About Kol HaNefesh
Kol HaNefesh is a gathering of Jews of all backgrounds, interests and levels of knowledge and observance. We gather for half-day retreats at least four times a year. Gatherings include a range of activities for "going inward" and revisiting the voice of our soul. Group discussions provide opportunities to share insights, life experiences and pressing questions, as well as the opportunity to take learnings from wisdom traditions outside of Judaism and explore how and where they are found within our faith.
Upcoming Events
Rami Shapiro Headlines Congregation Bet
Haverim's Shabbaton
Congregation Bet Haverim invites the community to join nationally known teacher and scholar Rabbi Rami Shapiro at its annual Shabbaton, presented by Kol HaNefesh. This year's program, "Living Judaism: Justice, Compassion, and Humility," takes place May 15-17. Rabbi Shapiro, an award-winning poet and essayist, lectures widely on contemporary Jewish spirituality. A former senior rabbi of Temple Beth Or in Miami, Rabbi Rami now directs the Simply Jewish Fellowship, the What Would a Mensch Do? Project, and the Sh'ma Center for Jewish Meditation. His newest book, The Angelic Way: Angels and the Key to Our Spirituality, will be published this spring. Rabbi Rami believes that each of us is responsible for continually reinventing the dynamic religious civilization that is Judaism, and that the task involves reclaiming the principles underlying the mitzvot and finding fresh ways to live them. According to him, one teaching--"You know, O Humans, what God requires: Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8)--lies at the heart of Judaism. All the mitzvot--the ways we embody the spiritual challenge to be holy--can be divided into three broad principles: justice, compassion, and humility. Once we understand which principle is operating, we can examine each mitzvah to see how it works, and how we might reshape it most meaningfully.
Our weekend with Rabbi Rami will be devoted to taking the first steps toward this examination and reinvention of the mitzvot. Friday evening during the 7:00 service and afterward, and Saturday morning during the 9:00 Torah study and 10:00 service, we will explore the intricacies of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, in the process looking for the communal and personal relevance of these signposts in each of our lives. An oneg will conclude Friday evening. On Saturday afternoon, following a communal lunch, we will examine "The Meaning of Mitzvot for Our Time," in which we begin an ongoing conversation to inspire us to engage Jewish tradition creatively regarding some of the classical justice and compassion mitzvot such as kashrut, Shabbat, and tzedakah. At 8:00 Saturday evening Rabbi Rami will offer "From Chumash to Chelm: Storytelling and the Heart of Judaism," during which he continues the tradition of transmitting the Jewish souls through the generations by telling light (but instructional) tales of our people. We will conclude the evening with a short Havdallah service. In "Walking Humbly with God" (10:00 to noon on Sunday) we will examine the sacred books of Jewish Doubt in asking what it means to believe in God in the 21st Century.
For more information, contact Heidi Smith at 753-1888 or heidib@omsoft.com. The Shabbaton is funded by a generous contribution from the Jewish Federation of Sacramento, and by donations and sponsorships from the community. Donations of $20 for the Saturday afternoon lunch and program, and $10 for the evening of storytelling ($25 for a family) are requested. Babysitting for Saturday events is available at a nominal charge. Checks made payable to CBH may be sent to CBH at 1715 Anderson Road, Davis, 95616.
Readings offered by Rabbi Rami Shapiro to prepare for the Shabbaton for those who are interested: