Or HaLev Center for Jewish Spirituality

PTBE welcomes you to Or HaLev, the Center for Jewish Spirituality at Peninsula Temple Beth El.

For the last four years, PTBE has held weekly Jewish meditation sits in our Meditation Room located behind the bimah. With the opening of our new center, we have added innovative classes in Jewish spirituality, including Kabbalah, creative arts, meditation techniques, and much more. Or HaLev also offers meditation retreats where one can experience for the first time or continue the deepening in their existing spiritual practice. The Or HaLev teaching staff includes Bobbi Bornstein, Rabbi Phil Cohen, Wendie Bernstein Lash, and Laurie Williams.

Or HaLev means light of the heart and is a place for Jews to experience the benefits of meditation and spirituality in community. "We are so excited about the expansion of Or HaLev," said Florence Marchick. "We believe there are many Jews like ourselves who want to explore their Jewish spirituality. With the combination of our fabulous Or HaLev teachers and our staff and community at PTBE, we will create something magical for everyone on the Peninsula."

Jewish meditation is a 2,000-year-old tradition that is now being revitalized and brought back into mainstream Judaism in response to liberal Jews seeking spirituality in their everyday lives. For those new to meditation, Or HaLev will offer a free one-on-one thirty-minute session with one of our teachers. In these private sessions, you will be familiarized with the basics of Jewish meditation and be able to ask questions.

We hope you will come experience some of our ongoing and upcoming events with us.

Upcoming Events

Meet Our Faculty

Rabbi Phil Cohen is a member of Vaad HaRabanim and a graduate of the Chochmat HaLev meditation teacher's certification program. Passionate about leveraging the Internet for Jewish learning, Phil is also on the faculty of virtualyeshiva.com where he teaches Chasiddus and Jewish Meditation.

Wendie Bernstein Lash, M.S. is Sh'lichat Tzibor (service leader) of a contemplative chanting service at Congregation Etz Chayim in Palo Alto, Co-director of Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction, and teaches on Jewish spirituality. Wendie trained in Jewish meditation at Chochmat Halev and in Jewish spiritual direction at Morei Derekh. Wendie's CD of Hebrew chants and niggunim, blessing, and meditation CDS are available at her website www.wendielash.com.

Laurie Williams leads workshops, retreats and sitting groups throughout the Bay Area. Her long-standing practice incorporates the use of music, art and sacred chant to shift hearts and open minds. Laurie holds a B.A. in Communications and is a graduate of Chochmat Halev's teaching program in Kabbalistic meditation and practice.

Bobbi Bornstein, Morah L'Hitbodedut (Teacher of Jewish Meditation) is a graduate of Chochmat Halev's teacher training program. She has been teaching and facilitating sitting groups in Jewish Meditation and Spirituality throughout the Bay Area for the past seven years. Bobbi is also a Reiki Master and Hypnotherapist in private practice.