יְהַלְלוּ שְׁמוֹ בְמָחוֹל; בְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר, יְזַמְּרוּ-לוֹ 
 Praise God with timbrel and dance; praise God with lute and pipe.

 Dance and movement has been a part of Jewish tradition for thousands of years. Since the biblical times until today, dance and movement has been used in sacred settings--during prayer, life cycle events, and holidays. Through dance and movement we can praise God, we can connect with our ancestors, and we can bring greater focus to our prayers.

I hope to give to the Jewish people and the communities I serve by utilizing practices that fully integrate the mind, body, and spirit. Whether it is Jewish yoga classes, incorporating gestures into prayer or rituals like Havdalah, which activate all our senses. With this integration, it is my hope that we can connect to living Judaism, to the people within our communities, to ourselves, and to God more fully.       

We live in a time in which we are constantly bombarded with information, and because of this it is often so hard to be present. Our bodies are the only thing that are in the present; our mind wonders from the past to the future. This wandering can be helpful as it allows us to connect to our past and be inspired to move forward into our future. It also can get in our way leading to anxiety, rash judgments, and the inability to be grateful for what is right in front of us. Connecting to our bodies connects us to be in the present and allows us to be present to pray, and be grateful.

Yoga Minyan and Havdalah at Congregation Gates of Heaven, Schenectady, NY