Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, better known as "Reb Zalman," was born in Zholkiew, Poland, in 1924. Raised largely in Vienna, his family was forced to flee the Nazi oppression in 1938. After almost three years without roots, they finally landed in New York City in 1941, settling in Brooklyn, where young Zalman enrolled in the yeshiva of the Lubavitcher Hasidim. He was ordained by Lubavitch in 1947. He later received his Master of Arts degree in the Psychology of Religion in 1956 from Boston University and a Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree from Hebrew Union College in 1968.
He taught at the University of Manitoba, Canada, from 1956 to 1975 and was Professor of Jewish Mysticism and Psychology of Religion at Temple University until his early retirement in 1987, when he was named professor emeritus. In 1995, he accepted the World Wisdom Chair at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, officially retiring from that post in 2004.
Throughout his long career, Reb Zalman has been an unending resource for the world religious community. He is one of the major founders of the Jewish Renewal movement and the father of the Spiritual Eldering movement, an active teacher of Hasidism and Jewish Mysticism, and a participant in ecumenical dialogues throughout the world, including the widely influential dialogue with the Dalai Lama, documented in the book, The Jew in the Lotus.
One of the world's foremost authorities on Hasidism, he is the author of the forthcoming A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters (co-authored by Netanel Miles-Yepez). His most recent book is Integral Halachah: Transcending and Including (written with Daniel Siegel). Reb Zalman currently lives in Boulder, Colorado, and continues to be active in mentoring his many students the world over.
Rabbi Debra Orenstein is renowned as a teacher and scholar-in-residence across North America, regularly speaking at synagogues, universities, and conventions. She is the spiritual leader of Makom Ohr Shalom synagogue in Tarzana and has taught in the rabbinical, graduate school, undergraduate, conversion, and continuing education programs at the American Jewish University.
She received her training at Princeton University (A.B. summa cum laude), University of Judaism (B.H.L.), The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (M.A. and ordination), The Neighborhood Playhouse, and The Meisner-Carville School (Two-year Program).
Rabbi Orenstein is the author or editor of five books, including the award-winning Lifecycles book series, published by Jewish Lights Publishing: Lifecycles 1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones, Lifecycles 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life, and the forthcoming Lifecycles 3: Jewish Women on Holy Days and Communal Celebrations. She co-authored From Generation to Generation, a collection of sermons and Bible commentaries, with her grandfather, Rabbi Israel Mowshowitz. She has also written essays for The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, The Women's Prophets Commentary (2004), Etz Hayim Humash (2001), and The Tallit (forthcoming), among others. Debra's rabbinate represents both the inherited tradition and its flexibility in every age. A seventh generation rabbi, she is also an alumna of the first entering class at The Jewish Theological Seminary to include women.
A frequent guest on radio and television, Rabbi Orenstein has appeared on dozens of media outlets, including as a repeat guest on WOR Radio, New York; Jewish Television Network; Good Day LA (Fox Television); and KABC Radio, Los Angeles. She also "worked her way through rabbinical school" as an actress, and has appeared in a handful of films and numerous stage productions.
Rabbi Debra Orenstein was recently the teacher in a Tele-Webinar on Meaningful Jewish Ritual: What Works, What Inspires, What's Next?, produced by Our Learning Company. For more information and to register for a full recording of this 90-minute event, please visit:
RabbiDebra.com, produced by ShareWonder Media, is a resource of teachings, meditations, messages and other information from and about Rabbi Orenstein, and a source of her periodic newsletter of e-spirations.
A 97-Minute Tele-Webinar with celebrated author and masterteacher
Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
and
award-winning author and teacher
Rabbi Debra Orenstein
Including an UPDATE INTERVIEW
with Reb Zalman by Rabbi Debra
recorded in March, 2010
In Collaboration with ShareWonder Media
»» All Profits from this Unprecedented
Learning Event
Are Donated to Makom Ohr Shalom ««
Hello,
How do you turn this year's Passover Seder(s) into meaningful experiences that will impact the rest of the year for you and everybody else around the table?
"I've been soaking in the podcast, and it has caused me to totally rethink how I will facilitate my Seder this year."
Rabbi Hayim Herring, Executive Director of STAR, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
What are we really searching for when we search for chametz?
How can we tell the story so that we all feel personally redeemed?
How can we meaningfully re-connect to familiar parts of the Seder?
What about those parts we usually skip or go over quickly?
What is the deep structure of the Passover Seder?
"Thank you, and I enjoyed the learning very, very much. The teachings were incorporated in both our personal Seder, and the one we led at the shul."
Rabbi Nancy and David Wechsler-Azen
Sacramento, California, USA
If any of these questions has ever crossed your mind, especially now during these few days leading up to Passover, this 97-minute session with renowned authors and teachers Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Rabbi Debra Orenstein is for you.
