November 16, 2025—November 20, 2025
Refuge in the Ark: A Jewish Mindfulness Retreat
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
When the seas of our lives are especially chaotic, it can be healthy to take temporary refuge in a sheltered place — like Noah did in the biblical ark. Once removed from the storm, we can connect deeply with our life force, reduce reactivity, and restore and strengthen ourselves. After this respite, we’re able to return to our lives with greater clarity and wisdom to respond to the chaos all around us.
The IJS community will create our own ark of calm this fall, and we hope you will join us.
We are thrilled to be returning to the beautiful, serene Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY, for a Jewish mindfulness meditation retreat led by IJS faculty and other experienced, beloved instructors. Over five days, we will focus on deepening our practice through silent meditation enhanced with Jewish teachings, meditation instructions, mindful prayer, and yoga/embodied practice. We will use silence as a tool to deepen our sense of calm, safety, and spiritual development, following Rav Shimon Ben Gamliel’s teaching that “I have found nothing better for a person than silence” (Pirkei Avot 1:17).
Our days will include time for smaller sessions in two tracks — one for those newer to Jewish mindfulness meditation (including those who are new to retreats) and one for those with more experience. These tracks will offer different length meditation periods and tailored instructions. There will also be opportunities to mindfully explore the beautiful grounds and forested trails of the Garrison Institute.
TEACHERS
Our instructors will include Rabbi Nancy Flam, co-founding IJS teacher; Senior Core Faculty, Rabbi Miriam Margles; Core Faculty, Rebecca Schisler; and Senior Faculty Fellow, Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell.
Rabbi Nancy Flam Co-founding IJS Teacher, is a pioneer in the field of Jewish healing and contemporary spirituality. She co-founded the Jewish Healing Center in 1991, serving as its West Coast Director, also co-founded and was the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s first Executive Director. Rabbi Flam teaches and writes widely about Judaism, healing, spirituality and mindfulness, and served as Series Editor for LifeLights, a Jewish series on challenges in the emotional and spiritual life. She currently works as a consultant and spiritual director.
Rabbi Miriam Margles Senior Core Faculty, has a long and rich association with IJS, having taught on various retreats and programs over the years. She joined the Institute as a Senior Core Faculty after over a decade as the rabbi of the Danforth Jewish Circle in Toronto. Her career has included service as a founding faculty member at the Romemu Yeshiva, serving as a fellow with the Rising Song Institute, co-founding the award-winning educational program engaging with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Encounter, and recording her original Jewish music with the Hadar Rising Song ensemble.
Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell is a teacher of Jewish mindfulness and text and has spent years leading retreats and immersive experiences for adults in various settings through the National Ramah Commission, Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning, and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Jordan is returning to IJS as a Senior Faculty Fellow. In this role, he will lead the planning of a new center for advanced study, practice, and teaching that we aim to develop over the coming years. He will also teach in online courses and on retreats. In addition to his work with IJS, Jordan is part of the clergy team at Beth David in Toronto. Jordan was the founding Director of Ramah Beyond and was Director of Camp Ramah in Canada from 2019-2022. Previously, he worked for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) as a teacher of Jewish Mindfulness and as Director of the Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. Jordan also taught meditation to rabbis and cantors through IJS’ Clergy Leadership Program. After being ordained in 2008, Jordan served as a congregational rabbi outside of Chicago and co-founded Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning. Jordan is a recipient of the 2014 Covenant Foundation Pomegranate Prize. He and his wife Yael live in Toronto and are the proud and grateful parents of three.
Rebecca Schisler Core Faculty Member, is a meditation teacher, artist, and Jewish educator. A devoted contemplative practitioner, she has led groups and taught classes and retreats with Or HaLev, Awakened Heart Project, Orot, Wilderness Torah, Pardes, and Stanford School of Medicine. She was previously the Director of Student Health & Well-being at Stanford University’s Hillel, and co-authored the Mahloket Matters Schools Curriculum with the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators. A student rabbi at ALEPH, Rebecca is passionate about integrating ancestral wisdom traditions with innovative approaches to personal and collective healing and liberation. She teaches Jewish spirituality as an embodied, holistic, and accessible path, with relevant and timely wisdom for all.
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COVID-19
The health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests, teachers, and staff are required to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We encourage everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials, New York State and the CDC.