Freedom is an Open Heart: Mindful Practice & Jewish Wisdom for Challenging Times

Rabbi George Gittleman

Rabbi George is the Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, California, where he served as their spiritual leader from 1996 until June of last year. A native of Kentucky, Rabbi George earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History from the University of Vermont in 1984. In 1991, after spending eight years in business, Rabbi George began his rabbinical journey, obtaining a Master of Hebrew Letters and Ordination from the Reform Seminary, Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in 1996. Rabbi George is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the prestigious Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a graduate of both the Rabbinic Leadership Program and the Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Certificate Program at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Early in his time in Sonoma County, Rabbi George met Sylvia Boorstein, who encouraged him to develop his meditation practice and make silent retreats a regular part of his life. Thanks to Sylvia and other teachers along the way, Rabbi George developed his own meditation style, which he often refers to as a melding of Buddhist practice and Jewish wisdom. Tikkun Olam (The Repair of the World) is an essential aspect of his spiritual journey, whether it be advocating for immigrant rights, fighting for marriage equality, working to find housing for the unsheltered, or supporting local nonprofits like the Redwood Empire Food Bank. Rabbi George is married to Laura, an artist and Nurse Executive at Kaiser. They are blessed with twin adult children, Levi and Sophia, and grandchild, Jamie. Rabbi George’s spirituality is deeply grounded in nature. When he is not in the synagogue, you can find him hiking the hills or coastline of Sonoma County, birdwatching, animal tracking, or fly fishing. https://www.georgegittleman.com/

Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro

Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro brings a deep commitment to Jewish mindfulness and spirituality and strives to establish personal connections while honoring the past through music and prayer. She serves as the Cantor of the synagogue on the Jack H. Skirball campus of Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles.  Kerith joined the Clergy of Wilshire Boulevard Temple through a merger with University Synagogue, where she served since 2014.  For the past ten years Kerith has been called upon as a meditation teacher in the Jewish community. From teaching for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, to hosting Jewish meditation groups at University Synagogue and Wilshire Boulevard Temple, to serving as a visiting scholar, it is a great joy to introduce the depth of spiritual connection that a Jewish mindful meditation practice has to offer. Kerith’s guided meditation tracks for Insight Timer have been highlighted as editor’s pick of the week. She also offers a weekly Mindful Jewish Minute on Instagram and YouTube. Kerith served on the board of the American Conference of Cantors from 2006-2018, as a trustee and as vice president of member relations and external partnerships. Between 2018-2021, she was the cantorial liaison to the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ Task Force on Women in the Rabbinate. She has a personal meditation practice and received training as a Jewish Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, where she also served as adjunct faculty. She has gained recognition for her work in Jewish mindfulness practices through her creation and enhancement of programs such as Torah Yoga and Torah off the Beaten Path. Cantor Shapiro’s was the first female voice to be heard at the Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City. She has appeared in concert at Town Hall and Symphony Space in New York City; Beit Daniel, Tel Aviv, Israel; The Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome, Italy; and at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cantor Shapiro has been a leader in interfaith dialogue through Saint Joseph’s University Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations and Sacred Heart University’s Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding. She has been a guest lecturer at the Hebrew Union College (New York & LA campuses), New York University, Trinity College in Dublin, UCLA, and USC’s Thornton School of Music. Originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, she graduated from Macalester College, and then pursued further study at the Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies and Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. She received her Cantorial Ordination and Masters of Sacred Music from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2003.

https://www.cantorkss.com/