Yedidya Center

Yedidya is dedicated to the introduction of Jewish Spiritual Direction to the American Jewish community and to the reflective development of this emerging new field. This mission focuses our work in the following four areas:

1. The introduction of Jewish Spiritual Direction and its potential benefits to the American Jewish community.
2. The creation of a distinctly Jewish form of training in Jewish Spiritual Direction.
3. The creation of forums for ongoing professional development, networking, research and interchange among Jewish Spiritual Directors.
4. The deepening of our understanding of the theory and practice of Jewish Spiritual Direction.

The Introduction of Jewish Spiritual Direction to the American Jewish Community

1. Yedidya offers lectures, workshops, seminars and scholar-in-residence programs for synagogues, rabbinical associations, seminaries, JCCs, healing centers, and other Jewish institutions that wish to introduce their constituencies to Spiritual Direction.
2. Yedidya offers consultation to institutions wishing to begin programs of Jewish Spiritual Direction with the help of Yedidya staff.
3. Yedidya develops and distributes materials introducing and explaining Jewish Spiritual Direction.
4. Yedidya’s website offers information and articles about Spiritual Direction aimed at the general Jewish public and a referral system to help individuals locate Jewish Spiritual Directors.

Training in a Distinctly Jewish Form of Jewish Spiritual Direction

1. Yedidya offers the Morei Derekh Training Program for Jewish Spiritual Direction, a two-year, retreat-based and distance-learning program to train Jews in the art of Jewish Spiritual Direction.
2. Yedidya offers advanced training in Jewish Spiritual Direction to alumni of the Morei Derekh program and to other Jewish spiritual directors.

Support and Ongoing Professional Development for Jewish Spiritual Directors

Yedidya, in cooperation with other nationally-known teachers of Jewish Spiritual Direction, is creating a national Jewish Spiritual Directors Organization, which will offer opportunities for professional development, support and ongoing exchange of ideas among Jewish spiritual directors. This organization’s programs will include:

• Launching a newsletter for Jewish spiritual directors.
• Maintaining a list-serve for Jewish spiritual directors.
• Establishing an annual conference for Jewish spiritual directors and directors-in-training.
• Sponsoring regional retreats for Jewish spiritual directors for continuing education and networking.
• Sponsoring colloquia for Jewish Spiritual Direction trainers.

Developing the Discipline of Jewish Spiritual Direction

1. Yedidya staff members, through their writing and teaching, contribute to the ongoing theoretical development of a uniquely Jewish form of Jewish Spiritual Direction.
2. Yedidya staff members conduct basic research on trends in the developing field of Spiritual Direction.
3. Yedidya coordinates efforts to make Spiritual Direction optimally accessible to Jewish communities and institutions.