Transcendental Judaism with David Lieberman

Please join us and our guest, David Lieberman, for a show on Transcendental Judaism: Enlivening the Eternal Within to Uplift Ourselves and Our World. Is it really possible to connect with God? Can we find spirituality in Judaism? The answer to both these questions is yes. Traditionally, Judaism teaches that we connect with God through the performance of the commandments, the mitzvot (from the Aramaic word tzavta meaning connection). But what if we are not mitzvah-observant in the traditional ways? Can we still experience a palpable closeness to God and have a sense that we are all connected as one?

Transcendental Judaism addresses these and other questions through an inclusive theology based on the shared teachings of Torah and Kabbalah—that all existence arises from “no-thingness”, and that no-thingness is the essential makeup of all creation. Over time, the repeated experience of our transcendental nature stabilizes its qualities in our awareness, allowing us to fulfill the elusive commandments to “cleave to God” and “love your neighbor as yourself,” thus uplifting ourselves and transforming our world.

David was raised in a Reform Jewish household and began to immerse himself in Torah in 2003. He trained as a spiritual director, someone who accompanies others on their spiritual journeys. He’s served as chairman of the board of Valley Beit Midrash, a nonprofit committed to pluralistic, forward-thinking Jewish learning, driving social activism and engaging the next generation of leaders (www.valleybeitmidrash.org). For 35 years, both as an elementary school teacher and as a management consultant, David has been successfully introducing new concepts to his audiences: clearly, concisely, and using plain language.