Once per season, we gather near the woods, and often by the water, for an earth-based spiritual experience to attune to our bodies, the season, and the earth.

Grounded in Jewish wisdom, this experience loosely follows the structure of a Shabbat morning service. We begin with song and poetry to help us wake up to wonder, awe, and interconnection. We then spend some solo time attuning to our senses and the world around us, collecting items from the forest which we use to create a collective altar. After creating our altar, we close with blessings for peace, healing, and Mourner’s Kaddish.

Dates and locations vary, but generally we try to line up the Attunements with the following Jewish holidays:

• Summer: Rosh Chodesh Elul (the beginning of the preparatory month leading up to Rosh Hashanah)
• Fall: Shemini Atzeret (rain festival at the end of Sukkot)
• Winter: Tu b’Shvat (birthday of the trees)
• Spring: Rosh Chodesh Iyar (the beginning of the month between Pesach and Shavuot) or sunrise on Shavuot, to join with the birds in the dawn chorus