Meshullam Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (28 August 1924 – 3 July 2014), commonly called "Reb Zalman" (full
Hebrew name
A Hebrew name is a name of Hebrew origin. In a more narrow meaning, it is a name used by Jews only in a religious context and different from an individual's secular name for everyday use.
Names with Hebrew origins, especially those from the H ...
: ), was one of the founders of the
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, ...
movement and an innovator in ecumenical dialogue.
Early life
Born Meshullam Zalman Schachter in 1924 to Shlomo and Hayyah Gittel Schachter in Żółkiew,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
(now
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
), Schachter was raised in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. His father was a liberal Belzer hasid and had Zalman educated at both a
Zionist
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
high school and an Orthodox yeshiva. Schachter was interned in detention camps under the
Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
and fled the
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
advance by fleeing to the United States in 1941. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
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 o ...
in 1947 within the
Chabad Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
community while under the leadership of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn
Yosef Yitzchak (Joseph Isaac) Schneersohn ( yi, יוסף יצחק שניאורסאהן; 21 June 1880 – 28 January 1950) was an Orthodox rabbi and the sixth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. He is also known ...
, and served Chabad congregations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
In 1948, along with Rabbi
Shlomo Carlebach
Shlomo Carlebach ( he, שלמה קרליבך; 14 January 1925 – 20 October 1994), known as Reb Shlomo to his followers, was a rabbi, religious teacher, spiritual leader, composer, and singer dubbed "the singing rabbi" during his lifetime.
...
, Schachter was initially sent out to speak on college campuses by the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
. In 1958, Schachter privately published what may have been the first English book on Jewish meditation. It was later reprinted in '' The Jewish Catalog'', and was read by a generation of Jews and as well as some Christian contemplatives. Schachter left the Lubavitcher movement after experimenting with "the sacramental value of lysergic acid" from 1962. With subsequent rise of the
hippie
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
movement in the 1960s, and exposure to Christian mysticism, he moved away from the Chabad lifestyle.
Career and work
From 1956 to 1975, Reb Zalman was based in
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...
, though he travelled extensively. In Winnipeg, he worked as Hillel director and as head o Judaic Studies at the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. These positions allowed him to share his ideas and experiential techniques of spirituality with many Jewish and non-Jewish students, leaving lasting memories. While pursuing a course of study at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
(including a class taught by
Howard Thurman
Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, mystic, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movemen ...
), he experienced an intellectual and spiritual shift. In 1968, on sabbatical from the Religion department of the University of Manitoba, he joined a group of other Jews in founding a
havurah
A ''chavurah'' or ''chaburah'' (חבורה Hebrew: "fellowship", plural ''chavurot'') is a small group of like-minded Jews who assemble for the purposes of facilitating Shabbat and holiday prayer services, sharing communal experiences such as life ...
(small cooperative congregation) in Somerville, Massachusetts, called '' Havurat Shalom''. In 1974, Schachter hosted a month-long
Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
workshop in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...
; his experimental style and the inclusion of mystical and cross-cultural ideas are credited as the inspiration for the formation of the
havurah
A ''chavurah'' or ''chaburah'' (חבורה Hebrew: "fellowship", plural ''chavurot'') is a small group of like-minded Jews who assemble for the purposes of facilitating Shabbat and holiday prayer services, sharing communal experiences such as life ...
there that eventually became the Aquarian Minyan congregation. He eventually left the Lubavitch movement altogether, and founded his own organization known as ''B'nai Or'', meaning "Sons of Light," a title he took from the
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the ...
writings. During this period he was known to his followers as the "B'nai Or Rebbe", and the rainbow prayer shawl he designed for his group was known as the "B'nai Or
tallit
A tallit ''talit'' in Modern Hebrew; ''tālēt'' in Sephardic Hebrew and Ladino; ''tallis'' in Ashkenazic Hebrew and Yiddish. Mish. pl. טליות ''telayot''; Heb. pl. טליתות ''tallitot'' , Yidd. pl. טליתים ''talleisim''. is a f ...
