How to Become a Spiritual Director/Mashpiach in Canada: Deep Listening, Inner Wisdom, & Sacred Companionship
Known as Hashpa’ah, the path of spiritual direction begins with a longing to help others listen for the sacred within their own lives. In Canada, spiritual directors accompany individuals through questions of meaning, identity, faith, and personal transformation. Rather than offering answers, they create spaciousness for reflection, discernment, and authentic spiritual growth.
Formal training in spiritual direction is offered through programs such as the ALEPH Hashpa’ah Training and other accredited institutions. Yet many seekers begin long before enrolling in a program through personal practice, contemplative study, and the cultivation of presence, curiosity, and compassion.
What Does a Spiritual Director Do?
A spiritual director is a companion on the journey of inner life. Their work involves attentive listening, reflective dialogue, and helping individuals notice where meaning, longing, and sacred presence are emerging. Spiritual directors do not diagnose or advise; instead, they hold space for exploration, insight, and spiritual unfolding.
Spiritual directors often draw on practices such as meditation, chant, sacred text study, and embodied awareness. They support seekers in connecting with their own wisdom, deepening their spiritual practice, and cultivating a more intimate relationship with the Divine.
Jewish Spiritual Renewal & Being a Spiritual Director
Within Jewish Renewal, spiritual direction is understood as a relational and heart-centred practice. It draws on meditation, chant, embodied awareness, and the wisdom of Jewish mystical traditions. Spiritual directors help individuals notice the movement of the Divine in their lives and support them in living with greater intention and spiritual alignment.
ALEPH Canada supports those exploring this calling by offering learning opportunities, community connections, and access to Jewish Renewal’s contemplative approach to spiritual leadership. Rooted in egalitarian values, deep listening, and a commitment to spiritual authenticity, Jewish Renewal invites future spiritual directors to cultivate presence not only as a skill, but as a way of being in the world.
Other Pathways in Jewish Spiritual Leadership
Spiritual direction is one of several meaningful avenues for those called to serve the Jewish community. ALEPH Canada also supports individuals exploring rabbinic leadership, cantorial work, chaplaincy, and other forms of sacred service. Each path reflects Jewish Renewal’s commitment to contemplative practice, creative prayer, and the ongoing evolution of Jewish spiritual life.
ALEPH Canada’s role is to help seekers discern which path aligns with their gifts and aspirations, and to connect them with the programs where formal training and certification take place.
Learn more about ALEPH Canada and discover how you can support our work by donating today.