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  "Rabbi Michael Comins came to our desert congregation and taught us about the desert! The most inspirational part of the weekend was when Mike led us out amidst the cactus and sage-brush. There we looked and listened to nature. There we read scriptural texts and saw how they related to us. There we listened to ourselves and davenned from the heart. That weekend, Rabbi Comins helped all of us hear the ‘still small voice.’"
  

  Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim
Congregation Or Chadash
Tucson, AZ 		 

 
 

 

TorahTrek Hike
at Malibu Creek State Park
for HUC and AJU students

sponsored by
Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA
Rabbi Paul Kipnes

Sunday, March 16
9:30am - 1:30pm
or
1:30pm - 5:30pm

The hike will take place twice to accomodate our busy students. The program is identical. Choose one or the other.

Where: Malibu Creek State Park. Meet at the end of the second, farthest-from-the-entrance parking lot, near the restrooms closest to the trailhead. (See below for directions.)

Degree of Difficulty: the easy side of moderate. As much as 3 miles of mostly flat walking. We might do one small section with moderate incline and elevation gain.

Program: We learn to be fully present in the natural world through mindfulness exercises, such as silent walking, easy-to-learn walking meditation, and Jewish blessings. We invite God's presence by dialoguing with our wilderness surroundings through prayer, sutdy and song. The program concludes with hitbodedut, safe and supervised alone time in the wild for spiritual practice. (You can use this time for traditional davenning if you wish.)

Bring: Daypack, journal or writing materials, snacks, at least a quart of water, good walking shoes (boots not necessary), hat, sunscreen, sunscreen lip balm, layers for warmth (if it's a cold day). If you use reading glasses, bring them. Optional: siddur, tallit, tefillin, musical instrument, sketching materials, camera.

Cost: This program is free to participants thanks to the generosity of Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Congregation Or Ami. There is a State Park entrance fee.

Directions: From Pacific Coast Highway, turn inland on Malibu Canyon Road and proceed 6.5 miles to the park entrance. If you reach Mulhulland Hwy., you've gone 0.25 mile too far. From the Ventura Fwy. 101, exit on Las Virgenes Road and proceed south four miles to the park entrance, 0.25 mile beyond Mulhulland Hwy.

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