keren abrams, ma, is an ordained "omana'ya", a jewish ritual artist and spiritual guide. her work is based in universal spiritual principles as well as in the hebrew heritage. she is a practitioner and teacher in the art and science of ritual and healing arts, movement and dance, and embodied consciousness.

keren founded the "omana'ya" center for hebrew heritage and healing arts through which she offers teaching, holy day ceremony, healing rites, spiritual guidance, and officiation for lifecycle rituals, both in the united states and israel. she is one of three founding teachers of the new santa fe institute for kabala (habirus school). keren's ordination is from hamakom institute in israel, in the lineage of reb zalman schachter-shalomi. while independent of any affiliation, keren is in close association with the jewish renewal movement, and an authorized "shali'akh" of reb zalman.

keren created the body-of-work titled "movement medicine arts" (mma), springing from two decades of dance arts, somatic practices, ritual and ceremony creation, committed personal practices, inner research, direct insighting, and text study. keren is also a seasoned professional dancer, teacher and practitioner of "authentic movement", yoga, and contact improvisation. she founded "the OneDance" in collaboration with a band of musicians/movers, a unique form of dance/music/voice improvisation which explores the power of collective consciousness.

keren holds an MA in interdisciplinary art from san francisco state university, and has been a collaborative student with arye bursztyn in Israel, suprapto suryodarma in java, and sarah shelton mann in san francisco, where she also co-created rujeko performance collaboration. she has taught courses in dance and other movement arts at numerous colleges, universities and festivals, as well as self produced workshops for the last 20 years. (click here for full c.v.)

keren is fluent in hebrew and traditional jewish liturgical chant as well as being practiced in voice and drumming. keren has traveled extensively - to africa, indonesia and israel - participating in ritual and dance arts. she continues a close rapport with communities in israel, teaching movement arts, movement ritual and embodied kabala, and experiencing paths of hebrew heritage wisdom and kibbutz collective living.


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from ordination for omana'ya, minister of jewish ritual and prayer:

i recommend any community and individual to be assisted by her in the paths of their life-rituals. i trust her to lead the people in meaningful and artistic rituals with full respect to themselves, as well as to the earth and all of her inhabitants. she is trusted to be drawing her inspiration from the deep well of the ancient and ever-renewing tradition of the Hebrews, since our tribal roots to the late rabbinic periods, with the openness to the reunion of this tradition with all other wisdom and divine peace-seeking traditions of the world. "may the sweet-pleasantness of adonai our source-of-powers be upon us and prepare the workings of our hands..." (psalms)

-- rabbi ohad yisrael nisi ezrachi, israel

contact...

omana'ya center
keren khaya abrams, omana'ya
505-349-4009