Ritualwell

Jewish Art as Prayer: A Guided Art Session
2023-02-07 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Jewish artists over the centuries have used art as a form of prayer. In this interactive session, we’ll learn about the evolution of Jewish art and begin a new piece of art of your own. Participants are encouraged to bring in an image of their favorite piece of Jewish art that will become part of our discussion. We will close by sketching a piece inspired by an aspect of Judaism that is meaningful to us. Together we’ll learn about the rich history of Jewish art, engage with others interested in incorporating art into spiritual practice, and create in a supportive environment. Participants are welcome to use the medium of art most comfortable for them (written/vocal/visual/movement, etc.). No art experience necessary. Bring your enthusiasm to try something new!
Ayeola Omolara Kaplan (she/her) is a Black, Queer, and Jewish artist. Through depicting the intersections of identity, class, and spirituality, Ayeola hopes to meaningfully contribute to the growing body of revolutionary art. Her work features electrifying, surrealist imagery, created to celebrate the empowerment of oppressed people. In her experience, art is equally a spiritual and political medium. Art is the language that Ayeola uses to fully reclaim the power within herself. She hopes that through sharing her work, she is able to help spread joy and inspire folks to live truthfully and committed to building a world where we can all experience peace, freedom, and equity.
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.

Language at the Edge: Exploring Holocaust Poetry
2023-02-09 12:00 - 13:30
February 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
Join us for an in-depth look at the poetry of the Holocaust, some of the most profound poetry of witness known to humankind. These poems are borne within the extremity of survival and they are, as such, evidence of what occurred. They are also poems about the limits of language itself to convey the unimaginable. In this immersion, we will read deeply from a selection of poets who wrote about the Holocaust and learn about their lives, their stories, their survival, and their language. At the same time, we will explore our own lives, our family histories, and what it means to live in a post-Holocaust world. From these stories we will begin to form our own poems of witness.
Rachel Neve-Midbar is a poet and essayist. Her first full-length poetry collection, Salaam of Birds, was chosen by Dorothy Barresi for the Patricia Bibby First Book Prize and was published by Tebot Bach in January 2020. She is also the author of the 2014 chapbook, What the Light Reveals. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies. A current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California, Rachel is also editor of Stained: An Anthology of Writing about Menstruation for the AuntFlo2020 Project. More at rachelnevemidbar.com.

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

The Thinking Heart: Facing our Fears with the Wisdom of Etty Hillesum
2023-02-22 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
“Let me be the thinking heart of these barracks.” – Etty Hillesum
These powerful words were written from within Camp Westerbork, a transit camp in the Netherlands, by one of the most extraordinary writers during the Holocaust. Etty Hillesum was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943 at the age of 29. The diaries that she wrote in the last two years of her life are a document full of love, spirituality, compassion, and trust in life. With Hillesum as our inspiration, we will challenge ourselves to tap into our own “thinking hearts”: to face our feelings with awareness, to see the “other” without animosity, hatred, or bitterness. We will explore how Hillesum’s teachings can support the healing of individuals and nations. We will ask: What does it mean to be the thinking heart in times ruled by violence and fear? How can we connect with the power of our hearts? What is the guidance of my thinking heart? The session will include meditation, writing exercises, and group sharing.
Dina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi, poet, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English, Hebrew, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others.
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.

Jewish Art as Self-Defense
2023-02-28 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
February 28, March 7, 14, 21, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
Throughout history, Jewish artists have used their art as a tool for empowerment in the face of adversity. Join Black, Queer Jewish artist Ayeola Omolara Kaplan for a deep dive into creating artwork informed by Jewish social justice work. We will learn about Jewish artists and how their Jewish identity inspired their “art-ivism.” Ayeola will guide participants in creating an art piece in whichever medium they are most comfortable (visual, written, vocal, dance, etc.) in response to a social/environmental issue of their choice. This immersion will support both new and experienced creatives in learning to use art as a form of self-defense. By the end of the immersion, we each will have created a piece of art meant to empower us and developed art practices that we can return to during difficult times. We will celebrate the magic of creating art, and how to approach the creative process within the lens of Jewish spirituality.

You do not need to be experienced to create art. Art is a language we can all use. All you need is your enthusiasm to have fun and try something new.
There will be some designated time during each session for working on our art pieces; however, we encourage participants to spend some time outside of each session working on their piece. This ensures that we can spend most of the immersion learning/discussing/sharing with each other.

