Kabbalah Experience Annual Report 2012-2013
Theof Power Our
Collective Voice
2012-2013 Board of Directors Ilana Erez Gwen Crawford Ken Diamond Dr. Martin Dubin Dr. Andrew Freeman Richard Greenberg Elliott Husney Amy Karpas Bethanne Nowak Sharon Ripps Nancy Steele Robert Weinberger Dr. Anne Goldberg Wernimont We want to thank our Board Vice President Sharon Ripps for six years of Board service. We also thank Gwen Crawford, Amy Karpas and Bethanne Nowak each for their year of service. Their valuable contributions shape our future success.
Denver Jewish Learning Collaborative partners and guest (l-r): Sarah Pessin (Center for Judaic Studies, DU), Debbie Goodman (Department of Jewish Life and Learning, JCC), Dr. Daniel Matt, Stuart Raynor (Robert E. Loup JCC Denver), and Dr. David Sanders (Kabbalah Experience).
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Š 2013 Kabbalah Experience
2012-2013 Kabbalah Experience Highlights
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his year Kabbalah Experience reached beyond our walls as we expanded beyond ourselves, our classroom communities, and even beyond our Kabbalah Experience community. We partnered with many different agencies to create meaningful moments in a broader community. Through classes, seminars, events and holiday celebrations, we went within and outside of the KE fold. We collaborated in learning, sharing, creating and believing as one. Here are just a few of the magical ways we made our collective voices heard.
Scholar-in-Residence Daniel Matt In October 2012 for three mystical days we joined with our partners in the Denver Jewish Learning Collaborative to bring esteemed scholar and speaker Dr. Daniel Matt to Denver. Dr. Matt, best known for his groundbreaking scholarly translation of the Zohar, held three text study seminars in which he shared with us his insights into the texts that reveal the many facets of God. The Denver Learning Collaborative is a project between Kabbalah Experience, the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver, and The Department of Jewish Life and Learning at the Robert E. Loup JCC. For more highlights, see page 6.
Dear Kabbalah Experience Friends,
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lack fire on white fire is how the kabbalah describes the lettering of the Torah. The negative space is as positive to spiritual awareness, if not more so, than the written word. As a study, Kabbalah helps us read between the lines by taking a well-known text and uncovering new meaning. As a life lesson, Kabbalah study helps us listen in on that still small voice, an awareness of who we are beyond all the words. When Isaac was waiting for his son Esau to return from the field, his son Jacob enters, dressed in his brother’s clothes. It takes the blind Isaac but a few seconds to uncover the words Jacob is speaking in the intonation of his younger son’s voice. Studies have shown that we read between or into the voice in less than 7 seconds. It is not so much what you say, but how you say it that reveals the meaning of the words and, in Jacob’s case, his disguised identity. If Isaac was living today he could have relied on the technology developed up the block by Beyond Verbal, an Israeli company in the forefront of the rapidly emerging technology of decoding intonations of voice. Imagine when Siri says to you, “You seem a little down today, should I call…” What is in the white space of Kabbalah Experience? What is beyond the written and spoken word? Simply put, it is the singular and collective voice of the authentic self.
Photo: Neil Rosenfeld
First and foremost we encourage your inner voice to become aware of itself. We do that by welcoming you into the dialogue. We learn together by listening to and for each other. Our voices, whether they harmonize or clash, are forms of the freedom to speak and learn from the experience of our lives. What happens when you create an area of refuge, quiet and still enough for the authentic voice to be heard, to connect and to resonate with other voices? We are about to learn just that: A community that finds its voice.
Ilana Erez 2012 Board President
Dr. David Sanders Executive Director
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Our Mission:
About Kabbalah Experience
Kabbalah Experience
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is an open and inclusive learning community committed to encouraging individual spiritual growth through the study and application of Kabbalah’s insights into the parallels between physical and spiritual reality.
