Awakening the Divine
A Silent Jewish Meditation Retreat
by Or HaLev & The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
June 30 - July 5, 2026
Garrison Institute, NY
We live in challenging times full of uncertainty. How do we continue to be our best selves in the midst of this challenge? How do we find a center of calm stability even amid instability and confusion? How do we reconnect with our divine nature and our essential joy and love, so that we can most effectively be agents of transformation for ourselves, our communities, our societies, and the world?
Our tradition is, alas, no stranger to instability, upheaval and threat and so can provide us with deep resources for clarity, openness and vitality in times of challenge.
Centered on Jewish mindfulness meditation and incorporating prayer, silence, text study, yoga, and other modes of Jewish spiritual practice, this retreat will introduce participants to the profound depths of Jewish spirituality and offer the possibility of finding clarity and presence in an ever-changing world and life-transforming meaning in the Jewish tradition.
What makes this a “silent” retreat?
Most of the retreat will be spent in silence and meditation, including meditation instruction and questions and answers. There will also be daily teachings as well as text study and discussion, and additional spiritual practices that complement and support our meditation practice. Beginners and more advanced practitioners are welcome.
The Setting of the Retreat
The retreat will take place at the Garrison Institute, NY. The food on the retreat will be under kosher supervision with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options.
“This practice is the foundation for change and healing to occur within us and beyond us.”
- Awakening the Divine past participant
Meet Your Teachers
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Rabbi Dr. James Jacobson-Maisels
Rav James leads and directs the vision of Or HaLev. Ordained by Rav Daniel Landes, with a doctorate in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago, he has been studying and teaching meditation and Jewish spirituality for over twenty five years. He was the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Romemu Yeshiva and has taught and innovated programs in Jewish thought, mysticism, spiritual practices and meditation at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Haifa University, Yeshivat Hadar and in a variety of settings around the world. He strives to integrate his study with his practice, and to help teach and live Judaism as a spiritual discipline.
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Yael Shy
Yael is the Founder and CEO of Sefira Wellness where she supports individuals and collectives uncover their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy. She is the author of the award-winning book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017), and the founder and former Senior Director of Mindful NYU. Yael is Faculty at New York University and teaches and consults for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Columbia Law School, and beyond. Yael lives in Stamford Connecticut with her husband Ben, her two kids, Zusha and Moses, and two pet guinea pigs.
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Ben Bernstein - Assistant Teacher
Ben teaches movement and mindfulness, helping others connect more deeply with their bodies, hearts, and minds. He has studied and practiced meditation through a Jewish lens for over a decade, most recently as a graduate of Or HaLev’s Gates of Awareness teacher training. He also studied anatomy and the Pilates method at the Kane School of Core Integration. Ben teaches at and manages a mindful movement studio in Manhattan. In his home Jewish community of central Brooklyn, Ben teaches at Or HaLev’s Brooklyn hub and is the kiddush czar of the lay-led Minyan Atara. He lives with his husband, Eugene, and their dog, Nala.
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Naomi Shifrin - Assistant Teacher
A singer and prayer-leader living in Jerusalem, Naomi is currently training in biodynamic cranial sacral therapy while completing a Master’s in Social Work. Naomi is a recent graduate of the Gates of Awareness program and a certified teacher of Kundalini yoga, and will soon be recording her first album of Jewish prayer music. She is moved to work at the intersection of mindfulness, consciousness, and healing, on the individual, ancestral, and collective levels.
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Kohenet Shamirah aka Sarah Chandler - Assistant Teacher & Retreat Manager
Kohenet Shamirah is a Brooklyn-based Jewish educator, artist, activist, healer, and poet. She teaches, writes, and consults on issues related to Kabbalistic dreamwork, earth-based spiritual practices, mindfulness, and farming. Sarah has a Certificate in Jewish Mindfulness from the Institute for Jewish spirituality, is an advanced student of Kabbalistic dream work and imagery with Dr. Catherine Shainberg at The School of Images and studying advanced Hasidut with Dr. Eitan Fishbane. As the CEO of Shamir Collective, she coaches high-profile and emergent artists, musicians and authors to weave portals for the next stage of creativity.
Participants Share…
“I discovered how much I needed silence to fully tune into my inner thoughts & feelings. I also realized the power of being in a supportive community where everyone is committed to personal growth & healing.”
- Mira B.
“This retreat is a wonderful way to integrate Judaism with mindfulness & meditation in a meaningful and transformative way. The synergy infuses light and energy into both.”
- Marty R.
“It gives you all of the unconditional love and support that we all need and crave through priceless experiences that you can take with you after you leave.”
- Jay s.
Accommodations at Garrison Institute
Bathrooms:
There are no private bathrooms; all participants use communal bathrooms with stalls for showers and toilets.
Keys:
There are no keys or locks for the guest rooms.
Most rooms on second, third & fourth floor:
All single and double rooms are on the second and third floors.
Triples are on the fourth floor.
A very limited number of first floor rooms (all doubles) are available on a first come, first served basis. After you register for a double, please indicate on your intake form if you need a first floor room.
A note about accessibility:
The majority of rooms are only accessible via stairs to the second, third and fourth floors.
There is no passenger elevator available to our group (even if you’ve used one at Garrison in the past).