Ayeola Omolara Kaplan (she/her) is a Black, Queer, and Jewish artist. Through depicting the intersections of identity, class, and spirituality, Ayeola hopes to meaningfully contribute to the growing body of revolutionary art. Her work features electrifying, surrealist imagery, created to celebrate the empowerment of oppressed people. In her experience, art is equally a spiritual and political medium. Art is the language that Ayeola uses to fully reclaim the power within herself. She hopes that through sharing her work, she is able to help spread joy and inspire folks to live truthfully and committed to building a world where we can all experience peace, freedom, and equity.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Story Magic: Fiction Writing Through a Jewish Lens, Part 2
2023-03-02 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
From biblical and midrashic narratives to contemporary fiction published in literary journals, good stories ignite our imaginations and serve as portals to the human experience. In this generative workshop, we’ll explore the craft of fiction through reading and writing as we unfold the wings of imaginative prose. Each week we’ll discuss a short story, assimilate craft techniques, and write from prompts. This workshop is suitable for poets, journalists, fiction writers, and curious readers. While this immersion is a continuation of the fall series, new participants are encouraged to join.

Amy Gottlieb‘s debut novel The Beautiful Possible was a finalist for the 2017 Harold U. Ribalow Prize, a 2016 National Jewish Book Award and Edward Lewis Wallant Award. Her fiction and poetry have been published in Other Voices, Lilith, Puerto del Sol, Ilanot Review, On Being, Zeek, Storyscape, The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American Poetry, and elsewhere. She has received a Literary Fellowship and Residency from the Bronx Council on the Arts, and an Arts Fellowship from the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. Amy is a graduate of Clark University and the University of Chicago. She lives with her family on the edge of the Hudson River in New York City.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Inner and Outer Peace Work Inspired by Etty Hillesum
2023-03-08 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
March 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023, 12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
We live in times of transition, witnessing a huge change in humanity, a time that calls us to face many challenges in the political arena. We need to find our voices to contribute to the change we aspire to see. We can find strength through solidarity, deep listening, and spiritual connection. The diaries of Etty Hillesum represent a woman who found her own path of spiritual resistance against a totalitarian regime and ideology. She searched for inner freedom, chose to believe in the humanness of all people, even her so-called “enemies,” and carried a vision of a better future in her heart no matter how hard life seemed. Using her writings as the basis for our inquiry, we will ask: What is peace work? How can we channel our anger and frustration so that it does not control us? How can we develop spiritual resilience, face thoughts of despair that sometimes threaten to take over, and step out of victimhood? What is our spiritual source? What is our vision for a better world? We will read excerpts from Hillesum’s diaries and discuss the topics of inner and outer peace, inner freedom, healing hatred, and spiritual development. We will engage in writing exercises, meditation, and group sharing. All are welcome.
Dina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi, poet, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English, Hebrew, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others.

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

Inner and Outer Peace Work Inspired by Etty Hillesum
2023-03-08 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
March 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
We live in times of transition, witnessing a huge change in humanity, a time that calls us to face many challenges in the political arena. We need to find our voices to contribute to the change we aspire to see. We can find strength through solidarity, deep listening, and spiritual connection. The diaries of Etty Hillesum represent a woman who found her own path of spiritual resistance against a totalitarian regime and ideology. She searched for inner freedom, chose to believe in the humanness of all people, even her so-called “enemies,” and carried a vision of a better future in her heart no matter how hard life seemed. Using her writings as the basis for our inquiry, we will ask: What is peace work? How can we channel our anger and frustration so that it does not control us? How can we develop spiritual resilience, face thoughts of despair that sometimes threaten to take over, and step out of victimhood? What is our spiritual source? What is our vision for a better world? We will read excerpts from Hillesum’s diaries and discuss the topics of inner and outer peace, inner freedom, healing hatred, and spiritual development. We will engage in writing exercises, meditation, and group sharing. All are welcome.
Dina Awwad-Srour and Emma Sham-ba Ayalon are passionate women and peace workers who work for social change and global healing. Dina (Palestinian) is a lecturer and a writer on issues of women’s empowerment and sexuality. Emma Sham-Ba (Israeli) is a rabbi, poet, and artist. They created the Etty Hillesum Cards in three languages (English, Hebrew, and Arabic) in order to share the inspiration of Hillesum’s writings with others.

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

Poetic Midrash: A Conversation between Hila Ratzabi and Alden Solovy
2023-03-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Join Ritualwell’s Hila Ratzabi in conversation with liturgist Alden Solovy in discussion of his new book, These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah. Hila and Alden will explore creative midrash and the process he used to write 70 poetic midrashim on individual words of Torah. Alden will also read selections from the book and discuss the Torah learning behind several of the poems.

