For readers wishing to begin or deepen a Buddhist practice, several paths have proved valuable to me in Israel and abroad. What follows is a personal guide to the places, teachers, and forms of practice I have encountered along the way.
Starting Point: Introduction and Mindfulness
To begin, I recommend an MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) course. I began my own Buddhist practice with an eight-week introductory course. You can find introductory courses via Google, and Dr. Asaf Federman also trains MBSR teachers. During the winter, his students hold practicum courses across the country, which can be a good entry point. Visit Asaf Federman’s website.
You can also find urban and online courses for an introduction to Buddhism through the Tovana association: Tovana website.
Retreats, Teachers, and Meditation Centers in Israel
Tovana Association
Tovana is home to many highly regarded teachers. They offer retreats lasting three to ten days at the retreat center in Ein Dor (Jezreel Valley). Tovana is the primary association through which I deepened my Buddhist practice. They have amazing teachers who teach in other locations as well, whom I still learn from today and who accompany me on retreats in Israel and abroad.
- Cost: Retreats are offered on a Dana basis (no fixed cost; a donation is made to the association at the end of the retreat).
Newman – Vipassana Center in Yavne’el
This center offers courses in the tradition of Ajahn Tong (in the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw), which includes intensive mental ‘labeling’ practice. Courses range from 3 to 14 days. I have been to this center once in Israel and to another center of this tradition in Yangon, Myanmar. The practice is intensive and highly instructive. While I do not practice in this approach today, I nevertheless recommend experiencing it; it can be deeply instructive even when it does not become one’s primary practice.
- Cost: Here, too, the practice is on a Dana basis. Visit the Newman website.
Goenka Center in Degania – “Dhamma Pamoda”
Vipassana courses based on a technique of focusing on the breath during the first third of the course and body scanning for the remaining two-thirds. The courses comprise ten full days (arriving the evening before and finishing on the morning of the 12th day). I have completed several courses and learned a lot from the technique, though it is not my primary practice today. The practice can feel highly structured and, at times, technical, and yet it taught me a great deal about dedication and discipline.
- Cost: Dana. Visit the Degania center website.
Practice Abroad
Myanmar (Burma)
A Buddhist country with a strong tradition of retreats. In 2017, I spent 3 months in monasteries that function effectively as retreat centers. Payment for the retreat is via Dana. Please note: Currently (2026), it is not safe or recommended to visit Myanmar due to the military coup and the ongoing civil war, but it may be possible in the future. Furthermore, the methods I learned from are still active, and there are teachers who teach in their style around the world.
- Pa Auk: A monastery in southern and central Myanmar, one of the few that teaches the Jhanas. I spent a short time in Mawlamyine and the approach was very much to my liking, but the conditions were very basic. Monastery website | Center in Sri Lanka.
- Panditarama: A monastery in Yangon. U Pandita was a successor to Mahasi. His centers are very serious and intensive. I was there for two weeks; the experience was good and the conditions were good. The practice was too closed for me, but one can learn a lot from them. Center website | Lumbini center in Nepal.
- Shwee Oo Min: The monastery of Sayadaw U Tejaniya in Yangon. I was there for two months. The conditions are challenging, the method is amazing, and there is so much to learn from it regarding the understanding of the mind, effort, and investigation of phenomena. Currently, it is not possible to reach the monastery, but one can find teachers who teach inspired by Tejaniya. Link.
Thailand
- Boonkanjanaram: A retreat center surprisingly located in Pattaya (a coastal area in Thailand infamous primarily as a place for parties and sex tourism). I was there for two weeks and it was very successful. The practice is very open and the instructions are very minimal, but it is a good place for a personal retreat. Facebook link.
- Wat Suan Mokkh: A monastery in the tradition of Ajahn Buddhadasa, who was a monk and a revolutionary in the field of Dharma. The monastery is almost inactive; I was there for only one night, and the complex is spectacular and recommended for a visit. The part that is suitable for practice is their retreat center, which offers a 10-day retreat at the beginning of each month. I have not done it myself, but I have heard good things and recommendations, especially for beginners. Visit the center’s website.
- Wat Pah Nanachat: A monastery in the tradition of Ajahn Chah intended for monks and practitioners from all over the world. Everyone there speaks English, the level of practice and instruction is high, and the conditions are relatively good. I was there for two weeks before moving to a smaller practice monastery in the same tradition. I highly recommend it, noting in advance that there is a somewhat crowded feeling there (a lot of turnover and movement of people). Link.
- Wat Pah Poo Jom Gom: A monastery in the tradition of Ajahn Chah managed by the Israeli monk Ajahn Sukitho. This is a very special monastery where I stayed for two and a half months. My connection to the monks staying there and to the monastery manager was strong; I felt at home there. The environment is natural, open, and beautiful, the instruction and conditions are very good, and I recommend it. If you do not have prior acquaintance with Ajahn Sukitho, a way to get to know and reach the monastery is to come to “HaBayit BeGilad” in Tel Aviv (I understand they also have a group in Haifa). Additionally, you can also go to Wat Pah Nanachat and ask about this monastery there. More information via the Appamada association.
England, Germany, and the USA
- England – Gaia House: I did a 3-month personal retreat there. The conditions and teachers are very good; it was cold in the winter, but perfectly reasonable. The retreats are paid, and payment to the teachers is via Dana. There is an option for a scholarship that significantly reduces retreat costs. Visit the Gaia House website.
- Germany – Ekayana: A retreat center in the Black Forest. The main teacher is Lama Tilmann, a teacher in the Tibetan tradition who also comes to teach in Israel. I haven’t been there yet, but I have signed up for a two-month personal retreat this coming summer, and I will report back afterward. This is a center that, as I understand it, advocates more for the interaction of practice with life rather than just intensive practice. Lama Tilmann is a highly respected and beloved teacher. Visit the institute’s website.
- USA – IMS Center in Barre, Massachusetts: They have a retreat center, a center for short courses, and the Forest Refuge, which is a center for long personal retreats. This coming summer, I will begin a 3-month retreat there. The prices for the retreat are not cheap, but they offer scholarships, and payment for the teaching is via Dana. Visit the IMS website.
This article was originally published in Hebrew on Sagi Gottfried’s website.