Mark the beginning of the sacred month with a half-day retreat for Rosh Chodesh Elul—a gentle and intentional entry point into the spiritual work of the High Holiday season. Through guided reflection, creative ritual-building, and meaningful writing, participants will explore themes of self-awareness, forgiveness, and renewal. Rooted in the spirit of High Holidays preparation, this retreat offers space to pause and take stock of the past year, set personal intentions, and begin the process of teshuvah (return).
In our ritual creation, we will draw on the imagery and presence of water—symbols of flow, cleansing, and transformation—inviting participants to craft personal practices that may include pouring, hand washing, or immersion that help mark this inner turning. Alongside these shared and individual rituals, there will be time for quiet introspection and journaling.
Open to all, this retreat invites you to slow down, listen inward, and enter Elul with clarity, purpose, and an open heart.
Led by Rabbi Sarah Tasman and Naomi Malka
Register now here! For questions, please contact us.
Naomi Malka is the author of Bodies of Water, a forthcoming nonfiction book about Mikvah as a spiritual practice for Jews of all backgrounds. She served as the Director of the Adas Israel Community Mikvah in Washington, DC from 2006-2022. As a pioneer in the progressive Mikvah movement, her work focuses on Mikvah as a tool for positive body image. She is also the founder of Tevila b’Teva: Immersion in Nature, a program that brings safe (and bathing-suit on) outdoor immersion to Jewish summer camps. Naomi has taught about Mikvah in Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, Modern Orthodox, and trans-denominational circles, and she is a content provider for At The Well, a Jewish women’s wellness organization dedicated to celebrating Rosh Hodesh. She earned a masters in Jewish Music from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a BA in Sociology from UCLA.
