Yom Kippur: A Day of Silence and Reflection
Jon Aaron
Elaine Retholtz
Sandra Weinberg
| Saturday, September 18, 2010 - | Fee by Donation |
10am–6:45pm
Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, a day when, as a community, Jews are asked to reflect on their actions of the past year and to ask for atonement for any actions that were unskillful. In support of this day, NYI hosts a day of silence and reflection. There will be meditations focused on the idea of right action, the difference between guilt and remorse, the laws of karma, forgiveness, and lovingkindness. There will also be an opportunity for mindful discussion on the Buddhist perspective on atonement. All are welcome to join us in this exploration. The day will end with a symbolic breakfast.
Elaine Retholtz has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1988. In 2004, she completed the internship in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and in 2005, the Teacher Development Intensive at the Center for Mindfulness in Worcester Massachusetts. She is also a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program. Elaine has been teaching the traditional 8 week MBSR program at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan since 2005.
In addition, she has adapted the MBSR program into a 3-day model suitable for use in institutions. Elaine is on the faculty at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, where she teaches MBSR to first year students. Here she also guides students in cultivating mindfulness of the experience of learning to be acupuncturists and taking on the identity of healers.
As part of a facility-wide staff stress reduction initiative, she trained the staff at Rivington House, a residential facility for people living with AIDS. Pre and post measures of participating staff showed significant decreases in perceived stress and emotional exhaustion, and increases in self-compassion. As a result of her experience at Tri-State and Rivington House, she is very interested in using MBSR as a vehicle for insitutional culture change.
Elaine is an associate teacher at New York Insight Meditation Center.
Jon Aaron has been practicing various forms of meditation for many years, but began seriously studying mindfulness meditation in 1998 and over the course of the last 10 years his meditation practice has become central to his life. Jon is an associate teacher at the New York Insight Meditation Center. He also teaches at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan where he has been invited to become coordinator of the Makom Meditation Community, for the Wellness Program at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is part of the faculty of New York’s Yoga Sutra teacher-training program. He has given workshops and classes for the NYU Medical School, for the Department of Psychology at Einstein College of Medicine, and for the 92nd St Y. Jon trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where he continues advanced training and supervision for experienced teachers. Jon continues his studies in Buddhist meditation in the Theravada tradition with his primary teach Matthew Flickstein and has also completed the Integrated Study and Practice Program, at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies . He also recently completed the Foundations in Buddhist Contemplative Care program, with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. In his worldly life Jon is active as an agent and producer in the Performing Arts. More information about Jon’s teaching can be found at: http://www.mindfulnessmeditationnyc.com 
Sandra Weinberg is a co-founder, member of the Teachers Council, and Board of Directors of NYI. She has studied and practiced mindfulness meditation for over 25 years and is a graduate of the first Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program. Sandra has taught insight meditation at NYI, the New York Open Center, City University of New York and elsewhere. She has been leading retreats, workshops and supervision groups focused on deepening the healing presence and on understanding addiction and recovery from the perspective of the Buddha’s teachings. She is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City.