". Both the havurah experiment and B'nai Or came to be seen as the early stirrings of the
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, ...
movement. The congregation later changed its name to the more gender neutral, "P'nai Or" meaning "Faces of Light", and it continues under this name.
In the 1980s, Schachter added "Shalomi" (based on the Hebrew word ''shalom'', peace) to his name, as a statement of his desire for peace in Israel and around the world.
In later years, Schachter-Shalomi held the World Wisdom Chair at The
Naropa Institute
Naropa University is a private university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa, it is named for the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda. The university describes itself as ...
; he was Professor Emeritus at both Naropa and
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...
. He also served on the faculty of 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 ...
, Omega, the NICABM and many other major institutions. He was co-founder with Rabbi Arthur Waskow of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, bringing together P'nai Or and The Shalom Center, and founder of the ALEPH Ordination Programs. The seminary he founded has ordained over 80 rabbis and
cantor
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 ...
s.
Schachter-Shalomi was among the group of rabbis, from a wide range of Jewish denominations, who traveled together to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
to meet with the
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...
and discuss diaspora survival for Jews and Tibetan Buddhists with him. Tibetans, exiled from their homeland for more than three generations, face some of the same assimilation challenges experienced by Jewish diaspora. The Dalai Lama was interested in knowing how the Jews had survived with their culture intact. That journey was chronicled in
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 ...
' 1994 book ''
The Jew in the Lotus
''The Jew in the Lotus'' is a 1994 book by Rodger Kamenetz about a historic dialogue between rabbis and the Dalai Lama, the first recorded major dialogue between experts in Judaism and Buddhism. The book was a popular success and became an interna ...
''.
Themes and innovations
Schachter-Shalomi's work reflects several recurring themes, including:
*"
Paradigm shift
A paradigm shift, a concept brought into the common lexicon by the American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn, is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. Even though Kuhn restricted ...
s" within Judaism
* New approaches to
halakha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
(Jewish law) including "psycho-halakha" (as of 2007, called "integral halakha") and doctrines like
eco-kashrut
Eco-Kashrut, also called the Eco-Kosher movement, is a movement to extend the Kashrut system, or Jewish dietary laws, to address modern environmental, social, and ethical issues, and promote sustainability.
This movement began in the 1970s among A ...
*The importance of
interfaith dialogue
Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...
and "deep ecumenism" (meaningful connections between traditions)
* "
Four Worlds
The Four Worlds ( he, עולמות ''Olamot'', singular: ''Olam'' עולם), sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence.
The c ...
" Judaism (integrating the Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, and Spiritual realms)
He was committed to the
Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis (), also known as the Gaia theory, Gaia paradigm, or the Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that help ...
, to
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, and to full inclusion of
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
people within Judaism. His innovations in
Jewish worship
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 ...
include chanting prayers in English while retaining the traditional Hebrew structures and melodies, engaging (worshipers) in theological dialogue, leading meditation during services and the introduction of spontaneous movement and dance. Many of these techniques have also found their way into the more mainstream Jewish community.
Schachter-Shalomi encouraged diversity among his students and urged them to bring their own talents, vision, views and social justice values to the study and practice of Judaism. Based on the Hasidic writings of Rabbi
Mordechai Yosef Leiner
Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (מרדכי יוסף ליינר) known as "the Ishbitzer" ( yi, איזשביצע, איזביצע ''Izhbitze, Izbitse, Ishbitze'') (1801-1854
of Izbitz, he taught that anything, even what others consider sin and heresy, could be God's will.
His major academic work, ''Spiritual Intimacy: A study of Counseling in Hasidism'', was the result of his doctoral research into the system of spiritual direction cultivated within Chabad Hasidism. This led to his encouragement of students to study widely in the field of
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...
(one-on-one counseling) and to innovate contemporary systems to help renew a healthy spirituality in Jewish life. He also pioneered the practice of "spiritual eldering", working with fellow seniors on coming to spiritual terms with aging and becoming mentors for younger adults.
