Full Year Program
Studying and interpreting Torah is one of Judaism’s oldest and richest forms of spiritual practice. At IJS, we approach text study holistically – both as an intellectual experience and as an opportunity for experiential, heart-centered, practice-based spiritual growth and development.
This year, we bring you two new text study streams with extraordinary Torah teachers, both of whom provide rich material for contemplative study. These programs will support you in finding personal meaning, expanding your spiritual awareness, and deepening your inner life and mindfulness practice. We encourage you to sign-up for a chevruta/study partner or take the course with a friend in order to deepen your learning and practice.
Bring the transformative light of Torah and Hasidic wisdom into your daily life.
For All Learners
Open My Eyes
A Weekly Journey of Mindfulness and Torah
with Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu
Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu, a warm and gifted teacher of Jewish mindfulness and mysticism, will offer a year of weekly Jewish mindfulness teaching and guided practice rooted in a theme drawn from the weekly Torah portions. This offering is designed to be accessible to all learners – no prior experience with Torah study or mindfulness is required ...
Each weekly teaching will be informed by the Me’or Einayim, the Torah commentary of Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl, an 18th-century Hasidic teacher. One of the first students of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Maggid of Mezerich, the Meor Einayim—literally meaning the one who enlightens the eyes—is one of the most powerful lights of Hasidic wisdom. His commentary on the Torah, both accessible and deep, enables us to make sense of our human nature while connecting to the truly enlightened part of us: our da’at, or consciousness.
Rabba Mira will introduce participants to the core concepts of Hasidic and Kabbalistic wisdom, explore how the Me’or Einayim’s insights offer us a meaningful guide for mindfulness in our everyday lives, and will weave each week’s teaching into mindfulness practice throughout the year.
Rabba Mira will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A.
In this text stream, every week you will receive:
- A Jewish mindfulness written teaching extracting insights from Hasidic wisdom
- Reflection/journaling questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
- Cheshbon nefesh (“Soul Accounting”): an invitation for personal reflection
- Avodah (“Practice”): simple, accessible suggestions to integrate the weekly teaching into your life through mindfulness practice
- Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings
- Monthly live sessions on Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 PM ET on Zoom (recorded for those unable to attend live). We will gather as a community of practice to discuss the weekly teachings, address questions, and engage in practice together.
Live Sessions will be held on the following dates:
In 2024: Nov 6, Nov 20, Dec 18
In 2025: Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 26, Apr 23, May 28, Jun 25, Jul 23, Aug 20, and Sept 17
Here’s What Mira’s Students Have to Say About The Impact of Her Teaching on Their Practice:
“Exploring Jewish texts and practices in a way that feels deeply authentic and open-minded has been hard for me to find. I feel very lucky to have found that with Mira.” – Andrew S.
“Over the course of these sessions, I’ve discovered profound responses to questions I didn’t even know I was asking. This shared time of inquiry has been one of the most exceptional experiences of my life. Walking through texts with Mira is like walking through a forest and seeing the first signs of spring after winter. I will never read Torah (or understand my inner architecture) the same way again.” – David H.
Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu, a warm and gifted teacher of Jewish mindfulness and mysticism, will offer a year of weekly Jewish mindfulness teaching and guided practice rooted in a theme drawn from the weekly Torah portions. This offering is designed to be accessible to all learners – no prior experience with Torah study or mindfulness is required.
Each weekly teaching will be informed by the Me’or Einayim, the Torah commentary of Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl, an 18th-century Hasidic teacher. One of the first students of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Maggid of Mezerich, the Meor Einayim—literally meaning the one who enlightens the eyes—is one of the most powerful lights of Hasidic wisdom. His commentary on the Torah, both accessible and deep, enables us to make sense of our human nature while connecting to the truly enlightened part of us: our da’at, or consciousness.
Rabba Mira will introduce participants to the core concepts of Hasidic and Kabbalistic wisdom, explore how the Me’or Einayim’s insights offer us a meaningful guide for mindfulness in our everyday lives, and will weave each week’s teaching into mindfulness practice throughout the year.
Rabba Mira will also offer monthly live Zoom sessions for practice and Q&A.
