Rabbi Leah To Be Honored At SHE Third Biannual Embodied Judaism Exhibit & Symposium in Boulder Colorado
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Rabbi Leah with Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Boulder, Colorado.
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Rabbi Leah with Maggid Charna Rosenholtz Boulder, Colorado.
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Rabbi Leah is being honored at the University of Colorado/Boulder on November 2nd as part of a symposium and exhibit on the Divine Feminine. The exhibit is entitle "SHE" and draws on Rabbi Leah's work over the last few decades illuminating the important Shekhinah in Jewish tradition.
Art Credit: Yoram Raanan Jewish Art (see link to website below)
WHAT IS KABBALAH ?
Kabbalah is a Jewish spiritual philosophy which illuminates the nature of God, the creation of the world, the descent of the soul, and the purpose of life on this earth and beyond.
Grounded in traditional Jewish religious practice (belief in the sacredness of the Torah and the observance of the 613 “mitzvoth” or instructions) the seminal literature of this mystical system first appeared in scholarly Medieval Jewish circles.
The Zohar or Book of Brilliance appeared around the end of the 13th century and was offered as a compilation of ancient esoteric wisdom. Much of the material was presented in parables and legends that provide unique and profound interpretations of the Old Testament.
The development of the system of Sephirot (energy emanations of the Divine arranged on a Cosmic Tree of Life) followed, with implications for use by adepts in prayer, devotion, spiritual evolution and planetary healing.
The 16th and 17th century Kabbalists of S’fat in Northern Israel, and the miracle working Rabbis of 18th and 19th century Eastern Europe, added new dimensions to the study, teaching and application of Kabbalah to both personal and community life.
Many translations and further commentaries on the Zohar abound, but all shared the original focus on a dynamic universe in which the polarities of Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine must be brought into balance for the good of all sentient beings.
This very complex system has a truly simple goal; to teach us that human beings hold the imprint of the Divine and have within them the faculties and capacity to bring down the flow of light energy into this physical dimension.
Humans, created in God’s image, are thus endowed with the ability to serve as the bridge between heaven and earth and are therefore capable of impacting on the direction of the universe towards an enlightened future.
Numerous contemporary books on Kabbalah are now available in modern languages, to guide us through this energy system which contains profound psychological and spiritual insights. Growth centers that specialize in Jewish mysticism and courses in a variety of settings add to our capacity to access the system for personal growth and healing.
Kabbalah is a Jewish spiritual philosophy which illuminates the nature of God, the creation of the world, the descent of the soul, and the purpose of life on this earth and beyond.
Grounded in traditional Jewish religious practice (belief in the sacredness of the Torah and the observance of the 613 “mitzvoth” or instructions) the seminal literature of this mystical system first appeared in scholarly Medieval Jewish circles.
The Zohar or Book of Brilliance appeared around the end of the 13th century and was offered as a compilation of ancient esoteric wisdom. Much of the material was presented in parables and legends that provide unique and profound interpretations of the Old Testament.
The development of the system of Sephirot (energy emanations of the Divine arranged on a Cosmic Tree of Life) followed, with implications for use by adepts in prayer, devotion, spiritual evolution and planetary healing.
The 16th and 17th century Kabbalists of S’fat in Northern Israel, and the miracle working Rabbis of 18th and 19th century Eastern Europe, added new dimensions to the study, teaching and application of Kabbalah to both personal and community life.
Many translations and further commentaries on the Zohar abound, but all shared the original focus on a dynamic universe in which the polarities of Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine must be brought into balance for the good of all sentient beings.
This very complex system has a truly simple goal; to teach us that human beings hold the imprint of the Divine and have within them the faculties and capacity to bring down the flow of light energy into this physical dimension.
Humans, created in God’s image, are thus endowed with the ability to serve as the bridge between heaven and earth and are therefore capable of impacting on the direction of the universe towards an enlightened future.
Numerous contemporary books on Kabbalah are now available in modern languages, to guide us through this energy system which contains profound psychological and spiritual insights. Growth centers that specialize in Jewish mysticism and courses in a variety of settings add to our capacity to access the system for personal growth and healing.
Recent photo of Rabbi Leah by Sofanya White
WHO IS RABBI LEAH NOVICK?