Kabbalah Experience by the Numbers 130 Full-time students (year end) 504 Class attendees 60 New students 77 Full or partial scholarships 53 Classes taught at KE 379 Kabbalah Live! attendees 13 KE board members 161 KE members 4 KE staff members
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hile Jewish in its origin and language, the Kabbalah Experience curriculum has a universal spiritual message. Our classes are specifically designed for people seeking a deeper understanding of life’s purpose and meaning. Kabbalah Experience classes consist of small groups in which questions and dialogue facilitate learning the principles of Kabbalah and help students apply them to personal growth. This adultcentered method of learning appeals to people who learn best when their own thinking process is encouraged and engaged. The Kabbalah Experience curriculum draws upon selections from the major texts of the Kabbalah, including the Zohar and Sefer Yetzirah, the teachings of Isaac Luria, the Ba’al Shem Tov and his disciples, and more contemporary Kabbalah teachers. The curriculum also draws from the sciences — quantum physics and biology, as well as the spiritual wisdom of other cultures and insights from various schools of psychology. Kabbalah Experience students deepen their understanding of themselves and the universe through exploring this ancient wisdom of Kabbalah. It’s not about information, it’s about transformation.
What Kabbalah Experience Students Say
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obin Glickstein is a wife, mother of a 15 year old daughter and Market Research Consultant. She has been a Kabbalah Experience student for over 5 years. Robin says: “I have been in several Kabbalah Experience classes and all have been safe and thoughtful places to study and grow. I keep a journal filled with the wisdom shared by the most wonderful people in my groups and from our special teachers. When life presents challenges, I take out my journal and remind myself of the understandings Kabbalah Experience has helped me come to. I love the 1 hour a week I gift myself to be in this attentive and insightful space.”
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amie Sarche is the director of outreach and prearranged funeral planning at Feldman’s Mortuary. She is a board member of Jewish Family Service and Great Education Colorado, and she and her husband Jon are the parents of two amazing sons. Jamie says: “I find my Kabbalah class a wonderful place to connect with others — there is a bond that comes from learning together that is unlike any other. I’m happy to have a place to explore my spirituality, and a curriculum that gives me a framework for my beliefs.”
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avid Franklin was born in South Africa and recently retired after practicing Anesthesiology in Denver for 30 years. He is currently focusing full time on the spiritual journey. David says: “I came to Kabbalah Experience after studying the mystical traditions of all the other great religions. I had been intrigued by Kabbalah for some time, so it was just a matter of finding the right teacher. There is a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere at KE for someone who did not grow up in the Jewish tradition. The teaching style is stimulating but practical. I am delighted to have found Kabbalah Experience.” 5
2012-2013 Kabbalah Experience Highlights
Dreaming out loud
Rodger Kamentez interviews Oprah Winfrey for her take on The History of Last Night’s Dream.
Karen Frankel and her kind-hearted dog Barley appeared in our first KE video.
Dreaming Out Loud — Our First Annual Fundraiser Our first fundraiser was a big success as almost 200 KE supporters gathered at the Elaine Wolf Theater to hear highly acclaimed author Rodger Kamenetz talk about The History of Last Night’s Dream. Kamenetz spoke about his best-known novel, The Jew in the Lotus, at a Pre-Party Meet and Greet, then after a warm reception he presented us with food for thought as he talked about the significance of our dream lives. A huge thank you to our event committee: Jane Fruchtman, Lynn Harvey, Amy Karpas, Lisa Perlmutter, Barbara Rase, Mindy Weinberger, Lori Weiner, and Dr. Anne Goldberg Wernimont for making this event truly special.
Our First Video Comes Alive The Dreaming Out Loud event gave us a wonderful opportunity to debut our first Kabbalah story video. Guests were moved by KE student Karen Frankel’s tale of interconnectedness. Stars of the show were her new friend Anicee and her beloved dog Barley.
Kabbalah Live!
Rebecca Rosen unmasks loneliness as she describes our spirit guides.
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Our fourth annual Kabbalah Live speaker series was a terrific hit, delivering five fantastic speakers who told us about the masks they wear. Their moments of removing their masks were eye-opening and courageous. Speakers included Dr. Daniel Matt, who unmasked the Divine; Sharletta Evans, who unmasked forgiveness and healing; Rebecca Rosen, who unmasked our spirit guides; Dr. David Sanders, who unmasked time; and Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, who unmasked our true selves through lessons from the Bible.
