Nature Rabbi Blog Archives | Page 3 of 7

Welcome to the Wellsprings Redesign – New Things Coming

Swan Lake with Wildflowers, Julie Danan

Shalom, everyone! I haven’t posted since Passover. . . has anything happened?

Seriously, over the past few months, as we have all–the whole human world–been dealing with the many challenges of the COVID Pandemic, Wellsprings of Wisdom has been going through a full redesign and re-imagining. Thank you to our designer and web-mayven Shaughn Barholle. I hope that you enjoy the beautiful new look of the site.

Each Gateway (i.e. themed page such as “Light” or “Trees”) now has a scroll-through catalog of posts at the bottom of the page. The posts still link to the next one if you want to go in the order that I planned for that theme. Or you can just pick and choose what interests you!

Swallowtail Butterfly, Julie Danan

I started Wellsprings of Wisdom as a virtual retreat center, an alternative to the noisy and sometimes negative content on the internet. Here you can explore the wisdom of nature and the nature of ancient Jewish wisdom. At first, I used a lot of photos from other people. Over the past few years I have taken up nature photography as a passionate hobby. I went from a cell phone camera to a simple fixed-lens camera, to my first mirrorless camera with three lenses, and most recently have gotten a 100-400mm lens for wildlife and bird photography. So more and more of the photography on the sight is now my own, including the home page (For other people’s photos, I always credit the sources in the posts and use with proper permissions). One of my goals is to create inspirational materials with my nature photography and to offer them through this site.

I post daily nature photos–and some inspirational messages–as @Wellsprings on Instagram, and mirror much of that content on Wellsprings of Wisdom on Facebook. Your follows and friendship will be appreciated on either platform.

Also over the past few years, I have pretty much stayed quietly in the background of this site, as “your guide.” Going forward, that role will remain, but I will also be adding more of my own ideas and more about me as a rabbi and teacher. That’s because until now my primary job for three decades has been congregational leader (20 of those years as an ordained rabbi), and this was my personal creative, “fun” project on the side.

However, I found out this spring that, due to the recession and economic changes, my current pulpit in Westchester, New York, will continue only until Summer 2021. God willing, at that point I hope to embark on a new phase as an independent rabbi, writer, teacher, and photographer. So over this coming year, God willing, I hope to put in more about me and what i have to offer the world from my own Wellsprings of creativity: including teaching, life-cycle leading, writings, and inspirational materials made with my photos. Behind the scenes, I have also been working on self-publishing my late mother’s spiritual memoir and writing my own spiritual memoir (which of course, involves a lot about Nature).

So as we enter the New Year, I’m still busy as a congregational rabbi leading lots of services–albeit mostly on Zoom–but I will also be adding to this site. Contact me if you have ideas such as materials you would like from Wellsprings, or online courses you would like to see. I appreciate your support of Wellsprings of Wisdom over the Years, and hope to keep teaching and connecting, on line, and hopefully soon in person again.

Featured Image: Swan Lake with a crown of wildflowers, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Summer, 2020, Julie Danan

Visit the HOME PAGE to check out the new experience!

P.S. If you are reading this page in the “What’s New” Column and want to comment, click here (or click on the title) and it will take you to this individual post where you can do so.

Some Meditations for a Stressful Time

I’m posting this a few days before Passover, in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Let me take this moment to send blessings of health and safety to each and every one of you! As a rabbi, I’ve been busy getting my synagogue online and supporting my community, but I wanted to share some resources with all my Wellsprings readers, too! Here are some Wellsprings of Wisdom Posts that may be helpful right now: Some calming guided meditations: A simple Breathing Meditation AND also a more involved but every effectve: Calming Ocean Breath And here is a recent post from my @Wellsprings account on Instagram, describing two more breathing meditations that are proving very helpful to me: Simple and Spiritual Breathing Meditations

View this post on Instagram

Postcard from summer! ???? If you feel stressed, try this: breathe in for a count of four, hold for seven, breathe out through your mouth for eight. Repeat until calmer. (Based on @drweil ) ????????If you are the more spiritual type, join with the Shechinah/divine presence, breathing in the suffering and sadness all ground us, holding it briefly in the divine eternal love/ahavat olam of your inner temple, then breathe out light, healing and wholeness/ Shalom to all, together with Ruach HaKodesh/the Holy Spirit. Repeat until your world feels calmer.

