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Gayatri is a prayer book designed for use by the family of Sufi lineages descending from Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan (1882-1927). Included within are all prayers of the "Gayatri" sections of the Gayan and Vadan, as well as other prayers and remembrances, composed by Hazrat Inayat Khan, held and honored in the tradition of Inayati Sufism. Additionally, there is a section of universalist prayers and remembrances of the Inayati-Maimuni Sufi community composed by Pir Netanel Miles-Yépez and Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Zalman Sulayman Schachter-Shalomi, for the use of that community. For this volume, the original prayers & remembrances have been edited and adapted for clarity in modern English and made gender inclusive. Notes have also been added in the back to explain context, non-English vocabulary, and the origins of various prayers.

THE PREVIOUS REBBE of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950) said, "When we remind ourselves of the 'sayings of old, ' it enlivens us." That is to say, the expressions used through the generations in Lubavitch are permeated with a life and a holy energy. In them is preserved an entire culture, a lifestyle, and a place of genuine warmth . . . for they come from a time and a place when people truly cared for one another. LubavitchSpeak is a fascinating dictionary of words, sayings and colloquialisms used by generations of Chabad-Lubavitcher Chasidim to express the most important concepts and contents of their unique culture which has been so influential on modern Judaism. It is a language which has evolved through 200 years of pious and dedicated service to G-d, and includes the terminology of the Chasidic gathering (farbrengen), the synagogue (shul), the seminary (yeshiva), and even Lubavitch 'street language, ' the day-to-day talk of Lubavitcher Chasidim, young and old, male and female, past and present. The more one is familiar with 'LubavitchSpeak, ' the better one will appreciate the Lubavitch lifestyle and its holiness. For, to know a culture, you must first understand its language.

A disciple, fool, and pious heretic, Daniel Jami weaves a map of poems, from separation to union and back again. Inviting the reader into the mythic realm of Love, Lover, and Beloved, this contemporary collection explores traditional motifs of Sufism's 'school of love, ' through an interspiritual lens, in modern American language.

IN 1985, POET AND TEACHER Carol Rose designed a set of cards with artist Lu-Ann Lynde called, "Walking the Motherpath." Each oval-shaped card represented a woman from the Bible accompanied by a poetic interpretation of her significance. The hope was that the cards would serve as "mirrors of identity" or doorways into a greater sense of personal awareness, and that women and men could use the cards to unravel the stories of the biblical mothers to gain greater insight into their own life processes. Over the years, the cards have been used in private study groups, as meditative tools for individuals, and in Rose's own workshops called "Walking the Motherpath" and "Listening to Our Inner Prophetesses." In these workshops and study groups, an image is chosen randomly and serves as a guide for directing seekers inward to the Source of Wisdom, allowing the stories of these biblical women to be re-imagined experientially. Now, it is hoped that the book, The Path of the Mothers, will provide new opportunities for the same kind of exploration, opportunities for expanding one's understanding of the lives the biblical matriarchs from a woman-centered perspective, and for finding personal meaning in them.

As the title suggests, this book is a series of portraits of different people, events, and curiosities in the history of Habad Hasidism. It tells of many unknown or little understood aspects of the Rebbes' lives, the stories of the children of Habad Rebbes who did not themselves become Rebbes, the stories and viewpoint of the 'foot soldiers' of Habad in different eras, of forgotten outreach campaigns and initiatives, and even the stories and perspectives of those who broke away or rebelled."Rabbi Chaim Dalfin brings to his books the rare combination of an insider's sensitivity for nuance and an observer's passion for honest documentation. His portraits of figures in Habad's recent past stand out for their humanity and understanding. Anyone who is interested in understanding contemporary Habad-whether they are inside or outside of Habad-should consult his books."- Don Seeman, Associate Professor, Emory University "This material has great importance because of its content about the lives of Hasidim. We learn a lot about the issues that concern them, their self-sacrifice, work methods, and continual growth. We also learn about the place of women in Hasidic Judaism and relations between Hasidim and Mitnagdim. The material is supported by competent evidence, and it is good that someone has documented it for eternity, as the verse states, 'So that the last generation will know, sons were born to stand up and tell their children, and to make G-d complete.' " - Moshe Hallamish, Professor Emeritus, Bar-Illan University

Yishmru Daat is a collection of Hasidic teachings from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in the traditional Hebrew of the beit midrash.

HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN was himself a poet and musician, uniquely qualified to talk about Sufi poetry from both an artistic and spiritual perspective. This slim book, simply entitled, Sufi Poetry, is a collection of talks by the master on the Persian Sufi poets and the mystical connection between poetry and prophecy. Although he also discusses poetry and some of the same themes in another collection, Art: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, the talks in Sufi Poetry deal far more specifically with symbolism in Persian Sufi poetry and also give us a more detailed presentation of the works of the most famous Persian Sufi poets: Farid ad-Din Attar, Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Muslih ad-Din Sa'di, and Shams ad-Din Muhammad Hafiz.

Once, when Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi was still a young Hillel director, he took his students to meet the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). To his embarrassment, one of his students asked the Rebbe, "What is a rebbe good for?" But the Rebbe was not offended and offered this amazing response: "I can't speak about myself; but I can tell you about my own rebbe. For me, my rebbe was the geologist of the soul. You see, there are so many treasurers in the earth. There is gold, there is silver, and there are diamonds. But if you don't know where to dig, you'll only find dirt and rocks and mud. The rebbe can tell you where to dig, and what to dig for, but the digging you must do yourself."In this amazing series of talks, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement and one of the world's leading authorities on Hasidism, discusses Jewish spiritual leadership from the perspective of the Hasidic Rebbe, applying traditional Hasidic models and teachings to contemporary situations. He covers issues of identity for spiritual leaders, the teacher-student relationship, spiritual guidance and intercessory prayer. Anyone who is deeply involved in Jewish spiritual leadership, or a student of Hasidic models of leadership, will find a wealth of valuable information in these informal talks on the subject

InterSpiritual Meditation is a universal process drawn from the world's spiritual traditions. It helps individuals to cultivate inner peace, wisdom, and compassion. Its seven-step process enables people of different spiritual practices to create engaged contemplative communities based on empathy, understanding, shared meditative experience, and compassionate service for the common good. InterSpiritual Meditation is the next step in the evolution of InterSpiritual Wisdom and a foundationstone for peace among peoples of all religions."The interfaith world is long on talk and short on practice. While we are eager to learn each other's spiritual practices, what we need is a practice that transcends our respective traditions and engages us in a more inclusive pursuit of awakening. Ed Bastian's InterSpiritual offers just that. --- Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of Open Secrets

Ever since his novel, The Search Committee, I have been waiting anxiously for Rabbi Marc D. Angel's next work of fiction. The short story collection The Crown of Solomon and Other Stories was worth the wait! A unique and moving collection that allows the reader insight into Sephardic Jewry's rich heritage."- Naomi Ragen, Author of The Sister's Weiss and the Ghost of Hannah MendesThese wry parables of Jewish wisdom and ignorance touch a nerve. We find ourselves thinking about these characters long after we've put the book down-this one timid and self-demeaning until she suddenly is not, that one stubborn and aggressive, another, hesitant beyond reason. The stories quietly ambush assumptions of many kinds.- Jane Mushabac, CUNY Professor of English, author of "Pasha: Ruminations of David Aroughetti." Praise for The Crown of Solomon: While reading Rabbi Marc Angel's The Crown of Solomon and Other Stories, I could not stop wondering whether David Barukh, the unrecognized Sephardic Mozart, was a metaphor for the last two centuries of the Ottoman Sephardic culture, a metaphor for all the wasted opportunities and unrealized potentials! Rabbi Angel's stories demonstrate that Sepharadim can still teach modern American readers a thing or two, a lesson in honesty, or modesty-or, maybe, how to turn a defect into effect. Rabbi Angel does not idealize his Sephardic characters, not even the rabbinic ones. Some of his rabbis, like Hakham Shelomo, are wise in an a la turca way; others are quite average, like Hakham Ezra; some are humble, honorable and even saintly like Rabbi Bejerano-and yet others are frivolous and self-centered, like Rabbi Tedeschi. All are convincingly human and quite imaginable in real life. The lay characters of the stories are simply conquering in their charming simplicity, in their human rootedness and in their folk wisdom. While reading Rabbi Marc Angel's new book, I felt everything was in its place. It takes a person deeply rooted in both cultures, traditional Sephardic and modern American, to tell so Sephardic a story in a language such as English, and who makes everything feel totally right.- Dr. Eliezer Papo, Head of the Sephardic Studies Research Institute, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