Alden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist, lyricist, poet, author, and educator, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem, his six solo books include These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah, This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings, and This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog, ReformJudaism.org, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.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 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.

How to Write Trauma Without Retraumatizing Yourself
2023-03-28 12:00
Writing about trauma can help organize thoughts, regulate emotions, encourage us to reach out for support, and enable us to discover meaning. But revisiting trauma on the page can be triggering. We will talk about how to write about traumatic experiences without retraumatizing ourselves or overwhelming our readers and what keeps writers grounded and writing.
Ellen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts, 2021), the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing, 2007), and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet, Lilith, Brevity’s Blog, Full Grown People, Literary Mama, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University, Chicago-area synagogues, and writer’s studios, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir.
This 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.

Recognizing the Good: Writing Jewish Prayers and Poems of Gratitude
2023-04-17 12:00 - 13:30
April 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
Judaism offers many opportunities to express gratitude, from the morning blessing Modeh Ani to Shabbat and holidays. To inspire poetic and liturgical writing, join us for a deep dive into the Jewish language of gratitude – hakarat hatov. Among our explorations: gratitude as a spiritual practice; hidden meanings in the language of gratitude; language that undermines gratitude; and the connection between prayer and gratitude. We’ll learn together and write from the heart.

Alden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. An American Israeli liturgist, lyricist, poet, author, and educator, Alden is the Liturgist-in-Residence for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Alden teaches prayer and spirituality throughout the world. Based in Jerusalem, his six solo books include These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Langauge of Torah,This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings, and This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer, all published by CCAR Press. A regular contributor to Ritualwell and a member of the Ritualwell Immersion faculty, his work is anthologized in more than 20 other volumes across the religious spectrum. Alden also contributes regularly to RavBlog, ReformJudaism.org, and the Times of Israel. He’s a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012. See his work at www.tobendlight.com. Alden can be reached at alden@tobendlight.com.

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

From Brokenness to Healing: Making Meaning through Memoir
2023-04-18 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
April 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
How can we make meaning from returning to a challenging or traumatic life experience on the page? What does it mean to write from the scar rather than the wound? And how can we find a spiritual lens in which to frame our trauma? In this six-week workshop, we will focus on the definition of trauma, how returning to it can help heal, how writing structure and pacing can help contain it, and how we can revision ourselves before and after. There will be opportunities to share work and receive feedback from the instructor on works in progress.
Ellen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts, 2021), the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing, 2007), and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet, Lilith, Brevity’s Blog, Full Grown People, Literary Mama, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University, Chicago-area synagogues, and writer’s studios, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

ADVOT@Ritualwell Studio sessions - Spring semester
2023-04-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Join in for a time to create and connect!

Reclaiming the Hebrew Goddess & Writing Her Anew
2023-04-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, June 1, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
For thousands of years before patriarchal monotheism took hold, our ancestors worshipped the Divine Feminine. In this immersion, we will take a deep dive into the legacy of the Hebrew goddess, from her ancient biblical and Near Eastern roots to her demise at the hands of our prophets and scribes, from her reemergence in mystical Judaism to her manifestations in Judaism today. Discover where her secrets are hidden and reclaim her for your own, for the earth, and for the generations to come. We will engage in thoughtful reflection and inspired creative writing with guided writing prompts. Join gynocentric Torah scholar, creative writing professor, and student rabbi Sivan Rotholz as we harvest the bounty of the Divine Feminine in Jewish tradition. No previous creative writing experience or knowledge of the goddess required.
Sivan Rotholz is a professor of gynocentric Torah and creative writing. She has taught at Brooklyn College, Tel Aviv University, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Moishe House, and elsewhere, and has shared her Torah in synagogues and living rooms across the globe. Her writing has appeared in the Jewish Journal, 929, and Ritualwell, among other publications. She is the Education Director for Achayot – Jewish Women Writers, and is pursuing rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion.

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

The Access Code: Naming God and Opening to Prayer
2023-05-03 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
The first line of the traditional liturgical prayer is the petikhah (the opening), where we name and describe the One we will be in holy conversation with and then state the basic premise of the prayer. Traditionally, we gain access to God by praying to Adonai, Melekh HaOlam, the “Lord, King of the Universe,” but we can call God by any name, gendered or not, hierarchical or not, depending of who or what we need to pray to or for. In this session, we will explore the petikhah and how to use it to create our own prayers.
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.
All sessions 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.