A post shared by Julie Danan (@wellsprings) on Mar 30, 2020 at 8:22am PDT

Finally, as you celebrate Passover, enjoy these Wellsprings of Wisdom posts with Inspiration from Nature for Passover. As you can see, this entire site has a brand new look, thanks to talented web designer Sean Leber-Fennessy. (Still working on a few of the technicalities but really excited about it!) I hope that this virtual retreat center will be an oasis of calm away from the news and social media, and God willing I hope to add to it for your benefit. Be well and may this Passover bring hope and redemption to our world! Featured Image: Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden, Julie Danan

Happy Tu Bishvat

Tu Bishvat, the New Year of Trees, is always a happy time for tree-loving @wellsprings! Tu Bishvat this year begins Sunday evening, Februrary 9, into Monday, February 10, 2020. I’ve redone the post on Tu Bishvat and you can find it here, with lots of (mostly) free resources linked at the bottom of the post. And as always, you can learn more about trees–physical and spiritual–in the Gateway of Trees. I have recently added a mystical meditation on the Tree of Life energy centers in our bodies, and also updated the pathway post on the mitzvah of planting trees, to include a link to a great new initiative for Senegal.

New Meditation Recording

In honor of Rosh Hodesh Shevat, the Hebrew month in which we will celebrate the “New Year of the Tree,” I have added a special meditation based on the way that I learned it from my teacher, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (Reb Zalman), of blessed memory. The meditation takes us through the Sephirot, or divine energy centers, in the “tree of life” within our own bodies. An accompanying chart was generously shared by my colleague and friend, Rabbi David Zaslow.

Saunter Into 2020

Wellsprings of Wisdom’s last update was at the Jewish New Year. Now on January 1, 2020, I’ve added a new post to the growing Gateway of Holy Land. This Gateway is really taking shape and will soon be complete! It shows how my thinking and involvement in nature spirituality have evolved in the past couple of years. Take a look at the new post on the sacred art of sauntering in Nature, also known as Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing.

New and Expanded Posts to Get Ready for the New Year

Hooray! I’ve added a new post on taking outdoor walks to Let Nature Guide You Into the New Year and also expanded The King Is in the Field: A Meadow Gallery, both in the new and expanding Gateway of Holy Land. These pathway posts will be part of Wellsprings first Webinar on Thursday, September 12, 7:30pm ET. Contact me through the contract form if you would like information on signing up for the webinar, which will also be recorded for those who can’t attend in real time.

Wellsprings’ First Webinar!

The King/Queen is in the Field: Let Nature Guide You Into the New Year

Join Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan, Ph.D., for a free webinar, Thursday, September 12, 7:30-8:45pm Eastern Time (US),. We will explore Hassidic and mystical teachings that connect us to nature and help us prepare our hearts for the Jewish New Year. This class is open to all spiritual seekers and will be recorded for those who can’t attend in person or who wish to watch again later (also we may schedule another session for those who live in divergent time zones).

If you would like information on signing up, please contact Wellsprings via the contact us link.

New Post! Talking to and listening to animals and nature

It’s been a while since I’ve added new content to this website, but happy to say that summer vacation has allowed me some time to continue working on the new and developing Gateway of Holy Land. Each new Gateway (content page focused on one symbol from nature) is a kind of spiritual adventure, as I’m not sure quite where the paths will lead me! The newest pathway (post) in this Gateway builds on the tradition that King Solomon could talk to the animals and plants. One of Wellspring’s Facebook readers asked for more on that subject, which resulted in this new post on talking and (more importantly) listening to our fellow creatures.

Updated post on Rosh Hodesh in Gateway of the Moon

Waxing Crescent Moon, Niculina Archer

I’m very excited to be taking an online (live) course on the Zohar from Professor Daniel Matt, who translated this epic classic of Jewish mysticism into English. Its mystical meditations on the inner levels on the Bible often identify the Shechinah, the feminine divine presence, with the moon. That motivated me to update a post on the celebration of Rosh Hodesh, the new moon. I changed to a new featured image, a moon photo that I took myself. I also added a button link that takes to you At the Well, a new organization that uses Rosh Hodesh as a venue for women to connect with their spirituality and health. Explore the imagery and symbolism of the moon in depth, in Wellspring’s Gateway of the Moon.