One day, Israeli scientist and spiritual teacher, Michael Kagan, sat down to say his morning prayers. As he was about to take up his prayer book, he suddenly heard-"Are you ready?" Ready for what? he thought. "Ready to write," came the response. Somewhat bewildered, he argued that it wasn't appropriate now. But the voice insisted, "Write!" What could he do? He found a notebook and began to write. The words poured through him from a voice protesting our abuse of the planet and our fellow human beings. It carried a reproving message for the three children of Abraham-Jews, Christians and Muslims-and called upon these siblings of the same Divine Parent to stop their fighting and come together to fulfill their purpose on Earth as true partners in God's plan! Whose voice was it really? Who can say? But what is clear is this-its message is uncomfortably compelling, utterly necessary today, and as difficult to ignore as it is to hear. It's message has been supported by leaders among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, some of whom have written: "Listening deeply to the inner voice, Michael Kagan has placed himself in his own and other traditions; he has listened to the outcry of our Mother the Earth, and is sensitive to the voice of the feminine presence. He shares with us here a 'treasury debt' issued from the Divine Source." (Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement) "God's Prayer is a unique inter-faith challenge that befits a teacher who has lived what he preaches. ... Will we turn our backs on this challenge? You cannot read Michael's prayer of exhortation and walk away unmoved." (Reverend Richard Cizik, President of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good)"Not everybody can write or translate what he has experienced, but Michael has succeeded in translating for us what came down upon him ... To Michael I say: be blessed for being this channel that is bringing forth this enlightened revelation, for being a vessel connecting us to the vertical plane that unites all of humankind." (Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, the Qadiri Sufi Order in Nazareth)

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-Yépez, co-author of A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

Unlike her first book of poetry, Behind the Blue Gate (l997), which used place to access reality, Carol Rose's From the Dream invites us to draw upon memory, loss, death, friendship and love in an attempt to give shape to our lives. Dreams, like the spiritual realm, shift perspective, urging us to move between the worlds of waking and imaginal realities. In this strangely familiar terrain, perceptions are challenged. We sense the power of images, believing that if we can grab hold of them, wrest meaning from them, then (regardless of how bewildering they may seem) we can be blessed by them."Carol Rose calls up her spiritual lineages, and dares the reader to go travelling with her, through dream, memory, spirit, and the landed body, toward the wisdom of self-understanding. Her poetic journey spirals back and forth through time, from the ancient path of priestess, to home and family, to her own Jewish heritage and identity."- Katherine Bitney, author of The Boreal Dragon: Encounters with a Northern Land and Firewalk"In From the Dream, Carol Rose views her life from a mystical perspective. Here there are angels to interact with, the Shekhinah to guide her, and fate and meaning in everything that occurs. Drawing on 'words/waiting to be exhumed, ' she creates poems that fulfill their ancient role as spells, prophecies, and 'ancient utterances.' "- Howard Schwartz, author of The Library of Dreams: New and Selected Poems 1965-201