Kabbalah Experience Faculty
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abbalah Experience instructors form the foundation for our vital community to grow and grow stronger. Whether they teach core curriculum, advanced or general interest courses, our teachers are intelligent, accomplished, interesting and knowledgeable facilitators.
Dr. Ivor Garlick uses a 3-D model of the Sephirot, Tree of Life to explain how ideas manifest into reality.
Dr. Anne Goldberg Wernimont (second from right) and Dr. David Sanders (far right) head the discussion in an advanced text study class.
Instructor and storyteller Teena Slatkin teaches at Kabbalah by the Fire, a women’s study group.
Lili Zohar leads her class in a walking meditation.
World Mystics teacher Dr. Lorell Frysh (second from left) forms a worship circle with her class.
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Kabbalah Experience 2012-2013 Donors Thank you for supporting our mission and our work from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. Please accept our apologies for any omissions or errors.
“I have found that giving liberates the soul of the giver.” —Maya Angelou
KETER Allied Jewish Federation Anonymous Bender Foundation – Eileen & Richard Greenberg Myndie Brown Steven Cersonsky Amity & Mark Cooper Dr. Andrew Freeman Dr. Ivor Garlick Celeste Grynberg Jill Janov Amy Karpas Robyn & Bob Loup Phil Mason Louann & Micky Miller Bethanne Nowak Rose Community Foundation Singer Family Foundation – Andrea Pollack Nancy Steele Ruth & Warren Toltz Mindy & Robert Weinberger Walter Goldberg Family Foundation – David Goldberg, Julie Goldberg, Dr. Anne Goldberg Wernimont and Mel Wernimont
TIFERET Gwen Crawford Amy & Ken Diamond
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Kristi Dinner Barbara & Dr. Martin Dubin Ilana Erez Diane Gimber Lindsey & Steve Gutterman Andrea Hyatt Gloria & Elliott Husney Stephen Levine Sharon Ripps Jane E. & Stanton Rosenbaum Dan Woodrow
YESOD Ellen Abrams Anonymous Risa & Hal Aqua Diana Arendrup Patsy Baynard Marsha Blum Kristy Brenner Laurie & Andrew Brock Corinne Brown Shannon Burke Wendy Dinner David Ehrlich & Meredith Munro Marsha Engel Eve Epstein Lloyd Ford Karen Frankel David Franklin Wendy Glazer Barbara Goldburg Barbara & Mark Goldstein
Mindy Greene Lynn Harvey Lynn Heitler & Philip Levy Andrea Hyatt Barton Johnson Susan Kaplan Jan Klatskin Ryan Kramer Patti & Barry Levine Lester Lockspeiser Irene Lofland Dr. Joan Manheimer Judy Maselli Mary Ann May Susan McKinney Peggy Morse Hildie Newman Michelle Osterman Healy Parks Essie Perlmutter Cintra Pollack Caren Press Lynn Robinson & Larry Bass Michael Rudnick Rita & Dr. David Sanders Tamara Schilling Ellen Selig Hanna Shaner Kerry Shelanski Barbara Shindell Carolyn Steele Kaleta “Kiki” Stein Lisa & Jim Thompson Peggy Thompson Francine Topelson
Vicki Trachten-Schwartz Kate Tremblay Evelinda Urman Judy Wartell Nancy White Barry Winograd Lili Zohar
MALCHUT Debbie Abrams Judy Armstrong Tracy Bagsgard Elise Barish Kathy Berenstein Daisy Berl Linda Boardman Peggy Brody Ilan Brown Barbara Carpenter Suzanne Cooper Janis Dodson Elizabeth Donnelly Barbara Ellman Joyce Fine Ilona Fried Marjorie Friedman Jane Fruchtman Julie Geller Robin Glickstein Ellen Gray Ken Greenberg Christian Hagaseth Susan Hennes Mary Jo Heyen Beverly Jacobson Margaret Johnson Diana Kaplan Saskia Kelly Joanne Kleinstein Mary Klinnert