Watch a new Gateway grow!

Spring is here and new growth is everywhere! Spring comes a little slowly (but steadily) in the US Northeast. And so it is with the new Gateway of Holy Land here at Wellsprings of Wisdom. I’ve opened the Gateway and it has two posts, a Gallery of the Sea in Israel (also posted on the Gateway of the Sea), and a meditation on Natural sanctuary, which is a version of the post I recently shared on this page, from my rabbinic blog). The header for the whole Gateway of Holy Land is a photo that I took last fall at Brandeis-Bardin, an educational and retreat center that was originally built to create the atmosphere of an Israeli Kibbutz in southern California.

Keep checking back; I’ll be adding introductory content and more posts soon.

Spring and New Beginnings

Winter Sunset, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Julie Danan

Shalom! Like the dormancy of winter, this site has been quiet for a while. The quiet of the site is the mirror opposite of my busy life: leading a small congregation, teaching two classes for the ALEPH Rabbinic Program, traveling (to Israel, Colorado, and Florida in the past 3 months) and being involved with my family. It’s all wonderful and gratifying, but hasn’t left any time to work on this website (or on the book that I am slowly building from the site). However, with the awakening of spring, I have recently begun a new Gateway that I hope to launch soon, on the theme of “Holy Land,” to be accessed through the Portal of Earth. You can get a sneak peak at the type of content I plan to share there but checking out this post on my Rabbi’s Blog, “Finding a Sanctuary in Nature.”

Meanwhile, please keep in touch by following me @Wellsprings on Instagram, where I post daily original nature photography, often with accompanying spiritual reflections. Much of this content, along with other environmentally oriented posts, can also be found on the Wellsprings of Wisdom Facebook page.

And please continue to enjoy exploring the 14 Gateways (content pages) already on this site. Each Gateway explores an ancient symbol from Nature as a path to personal growth and action. In addition, three Resource Guides will help you continue your explorations of Jewish spirituality in nature.

Trip to Israel, New Gallery posted

Jerusalem View from Haas Promenade, JHD

In December, my husband and I (and two of our grown children) visited Israel for the first time in nearly a decade. I’ll continue reflecting on this journey and our experiences in my Rabbi’s Blog. Please check it out if you would like to learn more. Meannwhile, I’ve added a Gallery of Seashore in Israel to the Gateway of the Sea. In Israel, I exchanged wintry walks at the woods of the Hudson Valley for sunny walks on the shores of the Mediterranean. The sea enraptured me with it’s light, color, and warmth. The rhythm of the waves and the sea air filled me with a sense of peace/Shalom and well-being. I hope that my photos will share those feelings with you.

For daily nature photography interspersed with some spiritual reflections, please follow Wellsprings on Instagram.

Wellsprings, the Book?

Shalom! Just checking in to let you know that this site is active, even if it’s not like a blog with continual updates. I haven’t added a new Gateway (themed content page) to Wellsprings of Wisdom this fall, but I’m continuing to add some new posts to current Gateways, update existing posts,and add to the resource guide. I also post daily content (my own nature photos and some inspirational messages) on Instagram @wellsprings. I hope to continue to add content to Wellsprings of Wisdom over time, but I’m turning much of my creative attention–when not working at my job as a rabbi or teaching classes or being busy as a mom and grandma!–to writing a nature-centered spiritual memoir on the same themes as Wellsprings of Wisdom.

I recently attended a workshop by the Jewish Book Council and that gave me a lot of encouragement. I wrote one book years ago, then went off to graduate school and rabbinical school and wrote a dissertation. Since then, the publishing world has changed so it’s good to get a refresher! Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the existing content. Feel free to write to me through the website if you have any questions. Your comments on any posts and your posts in the Sharing Circles in each Gateway are much appreciated, and I’m looking into different ways to get together by offering classes online. Let me know if that interests you.

Happy Thanksgiving! Autumn Gallery Added

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a wonderful time to cultivate gratitude. One thing I’m grateful for, since moving the Hudson Valley from California (and Texas before), is the amazing fall foliage in this part of the country. In honor of the season, I’ve added a new Autumn Gallery to the Gateway of Seasons. I hope you enjoy it.