Edward Bastian's groundbreaking book, Mandala: Creating an Authentic Spiritual Path: An InterSpiritual Process, provides the reader with a profound tool for constructing and cultivating a personal spiritual path from the world's collective spiritual wisdom, utilizing one's own preferences and learning styles to find the answers to our most profound questions. That is to say, it provides the means, not the answers - those we must find ourselves. Through the Spiritual Paths Mandala one explores one's own archetypal approaches to spirituality, one's own questions about the spiritual path, and finds the practices and traditions that best suit our particular needs. Of it, Dr. Carol S. Pearson, author of The Hero Within and Awakening the Heroes Within, has written: "In Mandala, Dr. Bastian has done for spirituality what I've worked to do with archetypes, developing a system through which anyone-religious or not-can identify his or her own natural mode of assessing spiritual truth. Dr. Bastian's work is a great and important breakthrough, as so many believe they are not spiritual because they do not follow a particular dogma or because the tradition in which they were raised does not fit for them. His work also can be of assistance to those within any spiritual tradition to expand their horizons and to promote respectful interfaith dialogue."

"THOUGH IT IS MORE THAN sixty years later, the memories of World War II continue to haunt me. However determined I was to erase them from my consciousness through the years, they simply would not fade away. Thus, I resolved to write this memoir in the hope that it would liberate me from the shackles of their continual recollection." With these words, Leo Michel Abrami begins his poignant memoir of childhood in Nazi-occupied France, recounting the numerous dangers faced by his family during these years and his hiding on an isolated farm in Normandy. It is a story seen through a child's eyes, full of beauty and betrayal. It is a story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, most importantly, young Leo's courageous and inventive mother who, according to him, is "the real hero of this story.""[The Eleventh Commandment], like The Cellist of Sarajevo brought me close to the horrors of war and shows in a touching and highly personal way how people are changed by it and how powerful and admirable is the will to survive."- Barbara Milbourn, reviewer, Nashville, Tennessee

THE GAYAN OF HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN is one of the three most important works of inspiration for Inayati Sufis; the others being the Vadan and Nirtan. This edition of the Gayan: The Song of Divinity has been edited and adapted from the original for clarity in modern English, numbered and reformatted for ease of use, and made gender inclusive for modern readers.

"Simcha Paull Raphael is a skilled and compassionate guide to the terrain of grief. His elegant weaving of Jewish custom, psychological wisdom and visions of the afterlife provides an invaluable resource for anyone caring for Jewish mourners on their path from loss toward wholeness."--- Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman, author of Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older: Finding Your Grit and Grace Beyond Midlife"This is a book that will be an invaluable resource, not only for pastoral counselors, but for all of us who are facing our mortality. In it, Simcha Paull Raphael unpacks the wisdom that is contained within the Jewish tradition of death and dying, and teaches us how these insights can bring health and healing in our time. This is a wise and a helpful book, and should be cherished."--- Rabbi Jack Riemer, editor of Jewish Reflections on Death

The great 20th century Indian sage, Ramana Maharshi, has often been described as the very incarnation of non-dualism, or advaita, even though the Hindu philosophical school of Advaita Vedanta claims that no one has ever been born, lived or died. It is this paradox that the Advaitin philosopher John Allen Grimes explores in this profound new work, skillfully combining biography with philosophical and spiritual inquiry. For, as he tells us in his introduction, as one passes Ramana's life and teachings before the lens of Advaita, both are seen to be in perfect accord with the essence of Advaitin philosophy. But what is astonishing about this fact is that Ramana's teachings seem to have emerged spontaneously, as the fruit of his own sudden 'Awakening' at 16 years old; for it was only after this experience, almost by accident, that he learned of the ancient Hindu teachings of non-dualism! Ramana Maharshi: The Crown Jewel of Advaita reintroduces us to the life and teachings of the sage Ramana Maharshi through the darsana or 'philosophical system' known as Advaita Vedanta. But, as the Sanskrit word darsan also means 'being in the presence' of a sage or deity, we should not be surprised to find that this is something that this book also manages to accomplish.