In this text stream, every week you will receive:
- A Jewish mindfulness written teaching extracting insights from Hasidic wisdom
- Reflection/journaling questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
- Cheshbon nefesh (“Soul Accounting”): an invitation for personal reflection
- Avodah (“Practice”): simple, accessible suggestions to integrate the weekly teaching into your life through mindfulness practice
- Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings
- Monthly live sessions on Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30 PM ET on Zoom (recorded for those unable to attend live). We will gather as a community of practice to discuss the weekly teachings, address questions, and engage in practice together.
Live Sessions will be held on the following dates:
In 2024: Nov 6, Nov 20, Dec 18
In 2025: Jan 29, Feb 26, Mar 26, Apr 23, May 28, Jun 25, Jul 23, Aug 20, and Sept 17
Here’s What Mira’s Students Have to Say About The Impact of Her Teaching on Their Practice
“Exploring Jewish texts and practices in a way that feels deeply authentic and open-minded has been hard for me to find. I feel very lucky to have found that with Mira.” – Andrew S.
“Over the course of these sessions, I’ve discovered profound responses to questions I didn’t even know I was asking. This shared time of inquiry has been one of the most exceptional experiences of my life. Walking through texts with Mira is like walking through a forest and seeing the first signs of spring after winter. I will never read Torah (or understand my inner architecture) the same way again.” – David H.
For Seasoned Learners
Where the Light Comes Down
Weekly Study and Practice with the Maggid of Kozhnitz
with Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
In his new offering, Where the Light Comes Down: Weekly Study and Practice with the Maggid of Kozhnitz, Rabbi Sam Feinsmith will provide weekly selections on the Torah portion from the Hasidic classic Avodat Yisrael by renowned kabbalist Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein (1737-1814), the Maggid of Kozhnitz.
Recognized as an ilui (a Torah genius) at a young age, Hopstein studied with some of the great luminaries of early Hasidism. He was among the first of the Hasidic teachers to export Hasidism to Poland. Renowned as a great Kabbalist, Hopstein composed many books on Kabbalah and Hasidic spirituality, among them Avodat Yisrael (The Devotional Practice of Israel), a commentary on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays, and Pirkei Avot. In this book Hopstein provides rich insights and concrete pointers for growth in spiritual awareness through dedicated practice.
Each week, Sam features a carefully-selected homily from Rabbi Hopstein’s commentary that includes Jewish mystical teachings that lay a foundation for mindfulness practice. These teachings will support you in deepening your understanding of core Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices to nurture your growth in mindfulness and awareness of God’s loving, luminous presence within and all around you.
As you maintain a regular practice of mindfulness meditation following instructions provided each week, you will develop habits of heart and mind that foster greater balance, well-being, resilience, and connection. Each month, we will gather as a community of practice on Zoom to discuss the weekly teaching, address questions, and engage in practice together.
In this text stream, every week you will receive:
- A carefully-selected piece of commentary on the weekly Torah portion, excerpted from the original Hebrew text
- An annotated English translation of the week’s text along with a summary of key points that pertain to spiritual practice
- Reflection questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
- Detailed instructions for mindfulness practice
- Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings
- Monthly Live Sessions on Mondays from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET on Zoom (recorded for those unable to attend live.) We will gather as a community of practice to discuss the weekly teaching, address questions, and engage in practice together.
Live Sessions will be held on the following dates:
In 2024: Nov 11, Dec 9
In 2025: Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 21, May 12, Jun 9, Jul 14, Aug 11, Sept 8, and Oct 13
This offering is best suited for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice, and it will also provide rich content for those who wish to develop sermons and teachings for their congregations.
By participating in this course of study and practice, you will:
- Grow your knowledge of key Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices
- Grow your mindfulness practice
- Deepen your awareness of God’s loving presence within and all around you
- Cultivate habits of heart and mind that nurture greater balance, well-being, and resilience during difficult times
- Gain access to new materials for developing sermons and teachings for your community
- If studying with a chevruta, develop a deeper sense of spiritual intimacy and kinship as you practice and study together and explore the relevance of the teachings to your spiritual growth
In his new offering, Where the Light Comes Down: Weekly Study and Practice with the Maggid of Kozhnitz, Rabbi Sam Feinsmith will provide weekly selection on the Torah portion from the Hasidic classic Avodat Yisrael by renowned kabbalist Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein (1737-1814), the Maggid of Kozhnitz.
