EJWN November Community Gathering
Kislev כִּסְלֵו: Supporting our Tender Hearts
Guided by Julie Emden, Aliza Rothman and Ilene Serlin
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023
4pm PST | 7pm EST
As we enter the month of Kislev, we come together in community to practice, gather our resources, inspire, and be inspired. Our session will be guided and held by Julie Emden, Aliza Rothman and Ilene Serlin.
The Hebrew word, כִּסְלֵו, hints to two Hebrew words: כִּיס (pocket) and לֵב (heart). As we hold our tender hearts close, in our pockets, we will engage in gentle and grounding yoga, open floor dance, and community conversation about our use of embodiment as a source of support to our hearts at this time.
We will share: What is needed right now by our students/communities? How do we hold space for grounding and uplifting simultaneously? What kinds of Jewish embodiment practices are we finding to be most helpful as a resource for ourselves and for our greater world in these times?
Please bring a yoga mat, blanket and other props (strap and blocks) if you have them. Clear a space for movement on the floor, and bring a journal, art materials, water and dress for freedom to move.
Julie Emden, E-RYT-500, Halprin Practitioner, infuses her work with exploration, spirit and joy. She is passionate about awakening the body as a gateway to deep inner knowing and guides others in somatic explorations of Jewish wisdom teachings as a resource for living in balance and wholeness. A graduate of five fellowship and teaching certification programs related to her work as a Jewish educator, Iyengar-based yoga instructor and movement/expressive artist, Julie has over two decades of experience guiding others in exploring Jewish wisdom, text and practices via the body in a variety of settings. Julie offers classes, workshops, on-line learning, retreats, teacher trainings, individual coaching, and strategic consultation and guidance for Jewish Wellness Initiatives throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Aliza Joy Rothman is an Open Floor movement teacher and has a master's degree in counseling psychology & expressive arts therapy. She is passionate about exploring & embodying the Hebrew calendar through movement and dance. Aliza leads classes, groups and works with people individually.
Ilene A. Serlin, Ph.D, BC-DMT, psychologist and registered dance/movement therapist San Francisco and Marin, teaching and training US and internationally. Past president San Francisco Psychological Association, Fellow of American Psychological Association, past president of Division of Humanistic Psychology. Phi Beta Kappa, Associated Distinguished Professor of Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, taught Saybrook University, Lesley University, UCLA, NY Gestalt Institute C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich. Editor of Whole Person Healthcare (2007, 3 vol., Praeger), Integrative Care for the Traumatized (2019), over 100 chapters and articles on body, art and psychotherapy, editorial boards of PsycCritiques, American Dance Therapy Journal, International Journal: Creative Arts Education and Therapy, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Arts & Health: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, Journal of Applied Arts and Health, and The Humanistic Psychologist. 2019 received Rollo May award from APA’s Society for Humanistic Studies, and California Psychological Association Distinguished Humanitarian Contribution award.
EJW Community Gatherings are offered monthly as part of the Embodied Jewish Wisdom Network. Become a member to attend these events live, or to view after, and connect with our growing community!
We gather once a month as close to Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon) as possible. Each month, different members of our collective guide us in creative, connective Jewish movement & embodied text study experiences. Embodiment modalities include Alexander Technique, Authentic Movement, Body-Mind Centering, Chanting, Dance, Embodied Mindfulness, Qi Gong, Yoga and more! Recordings are made available within one week of each event.