Typology of Hasidic rebbes
Schachter-Shalomi theorized that the historical
Hasidic Rebbes
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
may be viewed as occupying one or several of the following roles or functions in relation to their support of their followers:
* ''The Rav'' — This role refers to Hasidic Rebbes who also served as ordained rabbis serving Jewish communities. Examples of this type cited by Schachter-Shalomi include
Shmelke of Nikolsburg
Shmuel Shmelke HaLevi Horowitz of Nikolsburg (Yiddish: שמואל שמעלקי הלוי הורוויץ פון ניקאלשפורג, ; 1726 – April 28, 1778) also known as the Rebbe Reb Shmelke was an early Hasidic master and kabbalist, who is am ...
and
Pinchas Horowitz
Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz (c. 1731, Chortkiv – July 1, 1805, Frankfort-on-the-Main), also known as the Baal Hafla'ah, was a rabbi and Talmudist.
Life
The descendant of a long line of rabbinical ancestors and the son of Rabbi Zvi Hirsc ...
. For some Hasidic Rebbes, such as
Chaim Halberstam
Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1793–1876) ( he, חיים הלברשטאם מצאנז), known as the ''Divrei Chaim'' after his sefer (works), was the rabbi of Sanz ( pl, Nowy Sącz), a famous Hasidic Rebbe and the founder of the Sanz Hasidic d ...
of Sanz, the term Rav was used instead of Rebbe.
* ''The Good Jew'' — This role, known in
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
as the ''Guter Yid'', refers to a popular Hasidic Rebbe who is viewed as enjoying God's favor and whose legacies spoke to the conditions of struggling Hasidim. This role was viewed as a continuation of the Talmudic legacy of individuals such as
Honi HaMe'agel
Honi HaMe'agel (חוני המעגל Khoni, Choni, or Ḥoni; lit. Honi the Circle-drawer) was a Jewish scholar of the 1st-century BCE, during the age of the ''tannaim'', the scholars from whose teachings the Mishnah was derived.
During the 1st ce ...
. Examples of Hasidic Rebbes of this type cited include
Aryeh Leib of Shpola Aryeh Leib of Shpola (1725-1811) was a Hasidic Rebbe and was known as a popular miracle-worker and faith healer based in Shpola, Ukraine. He was also known as the ''Shpoler Zeide'' (Yiddish: "the Grandfather of Shpola"). He studied under the Baa ...
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
as the ''Chozeh'', refers to a Hasidic Rebbe to whom prophetic powers where ascribed. Examples of this type cited include the
Seer of Lublin
Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz ( he, יעקב יצחק הלוי הורוביץ), known as "the Seer of Lublin" (), ''ha-Chozeh MiLublin''; (c. 1745 - August 15, 1815) was a Hasidic rebbe from Poland.
"Rabbi Yaacov Yitzchak, the Chozeh of Lublin, ...
and his student
Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov
Tzvi Hirsh Eichenstein also known as Hirsh Zydaczower (1763, Sambor - June 22, 1831, Zidichov), was a famous Hasidic Rebbe, a noted Talmudist, Kabbalist and author of novellae on Torah and responsa. He founded the Zidichov Hasidic dynasty.
He ...
.
* ''The Miracle Worker'' — This role, known in Hebrew as the ''Ba'al Mofet'', was often assumed by Hasidim to involve expertise in
Practical Kabbalah
Practical Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה מַעֲשִׂית ''Kabbalah Ma'asit'') in historical Judaism, is a branch of the Jewish mystical tradition that concerns the use of magic. It was considered permitted white magic by its practitioners, ...
. Examples cited include Ber of Radoshitz.
* ''The Healer'' — This role is understood as involving more than mere healing but also involved the expectation that the Hasid would alter his behavior to merit healing.
