Kindness, positive energy...spiritual wisdom

Rabbi Sara,

Thank you so much for everything that you did to make our wedding ceremony so incredibly special! Your warmth, good humor, kindness and positive energy made our time under the chuppah unforgettable!

You have such a dynamic spirit, a gorgeous singing voice and a spiritual wisdom that shines so brightly! We are very lucky to have you in our lives!

Love,

Reflection of Light

Dearest Sara,

As Jews around the world acknowledge this week as
the Festival of Light, I am made warm and shown the way by the light you reflect.

Moving, inspirational, thought provoking, joyous Ceremony

Dear Rabbi Sara:

Hi, Hello, How are you? Greetings from the beach. Thank you so much for such a great wedding ceremony! Everything went well and smoothly.

Your wedding ceremony was moving, inspirational, fun, thought provoking, solemn, hopeful, joyous and creative. We truly felt blessed on our wedding day. Every single person in attendance really loved your service! One couple told us they wanted to be married again by you!

Hopefully we will see you again soon. Again, thanks for everything.

Exquisite, personal, meaningful and moving ceremony

Hello Rabbi Sara,

I have not been in touch with you in almost two years since you preformed our wonderful and eternally memorable wedding ceremony. Leo and I were married on Jan. 15, 2006 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco (just to give you a context of who I am) and you created for us such an exquisite, personal, meaningful and moving ceremony despite your having a flu and feeling totally sick before hand (which we never would have guessed until you told us days later, and no, neither of us got sick then.)

Anyway, we are at a new milestone in our lives as I am pregnant with a baby boy. He is due in mid-March.

Best Service

Sara,

I feel truly honored to be playing music with people I so highly respect musically and spiritually. I feel very blessed, and look forward to going deeper.

I must tell you about my Dad. He came for Erev Rosh, and he said it was the best Chochmat service he's ever come to. My dad is a notoriously tough customer, particularly in things spiritual, but the fact that he came, stayed the whole night, and then couldn't stop complimenting the "three women that led the service," is a testament to you and others. I, too, thought you did a wonderful job.



May we continue to integrate whatever wisdom is coming in.

thanks again...

Yari

We couldn't be happier

Hello Rabbi,

Yes, we are walking in heaven. Our families loved the ceremony; we couldn't be happier. You were amazing, thank you for everything. We feel very blessed.

All our love,
Brett & Stacy

Rabbi Shendelman welcomes a new you

Rabbi Sara Shendelman invites you to enter High Holy Day services as if you’re arriving at your own wedding—the community as a whole and each person individually are your bride and beloved at this soulful and uplifting journey into the new year.

Let the joy and solemnity of being embraced by your beloved sift down through you, until gratitude and prayer well up in response.

Witness your soul bloom as your voice unties in song with others.

As your defenses and tensions melt away, enter the new year a spirit unprotected, cleansed—opened.

Celebrate the fall High Holy Days
with Rabbi Shendelman and the Chochmat HaLev extended community
Opening to the Beloved

Each year, we gather on the high holy days to pray for blessing in the coming year and to meditate on the deeds of our past. From Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, we examine ourselves, scrutinize our role in relationships, question our participation in the community, as well as the global impact of our lives.

This year, what if we choose to grow a little differently?
By opening.

What if we utilize the effort of internal inventory, to simply open to receiving the blessing that’s already all around us?
Life is here—in all its glory and challenge—waiting for us to experience it.

How much can you let in?
I Will Open To You My Beloved
Will You Open To Me

Blessing Ceremony honoring Rabbi Shendelman!

You are cordially invited to attend
the official "Blessing" ceremony
of Rabbi Sara Shendelman
on Saturday
the ninth of September,
two thousand and seven
at
Chochmat HaLev
2215 Prince St.
Berkeley CA 94705

Please join the extended community to share the blessings as Rabbi Gershon Winkler conducts a special ceremony to honor Rabbi Shendelman's anniversary of receiving smicha, recognizing her years of providing spiritual guidance, lighting the hearts, minds and souls of couples, students, new parents, newborns, and all attendees at religious and spiritual ceremonies where she has officiated.

The blessing will occur during Rabbi Winkler's talk "It's 5768--Do You Know Where You Are?" An evening of mind boggling wisdom from the Kabbalah that no one else is teaching, delving into the deeper meanings behind this intensive series of festivals: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Sh'mini Atzeret. Why so many in a single moon? What is it about autumn that makes the harvest festivals so cumbersome? Is there a lighter side to all of this? Come and find out with the rabbi from the far side. This evening is also a preview of Rabbi Gershon's upcoming 4-workshop series Life Cycling: Jewish Shamanic Wisdom of the Seasonal Celebrations, premiering this October.

