Amukah: Deepening our Practice

Amukah: Deepening our Practice

Program Type: Cohort-based alumni program for advanced spiritual practice

Program Name Meaning: Amukah is Hebrew for "deep"

Eligibility: Exclusively for alumni of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality's Kivvun program

Duration: 6 months (between opening and closing retreats)

Geographic Scope: National; inaugural cohort included retreat locations in California and Connecticut

Focus Areas:

Deepening Jewish spiritual practice developed through Kivvun experience

Growing in wisdom through shared commitment to contemplative practice

Meditation, prayer, text study, and middot (character traits) practice

Creating supportive, intimate community for advanced practitioners

Program Components:

Opening retreat featuring guest scholar

Six months of supported Jewish contemplative spiritual practice

Closing retreat

Daily practice

Weekly chevruta (paired) study

Monthly reflection sessions with IJS faculty

Retreat Schedule (Inaugural Cohort):

Opening retreat: January 23-26, 2020, Brandeis-Bardin campus, American Jewish University, Simi Valley, CA

Closing retreat: June 17-21, 2020, Trinity Retreat Center, West Cornwall, CT

Both retreat facilities are kosher, supervised by IJS staff or local mashgichim

Faculty: Rabbis Sam Feinsmith and Marc Margolius (IJS staff); guest scholars rotate by cohort

Inaugural Guest Scholar: Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed (research fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute, professor of Jewish mysticism and Zohar at Hebrew University, author of "And a River Flows from Eden")

Contact: Rabbi Marc Margolius, Program Director, (610) 724-1901 or marc@jewishspirituality.org

Note: Space is limited