Rabbi Léah Novick is a spiritual teacher whose teaching and research has been focused on the Divine Feminine, referred to as "Shekhinah" in Judaism, for the last two decades. She draws on traditional knowledge, combining it with guided visualization and meditation in her workshops and ceremonies.
She has also written biographies of Jewish women saints, which have been integrated into a theatre piece performed with her advanced students.
Rabbi Léah was ordained in 1987. Since that time she has provided rabbinical leadership to both alternative and conventional Jewish groups in California including “Beit Shekhinah” in Berkeley, Temple Beth El in Salinas, “Shabbos in Carmel”, and "Kavanat ha Lev" in the Monterey, California area. She is also a founder of Ruach Ha Aretz, an Aleph Alliance Jewish spiritual retreat group.
Léah is featured in the International Hadassah calendar of "Women Rabbis around the World." She has also been honored with the title “Pathfinder” by the Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal for her pioneering work in bringing the feminine into contemporary Jewish liturgy and rituals. Prior to her re-immersion in Jewish spirituality she had a long and distinguished career in Public Policy and Academia. During the 1980’s she taught at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Public Policy. In the late 70’s after serving as Coordinator of the International Women’s Year Commission, she was appointed ASSU guest professor at Stanford University.
Léah moved to California in 1980 after ending a long marriage blessed with three grown children and five fabulous grand-children (and now 7 great grandchildren in Israel). Charmed by the West Coast (after several years in New York and Washington D.C.), she now resides in Carmel on the beautiful California central coast. She draws inspiration from the power of the natural environment and continues to travel and work for harmony, understanding, and peace between all people.
Rabbi Léah Novick is a spiritual teacher whose teaching and research has been focused on the Divine Feminine, referred to as "Shekhinah" in Judaism, for the last two decades. She draws on traditional knowledge, combining it with guided visualization and meditation in her workshops and ceremonies.
She has also written biographies of Jewish women saints, which have been integrated into a theatre piece performed with her advanced students.
Rabbi Léah was ordained in 1987. Since that time she has provided rabbinical leadership to both alternative and conventional Jewish groups in California including “Beit Shekhinah” in Berkeley, Temple Beth El in Salinas, “Shabbos in Carmel”, and "Kavanat ha Lev" in the Monterey, California area. She is also a founder of Ruach Ha Aretz, an Aleph Alliance Jewish spiritual retreat group.
Léah is featured in the International Hadassah calendar of "Women Rabbis around the World." She has also been honored with the title “Pathfinder” by the Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal for her pioneering work in bringing the feminine into contemporary Jewish liturgy and rituals. Prior to her re-immersion in Jewish spirituality she had a long and distinguished career in Public Policy and Academia. During the 1980’s she taught at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Public Policy. In the late 70’s after serving as Coordinator of the International Women’s Year Commission, she was appointed ASSU guest professor at Stanford University.
Léah moved to California in 1980 after ending a long marriage blessed with three grown children and five fabulous grand-children (and now 7 great grandchildren in Israel). Charmed by the West Coast (after several years in New York and Washington D.C.), she now resides in Carmel on the beautiful California central coast. She draws inspiration from the power of the natural environment and continues to travel and work for harmony, understanding, and peace between all people.
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Read more about Rabbi Leah's work on the Divine Feminine and her book/CD.
Watch Rabbi Leah on YouTube with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (to the left) "Shekhinah: Theology of the Future." Video is by Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, "Ruach Hamidbar" of Scottsdale Arizona. |
Photo by Marva Hoffman - Garden in S'fat Israel. Tallit by Ruti Hafsadi
Under The Wings Of Shekhinah
Rabbi Leah was a pioneer in the movement to restore the Divine Feminine / Shekhinah to contemporary Jewish liturgy and practice. That focus coincided with successful efforts (in the 1970/s and 80's) for the ordination of women as Rabbi and Cantors in mainstream American Judaism, where acceptance has now become more widespread. Here is the poem which tells the whole Shekhinah story
SHEKHINAH by Rabbi Leah Novick
To our desert ancestors, she was the Divine Presence
who they carried in the Sacred Ark
the clouds of glory that guided them
and the Manna that nourished them
To the Talmudic sages, she was the Divine Presence
who dwelled in the holy temple in Jerusalem
the Spirit that surrounds us when we pursue justice
and leaves when there is pollution and violence.
