Question

Hello Rabbi Michi
 
How are you?
 
I wanted to hear your halakhic opinion on a matter where I felt your view would be more relevant for me than the “standard” opinion. For the past two years I’ve been studying mindfulness in an approach designed for therapists— a large part of the studies is simply studying Buddhism and practicing meditation, etc. It’s really interesting, but that’s not the question. A month ago we were supposed to have a two-day retreat (meaning: going somewhere, studying a topic, and practicing meditation and contemplation for several hours or days), but it was canceled because of the security situation. Now it has been decided that it will take place next week—but there was a need to find a place on short notice, so they decided it would be held at a monastery in Abu Ghosh (I assume they mean the Benedictine monastery).
Here I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to do. On a personal level, it sounds intriguing and pleasant to spend two days in a monastery. But I don’t know whether from a halakhic standpoint this is permitted. I understood that there is a difference between a church and a monastery in this context, and that in principle it is permitted to stay there and perhaps even sleep there. I’m asking you specifically because I know you’re not “afraid” of Christianity (or any other worldview), so the anxious element is relatively neutralized and I can hear a “leaner” halakhic position. I’d be sorry to miss this retreat, but if halakhically it’s forbidden, there’s not much I can do. So I’d be happy to hear what you think, and whether there are any particular restrictions, and so on.
 
Thank you!