Spiritual Guidance & Chaplaincy
Drawing from a wide range of Jewish and Eastern thought and practices, I offer holistic spiritual accompaniment. Through practices such as breathwork, meditation, visual guidance, creative writing and movement, Zen exercises, prayer, poetry, and ancestral and spiritual texts. I will help you realign with your values and cultivate self-compassion and presence as we reflect and bear witness to the intuitive formation of your being and becoming. I believe in lifelong learning and in creating accessible entry points into your spiritual life with the hope of sharpening your own sense of belonging and meaning within your relationships, community, and spiritual inclination/tradition.
Over the past two three I served as a chaplain and a spiritual guide, providing ongoing pastoral care and spiritual accompaniment to diverse populations including incarcerated people at Rikers’ Island. I also served over a hundred senior healthcare patients facing acute disease, chronic illness, dementia and end-of-life care needs, as well as patients in recovery from substance abuse, sexual addictions, and alcoholism.
My Experience
Chaplain Resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital, 2023-2024
Spiritual Guide at Rikers Island Jail, 2021-2024
Graduate of the Annual Foundations of Zen in contemplative care at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, 2022-2023
Graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Spiritual Direction Program, 2023-2025
TESTIMONIALS:
Rabbi Yonatan is passionate about caring for people in distress.
I have worked closely with Yonatan and can attest to his facility with providing spiritual care. He brings a unique combination of spiritual arts to his care, including movement, meditation, mindfulness and accompaniment.
He has experience working with people of different faiths and different ages in their journeys with illness and in the process of dying. His deep understanding of spiritual longing infuses his work.
Rabbi Mychal Springer, ACPE Certified Educator
As a spiritual director, Yonatan demonstrates exceptional active listening skills, allowing him to deeply understand and connect with individuals on their spiritual journeys. His high emotional intelligence and authenticity create a safe space for open dialogue. His compassion, flexibility, and adaptability ensure that he can cater to the unique needs of each person he works with. Yonatan has a unique ability to navigate various emotional landscapes with insight that truly sets him apart as a spiritual director.
Jake Toler MS, LPC
Friendswood, TX
Yonatan is a gifted, intuitive, compassionate spiritual guide, able to draw on Judaism, Buddhism and contemplative practices and fluent in the language of the heart and the emotions.
Rabbi Michael Ramberg, Jewish Student Advisor
and Interfaith Center Co-Director, Swarthmore College
Yonatan brings a spirit of gentleness and open-hearted presence that beautifully balances his orderliness and professionalism. His multifaceted background allows him to connect with a diversity of individuals as he brings his “ministry of presence” to invite his clients to share vulnerably, explore deep questions around meaning-making, and dream into their future selves. Yonatan not only helps people see the light within themselves, but he has the gifts and skills to ignite their understanding of their own path forward. I highly recommend Yonatan as a spiritual guide and educator, chaplain, ritual facilitator, and conflict mediator. He brings structure, balance, dedication and compassion to each space he enters.
Alex Soran
“With Yonatan, I discovered my inner Torah ( Wisdom). Weekly, we incorporated meditation, movement and prayer into our spiritual counseling sessions. As a woman in recovery, I felt supported and listened to as we nurtured my desire to spontaneously pray without censorship. “
L. from Florida, US