Herbert Weiner was an ordained American Reform[1] rabbi in South Orange, New Jersey, and the author of The Wild Goats of Ein Gedi and Nine and a Half Mystics. Weiner is credited for introducing Jewish mysticism to many American Jews.[2]
Herbert Weiner | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 27, 1919 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | April 22, 2013 Jerusalem, Israel |
| Known for | The Wild Goats of Ein Gedi, Nine and a Half Mystics |
Activities
editHerbert Weiner served as the founding rabbi of Temple Israel in South Orange, New Jersey. He also served as the first administrator of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.[1]
Nine and a Half Mystics
editHerbert Weiner's Nine and a Half Mystics, published in 1969, explores themes on Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. Weiner also recounts his experiences with Jewish groups who incorporate the mystical tradition in their religious practice.[3]
Weiner formed the book after visiting various Jewish communities in his search for Jewish mysticism.[4] For many American Jews, Weiner's work was their first exposure to the Jewish mystical tradition.[1][5]
Impact on Neo-Hasidism
editWeiner's writings on Jewish mysticism help shape the Neo-Hasidic impulses among some American Jews. Rabbi Arthur Green, a leader in the Jewish Renewal movement and a proponent of Neo-Hasidism in general, was first exposed to Jewish mysticism by reading Weiner's Nine and a Half Mystics.[6]
Weiner also authored a preface to neo-Hasidic guru Reb Zalman Schachter's Fragments of a Future Scroll: Hassidism For the Aquarian Age (Leaves of Grass Press, Germantown, PA: 1975).
References
edit- ^ a b c Rabbi Herbert Weiner. NJ Jewish News. Accessed March 7, 2014.
- ^ "Herbert Weiner". Essex News Daily. Accessed March 10, 2014. Archived March 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kaplan, Dana Evan. Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal. Columbia University Press, Aug 13, 2013. Accessed March 7, 2014.
- ^ "9 1/2 Mystics: The Kabbala Today Today" by Herbert Weiner. Commentary Magazine. Accessed March 7, 2014.
- ^ Rabbi Herbert Weiner. The Star Ledger. Accessed March 7, 2014.
- ^ Rabbi Arthur Green. Jewish Foundation. Accessed March 9, 2014.