From March 11 through 13, I attended a weekend Shabbaton at Havurah Shir Hadash in Ashland, Oregon. The central figure for the weekend was Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founding father of the Jewish Renewal Movement. Reb Zalman originally came from Chabad circles, and in my view captures a contemporary view of Hasidism.
Pictures: Reb Zalman and the Dalai Lama, Reb Zalman and I at the Shabbaton.
In the post-Shoah, post-Modern world, Reb Zalman saw a set of paramount circumstances through which Judaism should allow itself to be transformed, similar to how Judaism was transformed in the Rabbinic period after the destruction of the Temple. I would argue based on Chaim Hames‘ writing on the esoteric and exoteric aspects of Kabbalah, that similar transformations took place in light of the Spanish expulsion and elsewhere in Jewish History.
Whereas other movements seek a restoration or conservation of what was, Reb Zalman seeks a renewal… not a return to “doing Jewish”, but a return of “doing Jewish.” The distinction seems minor at first glance, but at heart-level the difference is vast. While Zalman contends there will never be an “Orthodox Jewish Renewal”, this movement is not one to cast off tradition but rather deepens it by making it relevant to modern spiritual expression (something that has been done throughout Jewish history). Essays that map out the development of Jewish Renewal can be found in Reb Zalman’s book, “Paradigm Shift”.
The first recording is of Reb Zalman speaking about how Jewish Renewal developed, and an entertaining addendum about his encounter with LSD-guru Dr. Timothy Leary at Harvard University:
Ashland Shabbaton, March 12, 2011, Part One (DJ Yid-Yad Remix)
Duration: 10 minutes, 6 seconds. Sources: I recorded Reb Zalman directly beneath a speaker in the back of the Havurah, music by Global Communications (Track title: “14:31” from the album “76:14”)
The second recording is Reb Zalman talking about “panentheism” vs “pantheism” – and how he views the organic model as the best model. This is followed by an audio clip from the film “Gambling, Gods and LSD”, in which an unknown scientific theorist expounds a parallel view which has always featured strongly in my own personal theology.
Ashland Shabbaton, March 12, 2011, Part Two (DJ Yid-Yad Remix)
Duration: 11 minutes, 23 seconds. Sources: Rabbi David Zaslow, followed by Reb Zalman, background music Mathew Jonson’s “New Model Robots” from the album “Agents of Time”, “Gambling, Gods, and LSD” clip, Zohar’s “Ehad” from the album“onethreeseven”.
The third recording speaks of the current “shift” in politics, and Reb Zalman illuminates what is necessary for the health of the “growing edge”, and how a socialization of consciousness realization is essential to steer the course with a minimum of effort to affect the greatest shift.
Ashland Shabbaton, March 12, 2011, Part Three (DJ Yid-Yad Remix)
Duration: 10 minutes, 37 seconds. Sources: Rabbi David Zaslow, Reb Zalman (with help from Eve Ilsen and Jean Houston). Music: Deadbeat “Abu Ghraib”, Banyen Tree “Feel the Sun Rise”, Milka Kuisma “Trying My New Wings”.
Finally, on the Sunday morning I captured a powerful moment with Reb Zalman leading Shabbaton participants in his poignant English translation of Psalm 148 (Duration: 4 minutes, 17 seconds).
I’ve also prepared a slide-show and video of Jackson Wellsprings‘ “Tree of Life Garden” and Outdoor Mikvah, as well as photos from Havurah Shir Hadash taken throughout the Saturday evening and Sunday morning programs.
Kabbalistic Gardens and Ashland Shabbaton Video and Slide-show (10 minutes, 40 seconds)
Further info on the Tree of Life Garden can be found here. Keep in mind the images are of the garden in early March! There’s still development to go, but it’s still a great concept.
All audio and video was taken with an iPhone 3GS using the stock microphone and software that comes with the phone, with the exception of certain photos taken using the application “Hipstamatic”. Audio pieces were mixed in real time by DJ Yid-Yad, and the video / slide-show was put together in iMovie.
For more on Reb Zalman – check out ALEPH Alliance for Jewish Renewal
For more DJ Yid-Yad – check out Soundcloud.
-Kivrosh Ra’anan Eliyahu