A personal guide to the life-giving treasures of the Jewish spiritual tradition.

The classic born-again experience is a sudden, discontinuous event. For a person growing with God in daily practice, there is likely to be less drama. The experience will be more gentle, natural, and easier on your immediate family . If you stay with this work, you have every reason to trust the adage, When the pupil is ready, the teacher appears. from "First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit "

This extraordinary spiritual handbook is a compassionate call to reconnect with your spiritual roots and nourish your relationship with God. Breaking free from ways of Jewish worship that no longer inspire, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi one of the most important Jewish spiritual teachers since Abraham Joshua Heschel guides you through practical exercises for enriching the most important aspects of everyday life physical health, work, marriage, family, prayer and empowers you with contemporary ways to satisfy your modern spiritual hunger.

Whether refreshing your soul with a midday mini-Sabbath or improving your relationships by refining your awareness, Reb Zalman will introduce you to new models of practicing Judaism. In doing so, he will challenge you to embrace your faith as both spiritually and emotionally enriching, and will awaken you to innovative, inspiring ways for leading a meaningful Jewish life.

Experience the living taste of prayer in your heart, the deep and gentle glow of prayer in your soul.

"Many who live their lives as Jews, even many who pray every day, live on a wrapped and refrigerated version of prayer. We go to synagogue dutifully enough. We rise when we should rise, sit when we should sit. We read and sing along with the cantor and answer 'Amen' in all the right places. We may even rattle through the prayers with ease. We sacrifice vitality for shelf-life, and the neshomeh, the Jewish soul, can taste the difference." from the Introduction

This fresh approach to prayer is for all who wish to appreciate the power of prayer s poetry and song, jump into its ceremonies and rituals, and join the age-old conversation that Jews have had with God. Reb Zalman, one of the most important Jewish spiritual teachers in contemporary American Judaism, offers you new ways to pray, new channels for communicating with God and new opportunities to open your heart to God s response.

With rare warmth and authenticity, Reb Zalman shows you: How prayer can engage not just spirit, but mind, heart and bodyMeditations that open the door to kavanah, the focus or intention with which we prayHow to understand the underlying deep structure of our prayer servicesHow to find and feel at home in a synagogueHow to sing and lead niggunim, the simple, wordless tunes that Jews sing to get closer to Godand more"

This powerful memoir chronicles the life of one of America's most celebrated rabbis-Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi, or "Reb Zalman" as he is fondly known to friends and followers. The book traces his life from a youth in the shadow of the Nazis through the tumultuous 1960s in America to his position as a renowned religious leader today. Often controversial for his attraction to cultural mavericks and religious rebels, Reb Zalman's colorful lifetime includes a striking cast of characters across faith traditions, including Timothy Leary, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Thomas Merton, the Dalai Lama, and more. The book traces Reb Zalman's work creating the vibrant Jewish Renewal movement that emphasizes spiritual experience and continues to touch Jews around the world today. Reb Zalman often illustrates his talks with anecdotes from his life, and My Life in Jewish Renewal brings together the life story of this beloved leader for the first time. Reb Zalman often illustrates his talks with stories from his life, and My Life in Jewish Renewal brings together the complete life story of this beloved leader for the first time.

A how-to for Jewish spirituality that works.

A spiritual seeker is a person whose soul is awake. In this book I make no assumptions about how much you know about Judaism, what holidays you keep, or whether you believe in God. I want us to start from your soul s experience and carry on from there. from the Introduction

Virtually anyone remotely affiliated with Judaism should read this book, wrote "Publishers Weekly," which listed "Jewish with Feeling" among its Best Religion Books of the Year. Without question the best, most readable introduction to Reb Zalmans philosophy of Judaism, it is also the best beginners guide to Jewish spirituality available today, wrote the "Forward," the perfect book for both the spiritual seeker and the curious skeptic.

Taking off from basic questions like Why be Jewish? and whether the word "God" still speaks to us today, Reb Zalman lays out a vision for a whole-person Judaism. This is not only Sinai "then" but Sinai "now," a revelation of the Torah inside and all around us. Complete with many practical suggestions to enrich your own Jewish life, "Jewish with Feeling" is a mystical masterpiece filled with spiritual practices and an exciting vision of the future "(Spirituality & Health"). Spiritual experience, as Reb Zalman shows, repays every effort we make to acquire it."

