Institute for Jewish Spirituality Meditation Teacher Training

What this program is

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality, known as IJS, is the leading Jewish contemplative organization in North America. Founded in 1999 by Rabbi Rachel Cowan, Sheila Pelz Weinberg, and Nan Fink Gefen, IJS sits at the intersection of traditional Jewish practice, contemporary contemplative life, and the wider interfaith mindfulness movement. The Meditation Teacher Training is its two-year flagship credential program for rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders who want to teach Jewish meditation rooted in the lineage's particular synthesis of sources. IJS draws on three streams. The first is classical Jewish contemplative practice from Hasidic, Mussar, and Kabbalistic sources, including practices of hitbonenut (contemplative reflection), bittul ha-yesh (self-nullification), and the meditative reading of Hebrew prayer. The second is the Insight tradition of Buddhist mindfulness, which IJS founders engaged through teachers like Sylvia Boorstein and the Insight Meditation Society in the 1990s and which informs much of the organization's silent retreat practice. The third is contemporary Jewish theology and ethics, particularly as developed by IJS faculty including Rabbi Lisa Goldstein and the wider IJS teaching body. The Meditation Teacher Training pathway combines online study, monthly cohort sessions, three to four annual silent retreats, mentorship with senior IJS teachers, and supervised teaching during the second year. Cohorts are roughly twenty-five to thirty-five participants, drawn from across Jewish denominations including Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Renewal, and Modern Orthodox. Some non-Jewish practitioners enroll, though the curriculum assumes substantial engagement with Jewish text and liturgy. Tuition runs roughly USD 4,500 to 6,000 across the two years, with substantial scholarship support available particularly for clergy and educators in synagogue settings. The credential issued is IJS Certified Jewish Meditation Teacher, recognized within Jewish denominational structures and within the wider contemplative field. Many graduates teach in synagogue settings, lead retreats, integrate meditation into Hebrew school and adult education, or serve as senior contemplative leaders within their congregations.

Curriculum and topics

Coursework spans Jewish contemplative sources, meditation practice, teaching methodology, and integration with Jewish life. Sources cover Hasidic teachers including the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid of Mezritch, Reb Nachman of Breslov, and Reb Aryeh Kaplan, whose Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide remains a key contemporary text. Mussar practice from the Eastern European ethical-contemplative tradition is integrated, as is study of Kabbalistic sources from the Zohar and the writings of Isaac Luria. Practice instruction covers silent meditation in the Insight-influenced IJS form, hitbonenut on Hebrew prayer and Torah, bittul ha-yesh contemplation, and chant practice. Teaching methodology covers leading group sittings, integrating meditation with prayer services, working with adult Jewish education contexts, and adapting for the various Jewish denominational settings practitioners come from. Required readings include Kaplan's writing, Sylvia Boorstein's books on Jewish-Buddhist practice, and selected IJS faculty publications.

How it's taught

The program runs as a hybrid two-year cohort. Monthly online cohort meetings combine teaching, practice, and small-group discussion. Three to four annual silent retreats are required, typically held at retreat centers in the northeast US. Mentorship with senior IJS teachers continues throughout, and second-year participants engage in supervised teaching practice with feedback from mentors. Cohort sizes are kept manageable for individual mentorship. Faculty include senior IJS teachers, with regular guest contributions from leading Jewish contemplative voices and from the wider Insight tradition. Final certification depends on retreat attendance, mentor review, demonstrated teaching competence, and a culminating integration project.

Who this program is for

Outcomes

Graduates earn the IJS Certified Jewish Meditation Teacher credential. They teach in synagogue settings, lead Jewish meditation retreats, integrate contemplative practice into Hebrew school, day school, and adult education, and serve as senior contemplative leaders within their congregations. The credential is recognized within Jewish denominational structures across Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Renewal, and Modern Orthodox settings, and within the wider contemplative field. Many graduates continue with IJS as faculty for shorter programs, lead silent retreats independently, or integrate the credential with their existing rabbinic or educator role.

Prerequisites

Applicants need a sustained personal meditation practice, typically at least two years of regular sitting plus retreat experience, and substantial engagement with Jewish life. Most applicants are clergy, educators, or lay leaders with established roles in Jewish communities. Application includes essays, references, and an interview. Some prior contemplative training, whether Jewish or from the wider Insight or MBSR traditions, is helpful but not required.

How this compares

IJS sits as the leading credential program in Jewish meditation teacher training in North America. Smaller programs exist within specific denominations and through individual senior teachers including Sylvia Boorstein, Reb Mimi Feigelson, and others, but no other Jewish program offers a comparable two-year denominationally-ecumenical structured pathway. For practitioners seeking a credential that bridges Jewish contemplative sources and contemporary mindfulness practice, IJS is the field standard. Practitioners drawn primarily to the Insight or MBSR fields without strong Jewish engagement often find those programs a better fit; IJS assumes Jewish life is the home context.

Frequently asked questions