Rabbi James Jacobson Maisels

Rabbi Dr. James Jacobson-Maisels, known as Rav James, is the founder and spiritual director of Or HaLev: Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation. Or HaLev describes itself as a Jewish path to a more vibrant, whole and awakened life through mindfulness and innovative Jewish practice.

He was ordained by Rav Daniel Landes and holds a doctorate in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago. He lectures internationally on Jewish spiritual practices and teaches at Haifa University, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Yeshivat Hadar. He describes himself as a devotee of mindfulness practice, and he strives to integrate his study with his practice and to live Judaism as a spiritual discipline.

Through Or HaLev he leads an open meditation group and teaches classes that explore the Jewish roots of mindfulness and other spiritual practices. The center also organizes silent Jewish meditation retreats, both virtual and in person. The retreats are held in social silence, with meditation instruction, communal chanting and prayer, and regular meetings with the teachers. The approach is pluralistic and welcomes people from all backgrounds and traditions.

Rav James has spoken about how he first encountered meditation and how the practice has shaped his life, and he has been a guest on the podcast Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis.