Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Jewish Spiritual Education and Mindfulness Servicesjewishspirituality.org

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that teaches Jewish mindfulness meditation, contemplative prayer, and spiritual formation to lay individuals, young adults, clergy, and identity-affinity Jewish communities through free online programming, application-based cohort training, and immersive retreats.

Company typePrivate
Founded1999
HeadquartersNew York, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Institute for Jewish Spirituality does

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 and headquartered in New York City. Its mission is to teach Jewish spiritual practices by integrating ancient Jewish wisdom traditions (meditation, contemplative text study, middot/character cultivation, embodied practice, and contemplative prayer) with contemporary mindfulness science. The organization serves multiple segments — individuals seeking Jewish spiritual growth, rabbinic and lay clergy, young adults in their 20s and 30s, and identity-affinity communities (LGBTQ+, Jews of Color/Sephardim-Mizrahim, people with disabilities, and older adults via Wise Aging).

IJS operates a layered product portfolio. Free entry points include a daily online meditation sit (Monday-Friday), an online Jewish yoga studio, Josh's Friday Reflections, affinity-based monthly sits, a Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Starter Kit, and four active podcast series (Weekly Meditation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Jewish Meditation for Everyone, Soulful Jewish Living, Open My Heart). Paid and application-based offerings include structured online courses (The Gift of Awareness for individuals and educators, Awareness in Action, Text Study 5786), cohort-based training programs (Clergy Leadership Program, Kivvun, Kol Dodi Jewish Spiritual Director Training, Yesod, Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training), and in-person retreats (Refuge in the Ark at Garrison Institute; Returning Anew for young adults in West Cornwall, CT).

The technology footprint is conventional: a WordPress website optimized via NitroPack, Zoom for live virtual programming, Vimeo for on-demand content, and standard podcast distribution channels. Distribution extends globally via virtual channels and regionally through local Shevet collectives in Brooklyn, East Bay, and Cambridge/Somerville. Revenue is generated through a freemium pricing model (free content funnels audiences into paid cohorts and retreats) supplemented by foundation grants (Covenant, Schusterman, Jim-Joseph, Crown Family Philanthropies, UJA-Federation, John Templeton, Angel, Aviv, Becker) and individual donor contributions (monthly giving, DAF gifts, legacy gifts, dedicated sponsorships). The organization holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating and the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Institute for Jewish Spirituality firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Legal name: Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Website: https://jewishspirituality.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1999
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that teaches Jewish mindfulness meditation, contemplative prayer, and spiritual formation to lay individuals, young adults, clergy, and identity-affinity Jewish communities through free online programming, application-based cohort training, and immersive retreats.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Institute for Jewish Spirituality industry classification

Industry

Product category: Jewish Spiritual Education and Mindfulness Services
NAICS: Religious Organizations (8131)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE), Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA)

Keywords

Jewish mindfulness meditation
Spiritual director training
Contemplative Jewish retreats
Clergy leadership development
Hasidic text study

Where Institute for Jewish Spirituality is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: New York
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Institute for Jewish Spirituality business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Foundation Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, IJS relies heavily on foundation support from organizations like the Covenant Foundation, Schusterman Foundation, Jim-Joseph Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, and many others. Individual donations are solicited through the website.
Program Fees: Revenue generated from paid cohort programs, retreats, and courses including Clergy Leadership Program, Kivvun, Yesod, and in-person retreats. Application-based programs with associated tuition fees.
Donor Contributions: Monthly giving programs, legacy gifts, DAF (Donor Advised Fund) gifts, and dedicated sponsorships for programs like the Daily Sit are encouraged through the website.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Free Resources - Daily meditation, yoga, podcasts, starter kit
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Free - Weekly virtual sits and meditation library
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Free - Events and retreats (many events free, some paid)

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Institute for Jewish Spirituality product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality teaches Jewish mindfulness meditation, contemplative practice, and spiritual formation through free daily sits, online self-paced courses, cohort-based training programs for clergy and lay leaders, multi-day silent retreats, and podcast content. Offerings integrate Hasidic text study, embodied practices (yoga), contemplative prayer, and character cultivation (tikkun middot) for individuals ranging from beginners to ordained rabbis.