"Thanks for a wonderful class! This was great, and very well done as I guess you didn't have any visual connection with the participants. It's a great blessing to have wonderful teachers and I hope that you will be doing more of these in the future."
Daniel Burstyn, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
In 97-minutes, you will not only listen to a lively discussion about the Passover Seder, but also learn specific tools and insights to make this year's Passover Seder a very special and meaningful one.
"Great teaching, and technically well done. Yasher Koach! Thank you for spreading the oral teachings!"
Richard Lenson, Napa, California, USA
To purchase this unique learning resource (including both a Web-streamed audio and a downloadable MP3 file), as well as several bonuses (see below for details), simply...
All profits from this event will be donated to Makom Ohr Shalom, the congregation in Tarzana, California where Reb Zalman has spent the high holiday season over the past 15 years, and where Rabbi Debra serves as a spiritual leader. The tuition for this unique tele-webinar is $36.
"Wonderful seminar!"
Chaplain Bruce D. Feldstein MD, Stanford, California, USA
Unfamiliar with Reb Zalman and his teachings? Here is a short sample:
If you've had the pleasure to attend any of Reb Zalman's or Rabbi Debra's live teachings, read their books or listened to their recordings, you already know how insightful, informative, soulful and inspiring they are. If you haven't, you are in for a unique and truly unprecedented treat. So go ahead and register now!
Lia Abraham, Green Bay, Wisonsin, USA
Wishing you a Happy and Kasher Pesach!
Sergiu S. Simmel
Founder and President
Our Learning Company LLC
What Do I Get For My Registration Fee?
A live, interactive tele-webinar
The audio recording of the entire event, streamed over the Internet
A downloadable MP3 recording of the event
A 72 page Study Guide.
An eBook by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, titled "Freeing the Seder from the Maxwell House Haggadah"
An essay by Rabbi Debra Orenstein titled "Making Passover with Kids"
An exclusive eBook by Rabbi Orenstein on "Seder Solutions: 67 Tips and Techniques for Enhancing Your Celebration"
A free subscription to Rabbi Debra's periodic newsletter of e-spirations
How Do I Gain Access?
Click any of the Register Now buttons in this message and arrive at the registration page.
Enter your payment information.
NOTE: Since all of the profits from your registrations go to support Makom Ohr Shalom and its good works, if you'd like to donate more, feel free to purchase multiple virtual seats. Simply modify the quantity from 1 to whatever number you're comfortable with (suggestion: 3)
Click on the green Submit Order button and wait for the credit card transaction to go through.
You will then arrive at the Recording and Bonuses page.
Here is the registration link again...
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. I am a beginner, and know precious little about Passover. Will I be able to follow this session, or is it suitable for advanced learners only?
A: No worries: Both Reb Zalman and Rabbi Debra's teachings are for everyone. Both are quite renowned for the clarity of their teachings, and for the gift of making complex topics accessible without “watering them down.”
Q: I am very advanced in my Jewish studies (maybe even an ordained rabbi or a scholar), so why should I spend my time and money on this?
A: For at least six reasons:
You will find Reb Zalman and Rabbi Debra's approaches to the Passover Seder quite refreshing. They will offer you new perspectives that will find useful and inspiring, as you teach about and lead your own Passover Seders.
They both inspire as well as inform. This seminar is not only for your head, but for your heart and soul, to nurture you spiritually.
You will find that the format of this tele-webinar, broken down into segments and sub-segments, brings the topic alive in ways few do.
While still very young in mind, spirit and body, Reb Zalman's public appearances are rare these days. This is truly a very unique opportunity to hear and interact with this master teacher directly.
If you are an educator, you can create a seminar of your own based on what you learn here; Reb Zalman and Rabbi Debra have already done all the "heavy lifting" for you.
Last, but not least, since all of the profits from your registration fee will go to Makom Ohr Shalom, you will be contributing to the ongoing health of a wonderful congregation, close to Reb Zalman's heart.
Q: How come you're charging money for this tele-webinar when there is so much free stuff on the Internet?
A: We offer a very unique, interactive, pedagogically superior learning environment rarely available anywhere. We also engage absolutely top-of-the-line (if I may use that phrase) Jewish scholars, teachers, authors and thought leaders as our faculty. Additionally, all the profits from this tele-webinar go to support Makom Ohr Shalom--Reb Zalman and Rabbi Debra's congregation in Tarzana, California.
Q: I don't know any Hebrew. Is that a problem?
A: Not at all. Everything is in English. If Reb Zalman or Rabbi Debra quote a word or a phrase in Hebrew, they will immediately translate it into English.