To the Medieval Pietists, she was the Divine Presence
who sat at the celestial Throne of Glory
receiving our prayers
and radiating back the light to all beings.
To the authors of the Zohar, she was the Divine Presence
moving through the Tree of Life as Binah, great Ocean Mother
Gevurah the Destroyer, Hod the Glory
and Malchuth the Earth
To the S’f at Kabbalists, she was the Divine Presence
as “Pardes” holy apple orchard and Shabbos Queen
whose re-unification with the Divine King
was the goal of all prayers and ritual actions
To the Hasidic Masters, she was the Divine Presence
who shone on the faces of righteous women and men
Mother of the soul’s breath
her return to earth was the goal of their prayers
To our diaspora Fore mothers, she was the Divine Presence
as the Compassionate Source
the one they called out to in childbirth, illness and death
and celebrated on the New Moon
An to us contemporary seekers, she is the Divine Presence
in the voices of women, representing the Shekhinah re-awakening
who is calling to us from the earth...
save the planet, stop the nuclear madness, clear the air,
heal the sick, respect the elders, care for the children
and to Her, we respond- we are ready to create a dwelling place for the divine
here on earth
to Her we answer in music and meditation, in politics and poetry, in dance and drama
to Her we respond:“Hineynu” yes, we are here!
This poem was first published in Gnosis Magazine and has been reprinted in a variety of other publications and prayer books
Rabbi Leah was a pioneer in the movement to restore the Divine Feminine / Shekhinah to contemporary Jewish liturgy and practice. That focus coincided with successful efforts (in the 1970/s and 80's) for the ordination of women as Rabbi and Cantors in mainstream American Judaism, where acceptance has now become more widespread. Here is the poem which tells the whole Shekhinah story
SHEKHINAH by Rabbi Leah Novick
To our desert ancestors, she was the Divine Presence
who they carried in the Sacred Ark
the clouds of glory that guided them
and the Manna that nourished them
To the Talmudic sages, she was the Divine Presence
who dwelled in the holy temple in Jerusalem
the Spirit that surrounds us when we pursue justice
and leaves when there is pollution and violence.
To the Medieval Pietists, she was the Divine Presence
who sat at the celestial Throne of Glory
receiving our prayers
and radiating back the light to all beings.
To the authors of the Zohar, she was the Divine Presence
moving through the Tree of Life as Binah, great Ocean Mother
Gevurah the Destroyer, Hod the Glory
and Malchuth the Earth
To the S’f at Kabbalists, she was the Divine Presence
as “Pardes” holy apple orchard and Shabbos Queen
whose re-unification with the Divine King
was the goal of all prayers and ritual actions
To the Hasidic Masters, she was the Divine Presence
who shone on the faces of righteous women and men
Mother of the soul’s breath
her return to earth was the goal of their prayers
To our diaspora Fore mothers, she was the Divine Presence
as the Compassionate Source
the one they called out to in childbirth, illness and death
and celebrated on the New Moon
An to us contemporary seekers, she is the Divine Presence
in the voices of women, representing the Shekhinah re-awakening
who is calling to us from the earth...
save the planet, stop the nuclear madness, clear the air,
heal the sick, respect the elders, care for the children
and to Her, we respond- we are ready to create a dwelling place for the divine
here on earth
to Her we answer in music and meditation, in politics and poetry, in dance and drama
to Her we respond:“Hineynu” yes, we are here!
This poem was first published in Gnosis Magazine and has been reprinted in a variety of other publications and prayer books
Read more about Rabbi Leah's life on her extended biography.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RABBI LEAH'S SPIRITUAL COUNSELING OR TO SCHEDULE A LIFECYCLE RITUAL, CLICK HERE
Banner Photo by Sharon Garber / Cameo Productions
"Sinai Tallit" by Sandy Pond (Worn by Rabbi Leah in Banner on this page)
Cherubim Art by Yoram Raanan Jewish Art
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RABBI LEAH'S SPIRITUAL COUNSELING OR TO SCHEDULE A LIFECYCLE RITUAL, CLICK HERE
Banner Photo by Sharon Garber / Cameo Productions
"Sinai Tallit" by Sandy Pond (Worn by Rabbi Leah in Banner on this page)
Cherubim Art by Yoram Raanan Jewish Art
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