The Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) was created in 2000 specifically to meet this need: to respond to American Jews’ yearning for Jewish communities of greater spiritual depth. While “spirituality” often is a buzzword open to many different interpretations, IJS understands this term in practical, concrete terms. For us, spirituality involves nurturing the human capacity to develop one’s personal understanding of God; to seek out truth and purpose; to discover meaning in personal and communal prayer; to develop relationship with one’s deepest and most authentic self and with others; to find strength and hope and maintain balance in the face of challenges; and to experience deeper joy at times of simcha.

By nourishing the inner lives of rabbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and Jews of all denominations, IJS programs answer a yearning among so many Jews to share, in an engaged and committed community, religious practice that weaves together their love of Judaism with their deepest search for meaning. This approach is already transforming many American synagogues into communities of engaged Jewish spiritual practice.

By developing, refining and transmitting a contemplative form of Judaism which integrates rigorous text study, prayer, meditation, yoga and spiritual direction, IJS enables Jewish professionals and lay people to actively cultivate their spiritual lives and to transform their congregations to sustain that spirituality. This approach provides a powerful avenue for transforming the religious lives of leaders and their synagogues — enabling them to be more creative, more present, more mindful and energized in their day-to-day work.

Our mission recognizes the vital importance not only of individual transformation, but also of transformation of synagogue life. IJS strengthens, sustains and inspires clergy and lay leaders to make synagogues more inviting to Jews seriously searching for deeper meaning in Judaism.