Product overview

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality offers a comprehensive portfolio of spiritual education programs and mindfulness resources centered on Jewish tradition. The organization's offerings span free community practices (daily meditation sits, yoga, affinity groups for specific communities), structured online courses (The Gift of Awareness in multiple formats), cohort-based training programs (Clergy Leadership, Kivvun, Kol Dodi, Yesod, Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training), immersive retreats (Refuge in the Ark, Returning Anew for young adults), podcasts (Weekly Meditation, Jewish Meditation for Everyone, Soulful Jewish Living, Open My Heart), and a directory of trained spiritual directors. The portfolio includes offerings for all levels from beginners to advanced practitioners, with specific programming for young adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, Jews of Color, people with disabilities, and clergy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Shevet: Shevet: A Jewish Mindfulness Community for Young Adults - a sacred space for those in their 20s and 30s to cultivate presence, explore mindfulness-based Jewish teachings, and deepen connections with themselves, others, and the Divine.
Kol Dodi

Products and services

Daily Online Meditation Sit

Quantifiable outcome

Thousands of people helped annually since 1999
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Institute for Jewish Spirituality technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Institute for Jewish Spirituality partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

OpenDor Media (Unpacked)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership for the 'Soulful Jewish Living' podcast, bringing IJS teachings to Unpacked's audience of Jewish millennials and Gen Z.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Institute for Jewish Spirituality competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

OpenDor Media (Unpacked): Jewish educational media company that co-produces the 'Soulful Jewish Living' podcast with IJS. Comparable as a content-led Jewish education brand targeting millennials/Gen Z with similar podcast and digital reach.
Or HaLev: Jewish meditation community teaching contemplative Jewish practice through classes, retreats, and a teacher training program. A core direct peer sharing meditation-as-Jewish-spiritual-practice positioning.
My Jewish Learning: Large online Jewish education platform offering articles, courses, and resources across Jewish topics. Comparable as a digital-first Jewish education destination with broad content library and similar audience segmentation.
Ayeka: Jewish spiritual education organization offering cohort-based teacher training and contemplative text study rooted in Jewish wisdom. Closely parallels IJS's Clergy Leadership and Yesod cohorts and teacher-training mission.
Romemu: NYC-based Jewish spiritual community blending Jewish mysticism, meditation, and embodied practice. Directly comparable as a Jewish spirituality organization serving overlapping adult seeker audiences with similar programming (sits, classes, teacher figures).
Center for Jewish Mindfulness (Chicago): Chicago-based Jewish meditation community co-founded by Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell (an IJS Senior Core Faculty). Tightly overlapping educational mission and audience with IJS.
Mechon Hadar: Independent Jewish learning institution offering Torah study, clergy skills, and educational programs at depth. Comparable as a nonprofit offering Jewish adult learning and leadership formation.
Isabella Freedman Center: Jewish retreat center hosting immersive Jewish learning, meditation, and spiritual practice retreats. Directly comparable for IJS's 'Refuge in the Ark' and 'Returning Anew' retreat offerings.

Broad incumbents

Ten Percent Happier: Secular meditation app and content brand; not Jewish-specific but competes for generalist mindfulness seekers with secular positioning. Useful benchmark on secular scale/commercialization that IJS could emulate in Jewish segmentation.
Chabad.org: Largest Jewish educational publisher/distributor with extensive classes, articles, and teacher network. Broader incumbent that operates Jewish teaching at scale overlapping IJS's curriculum and rabbinical authority positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Institute for Jewish Spirituality financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Institute for Jewish Spirituality leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Institute for Jewish Spirituality funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Institute for Jewish Spirituality M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Jewish Spirituality

What does Institute for Jewish Spirituality do?

Is Institute for Jewish Spirituality a public or private company?

Institute for Jewish Spirituality is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Institute for Jewish Spirituality founded?

Institute for Jewish Spirituality was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Institute for Jewish Spirituality based?

Institute for Jewish Spirituality is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.

How does Institute for Jewish Spirituality make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are program Fees and donor Contributions.

Who are Institute for Jewish Spirituality's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are OpenDor Media (Unpacked), Or HaLev, My Jewish Learning, Ayeka, Romemu, Center for Jewish Mindfulness (Chicago), Mechon Hadar and Isabella Freedman Center. Broad incumbents are Ten Percent Happier and Chabad.org.

Does Institute for Jewish Spirituality have an API?

No public API is recorded for Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

What industry is Institute for Jewish Spirituality in?

Institute for Jewish Spirituality's product category is Jewish Spiritual Education and Mindfulness Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAD, Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis), with a secondary code of HSADAJAA, Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8200.