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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261007T130000
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DTSTAMP:20261113T011818
CREATED:20260817T164740Z
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SUMMARY:Marking October 7: Poetry\, Reflection & Writing with Lesléa Newman
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday October 7\, 2026\n1:00-2:00 p.m. ET\n \n\nPlease join the Ritualwell community on Wednesday\, October 7\, as we gather to mark this difficult day together through poetry\, reflection\, and writing.\n \nWe’ll be joined by acclaimed poet and author Lesléa Newman\, who will share selections from her forthcoming collection\, The Last Flame Last. This powerful suite of 18 poems responds to October 7 and the surge of antisemitism that followed.\n \nFollowing Lesléa’s reading\, we’ll have an opportunity to pause\, reflect\, and write our own responses. No writing experience is necessary—just a willingness to be present\, listen\, and make space for what this day brings up for us.\n \nThis gathering is open to all.\n \nLesléa is generously donating a portion of her royalties from the book to Beth Israel Congregation\, to support their efforts to rebuild both their temple\, which was damaged in an arson attack\, and their faith in the kindness of strangers. Preorders are especially meaningful: they will help determine the book’s initial print run and royalty rate\, which in turn will determine the size of the donation. You can preorder The Last Flame Last from Finishing Line Press.\n\n \nThis event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.\n \n\nphoto credit: Mary Vazquez\nLesléa Newman has created 90 books for readers of all ages including the memoirs-in-verse\, I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father; the novel-in-verse\, October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; and the children’s books\, Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story; The Babka Sisters; Joyful Song: A Naming Story; Ketzel\, the Cat Who Composed; and Heather Has Two Mommies. She has received two National Jewish Book Awards\, two American Library Association Stonewall Honors\, am Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award\, a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts\, and the Massachusetts Book Award. From 2008 – 2010\, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton\, MA. \n\n 
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/marking-october-7-poetry-reflection-writing-with-leslea-newman/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event,Free
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261021T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261021T133000
DTSTAMP:20261113T011818
CREATED:20260803T165754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261023T165911Z
UID:35441-1792584000-1792589400@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Grounded Poetry: Sensitivity to Setting
DESCRIPTION:Wednesdays\, October 21\, and 28 and November 4\, and 11\, 2026\n12-1:30 p.m. ET\n$180\n \nWhether it’s the Western Wall in Jerusalem\, a neglected backyard garden\, or the landscape of memory itself\, every place holds a story. In poetry\, setting is never just a backdrop—it can reveal longing\, loss\, joy\, identity\, and what matters most. Sometimes\, paying close attention to a place can also help us notice what is sacred within it—and within ourselves.\n \nTogether\, we’ll explore how Jewish poets including Grace Paley\, Louise Glück\, and Gerald Stern use vivid details of time and place to create unforgettable poems. We’ll see how setting can deepen emotion\, illuminate character\, and invite us into a richer relationship with the world around us.\n \nThrough close reading\, discussion\, and a guided writing exercise inspired by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s “Abandoned Farmhouse\,” you’ll discover how paying close attention to place can unlock surprising insights about your poem’s speaker—and yourself. Whether you’re writing about a sacred landscape\, a childhood home\, or an ordinary corner of your everyday life\, you’ll leave with new tools for creating poems that are rich\, grounded\, and alive—and perhaps with a renewed sense of the holiness that can be found in the places we inhabit.\n \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.\nSusan Comninos is the author of a recent book of poems\, “Out of Nowhere” (SFA Press/Texas A&M\, 2022). Her individual poems have appeared in the Harvard Review Online\, Rattle\, The Common\, Prairie Schooner and North American Review\, among others. She’s taught writing to undergraduates at Siena College\, The College of St. Rose\, and SUNY Albany\, as well as adults in the community. At present\, she serves as poetry editor of Judith magazine and is at work on a second collection of poems\, “Wild Joy of Receiving.” The title poem\, published by The Baltimore Review\, is forthcoming this spring in the anthology “The Color Wheel” (Terrapin Books\, 2026). \n 
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/groundedpoetry/2026-10-21/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T210000
DTSTAMP:20261113T011818
CREATED:20260811T165204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261022T111951Z
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SUMMARY:Seeing Into the Life of Things: An Author Conversation with Rodger Kamenetz and Amy Gottlieb
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, October 22\, 2026\n8:00-9:00 p.m. ET\n$18\n \n\nHow might we move through a noisy and distracted world with greater attention\, imagination\, and wonder?\n \nJoin the Ritualwell community for a special conversation between authors Rodger Kamenetz and Amy Gottlieb about Kamenetz’s new book\, Seeing Into the Life of Things: Imagination and Sacred Encounter. As we enter the new year\, we’ll explore how we might cultivate a deeper awareness of the sacred in our everyday lives.\n \nSeeing Into the Life of Things is both a spiritual memoir and a practical guide to restoring the imaginative heart. Through stories\, dreams\, poems\, and daily practices\, Kamenetz invites us to “see into\,” “listen at\,” and “feel into” the world around us. He explores how memory can become a source of healing\, how dreams can lead us toward sacred encounters\, and how ordinary moments can become occasions for wonder.\n \nIn this intimate conversation\, Amy and Rodger will explore imagination\, attention\, creativity\, and the sacred—and what it means to practice seeing more deeply in our own lives. You’ll have the opportunity to listen\, reflect\, and ask questions of these two wonderful writers. Come ready to pause\, wonder\, and perhaps see the familiar world in a new way.