In partnership with USCJ, Temple Beth Am of Los Angeles hosted the first Kol Tefilla Shabbaton in 2018. This breakthrough Shabbaton gathers representatives from synagogues across the continent, and often internationally, to discuss and create creative spiritual experiences. Every year since then, it has been incredibly successful and well-received. It brings great value to all of its participants and their communities. This year had a different focus, utilizing visual art to express spirituality, expanding from previous years that had focused on music. If you don’t know what Kol Tefilla is, and even if you do, we’ve compiled the details from this year’s Shabbaton, which took place the weekend of January 9 – 12, 2025.
Who:
For its seventh year, the Kol Tefilla Shabbaton was a collaborative gathering of synagogue leaders from across the country featuring a remarkable group of Jewish spiritual leaders and artists, including Rabbi Adina Allen (co-founder and Creative Director of Jewish Studio Project) and Rabbi David A. Ingber (founding rabbi of Romemu). Rabbi Adina Allen is a talented teacher and inspiring Jewish leader leading with her expertise in unlocking creativity through Jewish wisdom, based on her Jewish Studio Process methodology. Rabbi Ingber is an internationally recognized scholar and spiritual leader, who brings deep insight into Jewish mysticism, prayer, and spirituality. These thought leaders and practitioners united for an inspiring weekend filled with reflection, creative expression, and spiritual renewal.
What:
The Kol Tefilla Shabbaton is a weekend retreat created and implemented by the Temple Beth Am clergy, Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, Rabbi Cantor Hillary Chorny and Rabbi Adam Kligfeld that combines Jewish spirituality with creativity, offering participants a space to rejuvenate, reflect, and connect. This year the Shabbaton featured a rich variety of activities, including meditation, art-making, prayer, study, and music. Each session, from Thursday evening through Sunday morning, was designed to integrate creative practices into spiritual exploration. Highlights included hands-on workshops, Thursday night-Sunday morning, such as Creative Resilience and Creative Rest, facilitated by the Jewish Studio Project, which encouraged participants to tap into their inner creativity as a means of spiritual connection. The Friday night teaching with Rabbi Ingber explored the intersection of Jewish time and presence, while Saturday afternoon sessions delved into the balance of words and silence in prayer led by CLI. The weekend concluded with an engaging Sunday morning session on Art is a Spiritual Path, blending art-making with prayerful reflection.
When:
The Shabbaton took place over a long weekend, beginning Thursday evening and concluding Sunday at noon, providing ample time for participants to immerse themselves in the themes of creativity, spirituality, and community.
Where:
The Shabbaton was hosted at Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, a vibrant hub of Jewish learning and community. The venue offered a welcoming and reflective environment for engaging in prayer, art, and study. The setting, with its open space for creativity and quiet moments of meditation, enhanced the Shabbaton’s focus on personal and collective transformation.
Why:
The team at Temple Beth Am has continued to create the Kol Tefilla Shabbaton year after year because it offers something truly unique: the opportunity to combine Jewish spirituality with creative expression in a way that nurtures the soul and cultivates connection to the Divine presence within. In today’s fast-paced, often disconnected world, the Shabbaton provides participants a space to pause, reflect, and deepen their spiritual practice through creative means. The partnership with the Jewish Studio Project this year deepened this experience, using the methodology developed by Rabbi Adina Allen—rooted in her mother’s pioneering work in art therapy—to engage participants in both creative and spiritual practices.
The core mission of the Shabbaton remained rooted in the belief that creativity is a vital part of spiritual life. By offering a platform where participants could explore their own creativity through engaging workshops, discussions, and meditations, the Shabbaton helped participants tap into their inherent spiritual resources for healing, reflection, and growth. The weekend continued to attract participants because it offered not just a retreat, but a path to experiencing prayer and Jewish learning in new, profound ways.
By combining art, music, meditation, and teaching, the Shabbaton created an environment where creativity became a sacred tool for personal and communal transformation. This commitment to blending creativity and spirituality is what makes the Kol Tefilla Shabbaton a transformative experience that has resonated with participants for so many years.
