. Joshua also teaches Jewish Meditation and co-leads silent retreats. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Pacific University and his poetry has appeared in the Missouri Review, the Southern Review, B O D Y, and elsewhere.

A Day of Memory: Holding Each Other on October 7th, 2024
2024-10-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Monday, October 7th
12-1:00 p.m. EDT

Now more than ever, we need each other. Our community meets every Monday for “Holding Each Other,” a 15-minute online minyan, but on October 7th, we’ll gather for an hour of grieving, praying and sharing.

Our guest facilitators are two beloved Ritualwell facilitators who live in Israel: Rabbi Haviva Ner-David and Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein. They will each share about their experiences and perspectives from the last year and lead us in opportunities for creative expression.

Holding Each Other
2024-10-21 12:00 - 12:15 | Zoom
Every Monday, 12-12:15 p.m. EDT

Now more than ever, we need each other.

Every Monday, join “Holding Each Other,” a 15-minute online minyan, facilitated by a leading Ritualwell contributor. Together, we’ll recite Mourners’ Kaddish and Mi Shebeirach, the prayer for healing. To foster our spiritual resilience, we’ll engage with a brief creative meditation.

On October 21st, a few days before the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, our special guest leader will be Rabbi Deborah Waxman. Rabbi Waxman will lead us in grieving, praying and sharing as we mark the anniversary of the Hebrew date of the tragic Hamas attacks.

Gather your strength and provide support to others.

Compassionate Ink: Promoting Caregivers' Well-being through Writing
2024-11-07 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Thursday, November 7, 2024
12-1:30 p.m. EST

Ritualwell is proud to partner again with Sharsheret during Caregivers’ Awareness Month for poetry, prose, and writing surrounding the caregiving experience. Focused on healing and support from the stress of this difficult role, we will find refuge in expressing our emotions through writing. During our time together there will be an opportunity for everyone to begin writing something personally meaningful and healing through our writing prompts. This session will focus on writing and ritual as a means of healing, which has been studied as an effective way to heal from both physical and emotional trauma. There will be time for sharing your own new writing from the session, something that you have already written before, or come to listen to others.

No previous writing experience necessary–our focus is on the power of expressing personal stories. This session is open to all, no matter who you are supporting, or why they may need support. Please feel free to invite friends, loved ones, and anyone you think will need this kind of support.

This event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Melissa K. Rosen, two-time cancer survivor, current caregiver, and a member of the ADVOT writing community. She is the Director of Training and Education at Sharsheret: The Jewish Breast and Ovarian Cancer Community.

Braided Together: 'Take Challah' Ritual in Community
2024-11-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-12-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Wednesdays, November 14 and December 12, 2024
2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

When was the last time you came together with friends or family to prepare a meal? Perhaps to bake bread? Picture everyone gathered around a table, crafting beautifully braided dough with delightful aromas, sharing stories filled with laughter and even a few tears. The warmth of connection and belonging, not just from the oven, has been lacking in our lives as we’ve drifted away from our Jewish communities and intimate family circles due to various life circumstances. However, it doesn’t have to remain this way, especially with technology supporting us.

Join Adva Chattler for a monthly gathering to explore the ritual of “Taking Challah”: the tradition of blessing the dough of our challah before baking it. Aside from the ritual, we will learn a new braiding and decorating technique each month. Our time together will be sprinkled with song, chant, storytelling and more, as we braid our challahs together. Recipe, step-by-step guide and more resources will be shared in advance.

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, and a Makhloket Matters Fellow for Jewish Professionals by the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. 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, three daughters and two dogs.

Capturing Your (Grand)Child's Stories
2024-12-04 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
December 4, 2024
1:00-2:00 p.m. EST

So often, we experience meaningful moments with our children or grandchildren that we’d like to capture–or have special stories from our own childhood that we hope to share with the next generation. Dr. Barry Mann has crafted a delightful children’s book, Miri and her Drum Set, inspired by a real-life adventure with his young grandchild. Miri and her Drum Set explores both the miracle of Hanukkah and also ways to unite people across religions and cultures.

Join us for an engaging conversation about Dr. Mann’s journey of transforming a personal story into a published book. Whether your goal is to publish or simply to create a family keepsake story, discover an effective process to outline and breathe life into your narratives. This event is perfectly timed for those looking to create and share a story that could make a memorable Hanukkah gift for the family.

This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Barry Mann is a retired surgeon and currently System Medical Director for Health Equity in the Main Line Health System of suburban Philadelphia where he served as Chief Academic Officer and director of the surgical residency training program. Dr. Mann has received numerous prestigious awards for his work in medical education including the Distinguished Teacher of Medicine Award from the American Association for Medical Colleges and the Distinguished Educator Award from the Association for Surgical Education. While professor of surgery at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, he co-authored five medical textbooks including SURGERY—A Competency Based Companion. His interest in Hebrew and Arabic led him to write Dreams of Peace, A Dual Language Primer for Learning Hebrew and Arabic in 2015. Miri and her Drum Set is his first children’s book and is based on a true story of kindness he experienced with his grandson Ezra at the Lime Ridge Mall in Ontario, Canada.

Nia into the NEW Year
2025-01-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
January 2, 2025
1:00-2:00 p.m. EST

Start 2025 in active movement and flow of you body and creativity through the practice of Nia!

Join the Ritualwell community and Nia instructor Janice Steinberg (who is also one of our Advot members) to engage your body, spirit and creativity through Nia movement followed by prompts for reflection and writing. No experience needed.

Nia is based on the philosophy that everyone can enhance their potential for a healthy, meaningful life by engaging their senses and listening compassionately to their bodies. While it is adaptable to individual needs and abilities, its core principle is finding your body’s joy of movement, whether that’s swaying gently in a chair or dancing. Nia is low-impact and designed to be done barefoot. But it’s fine to wear tennis or jazz-dance shoes if that’s best for you. What you’ll need is a clear space so you have room to move, or, if you choose to stay seated that will work, too.

Have writing materials at hand. You may want art materials, as well.

This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Janice Steinberg (she/her) holds a Black Belt in the Nia dance-fitness practice and has been teaching for 15 years, including events for Ritualwell. She is the author of the novel The Tin Horse (Random House) and a five-book mystery series published by Berkley.

Creating Your Own Meaningful Tu B’Shvat Rituals
2025-02-12 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
February 12, 2025,
12-1:30 p.m. EST

Rituals serve not only as a source of comfort but also as a means to honor our history and cultivate our own legacies. Inspired by the birth of her son on the birthday of the trees, Wendy A. Horwitz, author of Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments, was inspired to imagine Tu B’shvat as a time to deepen her personal ties to the earth, trees, and Jewish wisdom through creative rituals. In this Ritualwell event, Wendy will guide us in exploring narratives and engaging in discussion aimed at helping us revitalize our personal Tu B’Shvat rituals. Reflect on your connections to this Jewish celebration of nature and discover new ideas to create your own meaningful Tu B’Shvat rituals.

This session will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Wendy A. Horwitz is the author of Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments. Her essays have been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Afterimage, Neurology (Humanities Section), Jewish Literary Journal, Intrepid Times, and McClatchy-Tribune News Service, among others. Originally trained as a pediatric psychologist, she lives in Philadelphia, where she teaches writing and health humanities.