I know that I’ve being growing as a photographer since my “Seasonal Scenes” gallery, and it’s developed into a real hobby. I also purchased an second hand camera (to upgrade from phone photos alone) and took a photography class.

I try to use my photography for mitzvot (good deeds), for example my current fundraiser of greeting cards and tote bags with my photos from Chico, California, all profits going to NorCal Wildfire Relief.

Expanded Resource Guide

Thanks to a reader/fellow traveler who wrote to me with several suggestions for the Resource Guide, it continues to expand. I’ve recently added more programs for hiking, family retreats, organic farms and summer camps that focus on Jewish spirituality in nature. Locations span the United States, Canada Mexico, England, and Israel. I present these as a public service and listing does no imply endorsement, so please check them out for yourself!

Wellsprings Fundraiser for Northern California

It’s been a very hard couple of weeks. First, the tragic antisemitic killings at Tree of Life- Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh shocked and saddened the Jewish community and all of America. People of many faiths came together together in prayer and support around the country. Read my rabbi blog to read the messages that I shared with our community. For those who want to give tzedakah/charity to support the Pittsburgh Jewish community, you can do so here.

Then less than two weeks later, devastating wildfires ravaged parts of California, with the most destructive fire in California history decimating Paradise, California, the nearest town to our former home of Chico. Watching these tragic events from afar, I wanted to give back in some way.

To help the community in Northern California, I have started a Wellsprings Fundraiser for Fire Relief. I’ve made my nature photos from a recent trip to Chico into greeting cards and tote bags, that you can purchase here.

All profits benefit the Northern California Fire Relief Fund of the North Valley Community Foundation. Feel free to donate directly there, too! And please keep everyone in your prayers.

Update to Rosh Hodesh Post

Just updated the pathway (post) about Rosh Hodesh, the women’s celebration of the New Moon. I realized that most of my suggested resources were rather “vintage,” from the heyday of women’s rediscovering this holiday in the 1970’s and 80’s. Now there’s a great new organization, At the Well, offering beautiful materials online to support women and others who want to form Well Circles and celebrate this ancient holy day to promote both spirituality and wellness.

I’m constantly delighted to find wonderful initiatives among the younger generation in Judaism, nature and the outdoors. Today I had a wonderful conversation with Julia Plevin, founder of the Forest Bathing Club of San Francisco. (The “bathing” reference is to the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, “Forest Bathing,” therapeutic immersion in nature.) Founding the popular club and getting involved in nature-based spirituality has been a catalyst to Jewish self-discovery for Julia, who has participated in San Francisco-based Wilderness Torah.

Updated Post about Rainbow of Community

A website is kind of like a garden. I have to keep checking my posts and links for necessary updates. I have updated the pathway (post) on the Rainbow of Community, in the Gateway of Rainbows, to reflect changes in organizations that foster inclusiveness and diversity.

New Sukkot Guest Post

Right in the middle of all the Jewish Fall Holidays…it’s a new post! Rabbi David Seidenberg recently shared a very thoughtful post about the “Four Species (palm branch, willows, myrtles, and citron/etrog) that are waved as a Sukkot Ritual, explaining the ecological symbolism. He was kind enough to share it with Wellsprings of Wisdom, and you can find it here, in the Gateway of Wilderness, along with another post about the holiday of Sukkot being celebrated this week. Chag Sameach, Happy Sukkot!

Post holiday update: Another friend, Shir Yaakov Feit, posted a beautiful picture of a lulav and etrog in a natural setting, so I have incorporated that into the post as well.

New Gallery of Meadow Photos for Elul

Even with Rosh Hashanah on the horizon, I have posted some photos that I took on recent nature walks in preparation for the New Year. You will find them in this new Gallery in the Gateway of Gardens, along with an explanation of the Hassidic teaching that in Elul (the late summer month before the New Year) “the King is in the Field.”

Hearing the crickets and cicadas, seeing the drying flowers and hints of fall foliage, feeling the texture of the air at late summer, all these connect me to the change of season and the Divine Presence that pervades all things. May I suggest that you take some time in these waning days of Elul to go outside and seek your inspiration for the new year?

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