Top of the World Programs

Expect To Be Inspired!

Choose one or both of these extraordinary programs:

Five Trails to the Top of the World:

Sippin' on Top of the World:

Helping You To A Better, More Satisfying, More Fulfilling Life

Join David White, your facilitator and host in choices of programs and settings, for 6 weeks of conversation and exploration of what matters to you....groups in the Bay Area meeting every other week, mornings and early evenings…your choice!

Sippin', based on David White's new book, Sippin' on Top of the World connects you with life's daily vibrancy: what is special and worth celebrating while sipping a glass of wine...or coffee or tea...

• Breaking Down Barriers: Wine and Spirituality
• Gleaning Lessons from the Vineyard
• Toasting Good Times and Better Days
• Savoring Life's Blessings
• Finding Spirituality in the Details of Your Day
• Harvesting Wisdom of the Ages

Five Trails, David White's unique translation of Judaic values into secular application, taps into your strengths:

• Your life Attitude
• How you use Time
• Growing your Power by empowering others
• Turning your daily Routine into dynamic meaning and fulfillment
• How you connect with People in enhancing your relationships

Welcome to programs and settings where you can explore, in secular context, spiritual values and varieties of life affirming principles, expressed in your idiom of daily life…generating questions and conversations about your quality of life…using your energy, your talents, your caring …to connect you in surprising new ways…with people around you, noticing more positives in your life to fortify you in handling what goes wrong by keeping in mind and accentuating what goes right.

With David White, you have a unique personal guide to help you see life in a clearer light, providing you with fresh perspectives on who and what you appreciate in your life: resources and relationships you may under-utilize or overlook in the rush and overwhelm of daily life.

Your cost is $125 for 6 sessions, with the first session free, so, you can opt out if you don't think you will benefit. Morning sessions include lox, bagels, cream cheese, juice, and coffee/tea. Evening sessions include wine/non alcoholic beverages, cheese, crackers and fruit.

Choose from listed programs, dates and venues and attend a free introductory session. Then, enjoy your spiritual exercise as you see life from different view points, with Sippin' on Top of the World and or the Five Trails .

Please forward this invitation to everyone you know that could benefit from this special program and encourage them to forward it as well

Personal Consulting and Spiritual Counseling included: Your participation in a 6 week program includes one free hour with David White, with opportunity to continue at hourly or retainer rates.

Groups meet every other week: PLEASE CALL 415-381-1618 TO RSVP

6 to 7:30pm with wine/non-alcoholic beverages, cheese, crackers and fruit

7:30 to 9am with bagels, lox, cream cheese, coffee, tea and juice

Select a time and place that is right for you.

Scheduled Sites for Programs

Marin

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Tiburon exit US 101

240 Tiburon Blvd
Belvedere/ Tiburon, CA 94920-2220
(415) 383-5272

Marin Suites in Corte Madera, next to US 101

45 Tamal Vista Boulevard
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415) 924-3608

PLEASE CALL 415-381-1618 TO RSVP

Thu 7:30am to 9:00am: Sippin' at Westminster: Mar. 25, Apr. 8, Apr. 22, May 6, May 27 and June 10

Wed 6 to 7:30pm: Sippin' at Marin Suites: Mar. 24, Apr. 14, Apr. 28, May 12, June 2 and June 16

PLEASE CALL 415-381-1618 TO RSVP

Thu 7:30am to 9:00am: Five Trails at Westminster: Apr. 1, Apr. 15, Apr. 29, May 13, June 3 and June 17

Wed 6 to 7:30pm: Five Trails at Marin Suites: Apr. 7, Apr. 21, May 5, May 26, June 9 and June 23

Napa: Vineyard Vista, Silverado Trail, north of Trancas

Thu 6 to 7:30pm: Five Trails at Vineyard Vista: Feb. 25, Mar. 11, Apr. 1, Apr. 15, Apr. 29, and May 13

Vallejo: Congregation B'nai Israel, Tennessee exit rt. 80

1256 Nebraska Street
Vallejo, CA 94590-3971
(707) 642-6526

Thu 6 to 7:30pm: Five Trails at B'nai Israel: Feb. 18, Mar. 2 (Tuesday) Mar. 25, Apr. 8, Apr. 22 and May 6

San Francisco: Congregation Beth Sholom, Richmond District

301 14th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118-2804
(415) 221-8736

Wed 7:45 to 9:15am: Five Trails at Beth Sholom: Feb. 17, Mar. 3, Mar. 17, Apr. 7, Apr. 21 and May 5

About David White

David White is a second generation rabbi, born and raised in San Francisco. He received a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and ordination as rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America with an MA in Theology in 1975. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

In 1991, David left his position as spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Shofar in Marin County, California, where he is Rabbi Emeritus, to pursue an avenue to translate and apply principles for community building into secular settings.

