Rest to Return is a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: What is sacred time?

The names victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life building, whose memories are always close to my heart are: Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger. May their memories be for a blessing always.
Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha comes from the Talmud (Ta’anit 29a:18).
I first learned about the cycles of the moon from Jane Hardwicke Collings at the School of Shamanic Womancraft.
This quote comes from Ahad Ha’am (Asher Ginsburg)’s Yalkut Katan (meaning “Small Collection”) which was published in the journal Hashiloaḥ, in 1898.
Lex Rofeberg is co-founder of Judaism Unbound!
This quote is found in Courtney Carver’s book Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want; she is quoting writer and psychologist Nicola Jane Hobbs who originally asked the question.
The concept of the shmitta cycle originates in Exodus 23:10-11, Leviticus 25:2-7, and Deuteronomy 15:1-3.
God breathing life into Adam’s nostrils comes from Genesis 2:7.

Enjoy the live version of Lay it Down, Let it Go here.

Check out the Rest to Return webpage for photos, info about the Rest to Return retreat, and more!

If Rest to Return has evoked something in you, if these episodes have helped you slow down, breathe a little deeper, or reconnect with what matters most, you might be interested in Rest to Return: A High Holiday Deceleration Retreat, which I'll be co-hosting this September. Nestled amidst New England beauty, 25 Jewish leaders - some Jewish professionals, some people who are Jewish and leaders - will gather for a retreat centered around rest as a form of teshuvah, returning to ourselves. Through creativity, reflection, and connection, we'll immerse in slowness and spaciousness as a way to prepare ourselves for 5787. If you're a Jewish leader and you've been longing for something like this, check out www.keshirahalev.com/sacredpause to learn more and express interest before July 10.

This episode is brought to you by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Rest to Return exists because we believe slowing down is a spiritual act. IJS believes that too. For over two decades, IJS has been helping people go deeper, through Jewish mindfulness meditation, contemplative prayer, sacred text study, and embodied practice. Their offerings range from online courses and silent retreats to immersive cohort programs for seekers of all experience levels, clergy, and spiritual leaders who are ready to live and lead from a more grounded place. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is part of IJS’s core faculty, and the wisdom you'll hear in this series is very much in that spirit. If this podcast is stirring something in you, IJS is a place to go further. Explore their programs, and more ways to learn and practice with Keshira, at jewishspirituality.org, including:

View the latest offerings from IJS in our program catalog
Join Keshira and others on retreat this August: Returning Anew
Learn more about Shevet, IJS's community for younger adults (20s-30s)
IJS has several online free practices with Keshira and our other faculty including our live Daily Sit, our weekly Shevet Sit for younger adults (under 40), and monthly Affinity Sits for Jews of Color, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. Click here for more information.
Join our mailing list to be notified about our upcoming fall courses, including Keshira's Earth, Moon, Mindfulness year-long class.