Here’s a sampling of past and future offerings. Check back as we refine our program for 2026.
Ahhhhhhh, Amen!
Jewish tradition teaches that we are meant to say 100 blessings each day—often fulfilled through prayer and blessings over food. But what if we sought 100 blessings in the everyday? Moments that make us pause. Breathe. Notice. Feel moved.
In this workshop, we’ll explore the meaning of blessing, why it matters, and what happens when we lose sight of it. Together, we’ll practice noticing and “counting” the small, sacred moments that invite us to say: Amen.
A Taste of Hebrew Calligraphy
Discover the beauty of Hebrew letterforms in this hands-on introduction to calligraphy. Learn how to hold the pen, make basic strokes, and try writing your own name in Hebrew—no prior experience needed.
A Word to Illuminate Your Path
Create a Shviti—a devotional artwork to enrich your prayer space—by combining the ancient Japanese meditative practice of Enso circles with the Jewish tradition of sacred art. Reflect on your core values and design a unique piece that brings beauty, focus, and inspiration to your spiritual journey. No prior art experience is necessary—just an openness to creativity and spirit.
Bible Raps: Old and New (Testament)
What happens when sacred text meets beat and rhyme? Rev. Jaron Varner and Rabbi Adam Mayer explore connections between Jewish and Christian scripture through rap, storytelling, and conversation. Together, they model an interfaith dialogue rooted in curiosity, creativity, and respect.
Building Bridges Across Difference
How do we meet one another across lines of difference—faith, culture, identity, or perspective—with openness and compassion? This interactive session invites us to practice deep listening, shared creativity, and tools for connection that honor diversity while fostering community.
Breathe Sing Exhale
Looking for an experience to share with your community that combines meditation, song, and intentional group sharing. Breathe – Sing – Exha
Circle Singing
Experience the joy of spontaneous music-making in community through layered vocal patterns and playful improvisation. No experience needed—just your voice and a willingness to join the circle.
Create Your Own Jewish Hip Hop Track
Study Jewish text, build a beat, write lyrics, and record an original collaborative track with members of Rappers and Rabbis. Guided by Rabbi Adam Mayer and the R&R team, participants will explore how Torah, rhythm, and creativity can come together in a powerful new form of expression.
Creative Writing Playground
With Sukkot in mind, discover what you have planted and what you may be harvesting. Expect the unexpected in a supportive, inspiring space spiced with laughter and reflection, playful prompts and exercises that help you to open to your creative side. Here, the critic and sensor have no power. Ignite your inner light.
Healing Earth Music
Join in songs that connect us to the earth, to one another, and to the healing power of music. Through harmonies and heart-centered repertoire, we’ll explore how music can nurture resilience, hope, and renewal.
High Holiday Remix
Revisit the music and moments that shaped this year’s High Holiday experience—what lifted us up, what felt fresh, and what could be reimagined. A roundtable to share new melodies and popular songs that fit the Holy Days, best practices, and new ideas to spark inspiration for next year.
Hip-Hop Musicology
Journey through the evolution of Black music—from ring shout and spirituals to jazz and hip hop—with master educator Ali Richardson. Through storytelling, live music, call-and-response, and conversation, this interactive session explores music as a path toward liberation, resilience, and shared understanding across Jewish and African American traditions.
Holy Drumming 101
Experience the spiritual power of rhythm as we explore drumming techniques that awaken body, spirit, and community connection. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn basic strokes, practice simple patterns, and discover how rhythm can be a pathway to prayer, meditation, and joy. Drums will be provided, or bring your own if you have one.
Holy Drumming 201
Build on the foundations of rhythm as we move into more advanced techniques and complex patterns. This workshop will explore how drumming can deepen prayer, energize communal song, and create sacred space through layered rhythm and improvisation. Prior drumming experience is helpful.
Illuminated Journey: The Art of Visual Midrash
Discover how Visual Midrash—art as sacred interpretation—brings Torah to life through word, image, and prayer. In this inspiring lecture, we’ll explore how beauty, meaning, and spiritual reflection intertwine to illuminate our journey with Torah.
Jewish Folklore, Mythology, and Midrash
How can the whimsy and charm of Jewish stories deepen our connection to the Holy One, enliven words of Torah, and ignite the divine sparks within our communities? Explore how folklore, mythology, and midrash can inspire learners of all ages and bring tradition to life in meaningful and engaging ways.
Joyful Heart Song Circle
A radiant space where song becomes prayer and laughter becomes harmony. Celebrate community and renewal through melodies that heal and inspire.
Judaism in Rural America
What does Jewish life look like when the nearest synagogue is hours away? No mikvah, no Jewish funeral home, limited access to kosher food—yet vibrant Jewish identity persists. Join us to explore the unique challenges and unexpected gifts of rural Jewish living, and hear stories from those creating and sustaining community in these settings.
Laughter Yoga
Experience the healing power of laughter through playful exercises that combine joy, breath, and gentle movement. This energizing workshop is for all bodies and promises smiles, relaxation, and connection.
“Make Believe” and the Spiritual Practice of Play
Reclaim play as sophisticated theological work — not childish, but foundational. Use the meaning-making processes that our children instinctively know and our ancestors practiced with rigor and joy. Here we’ll have permission to play, to practice, to receive and to transmit in co-creation with our inherited Jewish imagination. This workshop also features original scholarship identifying new spiritual “Types of Play” embedded in Jewish religious practice.
Music That Rocks the Preschool Classroom
For music educators and anyone who loves singing with little ones, this workshop offers engaging songs, movement, and playful strategies to light up a preschool classroom. Discover how to make music irresistible for tots while keeping yourself energized and inspired.
Musical Meditation
A musical guided offering for grounding, gratitude and aligning with source and self. Join in soulful song, gentle movement and meditation.
