Exploring daily Jewish spiritual practices: A new approach to minyan for June and July

I have been thinking a lot about the role of daily minyan in our community and the different spiritual needs that our members have. I know that my own spiritual practice has looked very different at different times in my life, whether I've been saying kaddish and grieving, or needing a space to process the everyday stresses and joys of life, or whether I've just been working on saying the words of the liturgy. So - we're going to try something new this summer. 

Week 1, June 11 and 13: Meditation as a Spiritual Practice 

Week 2, June 18 and 20: Chanting as a Spiritual Practice (Dr. Amy will lead this week)

Week 3, June 25 and 27:  Walking/Movement as a Spiritual Practice

(I am away July 2-4, so traditional minyan will take place those mornings)

Week 4, July 9 and 11: Writing as a Spiritual Practice

Each morning, we'll take 45 minutes both to study about the practice, how it works, what the goal of it is, and then to do it together (whether it's individuals journaling simultaneously, or going on a short walk around the building outside, or chanting). We'll do each practice twice. Every day, we'll also offer prayers for healing and say mourner's kaddish. But we wouldn't do the whole weekday matbeah. 

Our hope is to create a low-barrier entry into minyan for newcomers who are interested in building a daily spiritual practice that they can do by themselves, but is perhaps enhanced by practicing with a group, and for our minyan regulars to explore how other modalities of spiritual practice might enhance our prayer experiences. [For those who want to come to minyan but really aren't interested in a particular practice that we are doing, you'd be welcome to daven on our own and join us for Misheberakh and Kaddish.] Join in person or on Zoom

Hope to see you there!

-Rabbi Lauren