Over two decades ago, beloved and respected rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi felt an uneasiness. He was growing older, and fears about death and infirmity were haunting him. So he decided to embark on mission to get to the bottom of his fears. Through a series of events that included a vision quest in a secluded cabin and studying with Sufi masters, Buddhist teachers and Native-American shamans, Reb Zalman found a way to turn aging into the most meangful and joyous time in his life.

In this inspiring and informative guide, Reb Zalman shares his wisdom and experience with readers. He shows readers how to create an aging process for themselves that is full of adventure, passion, mystery, and fulfillment, rather than anxiety. Using scientific research--both neurological and psychological-- Reb Zalman offers techniques that will expand horizons beyond the narrow view of "the present" into a grand and enduring eternity. By harnessing the power of the spirit, as well as explaining exactly how to become a sage in their own community, he gives readers a helpful and moving way to use their own experiences to nurture, heal, and perhaps even save a younger generation from the prison of how we typically regard aging.

In this updated version of his popular book, Reb Zalman has added a brand new introductory chapter that provides insight into the shifts that have taken place in our culture since the first edition of this book came out in the 1990s. Reb Zalman speaks candidly about the role the 78 million (now aging) Baby Boomers are currently playing in how we think about aging. He provides new inspiring ideas about the importance of an elder's role in shaping society, and explains how elders can embrace the power they have to provide value and wisdom to those around them. Additionally he has added a concluding chapter in which he shares his own experience with aging and the time he calls "The December Years."

IN THE LATE 1950's, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, better known as 'Reb Zalman, ' penned what was perhaps the first book on Jewish meditation and contemplative Judaism in English. It was called, The First Step: A Primer of a Jew's Spiritual Life, and was printed in a simple stapled booklet edition which he mailed out to friends and students. But it was not long before this humble booklet had reached readers as diverse as President Zalman Shazar of Israel and the famous author of The Seven Storey Mountain, Father Thomas Merton. In 1965, it was included as a chapter in the widely influential Jewish Catalog, and read by thousands of young Jews in the late 60s and early 70s looking for an authentically Jewish approach to meditation. Then, for many years, the booklet fell out of use until it was completely revised and updated in 1993, in a new booklet called, Gate to the Heart: An Evolving Process, which was again privately printed and distributed within the Jewish Renewal movement. In this expanded version, the booklet inspired a whole new generation of Jewish contemplatives looking for a manual of Jewish practice. Now, after being revised and supplemented once again, Reb Zalman's first and most personal book, the culmination of over 60 years of spiritual guidance work, is finally being published and made available to the general public. "For me, Gate to the Heart is the one essential book by Reb Zalman. Although there are others that go into more depth, and are more expansive on certain topics, none convey his authentic voice and brilliant creativity more that this one. It is the book that I want to carry with me at all times, a true vade mecum that one can consult again and again to renew one's spiritual practice." --- Netanel Miles-Yepez, co-author of A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

The 1960s San Francisco spiritual revolution - a view from inside.

Memoir about a spiritual teacher and a student in 1960s San Francisco, a colorful cast - including Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert, Allen Ginsburg, Murshid Samuel Lewis ("Sufi Sam"), Swami Satchidananda, Ajari Warwick, Rabbi Zalman Shalomi Schachter, and many more - and lives that were changed forever.

Aryae Coopersmith, a 22-year old college student in 1960s San Francisco, meets the charismatic rabbi and folk singer Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and decides to start a community for him. He rents a house and moves in with his best friends. Before long they find themselves - and their house - at the center of the San Francisco spiritual revolution as thousands of young people - Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Sufis, and followers of countless gurus - flood in through their doors.

Giving concerts to packed halls all over the world, Shlomo is recognized as Judaism's most influential musician, and one of its greatest spiritual leaders, of the late 20th century. Their house - the House of Love and Prayer - becomes an historic part of the legend of 1960s San Francisco.

Aryae and his fellow students who are running other spiritual communities bring their teachers and gurus together to create a big San Francisco event - the Meeting of the Ways - to celebrate the oneness of the world's spiritual traditions and all the world's people.

Aryae's best friends Efraim and Leah leave San Francisco and head to Jerusalem, where they become ultra-Orthodox Hasidim. Many others from the "House" follow. Aryae stays behind and settles into a secular life as a Silicon Valley business owner. After Shlomo dies, Aryae feels compelled to tell the story. To try to understand the lives of his old friends and pull together the scattered fragments of his own, he travels to Jerusalem.

