Rabbi Hanniel Levenson (Post-Denominational)
Conversion Requirements
Brit Milah/Hatafat: No
Mikvah: Yes (Living body of water)
Bet Din: Yes (Combination of rabbis, wisdom masters, and lay spiritual practitioners)
Conversion Location: Brooklyn, NY
Students Accepted: Scholarship, Chai and Mitzvah
Watch My Video
I am a blank canvas. I am here to hold the space so that you might begin to explore your spiritual journey in a safe and supportive environment. I am not here to judge how you chose to practice. I am only here to listen, learn and teach alongside of you. Let us learn about the long chain of Jewish practices. How did your Jewish faith and observance come to take the form it has today? What are all of its components? Which of these components speak to you? Which do not and why? Now that we have learned about the history and the way our practices came to be let us breathe new life into the ancient tradition and make it meaningful to us right now. It may not look exactly the same, but know that in every generation Judaism has changed and has responded to the times. Our tradition is the pathway for us to sanctify time. We can only do this if we create a ritual architecture that is meaningful to us right now. I am here to share with you all of the possibilities; we are only limited by our own imaginations. As Rabbi Heschel would say, let us live our lives like a work of art, and I would add, may our ritual lives be an authentic reflection of our inner yearnings for each other, our tradition and God.
In order to live a fully spiritual and religious life I knew that I needed to expand my practices to incorporate ones that spoke to my mind, body and spirit. SITTING (silent meditation), STRETCHING (yoga), SINGING (chants, niggunim, prayers). The healing powers of silence, movement and song filled my being with love and wonder. I then incorporated into my practice the STUDY of the world’s wisdom traditions, SERVICE (social action), and SURFING. These three practices strengthened my mind, brought me closer to helping the community of the world, and forged a deeper relationship to the Earth. Collectively, these six practices developed within me a deep love and longing to build and mobilize community. It is upon these holistic practices that the House of Surf and Prayer stands.