Once, the medieval Jewish poets of Spain and Germany offered their best to the Jewish tradition, and their works were appreciated and incorporated into its liturgy. But since the Renaissance, many of the best artists have moved away from religion, leaving it impoverished and dependent on classic works. But in Time, Space, and Soul, Ken Rosenstein, a talented and highly original modern Jewish poet, once again gives us new and innovative poetry for the Jewish holidays and liturgy, poems on the Torah portions, as well as poignant and insightful poems on history, culture, and the self. Time, Space, and Soul, according to the earliest book of Jewish mysticism, Sefer Yetzirah, are the three fundamental dimensions of our Cosmos. They are also the dimensions that define this collection. Dip into them and find yourself renewed.Time, Space, and Soul is a many textured outpouring of prayer poems that contemplative mystic Ken Rosenstein has woven, the product of his own profound life-journey as a scholar of a renewed Judaism. Replete with midrashic, kabbalistic, and liturgical allusions, Rosenstein's poems are a gift of the spirit. - Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, author of The ReceivingTime, Space, and Soul are sacred entry points. Readers journey through each, carrying bones of ancestors past inquisition and exile toward freedom. Here the great arc of light reveals a single vibrating truth "You are there" "You are here".- Carol Rose, author of From the DreamKen's unique poetic vision combines Bible, Kabbalah and philosophy to reveal worlds of meaning in Jewish traditions. His rich metaphorical writing challenges us to imagine and experience a deeper spirituality.- Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

Although Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) is well-known today-as a philosopher, a Jewish theologian and a social activist-Heschel the poet is not. Nevertheless, those who have read his writings in English, spiritual classics like The Sabbath and Man is Not Alone, and have been moved by the power of his prose and the subtlety of his expression, will not be surprised to find that in his youth he had actually published a volume of Yiddish poetry in the heyday of Yiddish literature before the Holocaust. The 66 precious poems of Der Shem Ham'forash-Mentch, published by Indsel Verlag in Warsaw in 1933, remained close to Heschel's heart all of his life, though few people knew of their existence. It was more than a decade after his passing before most of his admirers learned of them, being treated to a few tantalizing snippets in Samuel Dresner's anthology, I Asked for Wonder (a line taken from the dedication of Der Shem Ham'forash-Mentch). But what was unknown to most of Heschel's readers was that a complete translation of his poetry in English already existed in his lifetime; and still more amazing, it had been made by his younger contemporary, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (b. 1924), who would himself become a towering figure in Jewish and world spirituality, but who at the time was just coming into his own and looked to the older Heschel as a mentor. As we learn in the introduction, the first drafts of these translations were given as gifts to Heschel after his heart attack in 1969 to cheer him through his convalescence (sometimes accompanied by recordings of Schachter-Shalomi reading both the Yiddish originals and the English translations!) Schachter-Shalomi notes that Heschel was satisfied with some of these early drafts and unsatisfied with others. The poems were deeply personal to him and the translations would need to be revised. Unfortunately, Heschel died before he and Schachter-Shalomi could come together to discuss a revision and the translations were put on a shelf. But now, in honor of the 40th anniversary of Heschel's passing, Schachter-Shalomi has taken them down again and completed his own revision for the modern reader of sacred poetry. Thus, we have in this volume something truly unique-the combined work and vision of two of the 20th century's greatest Jewish spiritual luminaries and master's of Yiddish!

Tamam Kahn's poetry carries bright exuberance, as well as empathy and sorrow. Her work is inspired by the mystical Middle East, and her time in Morocco and Syria. The poems are anchored with her research on women from early Islam to today. Anecdotes from history are mixed with today's unchosen difficulties. The reader is introduced to the remarkable Rabia of Basra (Rabi'a al-Adawiyya), eighth-century leader on the path of Unity of Being. What would it be like to meet with her today? Across the Difficult presents tales of other famous mothers such as Eve (known as Grandmother Eve in Arabia), Hagar, Sayyida Zaynab-granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad, her niece Ruqayya, and Fatima al-Fihri, founder of the great Qarawiyyin University, who changed history with her life's work. The brutal difficulties of living at this time in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and other countries, are included in the final poems.Winner of The BookFest First Place award for Poetry, Spring 2024.