Enjoy the celebration refreshments in honor of Rabbi Shendelman's deserved blessing.

You are the real deal!

"I am a wedding photographer seeking an officant for friends. In all my years of attending and photographing wedding ceremonies, I have witnessed a wide range and quantity of officiants. Sara, I honestly want you to know that you were my favorite of all those I have ever met. Your weddings are spiritual and bring in strong divine energy. The experience of what you contribute to the couple stands out in my memory as unique and unmatched. You are the real deal."

Preparing for the wedding

Dear Sara,

Here's your copy of the vows. We're each going to forward our individual
ones soon...

You are one of the most inspirational people we've met and can't thank you enough for your time, energy, and spirit you have shown through our few little pow-wows. We both love you and can't wait to see you again.

Thanks for being you

Sweet Seventh Anniversary

[My husband] and I are coming up on our 7th anniversary. I have thought of you so often over the years and each day celebrate the wonder of our wedding and our marriage. You helped us create something amazing.

You were a wonderful guide for us as we stepped forward to prepare ourselves with what and how we wanted our wedding, and with the surprises that came to us on that day and each day after. I mostly wanted to thank you, Sara, for such a precious ceremony for this couple who has deep faith in our marriage, our friendship and each other. Many blessings to you as you have given us!

The Happiest Day of My Life

Dear Rabbi Sara,

Erin and I were both really thrilled with the ceremony you created with us. I'm happy to hear that you got some amazing feedback from guests. I can easily say that the wedding was the happiest day of my life. We recorded the wedding and we enjoyed replaying it on our honeymoon. It was such a special day. Thank you for the essential part you played.

I had heard a rumor that you stayed late into the evening, but I wasn't sure, until now, that it was true. How about that! I'm glad you had a good time. God knows, we did! That sure was a good band, wasn't it?

The whirlwind that has been our life continues, though I think we are approaching the ground again. After the wedding we spent a week in Kauai, then, last Sunday, flew directly to our new home in Seattle. Erin has already started her Family Medicine residency and I am busy unpacking boxes and beginning to think about a job search. This certainly is an exciting time for us.

Thank you for the sweet message. All the best to you.

Thankful for the blessings of your wisdom, generosity and photographic talents

Dearest Sara,

Ed and I are delighting in married life! We think and speak of you often and send you blessings filled with loving, positive energy. Thank you so much more than words could ever express for creating the most beautiful ceremony, providing insights and words of wisdom, sharing the momento copy of our license, and taking wonderful photos.

How can it be that one beautifully sweet soul has so much talent in so many areas?? I know you are a superb photographer. I am so delighted that you were able to capture the special shot of me with my grandaughter, Abby.

It is a blessing to have you in our lives, and we bless you with prayers of happiness and fulfillment. You are loved and treasured, my wonderful friend,

Susan and Ed

Magnificent honeymoon followed Spectacular wedding ceremony

Hi Rabbi -

We just returned from our magnificent honeymoon on the north shore of Oahu last night and are adjusting to reality - it's been a while since we've been in it!!

Our wedding and ceremony were more spectacular than we could have ever dreamed and we are endlessly grateful to you for generously sharing your gifts and bringing such spirit and beauty to us.

Miraculous Bat Mitzvah Milestone

Dearest Sara,

What a gift you are to me in so many ways. You created a space for me to grow and heal and yet you pass the appreciation back to me. The pictures from the service capture your love, beauty and generosity of spirit towards my daughter, Torah and the community. Your teachings, talents and intentions created an experience that has never before been experienced during a Jewish service for all of the attendees.

You made it possible for me to enjoy myself, relax and actually be present with the joy and receive the love for my daughter's accomplishment, the community and my family. You blew me away with your gracious participation, endurance and knowledge of what works and what was important. You guaranteed a miracle for me to complete this milestone with my last child. Although all 3 binei mitzvot I did without my partner, this one I did not feel sad or loss with the happiness - I was not empty spiritualy or alone emotionally. I was satiated in a way I never felt before.

Thank you, thank you.

B'SHALOM VE'AHAVAH from myself, my children and my life,
C

Radiant Baby Naming

Hi Rabbi:

I just wanted to thank you once again for such a stellar officiation
(is that a word?) over Emmett's baby naming. I must tell you that you and
the entire event far exceeded our expectations, and it was truly a
moving and entirely memorable ceremony that we will not soon forget.
I loved how you brought everyone into the fold, and your voice and
radiant energy truly brought life to this gesture that we wanted to
share with family and friends. There's not a thing we would have done
differently! Thanks again, and a very happy new year to you,

Karen