Since 1998, in Napa, he has been facilitating men's and (since 2001) women's groups that focus on life balance. David's ability to create a non-judgmental atmosphere has been the catalyst to establishing a sense of trust that enables the discussions to penetrate the surface. What makes the groups unique is the perspective derived through David's rabbinical training. Each session has an agenda, but each group follows its own path, based on issues and insights shared previously. Summaries of each meeting are sent to participants by email. These men's and women's groups serve as models for the 6 week series "Five Trails to the Top of the World".

Since 2001, David is Executive Director of WineSpirit Institute for the Study of Wine and Spirituality (www.winespirit.org) which he co-founded, connecting wine and spirituality in daily life.

Since 2004, he serves as spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Israel in Vallejo.

In 2009 he published his first book Sippin' on Top of the World…Toasting Good Times and Better Days, based on a WineSpirit email series, exploring wine's role in making moments special in daily life. Sippin' makes a perfect companion for a glass of wine and an evening of relaxation. Each of the 88 Sips invites an hour's conversation and reflection with questions connecting wine and life's pleasure and preciousness. The book is available at Book Passage in Corte Madera, Readers' Books in Sonoma, through WineSpirit, as a thank you for your donation, and at online book sellers.

Father of Joshua and Elana White, David is married nearly 31 years to his best friend and life inspiration, Sharon Cohn, to whom Sippin' is dedicated.

Words of Praise for David White Programs

"I am very impressed with the level of sharing here now. It is rare. We move from books to seminal teachings.We are looking at major changes in our lives and what influenced and shaped them.I appreciate David White's teaching of partnership in different times past." T N

"I came because I wanted to be with women regardless of background. I am a devout atheist who therefore believes you have to lead life to the fullest because otherwise there is no meaning in life". C S

"There is a vibrancy of what life is really about. There is a beauty of being able to share, especially in the morning, where you set into motion the energy for the day. It is what we look for." E F

"The group is always stimulating; the camaraderie is wonderful with different perspectives and building on each other's thoughts. People leave their agendas outside. They just want to contribute and add to the discussion in a way you cannot do in other settings." D R

"I notice, when I leave the meetings, that I think about them for a couple of hours after, even if I don't agree with everything I hear." D F

"I first came reluctantly; it has turned out to be one of the important activities in my life. There is understanding and trust that is rather unique. I am amazed at times what we can discuss. It is healing, refreshing and I always go away refreshed". A S

"When I started, I was a single father. It is very much something I look forward to, the sharing on deep issues". D R

"I had a horrible childhood, so when we talk about family, there are wonderful things I hear that gives me a great feeling that this is where I should be." M M

"One of the reasons why I include the Men's Group in my significant sphere of influence is to access religion through David White's vision of religion and spirituality. I could never connect to the Jewish symbols and religious items in the synagogue setting. I appreciate the personalization of the values and traditions that happens in the Men's Group." R M

"David W is always available to bounce ideas off, and together we figure out what works and what does not". M E

"At home we are talking about being less judgmental and rigid and more open, which is a much more powerful way to be in the world and to influence people more. That is what we appreciate about David White. He is non judgmental yet not passive in his approach to humanity. The more you let go, the more you have your options." T N

"In the Men's Group I can talk about what is important in my life. It took me years to appreciate things in the ritualistic sense that allowed me to open up keys to life. I get a lot of clarity in the group." A S

"I facilitated a women's group and there was a great deal of love and trust. Yet I felt something was missing that I find here." S M

"The people who stick to these groups are caregivers. Such people need a place and context to recharge. People here are willing to trust. That is the glue of the group, the depth of sharing". D F

"What was a driving factor for me in the Men's Group over the years is that the people share a curiosity to learn and share in learning new things". H M

"It is astonishing that in these groups you can talk as if with friends, even if you suspect it is more a context of acquaintances." D F