\n\n \n\n \nThis event will be recorded and sent to participants following the event. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.\n \n\nRodger Kamenetz is an award-winning poet\, author\, and teacher whose work explores the intersections of Judaism\, literature\, spirituality\, and dreams. He is best known for The Jew in the Lotus\, the international bestseller about a group of rabbis who traveled to India to meet with the Dalai Lama\, as well as The History of Last Night’s Dream\, Burnt Books\, Stalking Elijah\, and seven books of poetry. His work has been recognized with a National Jewish Book Award\, and he has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other foundations.\n\nKamenetz taught English and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University\, where he founded the MFA program in creative writing and the Jewish Studies minor. Now based in New Orleans\, he devotes himself to writing and to working with people through Natural Dreamwork\, a spiritual practice centered on dreams. His newest book\, Seeing Into the Life of Things: Imagination and Sacred Encounter\, brings together his lifelong explorations of creativity\, dreams\, memory\, and the sacred.\n \n\nAmy Gottlieb is a novelist and poet. Her debut novel\, The Beautiful Possible\, was a finalist for the Edward Lewis Wallant Award\, the Harold Ribalow Prize\, and a National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction. Her poetry has appeared in On Being\, Ilanot Review\, Storyscape\, SWWIM\, Quartet Journal\, Poetica\, Paper Brigade\, The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish American Poetry\, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a fellowship from the Civita Institute and five individual awards from the Bronx Council on the Arts.\n \n \n\n      \n        \n      \n    \n 
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/seeing-into-the-life-of-things-an-author-conversation-with-rodger-kamenetz-and-amy-gottlieb/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T143000
DTSTAMP:20261113T011818
CREATED:20260915T191557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261103T221757Z
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SUMMARY:Honoring Our Animal Companions
DESCRIPTION:Monday October 26\, 2026 \n1-2:30 p.m. ET\n$18\n \n\nOur animal companions bring joy\, connection\, and depth to our lives. For many of us\, these relationships are deeply meaningful—adding richness\, comfort\, and texture to our days.\n \nWhat rituals might help us honor these bonds and bring a sense of holiness to our relationships with the animals in our lives?\n \nJoin us for a special Ritual Lab gathering with Rabbi Linda Holtzman\, a spiritual leader who has been called upon to help create rituals for welcoming animals into our lives and mourning their loss. Together\, we’ll explore the wisdom we’ve gained from our animal companions\, as well as from the larger non-human world. You’ll leave with a collection of rituals you can bring into your own relationships—and inspiration for creating rituals of your own.\n \nThis gathering is part of Ritual Lab\, Ritualwell’s new monthly series celebrating innovation in contemporary Jewish ritual. Each session features visionary writers\, artists\, and spiritual leaders who are expanding Jewish ritual practice in creative\, meaningful\, and accessible ways.\n \n\n\nThis event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.\n\n \nRabbi Linda Holtzman (she\, they) is the organizer of Tikkun Olam Chavurah\, a community that pursues social justice. One of the first rabbis to publicly identify as lesbian/queer\, she served the LGTBQ synagogue\, Beth Ahava\, in Philadelphia. She is the founder of the Reconstructionist Hevra Kadisha\, also in Philadelphia. A leading social justice activist\, she currently serves on the Jewish Voice for Peace rabbinic counsel. She is also a founder of the New Sanctuary Movement\, which works to end injustices against immigrants regardless of their immigration status. Rabbi Linda is a devoted animal lover\, who currently shares her life with dog Oliver and cat Tommy.\n \n \n \n \n \n 
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/honoring-our-animal-companions/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Free,Monthly program
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T133000
DTSTAMP:20261113T011818
CREATED:20260803T165754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261023T165912Z
UID:36355-1793188800-1793194200@ritualwell.org
SUMMARY:Grounded Poetry: Sensitivity to Setting
DESCRIPTION:Wednesdays\, October 21\, and 28 and November 4\, and 11\, 2026\n12-1:30 p.m. ET\n$180\n \nWhether it’s the Western Wall in Jerusalem\, a neglected backyard garden\, or the landscape of memory itself\, every place holds a story. In poetry\, setting is never just a backdrop—it can reveal longing\, loss\, joy\, identity\, and what matters most. Sometimes\, paying close attention to a place can also help us notice what is sacred within it—and within ourselves.\n \nTogether\, we’ll explore how Jewish poets including Grace Paley\, Louise Glück\, and Gerald Stern use vivid details of time and place to create unforgettable poems. We’ll see how setting can deepen emotion\, illuminate character\, and invite us into a richer relationship with the world around us.\n \nThrough close reading\, discussion\, and a guided writing exercise inspired by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s “Abandoned Farmhouse\,” you’ll discover how paying close attention to place can unlock surprising insights about your poem’s speaker—and yourself. Whether you’re writing about a sacred landscape\, a childhood home\, or an ordinary corner of your everyday life\, you’ll leave with new tools for creating poems that are rich\, grounded\, and alive—and perhaps with a renewed sense of the holiness that can be found in the places we inhabit.\n \nAll sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.\nSusan Comninos is the author of a recent book of poems\, “Out of Nowhere” (SFA Press/Texas A&M\, 2022). Her individual poems have appeared in the Harvard Review Online\, Rattle\, The Common\, Prairie Schooner and North American Review\, among others. She’s taught writing to undergraduates at Siena College\, The College of St. Rose\, and SUNY Albany\, as well as adults in the community. At present\, she serves as poetry editor of Judith magazine and is at work on a second collection of poems\, “Wild Joy of Receiving.” The title poem\, published by The Baltimore Review\, is forthcoming this spring in the anthology “The Color Wheel” (Terrapin Books\, 2026). \n 
URL:https://ritualwell.org/event/groundedpoetry/2026-10-28/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Immersions
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