** ''The Gaon'' — A variant of the healer-type was the Talmudic genius (''gaon'') who could offer blessing through the merit of his Talmudic study. This tradition was not limited to Hasidism but also was applied to non-Hasidic rabbis such as
Yechezkel Landau
Yechezkel ben Yehuda HaLevi Landau (8 October 1713 – 29 April 1793) was an influential authority in halakha (Jewish law). He is best known for the work ''Noda Biyhudah'' (נודע ביהודה), by which title he is also known.
Biography
Land ...
of Prague and the
Gaon of Vilna
Gaon may refer to
* Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis
** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita
** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius.
* Gaon Music Chart, record chart ...
.
* ''The Son or Grandson of the Tzaddik'' — This role applied to Hasidic Rebbes who would utilize ancestral merit of a Hasidic predecessor to invoke blessing. In Yiddish, the term ''eynikl'' (grandson) would sometimes be used. Often, this role involved the use of petitions at the gravesite of the Hasidic predecessor. Examples cited of this type include
Boruch of Medzhybizh
Rabbi Boruch of Medzhybizh (1753–1811), was a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
Reb Boruch (known in his childhood as Reb Boruch'l, a Yiddish diminutive, and subsequently as ''Reb Boruch'l HaKadosh'') was the first major "rebbe" of the Hasidic mov ...
who was the grandson of the
Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which ...
, the founder of Hasidism.
* ''The Block Rebbe'' — This type is viewed to have developed in New York City from 1900 to 1940 and involved a grandfatherly role to local Jewish residents.
* ''The Kabbalist'' — This role, also known in Hebrew as the ''Ba'al M'kubal'', involved expertise in the theoretical teachings of Jewish mysticism. Examples cited include
Shneur Zalman of Lyady
Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( he, שניאור זלמן מליאדי, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of ...
(the founder of
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
Hasidism), Yisroel Hopstein (the Maggid of Kozhnitz), and Isaac of Komarno.
* ''The Spiritual Guide'' — This role, known in Hebrew as the ''Moreh Derekh'' ("Teacher of the Path"), reflects the Hasidic notion that Rebbe is the expert on matters of the Love and Fear of God. The Hasidic Rebbe
Aharon Roth
Aharon Roth or Aaron Rote ( he, אהרן ראטה) known as Reb Arele (1894−1947), was a Hungarian Hasidic rebbe and Talmudic scholar. He first established a Hasidic community he called Shomer Emunim (Guardian of Faith) in the 1920s in Satu Mar ...
reportedly insisted on the use of this term. While Schachter-Shalomi notes that Hasidim valued the living guide over the use of books, some Rebbes, such as Shalom Dovber of Lubavitch, wrote various tracts for different types of spiritual seekers.
* ''The Tzaddik of the Generation'' — This role, known in Hebrew as ''Tzaddik HaDor'', or ''Rashey Alafim'' ("Head of Thousands"), invokes the stature of Biblical leaders and is viewed mystically as the conduit of all blessing for the Jewish people of that generation.
Death
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi died in 2014 at the age of 89.
Honors
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was honored by the New York Open Center in 1997 for his ''Spiritual Renewal''.
In 2012 his book ''Davening: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Prayer'' won the Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice Award (one of the
National Jewish Book Awards
The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.Pir Vilayat Khan in the United States and in the Holy Land.
In 2012, the
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to:
Christian and Christian-derived theologies
A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism:
* Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
Starr King School for the Ministry
Starr King School for the Ministry is a Unitarian Universalist seminary in Oakland, California. The seminary was formed in 1904 to educate leaders for the growing number of progressive religious communities in the western part of the US. The scho ...
awarded Schachter-Shalomi an honorary doctorate of theology, and he gave a popular series of lectures on the "Emerging Cosmology".
Works
Schachter-Shalomi produced a large body of articles, books, audio and video recordings. His free-associationhomiletical style, typical of Hasidic-trained rabbis, and his frequent use of psychological terminology and computer metaphors are appreciated by many first-time readers.
His publications include:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Personal life
Schachter-Shalomi was married four times and was the father of 11 children. At his passing, he was survived by his wife of 20 years, Eve Ilsen, along with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.