Creating Jewish Liturgy for Juneteenth
2023-05-11 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
May 11 & 18, 2023, 12:00–1:30 p.m. EST
Join us for a two-part workshop inviting people of all backgrounds, but specifically Black (and Jewish) individuals and allies, to give voice to the significance of Juneteenth through writing. In the first session, we will spend time working in havruta (in pairs) or alone to create prayers, poems, liturgy, or songs that engage meaningfully with the day. In the second session, we will come together to share our final pieces and reflect on the process of writing for Juneteenth.
This workshop is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the liberation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, and to give voice to the experiences and perspectives of Black individuals. All levels of writing experience are welcome. We hope you will join us in this meaningful and creative exploration of Juneteenth.

Rabbi Sandra Lawson (she/her) is the Inaugural Director of Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism and one of the first African American, queer, female rabbis. In 2020, the Forward named Lawson to its “Forward 50,” proclaiming her a “truth teller.” Prior to joining Reconstructing Judaism, Lawson served as the Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life and the Senior Jewish Educator at Hillel at Elon University in North Carolina. She is also the founder of Kol Hapanim – All Faces – an inclusive Jewish community that is relevant, accessible, and rooted in tradition, where all who come are welcomed, and diversity is embraced. She has also served as the investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast Region, becoming the go-to person when law enforcement in the South needed information on hate groups. Lawson lives in North Carolina with her wife Susan and three “fur babies”: Izzy, Bridget and Simon.
The sessions 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 these two sessions for free. A suggested $36 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.

Gathering Waters: Mikveh Ritual Creation Workshop
2023-05-12 12:00 - 13:00
Water is an ancient source of healing and transformation in Jewish tradition. In the past few decades, the ritual of mikveh immersion has been reimagined to include more and more voices and experiences, particularly that of women and LGBTQ individuals. A collaboration between Mayyim Hayyim’s Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network and Ritualwell, join us for a special workshop on creating mikveh rituals. We’ll dive into Jewish sources on mikveh and look at examples of innovative contemporary rituals. We will then be invited to create our own mikveh rituals, to workshop them in a small group, and to share. This workshop is ideal for those who serve as mikveh guides or anyone looking to create their own, personal mikveh ritual or to help others in that process.

Hila Ratzabi is director of virtual content and programs at Ritualwell.org. She has been with Ritualwell since 2015, shepherding the publication of hundreds of poems, prayers and rituals and creating innovative online programming. Born in Rehovot, Israel, and raised in Queens, Ny., Ratzabi is a poet, writer, editor and writing coach. She is the author of a book of poetry, There Are Still Woods (June Road Press, 2022). She holds a BA in English/Creative Writing from Barnard College, a BA in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary (Double Degree Program, 2003), and an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College (2007). Her poetry is published in a variety of literary journals and in The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American Poetry. She lives in Oak Park, Il., outside Chicago, with her husband and two children. Learn more at http://www.hilaratzabi.com/.
This 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.
Mayyim Hayyim is a 21st century creation, a mikveh rooted in ancient tradition, reinvented to serve the Jewish community of today. Mayyim Hayyim is a resource for learning, spiritual discovery, and creativity where women, men, and people of all genders and ages can celebrate milestones like weddings and b’nai mitzvah; where conversion to Judaism is accorded the honor and dignity it deserves; where survivors of trauma, illness or loss find solace; and where those who immerse monthly can explore the ritual on their own terms. Mayyim Hayyim is a fountain of creativity that, since its opening in 2004, inspired new liturgies and curricula, publications, music, artwork, and plays.
The mission of the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is to inspire, strengthen and support communities that embrace an open, inclusive and welcoming approach to ritual immersion as a way to mark life transitions.
Ritualwell is the most extensive online resource that curates original Jewish rituals for Jews and fellow seekers. We publish rituals, ceremonies, prayers and poems to mark sacred moments in Jewish life. Through creating and sharing rituals, hosting Ritualwell Immersions (online learning experiences) and curating an online Judaica shop, Ritualwell fosters a supportive environment for Jewish creativity, spiritual growth and discovery.

Borrowed Language: The Cento and the Piyyut
2023-05-15 12:00 - 13:30 | 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.

