My Life in Jewish Renewal

Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi, or “Reb Zalman” as he was fondly known, was the founder and leader of the Jewish Renewal movement and the author of numerous books, including Jewish with Feeling and From Age-ing to Sage-ing.

In this wonderful and important memoir, we see why Reb Zalman is viewed by so many as one of the key Jewish figures and influencers of the last century. In intimate detail, the book affords us glimpses into the friendships, relationships, and shared experiences he has had with some of the most compelling (and at times lesser known) spiritual teachers and leaders of this era, as well as his own experiences and personal history--and how those many and varied interconnections have shaped his worldview and inner life. I recommend this book very highly to anyone interested in the evolution of a soul and the formation of a modern mystic.

• Preface AcknowledgmentsA Visionary Introductionto My Life QuestPart I: My Boyhood &Youth Before the HolocaustChapter 1. Origins Chapter 2. A Viennese BoyhoodChapter 3. Austria Under Hitler Chapter 4. Diamond-Cutting & Hasidim in AntwerpChapter 5. French Internment CampsChapter 6. Revelations in MarseillesChapter 7. Freedom Voyage to AmericaChapter 8. Encountering the Sixth Lubavitcher RebbeChapter 9. The Making of a Chabad HasidPart II: Initiating Jewish Restoration in AmericaChapter 10. A Fledgling Rabbi: Outreach in New Haven Chapter 11. Raising the Klippot in Rochester, New YorkChapter 12. A Pulpit of My Own in Fall River, MassachussettsChapter 13. Caribbean Travels: Voodoo & Mitzvah MissionsChapter 14. Widening Horizons: From New Bedford to Boston University Part III: Planting Seeds of Jewish RenewalChapter 15. Jewish Innovation in ManitobaChapter 16. Adventures with Catholic Monasticism Chapter 17. My First Trip to the Holy Land Chapter 18. Qumran, USA: My Plan for Jewish Communality Chapter 19. Hasidic Counseling: New Explorations Chapter 20. Psychedelics with Timothy Leary Chapter 21. My Friend Thomas Merton and the Ecumenical Quest Chapter 22. Walks with Abraham MaslowChapter 23. Abraham Joshua Heschel: My Mentor & Friend Chapter 24. Leaving Chabad: The Fallout from My Washington, DC Lecture Chapter 25. The San Francisco Counter-Culture and Neo-Hasidism Chapter 26. Relocating to PhiladelphiaChapter 27. Epilogue: Whither Jewish Renewal?Appendix: Brief Reminiscences A. Gerald Heard, My “Irish Rebbe”B. Rabbi Heschel MattC. Breakthroughs in Milwaukee D. The Dalai LamaE. My Unfulfilled ProjectsGlossary Related Books by the Authors IndexAbout the Authors