Options for shabbaton program

Shalom,

Thank you for offering to invite me to teach in your community.
Below is a proposed outline for a Shabbaton. This is a draft to give you an idea of my areas of expertise.
This sampling is based on themes that I find most inspiring and which many past participants have found relevant to their lives. I am open to creating a program tailored to the interests and needs of your community or chavura.
If I am in your area I can come for an evening presentation/class on one of these topics.

Thursday night
Two options for a class:
1-Preparing for Shabbat: Chasidic stories, teachings and practices to prepare for Shabbat.
2- Mikveh as a psycho-spiritual tool for all genders to mark transitions


Friday afternoon
Mikveh practice in a natural body of water if available -Immersion separated by gender

Friday night
• Musical Kabbalat Shabbat (Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach tunes mixed with new tunes from Nava Tehila- the Jewish Renewal community in Jerusalem) followed by Ma’ariv
• Community potluck

Shabbat morning-
Shacharit
I can give an extended Dvar torah (45 minutes) during Shacharit or teach a class in the morning combined with text study on one of these topics:
• Teshuvah during the month of Elul- realigning our lives with our values - the Jewish way.
• Brit Milah - defending and renewing Jewish tradition.
• Chassidic teachings of the Baal Shem Tov for the spiritual seeker.
• Healing the Israeli-Palestinian rift: a sophisticated and compassionate re-telling of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• Tsedakah- A halachic and spiritual study of giving money.
Potluck lunch

Seudah shlishit options:
• Short version-Chasidic teachings on the weekly Parsha
• A specific topic, including chavruta text study followed by a facilitated discussion (1 hour)
• Niggunim session (wordless tunes. For this time I chose special ones that convey longing)
 Seudah shlishit (light third meal) leading to Havdala
• Long version- Ner Tamid- Neo-Chasidic contemplatives exercise including text study and practice (2-2.5 hours). This practice introduces participants to the basic tenants of mystical Judaism that G-d contains all existence and fills all existence and nothing exists but G-d. We will learn sections from the Zohar and Tanya in English translation. We will practice together a contemplative method that assists participants to embody these teachings

Sunday morning
Optional class on one of the aforementioned before

Logistics:
This shabbaton will be an opportunity for your chavura or synagogue to share a full Shabbat experience.
I will come for as little as 15 people and suggest you limit the group to 45.
The fee structure should encourage participation in the whole Shabbaton.
However, Thursday night can be a stand-alone class that allows people to decide whether they want to join the Shabbaton.

Hospitality:
I do not travel by car on Shabbat. I would need a place to stay on Friday night that is within walking distance from the location of the Shabbaton.
My kashrut standard while traveling is kosher ingredients.

Other preparation that will enhance the experience of Shabbat:
Encourage people to wear bright colors on Friday night and preferably for the full duration of Shabbat

What I outlined above is a draft. Other options are:
- One evening event
- A full week of evening classes that will culminate in a Shabbaton.

I am excited about the possibility of meeting people in your community and sharing Torah.
Please contact me to discuss the possibilities.

Warm Blessings
Nachshon Da-vid Mahanymi M.Ed.,
Rabbinical student of Aleph