The Deep Nourishment of Jewish Prayer as Personal Practice
May 3, 2026
Most of us were taught the what of Jewish prayer, but never the how.
Josh Jacobs-Velde has served as the co-rabbi, along with his wife Daria Jacobs-Velde, of Reconstructing Judaism-affiliate Oseh Shalom in Laurel, Maryland, since 2017. Prior to that, he and Daria co-led Jewish communities in Sebastopol, California, and Youngstown, Ohio.Â
A 2011 graduate of RRC, he also has a deep connection to the Jewish Renewal movement and is a member of both the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and Ohalah, the Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal. Passionate about developing a Jewish contemplative spiritual practice that can support and transform our lives, he is currently at work on a book provisionally titled Doing the Divine Thing: Creating and Sustaining a Nourishing Jewish Prayer Practice. He is also passionate about drawing on Jewish teachings to deepen and heal our connection to the natural world. He lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.
Most of us were taught the what of Jewish prayer, but never the how.
Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde discusses the power of Exodus 25:8, as the line evokes the possibility for spiritual transformation within the human body, as we seek to discover the sanctuary contained within ourselves.
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