Personal Growth

The Kavanah Council:

We seek to live mindful Jewish lives and help others do the same.

We believe: Judaism is an inherently embodied and mindful religion, and we celebrate it by practicing mindful Jewish skills ourselves and offering instruction and practice opportunities in meditation, contemplative music, study, embodied practices and middot (Jewish character development) to all members of Temple Beth Sholom.

Practicing these skills improves our Jewish and secular lives and integrates the two providing us more authenticity and a deep reservoir of Jewish tools to help us live our lives with more wholeness, ease and equanimity.

We believe in the power of Jewish mindfulness practices to help us realize we have choices/behirot and the wisdom/tiferet, compassion/rachamim and love/chesed to exercise our choices wisely.

What We Offer

  • Yom Kippur Meditation Session
  • Weekly meditation sessions Learn more 
  • Educational Sessions to explore Jewish Mindfulness Topics
  • Kavanah Retreat – a Shabbaton featuring famous Jewish thinkers and teachers Watch
  • Mindful Music Services featuring nationally known Jewish musicians

Mindful Monthly Meditation

The Mindful Month
First Thursday of the Hebrew Month, 10:30 am

Start each month with Cantor Juval Porat: Beginning the month of Elul, join Cantor Juval Porat on the first Thursday of each Hebrew month for a brief musical meditation on the themes of the month.

Facebook Live

Kavanah Retreat 2024

with Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman

Join the Kavanah Council for its sixth annual retreat featuring acclaimed scholar and author Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, Professor Emeritus at Hebrew Union College.  Rabbi Hoffman is internationally famous for his passion for the spiritual renewal of North American Judaism.  He is the author or editor of over forty books and two-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award. His teachings will enlighten us and elevate our mindfulness practices.

January 19 – 20, 2024 | In-Person and Zoom 

Tuesdays at 6:30 pm
Join us in Calm Community. Register in advance

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In Person Sessions

Mindful Niggunim
Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 6:30 pm

Cantor Juval Porat and Kavanah Council member and vocalist Lorraine Steen will lead a multi-access experience demonstrating how to use niggunim (wordless Jewish melodies) to deepen our spiritual practices.  With the use of text and music we will learn to connect with ourselves and each other and explore how with the sound of our singing, the niggunim can awaken us and bring us to positive action. No musical ability necessary.

In-Person in Board Room and via Zoom

Miriams Dance
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 1:00-3:00 pm

Join the Kavanah Council and Sisterhood for a special experiential in-person workshop to prepare for Pesach. Miriam Steinberg, a Kavanah Council member and therapist who holds a Ph.D. in Body Soul and Body Wisdom, will help us connect to the wisdom of our bodies through music, movement, writing, and sharing.  Don’t miss this opportunity to connect more deeply with yourself and your community. Please wear comfortable clothing.

In-Person in Board Room | Registration TBA.

Special Tuesday Zoom Sessions

Belonging to Creation
Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 6:30 pm

Dr. Patty Feito, English professor and Kavanah Council member, will guide us in practices that invite us to enter into a relationship with the natural world. Through sensory awareness practice, visualization, and writing exercises, we’ll explore “inner climates” that foster awareness of the ordinary wonders all around us while also rooting these in Jewish texts. For this one-hour session, please bring an object from the natural world that speaks to you or represents a memorable experience spent outdoors. Patty is an Associate Professor of English who has published and presented papers in environmental humanities and eco-poetics.

Zoom* | registration link

A Meditation a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Mindful Healing 2
Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 6:30 pm 

Dr. Larry Hurwitz, cardiologist and Kavanah Council member, will update last year’s amazing special hour session on how mindfulness and meditation can prevent numerous physical and mental health issues.  Larry routinely prescribed meditation for his patients and will include some practices to help us improve our health and discuss some Jewish texts to ground our practice.

Zoom* | registration link

Mindful Leadership
Winter 2024, Date TBA, 6:30 pm

Scott Rogers and Paul Steven Singerman are back by popular demand for a special one hour Zoom class on how Mindful Leadership can improve your professional and personal life. Scott  is a law professor and the Founder and Director of the Mindfulness in Law Program at the University of Miami and a leader in mindfulness and the law.  Paul is co-chair of the law firm of Berger Singerman and specializes in resolving complex business matters. Scott and Paul have presented on mindfulness and the law to groups of lawyers and judges throughout the United States including The Florida Bar, The American Bar Association, and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. 

Zoom• | registration link

Weekly Tuesday Zoom Sessions

Mindful Tuesdays via Zoom
Tuesdays, 6:30 pm (through May 21, 2024)
Excluding: October 31
December 26
January 2
April 23 (Pesach)

Weekly Mindfulness Group: Would you like to be part of a community dedicated to improving our lives by increasing our self-awareness, calmness, and joy? Join the Kavanah Council’s weekly 30-minute Jewish mindfulness group followed by an optional 15 minute silent sit and sharing. All levels of experience are welcome.

Zoom• | registration link

You can register in advance for any or all of these Tuesday sessions using this link.

*After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the meeting.