Timeline
Ìý
August 17 1924Meshullam Zalman born Meshullam Zalman born on Sunday, August 17th (17 Av) in Zholkiew, Poland to Hayyah Gittel and Shlomo HaKohen Schachter. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1925Schachter family moves to Vienna, Austria |
1933Engelbert Dollfuss closes Austrian parliament and brings fascism to Austria | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1934Schachter begins school AttendsÌýgymnasium at the socialist Zionist Brit Bilu Agudah and yeshiva at Yesod HaTorah. |
MarchÌý1938Anschluss:ÌýAustria annexed into Nazi German | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | December 1938Family flees to Belgium to avoid Nazi oppression. |
1939Meets Chabad Hasidim of the Niezhin branch In Antwerp, Schachter meets Chabad Hasidim of the Niezhin branch and apprentices as a furrier and diamond polisher. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | April — June 1940Family interned From April to June, the SchachterÌýfamily is interned in a village near Montlucon in central France. In June, they are held in aÌýprison/labor camp by the Vichy French government after the capitulation of France. In September, they are freed and flee south to Marseilles. |
May 1940Nazis invade Belgium | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1941Schachter familyÌýleaves France Schachter meets the future Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, for the first time in Marseilles. In January, the Schachter familyÌýleaves France. They arrive in New York via St. Thomas, Virgin Islands two days before Passover. Schachtr has his first meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn (known simply as the Rebbe). Schachter enters Central Yeshiva Tomchei T'mimim, Brooklyn, New York City. |
1943Heavy Messianic yearnings among Lubavitcher Hasidim A year of heavy Messianic yearnings among Lubavitcher Hasidim after the Rebbe issues several statements on the Messiah. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1946ÌýSchachter begins supervised teaching in New Haven, Connecticut |
1947Receives rabbinic ordination Schachter receives rabbinic ordination from Central Yeshivah Tomchei T'mimimÌýand his mentors, Rabbis Eliya Simpson and Yisroel Jacobson. Continues teaching in New Haven. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1948Ìý— 1949ÌýTeaches at Yeshivah Achei T'mimim (Lubavitch Yeshiva) in Rochester, New York |
1949 Ìý— 1952Travels to college campuses with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Begins to travel to college campuses withÌýRabbi Shlomo CarlebachÌýupon the direction ofÌýthe Lubavitcher Rebbe. Congregational Rabbi and Principal at AgudasÌýAchim,ÌýFallÌýRiver,ÌýMassachusetts.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1950Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe dies The sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe,ÌýRabbi Yosef Yitzhak SchneersohnÌýdies. His son-in-law, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, becomes the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe. |
1952 Ìý— 1956Becomes a congregational Rabbi and Principal of Congregation Ahavas Achim, New Bedford, Massachusetts | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1954ÌýBegins chaplaincy training. |
1955ÌýBegins M.A. work at Boston University Meets Reverend Howard Thurman | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1956ÌýFirst meeting with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel |
1956 Ìý— 1969ÌýTeaches religion at the University of Manitoba Obtains a post teaching in the Department of Religion, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,Canada (assistant and tenured associate professor). | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1956 — 1967ÌýDirectors the B'nai Brith Hillel at University of Manitoba |
1956Receives Master of Arts from Boston University in Psychology of Religion | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1957Starts teaching pastoral counseling at United CollegeÌý(later known as theÌýUniversity of Winnipeg) |
1958Publishes The First Step: A Primer of a Jew's Spiritual Life Self-publishes his first book on Jewish meditation, with the help of David Jackson, calledÌýThe First Step: A Primer of a Jew's Spiritual Life. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1959First trip to Israel MeetsÌýDr. Shmuel Hugo Bergman,ÌýDr. Gershom Scholem,ÌýDr. Erich NeumannÌýand the Roth Hasidim. |
1960Founds language lab at University of Manitoba MeetsÌýElie WieselÌýandÌýFather Thomas Merton. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1961Teaches as a 'Religious Environmentalist' Teaches as a "Religious Environmentalist" at Camp Ramah, the camping movement of Conservative Judaism. Seeks a position at Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). HasÌýsecond meeting withÌýRabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who was on faculty at JTS.Ìý |
1962Experiments with LSD for the first timeÌýwith Dr. Timothy Leary at Vedanta Centre in Cohasset, Massachusetts | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1963Begins Doctorate in Hebrew Letters work at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati |
1964First visit to the Lama Foundation in San Cristobal, New Mexico | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1966Gave a lecture called "Kabbalah and LSD" This lecture leadsÌýto Schachter's parting of ways with the leadership of Chabad Hasidism. |
