Omek HaLev עוֹמֵק הַלֵב
תְהוֹם אֶל תהוֹם קוֹרֵא
Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7)
Omek HaLev is a spiritual center offering classes, practices, and celebrations that touch the heart, the mind, and the soul and invite us to explore, nurture, and deepen our Jewish spiritual lives. Through learning, heart-opening practices of chant and story-telling, meditation, joyous prayer, and soulful celebrations we offer a meaningful and vibrant Jewish experience to support spiritual growth and personal transformation.
Omek HaLev, or Depth of the Heart, is the name for all these offerings – meditation, learning, spiritual direction, celebrations and practices, and more.
I offer this invitation to you:
Let us be companions on this journey together.
As you peruse these pages, perhaps you will feel something calling to the deepest part of your heart.
Meditation
Join weekly guided meditation sessions with time for questions and sharing. All our practices are inspired by and infused with Jewish spiritual wisdom, and are free and open to all.
classes
For me teaching is an invitation. I’m just the guide on the journey offering others the opportunity to travel with me. I know that on the path together, we will both learn something important. Current classes include A Gateway to Radiance: Opening to the Mysteries of the Zohar, Life, it’s Complicated, The Soul of Torah – Hasidic Commentaries, and more.
spiritual direction
One way to nurture the sacred aspects of life and to affirm and deepen one’s spiritual life is though Spiritual Direction. Also known as Spiritual Companioning, this is a practice in which one person accompanies another in the discovery of the presence of the Divine and in deepening the holy dimensions of their lives.
I come from a long line of rabbis.
A very long line. The first rabbi in this line for whom there is historical evidence was Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen (1482–1565), who was the chief rabbi of Padua, Italy. According to legend, he was a direct descendent of King David. Don’t get too excited, it’s just a legend. I can trace my family’s lineage because the leading rabbinic families in Europe kept records and family trees and my father, of blessed memory, had his parents’ family tree which goes back to the early 1700s.
My Hebrew name is Lavey Yitzchak, and I was named for my great grandfather who, in turn, was named after one of the most important and revered Hasidic rabbis of his generation, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. Read more >>