At The Well

At The Well
Connecting Women Through Jewish Time

At The Well envisions a world where women feel connected to Jewish wisdom and to each other. Rooted in the ritual of women gathering on the new moon (Rosh Chodesh), it uses the Hebrew calendar as a tool for well-being and present-moment awareness. What began about 10 years ago as a personal newsletter now reaches roughly 25,000 people. It also includes a paid membership community, the Collective.

Small Group Vision: Well Circles

Lay-led Well Circles have been at the heart of At The Well since its founding. Until now, most of them formed organically, inspired by its content. This year the organization is taking a more hands-on role: it will help launch and support 10 circles of 8–12 women each. The circles meet monthly from Cheshvan through Iyar, roughly October to May.

Circles meet online or in person, often rotating among members’ homes and sharing a meal. Some leaders will gather people they already know, while At The Well will match others by shared affinity or age. Roughly half the circles will draw from the Collective and half from outside it. Rather than providing funding or space, At The Well offers content, coaching, and moral support.

At The Well treats Jewish wisdom as a centuries-old practice of using Torah to make meaning in daily life

Accessible Jewish Wisdom

At The Well invites women to ask: What do the texts say? What do our ancestors say? What do you say? It treats Jewish wisdom as a centuries-old practice of using Torah to make meaning in daily life. It draws especially on spiritual texts about embodiment and time, from the Baal Shem Tov and Hasidut to Heschel. Content follows the themes of each Hebrew month, through a monthly guide shared with its full audience.

Each session follows a Rosh Chodesh flow. Women arrive and gather, then a ritual such as candle lighting opens the circle. Someone shares a teaching on the month, followed by discussion or journaling and an optional embodiment practice or meditation. The circle closes by setting intentions for the month ahead. Participants range in age from their 20s to their 80s and span the full spectrum of Jewish connection, from unaffiliated women to Jewish teachers.

Peer Leadership Model

Leadership in Well Circles is shared. An “igniter” gets each circle started, and then facilitation and hosting rotate monthly among members, so one woman leads Cheshvan, another Kislev, and so on. Igniters come mostly from At The Well’s existing audience and are chosen for their initiative and commitment rather than any credential.

Circles start from At The Well’s starter package, and the organization is creating new facilitation-focused content for this grant, along with direct access to its team for support. The approach is simple: here is a model, now make it your own. The session’s arc stays consistent, while each circle shapes its content and practices to fit its members.

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