Retreat Rates
We believe in the spirit of generosity as an essential part of practice. We also acknowledge that financial abilities differ for everyone. We strive to make this retreat accessible to those who wish to participate, regardless of ability to pay.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you are able to. Your generosity enables this retreat to happen and helps support Or Halev's activities and grow our community.
Registration closes on Friday June 19, 2026 at noon ET, or when the retreat is full, whichever comes first.
Note: As our retreat is taking place at an old monastery, accommodations are clean and modest with shared bathrooms, showers, and sinks on each floor.
Your registration fee covers overnight accommodations and food.
Terumah/Teacher compensation
Registration prices reflect the direct operating costs of running this retreat. They do not include any compensation for our teachers. At the end of the retreat, you will be invited to donate, to make an offering of the heart, to support the teachers.
How to Register
Click below to register for the room of your choice. These rates are per person, not per room.
Those who register before May 15 have an option for a payment plan.
After you submit payment, we will send you a link to a longer “Intake form” to fill out.
Choose Your Room Type
For each room type, there is an option to pay in full or a monthly payment plan, over two or five months.
Note: Payment plans must be started by May 15. After that date, even if there are rooms still available, rooms must be paid for in full.
Scholarships and Subsidies
To request a subsidized registration, please fill out this form with a brief explanation of why you’d like to join us on retreat and your financial needs, and we will do our best to make the retreat accessible to you.
The form will ask how much you are requesting off the ‘triple room’ rate. As mentioned, all triple rooms are on the fourth floor. Financial aid is limited and is awarded based on need as well as retreat experience.
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Open to all levels of practice
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Loving pluralistic Jewish space
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Green Peaceful Surroundings
Policies: Covid & Refunds
Covid Policy & Community Guidelines
When you fill out the intake form, you will be asked to sign our Covid policy as well as state you have read our community guidelines. As you make your decision to join us on retreat, please review it.
Or HaLev Retreat Cancellation Policy
Registration for Or HaLev retreats involves financial commitments and advance planning. For this reason, the following cancellation policy applies to all participants.
By registering for the retreat, participants acknowledge and agree to this cancellation policy.
Cancellation Deadline
Cancellations received by the published cancellation deadline (Fri. June 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM ET for this retreat) are eligible for a refund minus any administrative or processing fees.
Late Cancellations
Cancellations received after the deadline are not eligible for a refund.
In exceptional circumstances, participants may submit a written request for consideration. Any refund or credit granted after the deadline is entirely at the discretion of Or HaLev and is not guaranteed.
Credit Option
At its discretion, for those who need to cancel after the deadline, Or HaLev may offer participants credit toward a future retreat or program instead of a refund.
Donation Option
Participants may choose to convert their registration fee into a tax-deductible donation in support of Or HaLev’s programs.
Waitlist Replacement
If a participant cancels and their place is filled by someone on the waitlist, Or HaLev may issue a refund minus administrative costs, at its discretion. We may not be able to confirm this until a few weeks after the cancellation request.
Cancellation by Or HaLev
If Or HaLev cancels a retreat due to circumstances beyond its control (including security conditions, emergencies, or insufficient registration), participants will receive either a full refund or the option to transfer their registration to a future retreat.
Here is how to cancel your registration and request a refund:
Refund requests must be submitted in writing to retreat@orhalev.org.
Before Fri. June 12, 2026 at 11:59 AM (ET)
Full Refund minus $75 processing fee. Please allow 15 business days for processing.
On or after Fri. June 12, 2026 at Noon/12:00 PM (ET)
No refunds after this time. See above for credit, donation, or waitlist options..
Arrival and Departure
Please review this page to plan your travel to Garrison Institute. There are options for public transportation, driving, carpooling, and airport ground transportation.
Retreat start and end times:
Tuesday, June 30:
You can arrive as early at 2:00 PM. Check in to rooms will be from 2:00-4:00 PM.
All participants should arrive by 4:00 PM at the latest.
Opening program is at 5:00 PM sharp.
Sunday, July 5:
Our program ends at Noon, followed by a sit down lunch. You should plan to leave the retreat center by 1:00 PM at the latest.
Sample Schedule of a Typical Day
Wake up bells 05:45
Meditation 06:15
Shacharit / Morning Prayer Practice 06:45
Breakfast 08:00
Sitting with guidance 09:00
Walk 09:45
Sit 10:00
Yoga or Walk 10:45
Sit + Small Group Meetings 12:00
Lunch 12:45
Talmud Torah (group Torah Study) 14:30
Sit – Blessing Practice 16:00
Walk / Minchah (afternoon prayers) 16:45
Sit + Q&A with faculty 17:10
Dinner 18:10
Meditation Talk 19:15
Evening Program 20:00
Return to Silence / Sit / Ma’ariv (evening prayers) 21:15
Bedtime 21:30
Our goal is to make retreat a safe and supportive environment for all who attend. Please click here to find out more.
If you would like to discuss your mental health with us, or have concerns about whether this retreat is appropriate for you, please email us at retreat@orhalev.org and we will put you in touch with the lead teacher of the retreat to discuss your concerns.
We Are Here
Any questions? Please email Retreat Manager
retreat@orhalev.org
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