Recognized as an ilui (a Torah genius) at a young age, Hopstein studied with some of the great luminaries of early Hasidism. He was among the first of the Hasidic teachers to export Hasidism to Poland. Renowned as a great Kabbalist, Hopstein composed many books on Kabbalah and Hasidic spirituality, among them Avodat Yisrael (The Devotional Practice of Israel), a commentary on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays, and Pirkei Avot. In this book, Hopstein provides rich insights and concrete pointers for growth in spiritual awareness through dedicated practice.
Each week, Sam features a carefully-selected homily from Rabbi Hopstein’s commentary that includes Jewish mystical teachings that lay a foundation for mindfulness practice. These teachings will support you in deepening your understanding of core Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices to nurture your growth in mindfulness and awareness of God’s loving, luminous presence within and all around you.
As you maintain a regular practice of mindfulness meditation following instructions provided each week, you will develop habits of heart and mind that foster greater balance, well-being, resilience, and connection. Each month, we will gather as a community of practice on Zoom to discuss the weekly teaching, address questions, and engage in practice together.
In this text stream, every week you will receive:
- A carefully-selected piece of commentary on the weekly Torah portion, excerpted from the original Hebrew text
- An annotated English translation of the week’s text along with a summary of key points that pertain to spiritual practice
- Reflection questions designed to support you in discovering authentic connections between the text and your lived experience
- Detailed instructions for mindfulness practice
- Access to an archive of all texts and materials from previous weeks’ teachings
- Monthly Live Sessions on Mondays from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET on Zoom (recorded for those unable to attend live.) We will gather as a community of practice to discuss the weekly teaching, address questions, and engage in practice together.
Live Sessions will be held on the following dates:
In 2024: Nov 11, Dec 9
In 2025: Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 21, May 12, Jun 9, Jul 14, Aug 11, Sept 8, and Oct 13
This offering is best suited for seasoned students of Hasidic text and mindfulness practice, and it will also provide rich content for those who wish to develop sermons and teachings for their congregations.
By participating in this course of study and practice, you will:
- Grow your knowledge of key Hasidic terms, ideas, views, and practices
- Grow your mindfulness practice
- Deepen your awareness of God’s loving presence within and all around you
- Cultivate habits of heart and mind that nurture greater balance, well-being, and resilience during difficult times
- Gain access to new materials for developing sermons and teachings for your community
- If studying with a chevruta, develop a deeper sense of spiritual intimacy and kinship as you practice and study together and explore the relevance of the teachings to your spiritual growth
Course Tuition
IJS is pleased to offer these courses at three tuition levels.
We encourage you to pay at the highest level you can, which will enable more students to participate.
For All Learners:
Open My Eyes
For Seasoned Learners:
Where the Light Comes Down
Meet Your Instructor
Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Niculescu is a Paris-born scholar and teacher of Jewish spirituality and meditation. She earned a Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion at Ecole de Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris (EHESS) and completed orthodox smicha with Rav Dr Daniel Sperber at Beit Midrash Har’El in Jerusalem. A certified Jewish Mindfulness Teacher with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) and a certified Mindfulness Instructor (Mindfulness training institute), Mira is also a certified yoga teacher and an illustrator. She co-founded Neshima, the first Jewish Meditation App project.
As Senior Core Faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Rabbi Sam Feinsmith directs the Clergy Leadership Program and teaches on the faculty of a variety of other programs. He has been immersed in Jewish contemplative living, learning, and teaching for over twenty years, conducting Jewish meditation workshops, programs, and retreats for children, teens, Jewish educators, and spiritual leaders. He’s passionate about practicing and teaching Jewish meditation and making the spiritual teachings of Hasidism available to all. Sam lives with his wife and daughter on the land of the Council of the Three Fires – the Potowatami, Ojibwe, and Odawa tribes – currently known as Evanston, IL.
