ALEPH Chanukah Campaign

^{The candle of one person can bring light to many}^{.

-Talmud, BT Shabbat}

Dear ALEPH Friend and Supporter,

During Chanukah, we are reminded that light, candles and flame are recurrent themes in our Jewish history, liturgy, and practice – from the unconsumed burning bush that Moshe encountered, to the candles we light and bless each Shabbat. So, it is fitting that we choose this season of Chanukah, when festival candles bring light to the darkest time of year, to ask you to ensure ALEPH’s continued ability to bring the light of Torah and joyous Jewish practice to the world.

This has been a time of darkness in more ways than one. We have seen an emboldened neo-Nazi movement in the United States and the rise of xenophobic leaders who express disdain for the poor, the LGBTQ, the stranger, people of color, and the disabled, and a lack of concern for the future and well-being of our planet.

Renewal Judaism is an antidote to this darkness. ALEPH brings the light of Torah, the joy and strength of community, and the foundation of our renewal Jewish values to the world at a time when these are much needed. When the need for hope is greatest, ALEPH is there.

ALEPH is Lighting the Way

ALEPH Kallah 2018 – Our renowned transformative gathering brings together the worldwide Renewal movement’s most inspiring teachers and leaders, artists, musicians, innovators and hundreds of seekers of all ages. We are also especially excited about our expanding youth and teen programs.

Soulift – Rabbi Shefa Gold’s new uplifting week-long immersive spiritual retreats will help us remain anchored in our awareness of the Divine flow of blessing and our life’s purpose. To date, over 200 spiritual leaders have been trained by R’Shefa are bringing the spiritual practice of chant to their communities.

ALEPH Ordination Program – North America’s largest rigorous progressive Jewish seminary is dynamic and spiritually rich. We are embracing new faculty, expanding our programs, and increasing resources to enrich the educational experience of over 90 students in four schools – Rabbinic, Cantorial, Rabbinic Pastor and Hashpa’ah (Spiritual Direction).

Beloved Land: Israel and Palestine – ALEPH Ordination Program’s ground breaking, soul-searching immersion in the Israel and Palestine experience. Through semester-length courses with summer study and travel in our Beloved Land, ALEPH is training our current and future clergy leaders to help heal tragic divisions and facilitate deep conversations. The first cohort of 18 participants is underway!

Spiritual Entrepreneur Initiative – providing fiscal sponsorship and mentoring to ALEPH Ordination Program Students, newly-ordained clergy and others to help them launch exciting new projects. Because having great ideas is not enough.

The ALEPH Board and Staff, energized by our incoming Executive Director, SooJi Min-Maranda’s leadership, are bringing these and other exciting initiatives to life with your help and support.

Light YOUR candle
Eight Nights of Chanukah Campaign

Light the ALEPH Menorah with a chai or multiple of chai (chai, the number 18 means “alive!”) contribution for each night of Chanukah.

All donors receive a special unpublished Reb Zalman Chanukah teaching, with a beautiful digital image of Reb Zalman lighting a Chanukah candle.

One Candle: $18/night – total: $144 • Helps us fund part of a work-study ALEPH Kallah scholarship. Help everyone come to Kallah!

Two Candles: $36/night – total: $288 • Helps reduce Kallah costs for our Youth and Families.

Three Candles: $54/night – total: $438 • The cost of four months of hashpa’ah (spiritual direction) for an ALEPH community leader.

Four Candles: $108/night – total: $864 • Enables ALEPH to bring one young innovator to our Emerging Spiritual Leader Fellowship Circle at Kallah, lifting up our ALEPH commitment to support emerging leaders doing cutting edge work. We need five donors to make this program run.

Five Candles: $180/night – total: $1,440 • The cost of adding an additional teaching resource for the Beloved Land program.

Six Candles: $360/night – total: $2,880 • The cost of adding two additional teaching resources for the Beloved Land Program.

Seven Candles: $540/night – total: $4,320 • The cost of sponsoring two new ALEPH publications, including R’ Daniel Siegel’s groundbreaking work on Ger Toshav (an ancient Biblical concept offering a novel approach to intermarriage) and an edited compilation of new transcriptions of R’ Zalman’s teachings.

Eight Candles: $1,080/night – total: $8,620 • Funds the Kallah track of your choice: art, music, text study, embodied practice, food & environment, social justice…

Shamash Candle: $1,800/night – total: $14,400 • Be the Shamash lighting all of ALEPH’s efforts for the renewal of Judaism. You are the light that makes the rest possible in so many ways!

Please give as generously as you are able, so that together we can carry on the work of our beloved Reb Zalman z”l, and continue to be a beacon of light for all.