Wellsprings
Of Wisdom

Wellsprings of Wisdom is a site for your soul, an island of quiet contemplation in a sea of noisy information. Pause here to refresh your soul, re-enchant your world, and renew your inner life.

Meet The Nature Rabbi

Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan is a student and teacher of Jewish wisdom, who finds her inspiration in nature as well as in ancient texts. She serves as rabbi of Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Rabbi Julie grew up in South Texas, has lived in Israel, and has also  served congregations in Texas, Northern California, and the Hudson Valley of New York.

Rabbi Julie was ordained through the ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Rabbinical Program where she was a student of  the late Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. Rabbi Julie holds a PhD in Hebrew Studies (Rabbinic Literature and Culture) from the University of Texas at Austin and has taught for universities and seminaries. 

Rabbi Julie loves nature photography and took the photos on this home page, as well many others throughout the site as noted. You can see more of her photos and also purchase prints and downloads on her photography site: Inspired Images

Newest Points of Interest

Browse the most recent journey points that have been added to the virtual retreat center.

Lost a few months of posts…

Shalom! Due to a transition in my website management, several of my posts over the holiday season, plus one about recent events in Israel, have disappeared. Sorry for the inconvenience and I plan to update soon!

Be a Lightship – New Post in the Gateway of the Sea

  I just reposted "Be a Lighthouse," an invocation that I gave for Maritime Day in Lewes, Delware this May (the post was lost when my site went off line for a few weeks.)  You can find it right here! Learn more about Jewish lore and lessons of the Sea in the...

Be a Lightship

I'm sharing the Invocation that I offered at Maritime Day 2023 in Lewes, Delaware. The Overfalls is a historic lightship lovingly restored by a large crew of volunteers, that has become a celebrated Delaware landmark. Lightships were like floating lighthouses that...

Back Online!

Wellsprings of Wisdom site has been down for a few weeks due to the presence of malware. Thanks to Shaun Leber (my web designer), it's now cleaned up and back online. However, in the process, the site lost all posts and updates since March. I can't replace them all...

Jewish Environmental News and Spiritual Nature Photography

A new Jewish environmental organization, Adamah (meaning "land" )  has been built from the merger of two great organizations, the Jewish environmental powerhouse Hazon (previously merged with the Isabella Freedman retreat center) with Pearlstone retreat center. The...

Two Bishvat Tribute

  Happy New Year of Trees, Tu Bishvat! The Torah compares a person to a tree! Trees are crucial to our survival and enjoyment of life...

Keeping our Heart Open

In the book of Exodus that we are currently reading in the Torah in synagogues around the world, we grapple with the famous phrase that “The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,” (Exodus 9:12). This creates a moral dilemma; how can we blame Pharaoh if God took away his...

The Avian Rebbe Learns from the Birds

I recently got a great book in the mail, The Avian Rebbe Stretches His Wings. It's the second in a series by bird photographer and Torah teacher/student, Aaric Eisenstein. known as the Avaian Rebbe for finding wisdom in the beauty of our feathered friends. The Talmud...

Tikkun HaYam / Repair the Sea

Tikkun Hayam, Repair the Sea is a Jewish organization that I support, whose mission is "to share the spiritual wonders of water and the Sea from a Jewish perspective, and to raise awareness and encourage action to address the many threats facing the aquatic...

For the Times: A song for Yom Kippur

My friends, singing duo "The Levins" (pronounced Le-VINS) just wrote a beautiful and heartfelt song in the spirit of Yom Kippur and seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. And they asked to use my videos made here at the Delaware beaches. I hope you find this...