This profoundly moving memoir tells a story of grace, loss, redemption, and ultimately of acceptance. It invites us to reflect on how the 1960s spiritual revolution - with its vision of the oneness of us all - has impacted each of our lives.

RABBI ZALMAN SCHACHTER-SHALOMI (usually called, "Reb Zalman") is widely known as the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, whose accessible teachings on Kabbalah and Hasidism have helped to change the face of modern Judaism. But what is less well known is that he comes from a family of Belzer Hasidim known for their niggunim (wordless melodies), and that he is also a talented musician and composer of Hasidic songs, chants, and melodies himself. At the Rebbe's Table: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies: Volume II is a collection of Reb Zalman's favorite Hasidic niggunim, and those most often used in his teaching. In this book, you will find everything from classic contemplative niggunim to the famed "table bangers" of Hasidic spirituality. For this volume, his student, Eyal Rivlin has lovingly gathered and transcribed many of the traditional classics from Reb Zalman's memory, and even rescued a few forgotten treasures from oblivion. Accompanying the compositions are small teachings and stories to contextualize the music.

RABBI ZALMAN SCHACHTER-SHALOMI (usually called, "Reb Zalman") is widely known as the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, whose accessible teachings on Kabbalah and Hasidism have helped to change the face of modern Judaism. But what is less well known is that he comes from a family of Belzer Hasidim known for their niggunim (wordless melodies), and that he is also a talented musician and composer of Hasidic songs, chants, and melodies himself. Into My Garden: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies: Volume I finally reveals Reb Zalman the musician and composer who many students around the world have been surprised to meet in the middle of a Shabbaton or a Jewish Renewal retreat. For this book, his student, Eyal Rivlin, has lovingly gathered and transcribed most of Reb Zalman's (and his forebears) popular compositions, and even rescued a few forgotten treasures from oblivion. Accompanying the compositions are small teachings and stories to contextualize the music.

All Breathing Life Adores Your Name is a book of prayers composed as poetry by the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. This English language book of prayers introduces the reader to Jewish mysticism in contemporary life. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has said that Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's ideas and stories have "profoundly altered the landscape of American Judaism." And, it is in his tradition of originality and spiritual centeredness that Reb Zalman has opened a door for our souls with these prayer/poems. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, the author of both Jewish Literacy and A Code of Jewish Ethics, says of this book, "It is hard to pray for more than a few sentences in Hebrew if you don't know what you're saying. And it's hard to pray for more than a few sentences in English if the prayers don't touch and teach your heart. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the master davvener of our age has delivered a vital book, one that enables people to actually davven, not just pray, in English. Many have promised such a book, but this one delivers."Rodger Kamenetz, the author of both Burnt Books and The Jew in the Lotus, says, "One is grateful to Reb Zalman for bringing into English these Jewish prayers that have lived a long life in him. Indeed, his introductory notes show how these prayers have provided him solace, guidance and inspiration at key moments to a unique man of prayer, so that we can begin to understand not only what the words say but how they speak in the heart."

"When I was studying in the Lubavitcher yeshiva, one evening, we had a farbrengen, a celebration with the older Hasidim who were teaching us. And at one point, one of them started to give us a hard time about not going deeply enough into our davvenen, into our prayer. So I took a tumbler full of schnapps, said, 'L'Hayyim ' and drank it all down. Then I turned to them and said, 'How could you blame us for not going deep into contemplative prayer when you have never shared with us what goes on inside of you when you pray?' "Immediately, some of them took umbrage at this, saying, 'How dare you ask such a question?' and then chewed me out. But Rabbi Avraham Pariz spoke up and said: 'You know, he's right. He needs to hear about what goes on inside.' Then Reb Avraham took a big tumbler-full of schnapps and drank it down and said, 'L'Hayyim ' Then he went inside himself and delivered an inner commentary on the traditional morning prayer and took us into his own inner world of sacred enchantment. But when he came to the threshold of the silent Amidah, he said, 'From here on is a private matter between God and me.' "When people ask me to repeat what Reb Avraham said, I have to confess that I cannot repeat his words. I so internalized them at that time that they have now become integral to my own prayer. The best I can do is share with you some of what I have learned in my own life about deep prayer, for which, what I learned that evening is the foundation. What you are about to read is my own telling of some of the things that are happening to me when I am involved in prayer before the living God." --- Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

