Timeline

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August 17 1924

Meshullam Zalman born

Meshullam Zalman born on Sunday, August 17th (17 Av) in Zholkiew, Poland to Hayyah Gittel and Shlomo HaKohen Schachter.

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1925

Schachter family moves to Vienna, Austria

1933

Engelbert Dollfuss closes Austrian parliament and brings fascism to Austria

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1934

Schachter begins school

AttendsÌýgymnasium at the socialist Zionist Brit Bilu Agudah and yeshiva at Yesod HaTorah.

MarchÌý1938

Anschluss:ÌýAustria annexed into Nazi German

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December 1938

Family flees to Belgium to avoid Nazi oppression.

1939

Meets Chabad Hasidim of the Niezhin branch

In Antwerp, Schachter meets Chabad Hasidim of the Niezhin branch and apprentices as a furrier and diamond polisher.

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April — June 1940

Family 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 1940

Nazis invade Belgium

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1941

Schachter 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.

1943

Heavy Messianic yearnings among Lubavitcher Hasidim

A year of heavy Messianic yearnings among Lubavitcher Hasidim after the Rebbe issues several statements on the Messiah.

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1946Ìý

Schachter begins supervised teaching in New Haven, Connecticut

1947

Receives 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.

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1948Ìý— 1949Ìý

Teaches at Yeshivah Achei T'mimim (Lubavitch Yeshiva) in Rochester, New York

1949 Ìý— 1952

Travels 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

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1950

Sixth 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— 1956

Becomes a congregational Rabbi and Principal of Congregation Ahavas Achim, New Bedford, Massachusetts

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1954Ìý

Begins chaplaincy training.

1955Ìý

Begins M.A. work at Boston University

Meets Reverend Howard Thurman

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1956Ìý

First meeting with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

1956 Ìý— 1969Ìý

Teaches 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).

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1956 — 1967Ìý

Directors the B'nai Brith Hillel at University of Manitoba

1956

Receives Master of Arts from Boston University in Psychology of Religion

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1957

Starts teaching pastoral counseling at United CollegeÌý(later known as theÌýUniversity of Winnipeg)

1958

Publishes 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.

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1959

First trip to ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥

MeetsÌýDr. Shmuel Hugo Bergman,ÌýDr. Gershom Scholem,ÌýDr. Erich NeumannÌýand the Roth Hasidim.

1960

Founds language lab at University of Manitoba

MeetsÌýElie WieselÌýandÌýFather Thomas Merton.

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1961

Teaches 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

1962

Experiments with LSD for the first timeÌýwith Dr. Timothy Leary at Vedanta Centre in Cohasset, Massachusetts

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1963

Begins Doctorate in Hebrew Letters work at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati

1964

First visit to the Lama Foundation in San Cristobal, New Mexico

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1966

Gave a lecture called "Kabbalah and LSD"

This lecture leadsÌýto Schachter's parting of ways with the leadership of Chabad Hasidism.

1968 — 1969

Earns 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.

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1969

Founds 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).

1973

Finishes 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

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1974

Gives 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 — 1975

Teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Stanford, CA

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1975

Publishes 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—1987Ìý

Becomes 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.

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1976

Begins teaching at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College,ÌýPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

1983

Publishes The First Step and Sparks of Light

PublishesÌýThe First StepÌýwith Donald Gropman andÌýSparks of LightÌýwith Edward Hoffman.

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1984

Sabbatical 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 ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥. MeetsÌýRabbi Gedaliah Kenig.

1985

Takes 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

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1986

Publishes The Dream Assembly with Howard Schwartz

1986Ìý—Ìý1992

Founds P'nai Or Wisdom School with Eve Ilsen, Philadelphia, PA

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1987Ìý—Ìý1990Ìý

Teaches full time at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1987

Retires and is named Professor Emeritus at Temple University

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1987Ìý—Ìý1988Ìý

Teaches at the Academy of Jewish Studies, New York City, New York

1989

Founds and becomes president ofÌýthe Spiritual Eldering Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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1990

In October, meets with the 14th Dalai Lama, H.H. Tenzin Gyatso, Dharamsala, India

1991

Publishes Spiritual Intimacy: A Study of Counseling in Hasidism

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1993

Publishes Gate to the Heart and Paradigm Shift

Takes Rabbinic Chair withÌýALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia, PA

1995

Publishes 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.

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2001

Takes permanent faculty teaching post at Naropa University

2002

Reb 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

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2003

Publishes Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of the Hasidic Masters with Netanel Miles-Yepez

2004

Retires from Naropa University

Co-founds the Sufi-Hasidic, Inayati-Maimuniyya Tariqat with Netanel Miles-Yepez.

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2005

Publishes 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.

2007

Publishes 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).

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2009

Publishes A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic MastersÌýwith Netanel Miles-Yepez

2010

Moves archival collection to University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Archives

Moves archival collection from Naropa to University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Archives, which forms the basis of the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥'s Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections.Ìý

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2011

Publishes A Hidden Light: Stories and Teachings of Early HaBaD and Bratzlav Hasidism with Netanel Miles-Yepez

2014

Passes away

Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi z"lÌýpassesÌýaway peacefully on July 3, 2014 in Boulder, CO at the age of 89.Ìý

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