Liturgy Writing for Prayer Leaders
2023-05-24 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
May 24, 31, June 7, 14, 21, 28, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT
Liturgy may be poetry, but is a poem necessarily liturgy? What turns a piece of writing into liturgy, something you can use during a prayer service? In this immersion, you will learn criteria and techniques to transform your poems and prayers into liturgy. In each session, we will discuss a topic you might need to address during a prayer service or event; then you will be prompted to write your personal take on it, as a first step toward creating your own liturgy. This immersion is for prayer leaders who have some experience writing prayers and want to receive feedback and hone their skills as liturgists in a supportive environment.
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.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Tongues Shaped Like Harps: Experimenting with Poetry and Visual Art
2023-06-06 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
June 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT
“Pray in the tongues / that are shaped like harps”
—From “Versöhnung” (Reconciliation), by Else Lasker-Schüler
Poetry and visual art have a long history of inspiring each other. The German-Jewish poet Else Lasker-Schüler, quoted above, was influenced by Franz Marc and other Expressionist painters, and her work, in turn, influenced other artists. In this immersion, we’ll look at connections between a variety of Jewish poets and artists, like Marc Chagall and Alexander Mazin, and John O’Hara and Mike Goldberg. We’ll also look at creatives who work across different media, like Jean Arp, Tristan Tzara, Marcia Falk, and Maya Pindyck. These works will inspire our own experiments in writing ekphrastic poetry (poetry that responds to other art forms). We will also deepen our writing through simple exercises in drawing, watercolor painting, and collage. By playing with different media, we will see how writing and art can open up new avenues of creativity in conversation with each other. All are welcome, regardless of experience in writing poetry or artmaking.
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).
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Learning to Say “We”: Writing Identity
2023-06-15 14:00 - 15:30 | Zoom
June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 2023
2:00–3:30 p.m. EST
We often talk about identity as though it were something we have always been and absolutely are. But identity is not fixed: it is a way of understanding ourselves that relates us to others. Identities can be temporary as name-tags and enduring as monuments; singular as snowflakes and (think of Whitman’s “Song of Myself”) encompassing as oceans. We can think of our identities as a collage, or pointillist painting, or an ongoing story, or as the intersection of the histories that led to us and the social systems that surround us. American Jews, in particular, have no choice but to navigate multiple ways of identifying ourselves—as Jews, as Americans, as members of a racially stratified society, as targets and beneficiaries of oppression, as inheritors of and rebels against millennia of Jewish cultures and traditions. In this immersion, we will reflect and expand on our personal experiences of identity, using writing exercises and in-depth discussions to think about, challenge, discover, explore, and experiment with different ways to identify ourselves, to consider how those ways connect us to and separate us from others, and how they represent and misrepresent aspects of who we are.
Joy Ladin is the author of twelve books, including the National Jewish Book Award–winning revised second edition of The Book of Anna (EOAGH, 2021); The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective (Brandeis UP), a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Triangle Award; Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey between Genders, a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award and winner of a Forward Fives Award; and ten books of poetry, including Shekhinah Speaks; Fireworks in the Graveyard (Headmistress Press); Psalms; Forward Fives–award winner Coming to Life; and two Lambda Literary Award finalists, Transmigration and Impersonation. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts writing fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, an American Council of Learned Societies Research Fellowship, and two Hadassah Brandeis Institute Research fellowships, among other honors. She holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from Princeton University, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

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.
By registering for a Ritualwell program you will be automatically added to our e-newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Weaving Water: Recreating Jewish Water-based Rituals
2023-08-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
August 23, 30, September 6, 13, 20, 27, 2023
12-1:30 p.m. EDT
How can ritual-weaving support us in bridging the gap between our own lives and our spiritual ancestors’ relationships with water? Explore how the Jewish calendar and our holiday cycle are built on the flow of water. Together, we will track the role of water throughout the Torah and how ancient Israelites’ relationship with rain evolved to influence modern Jewish rituals. We will cover cycles of rain in the Middle East, mikveh and other forms of purification through water, lesser known Jewish water rituals, water in liturgy, embodied practices related to water, and more. In each session, we will study primary texts, reflect on how these texts speak to our lives and needs today, and be invited to design our own rituals in response. All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Sarah Chandler aka Kohenet Shamirah is a Brooklyn-based Jewish educator, artist, activist, healer, and poet. She has been teaching Jewish eco-ritual weaving for over 15 years. She holds a M.A. in Jewish Education and a M.A. in Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Leadership from Columbia University. She teaches, writes and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, earth-based spiritual practice, mindfulness, dreamwork, and farming. Sarah’s chapter in “The Sacred Earth” (CCAR Press, June 2023) focused on Jewish water spirituality. She is also the Liturgist in Residence at National Havurah Committee’s 2023 Summer Institute. An advanced student of Kabbalistic dream work at The School of Images, Sarah is the founder and lead trainer for “Soft as a Rock: Public Speaking for Sensitive Souls.”
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Change Through Acceptance: the Hasidic Notion of Teshuvah
2023-09-05 12:00 - 13:15 | Zoom
Tuesdays, September 5, 12, 19, 2023
12-1:15 p.m. EDT
Each High Holidays we are asked to engage in the challenging process of Teshuvah/change or repentance. The classic rabbinic notion of Teshuvah could be summed up as “Just say no!,” suggesting that, faced with the temptation to do something wrong, you should stop yourself. Hasidism suggests a different path, suggesting you acknowledge and accept that you have made mistakes and then seek to transform yourself to align with your vision of who you deeply want to be. In this three session program, we will explore the Hasidic notion of change through the study of texts and discussion.
No previous background required. All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld was one of the editors of the Jewish Catalog (1973), a guide to do-it-yourself Judaism that sold over 300,000 copies. He authored The Jewish Holidays (1985), co-authored A Night of Questions: A Passover Haggadah (1999) with his wife Rabbi Joy Levitt, and authored A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice (2002). His newest book, Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st century published by Ben Yehuda Press, has been published on the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Catalog. He is the rabbi emeritus of the SAJ (Society for the Advancement of Judaism).