1968 — 1969Earns Doctorate of Hebrew Letters Earns Doctorate of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College. Becomes post-doctoral fellow at Brandeis University, Near Eastern Languages and Literature (1968-1969) and teaches a course in Psychology of ReligionÌýwith labs, inspiring the firstÌýJewish Catalog. Involved in the launching ofÌýHavurat ShalomÌýin Boston with RabbisÌýArthur GreenÌýand Barry Holtz, often considered the birth of the American havurah movement. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1969Founds B'nai Founds B'nai Or Religious Fellowship (nowÌý). Promoted to full professor in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at the University of Manitoba (1969-1975). |
1973Finishes Human, God's Ineffable Name Begins meeting with Sufis, especially Pir Moineddin Jablonski. FinishesÌýHuman, God's Ineffable Name, an English rendering ofÌýRabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's book of Yiddish poetry,ÌýDer Shem Ham'forash Mentsch.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1974Gives first smichah Gives his first smichah (ordination) on March 24 (1 Nissan) toÌýRabbi Daniel Siegel. Meets and forms a friendship withÌýPir Vilayat Inayat-Khan, the head of the Sufi Order. Participates inÌýa program at Glide Memorial Church with a Sufi choir. Helps found theÌýAquarian MinyanÌýof Berkeley, California. |
1974 — 1975Teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Stanford, CA | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1975Publishes Fragments of a Future Scroll PublishesÌýFragments of a Future ScrollÌýwith Philip Mandelkorn. Teaches at University of California at Santa Cruz, and Berkeley Theological Union, Berkeley, CA. Initiated as aÌýsheikhÌýof the Sufi Chishti-Inayati Order byÌýPir Vilayat Inayat-Khan. |
1975Ìý—1987ÌýBecomes professor at Temple University After leaving the University of Manitoba, becomes professor of Religion in Jewish Mysticism and Psychology of Religion at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1976Begins teaching at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College,ÌýPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania |
1983Publishes The First Step and Sparks of Light PublishesÌýThe First StepÌýwith Donald Gropman andÌýSparks of LightÌýwith Edward Hoffman. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1984Sabbatical year from Temple University Spends half the year as Fulbright Guest Professor in Tubingen, Germany, and Bern, Switzerland. The second half of the year returns to Israel. MeetsÌýRabbi Gedaliah Kenig. |
1985Takes retreat at the Lama Foundation Takes a 40-day retreat at the Lama Foundation, San Cristobal, New Mexico, after which Schachter sheds the physical manifestations of his Hasidic identity (long beard and side-locks) and envisions theÌýSpiritual ElderingÌýwork.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1986Publishes The Dream Assembly with Howard Schwartz |
1986Ìý—Ìý1992Founds P'nai Or Wisdom School with Eve Ilsen, Philadelphia, PA | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1987Ìý—Ìý1990ÌýTeaches full time at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1987Retires and is named Professor Emeritus at Temple University | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1987Ìý—Ìý1988ÌýTeaches at the Academy of Jewish Studies, New York City, New York |
1989Founds and becomes president ofÌýthe Spiritual Eldering Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1990In October, meets with the 14th Dalai Lama, H.H. Tenzin Gyatso, Dharamsala, India |
1991Publishes Spiritual Intimacy: A Study of Counseling in Hasidism | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 1993Publishes Gate to the Heart and Paradigm Shift Takes Rabbinic Chair withÌýALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia, PA |
1995Publishes From Age-ing to Sage-ing with Ronald Miller Becomes the 2nd holder of the World Wisdom Chair at the Naropa Institute (laterÌýNaropa University), Boulder, CO. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 2001Takes permanent faculty teaching post at Naropa University |
2002Reb Zalman Legacy Project is begun In February, turns over World Wisdom Chair toÌýKobun Chino Roshi, a Zen Master. Donates his archival collectionÌýtoÌýNaropa UniversityÌýand the Reb Zalman Legacy Project beginsÌýin partnership with theÌýYesod Foundation.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 2003Publishes Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of the Hasidic Masters with Netanel Miles-Yepez |
2004Retires from Naropa University Co-founds the Sufi-Hasidic, Inayati-Maimuniyya Tariqat with Netanel Miles-Yepez. | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 2005Publishes Jewish with Feeling: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Practice and Credo of a Modern Kabbalist PublishesÌýJewish with Feeling: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish PracticeÌýwith Joel Segel andÌýCredo of a Modern KabbalistÌýwith Daniel Siegel. |
2007Publishes Integral Halakhah: Transcending and Including PublishesÌýIntegral Halakhah: Transcending and IncludingÌýwith Daniel Siegel,ÌýInto My Garden: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies Volume IÌýandÌýAt the Rebbe's Table: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies Volume IIÌý(both edited by Eyal Rivlin and Netanel Miles-Yepez). | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 2009Publishes A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic MastersÌýwith Netanel Miles-Yepez |
2010Moves archival collection to University of Colorado Archives Moves archival collection from Naropa to University of Colorado Archives, which forms the basis of the University of Colorado's Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý | Ìý | 2011Publishes A Hidden Light: Stories and Teachings of Early HaBaD and Bratzlav Hasidism with Netanel Miles-Yepez |
2014Passes away Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi z"lÌýpassesÌýaway peacefully on July 3, 2014 in Boulder, CO at the age of 89.Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Ìý