On May 25th, 2005, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Hasidic rebbe and founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, traveledfrom Boulder, Colorado, down to the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, Colorado, to dialogue with Father ThomasKeating, Trappist monk and one of the founders of the Centering Prayer movement, who had come from St. Benedict'sMonastery in Snowmass, Colorado. Herein is contained their sprawling and scintillating dialogue on science, mysticism, andspiritual practice.
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Books
In the late 1950s, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, known as 'Reb Zalman,' authored one of the first English books on Jewish meditation and contemplative Judaism, initially distributed as a simple stapled booklet to friends and students. This modest work quickly reached a wide audience, including notable figures like President Zalman Shazar of Israel and Father Thomas Merton, author of The Seven Storey Mountain. In 1965, it was featured in the influential Jewish Catalog, resonating with many young Jews in the late 60s and early 70s seeking a genuine Jewish meditation practice. After years of obscurity, the booklet was revised in 1993 as Gate to the An Evolving Process, inspiring a new wave of Jewish contemplatives within the Jewish Renewal movement. Now, following further revisions and enhancements, Reb Zalman's deeply personal work, the result of over 60 years of spiritual guidance, is being made available to the public. As noted by Netanel Miles-Yépez, co-author of A Heart Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters, this book stands out as the essential work by Reb Zalman, embodying his authentic voice and creativity, making it a treasured resource for spiritual practice.