My Two Shekels
Songwriting circles are designed to help you grow as a composer. Would you like help knowing if your song works? Needs a bridge? Makes sense to the listener? Could benefit from chord changes? Bring your song-baby to the group for helpful and supportive feedback, which you can take or toss—it’s your song!
One, Two, Tree: Songs for Tu BiShvat
Celebrate Tu BiShvat through song and connection to the natural world. Discover music and ideas to bring themes of growth, renewal, and nature into your teaching and community.
Pop-Up A Cappella Choir
Join a joyful, short-term a cappella ensemble led by a platinum album–producing a cappella artist. Through accessible, contemporary arrangements and dynamic group rehearsal, we’ll build harmony, blend, and connection. Our time together will culminate in sharing our music with the Shir Chadash community—perhaps woven into a service moment.
Prayer as Affirmation
Get ready to be blessed with abundant gratitude as together we explore the concept of “Prayer as Affirmation.” Together we’ll consider how practicing this kind of divine relationship might teach us how to affirm ourselves and others. Get ready to sing songs that teach us to be good to ourselves and discover a new way to relate to prayers and praying.
Psalm of the Day: Shir Shel Yom
Each day of the week is accompanied by a traditional psalm, offering a spiritual rhythm that grounds us in sacred time. In this workshop we’ll explore the psalm of the day with simple practices and small nuggets of wisdom to carry into daily life.
Remixing Prayers
Join Rachel Haymer of Rappers and Rabbis for a hands-on exploration of prayer, rhythm, and songwriting. Learn what makes a memorable hook, experiment with putting sacred text to a beat, and collaborate on remixing a prayer into something fresh, musical, and communal.
Sacred Space
A hevruta-style experience of reflection and listening for beauty. Come prepared to share from a place of vulnerability.
Sacred Tech: A Roundtable on Digital Tools
From iPads to Zoom and beyond, from visual tefillah to sheet music apps, technology has reshaped how we lead and experience prayer, performance and musical organization. Join this roundtable to share tips, tricks, and tools that help us bring creativity, connection, and ease into our holy work.
Shabbat Table Z’mirot
Rekindle the tradition of singing around the Shabbat table with spirited z’mirot that weave together harmony, memory, and joy. Participants will learn melodies, harmonies, and ways to bring the songs alive in their own homes or communities.
Shirenu 2: Let’s Get Crackin!
Join us as we explore the vibrant new melodies emerging from Transcontinental’s newest edition of Shireinu Vol II This workshop is a chance to dive into fresh musical voices, discover inspiring settings, and get these tunes into your ears, your hands, and your communities. Whether you’re brand new to these songs or already humming along, come ready to listen, learn, and sing together.
Songleading Workshop
Reignite the joy of songleading with a mix of basics, advanced techniques, and time-tested tricks to energize any group. Bring your guitar, capo (and cut-capo if you have one), and get ready to sing, play, and lead with confidence and creativity.
Songwriting Playground
Whether you are new to songwriting, an experienced songwriter trying to break out of a rut, or just looking for more tools for your toolbox, this session is for you. We will play in the songwriting playground with music and lyrics prompts and writing exercises.
Spiritual Mapping: The Treasure Map of You
As you traverse worlds in sacred story, time and space, let the collective compass guide you on this, your personal treasure map of life. Sometimes you need the infinite possibility of l’olam ul’almei almaya, and sometimes va’yinafash catches your breath in a sigh of release and rest. Calling all curious travelers, including prayer leaders and educators. No experience necessary.
Storytelling for Community Healing
Explore how storytelling can open pathways to healing and resilience within community. In this highly interactive workshop, we’ll share a Jewish folktale and learn a model for eliciting stories that help communities move through trauma together.
Swing Out: Jazzy Snazzy Jewish Tunes
Explore jazz-infused Jewish music through rhythm, improvisation, and soulful expression. From familiar melodies to fresh interpretations, come ready to groove and swing together.
Teaching Hebrew and Judaism Through Music and Art
How can our Hebrew and religious school classrooms be enriched through music, art, and play? Explore how to choose thematic music and integrate creative modalities to build vibrant, engaging learning experiences that keep students inspired and coming back for more.
The Neuroscience of Storytelling
Discover the art and science behind stories that inspire and heal. Through shared stories, practical insights, and lively discussion, we’ll deepen our understanding of how storytelling works in the brain and how to use it with intention, to allow our abilities as human storytellers to take root and blossom.
Threads of Connection: Creative Tzitzit Tying
Discover the beautiful and ancient mitzvah of tzitzit in this hands-on workshop where you’ll learn the traditional knots and the spiritual meanings behind them. Experiment with alternative materials, colors, and creative approaches that reflect your own values and style. Take home a handmade reminder of covenant, continuity, and connection.
Topical Tunes: Songs of the Moment
What do we write songs about, and why? Which comes first: the words, the music, or the prayer? Explore the creative craft behind Topical, a show of story-songs drawn from politics, memory, grief, and humour, fresh from the Edinburgh Festival. Whether or not you’re a songwriter, you’ll gain an insider’s view of how music can capture the moment, blending narrative, contemporary themes, and musical integrity while still touching the heart. With live examples, some irreverent discussion, and a few surprises, you might be inspired to write your own topical songs!
Vocal Percussion: Rhythm of the Body
Discover the art of creating rhythm using only your voice in this high-energy workshop led by a platinum album–producing a cappella artist. Learn basic beatboxing sounds, build grooves, and explore how vocal percussion can energize communal singing—no experience needed.
Where Broadway and Torah Meet
Discover the surprising connections between Broadway show tunes and timeless Torah wisdom. Based on the popular Verses podcast, this engaging session explores how lyrics and stories from the stage can illuminate our sacred texts and bring new meaning to Jewish life.