Dear friend - If you do not yet read Hebrew, and need an alternative resource for your daily davvenen (prayer), or if you are not used to reading the Hebrew with comprehension and the ability to dilate it from its literal meaning, I offer you this concise translation of the Jewish siddur or prayer-book, which I frequently use for my own davvenen. I have translated the liturgy of the siddur here according to the way in which I experience it in my own feeling-consciousness. Thus, my translations do not so much offer the p'shat or the literal meaning of the words as they do a devotional interpretation that can make them into prayers of the heart. . . . This siddur is meant to help you stay in touch with God on a daily basis, to gain divine assistance, to lighten your burdens, not to add to them. May you come to experience your own prayer as a blessed meeting with your own God. - Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

For the first time, the writings of one of the 20th century's most important Hasidic thinkers are made available to a non-Hasidic English audience. Rabbi Ahron "Ahrele" Roth (1894-1944) was born into the ultra-Orthodox world and wrote exclusively for a very small community of Hasidim that he founded and which continues to this day. His work is little known outside of this insular community of Yiddish-speaking followers in Israel and New York. Reb Ahrele has a great deal to say to sincere spiritual seekers far beyond his own community. This volume includes an intense, representative selection of the large body of work Reb Ahrele produced in his relatively short life. Reb Ahrele taught his followers how they could reconnect with their true, simple, spiritual selves by providing them with clear, practical instructions in the realm of spiritual consciousness, discipline and practice. He worked persistently to communicate specific steps in order to arouse his followers' deepest spiritual intentions. "A fierce work still connected to the cloister of Meah Shearim" -The Forward

The latest book from the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement.

The interpretations in A Heart Afire are as rich and meaningful as the teachings and tales themselves in this intimate guided tour of Hasidism and Hasidic storytelling led by Reb Zalman, an old-world Hasidic elder who is also profoundly connected to modern culture.

As a bridge between both worlds, Reb Zalman, and his student Netanel Miles-Yepez, introduce the reader to rare and unique translations of Hasidism with their own personal reflections on their meaning.

This book gives the readers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Hasidic wisdom and narrative and in the teachings of a modern Hasidic master.

Reb Zalman turns to the implications of his reworking of Jewish mysticism. In previous books, he outlined his belief system using the kabbalistic image of the Ten S'firot, reframed the Lurianic concept of the breaking of the vessels, and argued for the continued centrality of a messianic teleology in Judaism. Now, he outlines how this new mystical vision can be applied to Halachah, the expression of vision in the details of living. Integral Halachah "transcends and includes," maintaining continuity with the past and providing flexibility for the present. This book is torah she-b'al peh/oral teaching, allowing for update and revision.
I deal with the rubble of the holocaust, so please don't expect order and precision. Rather, join me in relating to ancient questions needing new answers in this time of paradigm shift. How do we find meaning by continuing to be Jews? How do we connect to joy, to purpose, and why should we want to within a Jewish context, if it has been the cause of so much pain?
The way I can answer these questions is by creating a new, transcending, Judaism which honors the past and goes beyond it. Our practice must reference the larger purpose of the Jewish people in the world, our commitment to God and to what we call tikkun olam, to being agents of redemption. We now also know that we are not alone in this commitment, but part of something greater, a sharing with other people and paths. (Reb Zalman)

Hasidism--a mystical branch of Judaism that is today the object of renewed interest--traditionally has as its leaders well-trained masters whose way of counseling their followers may be of interest to those in other helping disciplines. "Sparks of Light " examines the history and techniques of their advising people on the problems of everyday life--health, finances, family--as well as more spiritual concerns. Schachter and Hoffman take a close look at the techniques of the Hasidic masters--dream interpretation, shock, problem solving, and the prescription of spiritual exercises to unlock the door of the mind. They also focus on such intriguing topics as how Hasidic masters are trained, the range of difficulties for which struggling Jews seek their help, the intuitive methods of counseling that are used, and the kinds of mystical and practical advice offered in response to life's challenges. This book--based on original translations of Hasidic tales and writings, many never before translated--will appeal to those in the helping profession, as well as readers of Jewish history.