Shefa Gold (born 1954 or 1955) is an American

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

, scholar, and director of C-DEEP, The Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice in

Jemez Springs, New Mexico Jemez Springs (pronounced HEH-mes) is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 250 at the 2010 census. Named for the nearby Pueblo of Jemez, the village is the site of Jemez State Monument and the headqua ...

. Gold is a teacher of

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...

Jewish mysticism Academic study of Jewish mysticism, especially since Gershom Scholem's ''Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism'' (1941), distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of Jewish history. Of these, Kabbalah, which emerged in 1 ...

Jewish prayer Jewish prayer ( he, תְּפִלָּה, ; plural ; yi, תּפֿלה, tfile , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with i ...

and

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

who Rabbi Mike Comins described in 2010 as "a pioneer in the ecstatic practice of Jewish chant." Her chants have been used in

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

minyan In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( he, מניין \ מִנְיָן ''mīnyān'' , lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Jud ...

im, and street protests, perhaps her most well-known being "Ozi V'zimrat Yah". Combining traditional Jewish liturgical music with Hebrew chant, she has worked to cultivate Jewish gratitude practice. Her "Flavors of Gratefulness"

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

has 79 different chants for the morning prayer

Modeh Ani Modeh Ani ( he, מודה אני; "I give thanks") is a Jewish prayer that observant Jews recite daily upon waking, while still in bed. Text Tradition Lamentations states that "The Lord's mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions do not ...

(feminine "Modah Ani") as of December 31, 2020. Prior to becoming a rabbi, Gold was a musician. She said in a 2013 interview "what I was really trying to do with my music was create sacred space. I felt how powerful music is in opening hearts." During rabbinical school she took time off to study

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

meditation practices including chant and co-lead a

Rosh Hashanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...

service at a retreat led by

Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: *Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist *Thích Quảng Độ (192 ...

at the

Omega Institute Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is a non-profit educational retreat center located in Rhinebeck, New York. Founded in 1977 by Elizabeth Lesser and Stephan Rechtschaffen, inspired by Sufi mystic, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and his ecu ...

in 1993 as many participants were Jewish. By the time Gold was ordained as a rabbi by the

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) is a Jewish seminary in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. It is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Associa ...

in 1996 she had integrated Hebrew chant into her spiritual practice and ultimately into her rabbinate. She is a leader within Aleph: the Alliance for

Jewish Renewal Jewish Renewal () is a recent movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with Kabbalistic, Hasidic, and musical practices. Specifically, it seeks to reintroduce the "ancient Judaic traditions of mysticism and meditation, ...

and received

semicha Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination. The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...

from Rabbi

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Meshullam Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (28 August 1924 – 3 July 2014), commonly called "Reb Zalman" (full Hebrew name: ), was one of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement and an innovator in ecumenical dialogue. Early life Born Meshullam Za ...

. Through a program called Kol Zimra, Gold has trained rabbis,

cantors A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

, and lay leaders in Hebrew chant practices. According to one

Jewish Telegraphic Agency The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) is an international news agency and wire service, founded in 1917, serving Jewish community newspapers and media around the world as well as non-Jewish press, with about 70 syndication clients listed on its web ...

article, nearly all interest in Jewish chanting today can be traced back to Gold. She was included in

Letty Cottin Pogrebin Letty Cottin Pogrebin (born June 9, 1939) is an American author, journalist, lecturer, and social activist. She is a founding editor of ''Ms.'' magazine, the author of twelve books, and was an editorial consultant for the TV special '' Free to B ...

's 2007 list ''The Other Fifty Rabbis in America'', and in a 2015 list of "America's most inspiring rabbis" by ''

The Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ' ...

'', and has been quoted in articles that discuss the intersection of

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

Spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

and

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

. Gold has produced ten albums and her liturgies have been published in several prayerbooks. She is the author of several books on deepening spiritual awareness through sacred chant and meditation. Gold's work was featured in the book ''Stalking Elijah: Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters'' by

Rodger Kamenetz Rodger Kamenetz (born 1950) is an American poet and author best known for ''The Jew in the Lotus'' (1994), an account of the historic dialogue between rabbis and the XIV Dalai Lama. His poetry explores the Jewish experience and in recent years, ...

. In 2017, Gold was one of the rabbis who signed a statement by

Jewish Veg Jewish Veg is an international 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to encourage and help Jews to embrace plant-based diets as an expression of the Jewish values of compassion for animals, concern for health, and care for the environ ...

encouraging

veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

for all Jews. Gold has described Hebrew chant as effective for healing and transforming people of different religions, not just adherents of Judaism.

Selected publications

* ''Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land'' * ''In the Fever of Love: An Illumination of The Song of Songs'' * ''The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love'' * ''Are We There Yet?: Travel as a Spiritual Practice''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gold, Shefa American Jewish Renewal rabbis American Reconstructionist rabbis Jewish Renewal women rabbis Reconstructionist women rabbis 21st-century American rabbis Living people 1950s births Year of birth uncertain