Shefa Gold

Last updated
Shefa Gold
Born
Sherri Katz

New York City, New York, U.S.
Education
OccupationRabbi
SpouseRachmiel O'Regan
Website www.rabbishefagold.com

Shefa Gold (born 1954 or 1955) [1] is an American rabbi, scholar, and Director of the Center for Devotional, Energy and Ecstatic Practice (C-DEEP) in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Gold is a teacher of chant, Jewish mysticism, Jewish prayer and spirituality who Rabbi Mike Comins described in 2010 as "a pioneer in the ecstatic practice of Jewish chant." [2] Her chants have been used in synagogues, minyanim, and street protests; perhaps her most well known being "Ozi V'zimrat Yah". [3] [4] Combining traditional Jewish liturgical music with Hebrew chant, Gold has worked to cultivate a distinctly Jewish gratitude practice. [5] Her "Flavors of Gratefulness" mobile app has 109 different chants for Modeh Ani, the brief prayer traditionally recited by religious Jews upon awakening. [6] In 2024 she released "Flavors of Praise" with 61 different chants.

Prior to her rabbinical training, Gold worked as a musician. She said in a 2013 interview, "What I was really trying to do with my music was create sacred space. I felt how powerful music is in opening hearts." [7] [8] During her training at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she took time off to study Zen meditation practices (including chant). During a 1993 retreat led by Thích Nhât Hanh at the Omega Institute, Gold co-led a Rosh Hashanah service as many of the participants were Jewish. [9] By the time Gold was ordained as a rabbi in 1996, she had integrated Hebrew chant into her spiritual practice and, ultimately, her rabbinate (ministry). [8] She is a leader within ALEPH: the Alliance for Jewish Renewal, and received ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in addition to her Reconstructionist one. [5] [10] Through a program named Kol Zimra, Gold has trained rabbis, cantors, and lay leaders in Hebrew chant practices. [7] [11] According to one Jewish Telegraphic Agency article, nearly all interest in Jewish chanting today can be traced back to Gold. [3] She was included in Letty Cottin Pogrebin's 2007 list, The Other Fifty Rabbis in America, [12] a 2015 list of "America's most inspiring rabbis" by The Forward , [1] and has been quoted in articles that discuss the intersection of New Age spirituality and Judaism. [3] [13] [14]

Gold has produced ten albums, and her liturgies have been published in several[ which? ] prayerbooks. [15]

She is the author of several books on deepening spiritual awareness through sacred chant and meditation.

Gold's work was featured in the book Stalking Elijah: Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters by Rodger Kamenetz. [16]

In 2017, Gold was one of the rabbis who signed a statement by Jewish Veg encouraging Jews to take up a vegan lifestyle. [17] [18]

Gold has described Hebrew chant as effective for healing and transforming people of different religions, not just adherents of Judaism. [7]

Selected publications

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References

  1. 1 2 Eisner, Jane (2015). "America's Most Inspiring Rabbis: 33 Men & Women Who Move Us". The Forward.
  2. ↑ Comins, Mike (2010). Making Prayer Real: Leading Jewish Spiritual Voices on why Prayer is Difficult and what to Do about it. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN   978-1-58023-417-7.
  3. 1 2 3 Harris, Ben (2010-11-23). "With shruti boxes and drums, practitioners chanting their way into Judaism". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  4. ↑ Mathias, Christopher (2018-10-31). "Trump's Visit To Pittsburgh — A City That Didn't Want Him". Huffington Post.
  5. 1 2 Abernethy, Bob (2005-09-30). "Jewish Renewal". PBS.
  6. ↑ Cohen, Susannah (2018-11-02). "Thank goodness: Gratitude may just be the secret to a happy life". So Tov.
  7. 1 2 3 Byle, Ann. "Shefa Gold: The Joy of Hebrew Chant". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  8. 1 2 Palmer, Joanne (2013-04-12). "A chant encounter with God: How a Paramus teen grew into a rabbi in search of heaven's gate". Jewish Standard.
  9. ↑ Steinfels, Peter (1993-09-19). "At a Retreat, a Zen Monk Plants the Seeds of Peace". New York Times.
  10. ↑ "Authors". Evolve. 2017-11-20. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  11. ↑ "Kol Zimra: Chant Leader's Professional Development" . Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  12. ↑ Letty Cottin Pogrebin (April 16, 2007). "The Other Top Fifty Rabbis in America". Lilith. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Rabbi Shefa Gold: Giving Voice to Sacred Texts". Spirituality & Health. 2013-07-24.
  14. ↑ Schultz, Matthew (2019-10-09). "Of Tao and Torah: New Age Beliefs Are Making Serious Inroads in U.S. Jewish Life". Haaretz.
  15. ↑ "Rabbi Shefa Gold". rabbishefagold.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  16. ↑ Kamenetz, Rodger (1997). Stalking Elijah: Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters . Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0-06-064232-7.
  17. ↑ "Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle". issuu.com. 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  18. ↑ "New Jewish Veg – Rabbinic Statement on Plant-based Diet". Animal Interfaith Alliance. 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  19. ↑ Gold, Shefa (2006). Torah Journeys: An Inner Path to the Promised Land. Ben Yehuda Press. ISBN   978-0-9769862-6-3.
  20. ↑ Gold, Shefa (2008). In the Fever of Love: An Illumination of the Song of Songs. Ben Yehuda Press. ISBN   978-1-934730-26-3.
  21. ↑ Gold, Shefa (2013). The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN   978-1-58023-671-3.
  22. ↑ Gold, Shefa (2019). Are We There Yet?: Travel as a Spiritual Practice. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN   978-1-934730-72-0.
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