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

Spiritual Revolutionaries: The Ba'al Shem Tov
2023-10-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom
Mondays, October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 20, 27, 2023
1-2:30 p.m. Eastern
R’ Yisroel ben Eliezer (c. 1700 – 1760), known as the Ba’al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name) or Besht, was a mystic, healer and teacher who lived in the Ukraine and founded the Hasidic movement, a spiritual revival movement that has changed the face of Judaism and the world. Hasidism was fiercely rejected by the rabbinic institutions where it emerged but has long since become an indispensable part of the mainstream. Together, we will explore who the Besht was and some of his radical innovations, teachings and practices. These include the sacredness of the body; cultivating resilience, self-awareness and joy; and seeing and appreciating the Divine spark in everything we encounter and experience. In each session, we will move from text study, to sharing our reflections on the texts, to practical exercises arising from the texts. These exercises will include a creative practice in response to prompts, reflecting with another participant on specific questions, guided meditations and explorations of our inner landscape.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Daniel Raphael Silverstein is a rabbi, educator, meditation teacher and MC/poet. He lives in Israel with his family, where he directs Applied Jewish Spirituality, an online portal which makes the transformative spiritual wisdom of our tradition accessible to all who seek it. Daniel is an accredited teacher of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation and regularly teaches classes and retreats. He was born and raised in London and received a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MA from Warwick University. After receiving semikha from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, he served as Director of Jewish Life and Learning for Hillel of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Daniel has performed and facilitated all over the world as a spoken word artist, MC, and creative educator, and the Jewish Week selected him as one of their “36 Under 36” young innovators reshaping the Jewish community. Daniel is a cofounder of Lines of Faith, a Muslim-Jewish hip hop and poetry collective that uses performances and workshops to challenge prejudice and build meaningful bonds between communities.

Honoring Heirloom through Words: Writing to Discover & Declutter
2023-10-18 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Wednesdays, October 18, 25 and November 1, 8, 2023
12-1:30 p.m. Eastern
What stories do the objects in your home tell? Are they all heirlooms, or do some hold sentimental value for small – maybe even silly – reasons? In this Ritualwell Immersion, you will be invited to explore the stories these objects might tell and to use them to help discern what you want to hold onto and what things could be better used by others. Join decluttering coach Gari Julius Weilbacher and writer Ellen Blum Barish as they help shine a new light on the objects in your home. Gari will provide decluttering strategies using the wisdom of the Jewish calendar and the energy of the new year. Ellen will show us how we can deepen our understanding of our ‘object relationships’ through the power of writing memoir. Join us for this four-week Immersion to bring clarity and cohesion to your home and heart.
All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.

Ellen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts, 2021), the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing, 2007), and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet, Lilith, Brevity’s Blog, Full Grown People, Literary Mama, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University, Chicago-area synagogues, and writer’s studios, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir.

As an Empowerment Coach, Gari Julius Weilbacher knows that we all benefit when we are freed from the “stuff” holding us back. Her clients have launched nonprofit organizations, opened businesses, published books, established faith communities, tamed time, solidified work/life equilibrium and increased professional satisfaction. You can learn more and schedule a complimentary coaching conversation at WildBrookCoaching.com.

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.
