Tohu Wisdom School
of Jewish Nonduality
Tohu Wisdom School is Rami's signature weaving of Jewish mysticism, Zen & Yogacara 'mind only' schools of Buddhism, with meditation, musical prayer traditions, informed by new and old multidisciplinary modalities*. Tohu Wisdom School is singularly dedicated to mining the depths of Jewish texts, liturgy and calendar cycles as pointers to human awareness, perception, non-dual consciousness, the sense of self, its yearning & devotion towards and as the experience of Mystery.
* Trauma-informed mindfulness; Three Tenets of the Zen Peacemakers; IFS: Self-leadership & parts-work; Nonviolent Communication (NVC); Way of Council; Cross-cultural peace-building; entheogenic plant medicine.
תֹ֙הוּ֙ Tohu
is first mentioned in the second sentence of the book Bereshit (Genesis) referring to the a priori infinity-totality (commonly interpreted as the void or emptiness) that existed before any form, and over which the awareness of Elohim (the multi-faced, centerless aspect of God) hovered. Kabbalah teaches that it is the only source from which tikkun (healing, repair of the brokeness of the world) rises.
Person of Tohu
Tohu Wisdom School aspires to train one as a Person of Tohu: one who practices their Brit, a covenant with reality itself - to return their awareness, moment after moment, and partner with this very reality, grounded in Not Knowing, aware of ancestors as causality, creative, and porous.
Nazir: Temple of One & Hebrew Peacemaker are two forms Rami’s own Person of Tohu may take. He encourages students to articulate their own forms with which they may appear in the world.
Yearn into Awareness
Affirming a long line of Jewish & world mystics and philosophers, with silent meditation & original visualizations as its core practices, weaving radical interiority, prayer & hassidic dvekus niggunim (absorptive melodies of yearning), with creative artistic expression. Tohu WS intends to close the gap between yearning, devotional practice one may be accustomed to normative places of worship, and with nondual awareness. Tohu WS is inspired by, yet untethered to, any school or tradition. It aims at self-realization and freedom of mind from a uniquely, and unique, Jewish lens.
For Individuals & Groups
Open to all, of all background and orientations.
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Private Sessions
Texts study, instructions in meditation & prayer journey, ancestral chaplaincy, application to peacemaking and social action.
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Spiritual Direction
Weaving spiritual, vocational, ancestral, personal calling.
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Public Retreats & Events
In groups or in public, in person or online, exploring, studying and engaging practices to pierce into not knowing, and the Ancestral:Emergent field.
Testimonials
Essays
Over three evenings Rabbi Rami Avraham Efal met with practitioners to meditate, practice absorption using niggunim hassidic melodies, and dive into the wisdom of the Talmud, the 1500 year old tome of Jewish wisdom, through fresh nondual eyes. Reflecting on the story of Khuma Drops her Sleeve (Ketubot 65a:9) Gamliel and the Moons (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 2:8,) and Reb Yossei Praying in a Ruin (Berakhot 3a:12.)