Gretchen Koplin Jennifer Dinn Korman Katharine Kurtz Mitzi Kurtz Marian Lauterbach Meira Levary Mari Lurie Virgil Martinez Mimsi Milton Lisa Mintz Elyn Moldow Nancy Nowak Barbara Plous Dana Radetsky Jody Reuler Rebecca Rosen Herb Rubenstein Jamie Sarche Nancy Sharp Artis Silverman Teena Slatkin Barbara Spiller Jan Spitzer Mary Stein Sally Stich Noreen Stillman Cathy Sunshine Jeff Suskin Bernice Tarlie Elizabeth Toth Susan Weinberger Lori Weiner Lura Williams
IN-KIND SUPPORT Children’s Hospital Colorado Lindsey Gutterman Hebrew Educational Alliance
Integrity Print Group – David Plunkett Carol Molnia Barbara Nilan Robert E. Loup JCC Denver Antique Trader Appraisals – Judy and Jack Wartell
Kabbalah Experience Partner Organizations We thank our community partners
FOUNDERS Marlin Barad Eve Brogan Barbara Goldburg Celeste Grynberg Ken Heller Elliott Husney Stephen Kapnick Allison Hickok Schuchman David Sherman Teena Slatkin Sally Stich Francine Topelson
Kabbalah Experience Staff Dr. David Sanders Executive Director Patti Levine Operations Director Heather Mann Digital Communications Manager Saskia Kelly Administrative Assistant
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2011-2012 Financials
Books
Income Foundations
Tuition $92,935 Special Events
32,943
Board of Directors
17,266
Individual Donors
29,783
Memberships Tuition Individual Donors
Memberships 4,418 Foundations 45,648 Books 1,040
Board of Directors TOTAL INCOME
$ 224,033
Special Events
Marketing
Expenses Teachers
$ 69,440
Operations
Administration 93,933 Operations
37,790
Marketing
26,116
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 227,279 Net -$3,246
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Teachers
Administration
Kabbalah Experience Faculty Dr. David Sanders is the founder and director of Kabbalah Experience. He has taught Kabbalah in Denver for twenty-four years. His style is to teach from the middle, engaging the learner and modeling what it means to change. David is a clinical psychologist.
Dr. Lorell Frysh has a PhD. in East-West Psychology and is an Interior Architect interested in sacred space. Her 40 year spiritual journey has been spent exploring, studying and receiving initiation in the great spiritual, mystical, and healing traditions of the world. Lorell leads regression sessions and has a private therapy practice.
Dr. Ivor Garlick is a graduate of the Kabbalah Experience Teacher’s Institute and has studied Kabbalah for three years. He is interested in exploring how events in a person’s life connect together in order to understand how and why people feel and behave as they do. Ivor is a physician.
Julie Geller is a singer/songwriter of Jewish and folk music. As a teacher, she specializes in helping others access their full creative potentials. Julie has released four CDs and performs regularly around Colorado and the country.
Dr. Anne Goldberg is a graduate of the Kabbalah Experience Teacher’s Institute and has studied Kabbalah for seven years. She has special interest in the interaction of quantum physics and ancient faith. Anne is a forensic psychologist in the field of health and chronic pain. Teena Slatkin has studied Kabbalah for the past fourteen years. She leads women’s spiritual missions to Israel. Teena teaches In Tune with Time, a monthly (new moon) women’s class. Teena is a writer and community activist. Lili Zohar is a lifelong spiritual seeker and teacher and a thirty-year student of the world’s great wisdom traditions. Since 2006, Lili has studied Kabbalah and non-dual healing with Jason Shulman of A Society of Souls. Lili is a lawyer specializing in conflict resolution and a yoga instructor.
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Kabbalah Experience Engage your spirit. 3599 So. Ivanhoe Street Denver, CO 80237 303.758.8996 admin@kabbalahexperience.com www.kabbalahexperience.com