“Tradition is a profound echo chamber
of the countless generations of its faithful
reaching into antiquity.”
“We are creatures of a natural world
that is itself a multi-colored garbing of divine glory.”
“I have learned to express the universal truth
in the language of Jewish tradition.”
–Arthur Green
Arthur Green went from being raised in a
secular (in this case, atheist) Jewish home to become one of the leading
lights among those re-infusing Judaism with a deep mystical experience
that is universal in nature and devoid of the rigidity commonly
associated with Orthodoxy.
He refers to his path as Neo-Hasidic, drawing on the mystical teachings
of the great masters of the early Hasidic tradition and bringing them
into alignment with life in the modern and post-modern world. Arthur has
a voice of authenticity and makes no pretense of being a guru (or even
rebbe) but rather teaches and shares from his own study, practice and
experience.
He was a founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at
Hebrew College in Boston, where he still teaches and he has authored
over seventeen books. I read Judaism for the World -Reflections on God, Life, and Love
preparing for my conversation with him. There is something so real and
honest and deep about the Judaism he describes that I can honestly say I
am drawn to look again at the study and practices of the Jewish
lineage.
We spoke of the very common phenomenon of Jews seeking deep spiritual
experience through other spiritual/religious paths such as those I
interviewed for my own book, Crossing the Boundary – Stories of Jewish Leaders of Other Spiritual Paths. We
also spoke of his early experiences with psychedelic substances through
which he found, along with his friend and mentor, Zalman Schachter, an
experiential confirmation of the mystical teachings of Judaism and all
world religions. You can view a full half-hour interview with Arthur and
Rabbi Zak Kamenetz on this subject which took place at the “Jewish
Psychedelic Summit” in April of 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHZqwQiuO0A
My conversation with Art ranged along many
lines including ideas about Jewish identity, the Soul, the role of
tradition and ritual, the perennial philosophy, Israel/Palestine, and
the One and the many. It is part of a series of Crossing the Boundary
interviews I am doing with people who have crossed boundaries for their
own good and the good of all life. You can see the the full list of them
here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBTcFhpF_7838Ckgn-8rf508QrjEqc9GA
And here is my interview with Art Green. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did talking with him.
https://youtu.be/C9LrA9fX_os
