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Let’s Be Still: Exploring Jewish Meditation

01/02/2025 11:48:41 AM

Jan2

By Cantor Jacob Niemi

The words of “Let’s Be Still,” a song by Jonathan Russell et al. that I sang after Rabbi Prosnit’s sermon on Yom Kippur morning, speak to a truth of the modern world that many of us may experience. Immersed in the demands of our day-to-day lives, it can be easy to get caught up in the external (tasks to accomplish, expectations to be met), and to neglect the truth of our inner life, moment to moment.

Thankfully, there are many ways to engage with inner work and to cultivate awareness and intention. Modern developments in therapy and understanding of the human psyche, coupled with a lessening of the stigma around mental health care, have increased opportunities for many to receive beneficial clinical care. And prayer and meditation, whether done individually or in community, continues to be a powerful tool for inner work and spiritual growth.

I recently concluded a program with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), a program intended to provide Jewish clergy with immersive training in Jewish spiritual practices grounded in mindfulness, ultimately to promote personal and professional growth. Through this program I found many different kinds of doorways opening. I had tried meditation before, using a variety of apps and online resources, but I always found it difficult to sustain such practices for long. One of many things I found transformative about my learning at IJS was beginning to more fully integrate my Jewish identity with my personal, inner work. 

As someone deeply immersed in religious Jewish life, I have always found great meaning and connection in our rituals, liturgy, and other sacred texts. And while I knew of areas of Jewish tradition that involved meditation, such as kabbalah and other forms of mysticism, I didn’t realize the extent to which such inner work has always been available as a way to live Jewishly and the immense variety of approaches one can access today. 

As I continue to cultivate my own understanding and practice, I am excited to share my developing experience with the community, and perhaps help others open doorways to integrating spiritual and religious identity with personal, inner work. 

Beginning on Thursday, January 23, I will be offering a six-session introduction to Jewish meditation. The course will provide a low-barrier entry for anyone curious about what it might be like to meditate Jewishly. 
Regardless of your level of experience, I invite you to explore with me how our Jewish sacred texts and traditions can inform our personal inner work and build the foundation for sustainable spiritual practice. 

Register for the course at tbemadison.org/event/introjewishmeditation. 

To learn more, explore this useful Q&A about Jewish meditation and the phenomenal resources of IJS.

January 16, 2025 16 Tevet 5785