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RZLP Accomplishments

ARCHIVES & PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

•    2002: Reb Zalman announced his intention to donate his personal archive of papers and other media to an institution of higher learning. At that point, the Yesod Foundation stepped forward to fund the initial assessment of the collection. This early work included collecting historical data, creating a rough inventory of materials, cataloguing, and the scanning and editing of materials for an electronic archive.

•    2003: The Yesod Foundation began “The Reb Zalman Legacy Project” to further the reach of Reb Zalman’s varied legacy of teaching, making information about him more widely available to his varied constituents, and to create new means of disseminating his teachings. At that time, a partnership was also formed with Naropa University to accomplish the archiving goals of “The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive” and an official project administrator, a content development specialist, and an archival assistant were hired. At that time, the basic boxing, listing and description of the archive materials was begun.

•    2004: The Reb Zalman Legacy Project board invited an international advisory council of experts to meet in Boulder, Colorado at Naropa University for two days to discuss the nature and scope of Reb Zalman's legacy. An Interim Director was then brought-in to create an official summary of findings and recommendations (based on the suggestions of this council and its committees, as well as from other sources) for the next three years of the project, as well as to help in the search for a full-time Executive Director.

•    2004: The basic boxing, listing and description of “The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection I” of the Reb Zalman Legacy Archive was completed by the content development specialist and archival assistant of the project (under the supervision of Naropa University’s Archivist). The official collection included: approximately 1,240 audio cassette tapes, 50 VHS tapes, 640 photographs, 5,520 manuscript pages, 40 print media items, and 500 digital document files, all created between 1947 and 2005.

•    2005: The Reb Zalman Legacy Project board hired its first Executive Director, Netanel Miles-Yepez, who had been with the project from its beginnings in 2002. The Executive Director was to report directly to the Executive Board and manage all project planning, activities and staff.
•    2005: A temporary temperature controlled storage facility was found for the collection by the Yesod Foundation and a deed of gift for the collection was signed by Reb Zalman and accepted by Naropa University, formally creating "The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection I" of the Reb Zalman Legacy Archive at Naropa University.

•    2005: The digital preservation of the photo collection was begun, and, to date, our archival assistant has scanned and digitally preserved over 425 photographs from "The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection I."

•    2005: The digital preservation process on the audio-cassette collection in Naropa University's state-of-the-art audio re-mastering studio was begun, and, to date, our audio technician has digitally preserved and collected meta-data on over 454 audio-cassettes of Reb Zalman’s lectures and public talks from “The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection I.”

•    2005: Began accepting new material from Reb Zalman (and selected other donors) to be the basis of “The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection II.” This material has not yet been listed and described.

•    2006: Completed an archival (volunteer) transcription of the first CDs of “Creation: The Earth is Conscious” from the Primal Myth series by Reb Zalman and Eve Ilsen.

•    2006: Completed a (volunteer) transcription of the video of “Basic Goodness” Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche in Dialogue at Naropa University.”

•    2007: Scanned, performed optical character recognition, corrected and formatted a digital copy of Reb Zalman’s first privately printed edition of The First Step: A Primer of a Jew’s Spiritual Life (Winnipeg, Canada: David Jackson, ca. 1958), Reb Zalman’s 1995 hardcover, From Age-Ing to Sage-Ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older, Worlds of Jewish Prayer: A Festschrift in Honor of Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi from 1993, and four magazine and journal articles by Reb Zalman from 1959, 1960, and 1965.

•    2008: The audio-cassette tapes of  "The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection I" and the proposed "The Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi Collection II" were relocated to a new metal storage cabinet.

•    2008: Currently scanning, performing optical character recognition, and formatting a digital copy of The Fifty-Eighth Century: A Jewish Renewal Sourcebook from 1996. We hope to reach our goal of 500 audio-cassettes digitized this year, after which we will reassess our collection description based upon new information.

BOOK, CD & DVD PROJECTS

•    2004: Co-produced and manufactured the CD project: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s World Wisdom Lectures Series: 2003-2004 (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2004).

•    2004: Co-produced and manufactured the DVD project: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s World Wisdom Lectures Series: 2003-2004 by Sue Salinger (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2004).

•    2005: Co-produced and manufactured the DVD project: The Kiss of God: A Dialogue of Devoutness between Father Thomas Keating & Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi by Edis Jurcys & Cathy Zheutlin (Wisdom Keepers & The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2005).

•    2006: Provided the archive footage for and manufactured the DVD project: In Your Light, We See Light: Celebrating the Legacy of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi by Sally Plone (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2006).

•    2006-2007: Sponsored the book project: Integral Halachah: Transcending and Including, by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Daniel Siegel (ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal and Trafford Publishing, 2007).

•    2006-2007: Sponsored and developed the book/CD project: Into My Garden: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies: Volume I, edited by Eyal Rivlin and Netanel Miles-Yepez (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2007).

•    2007-2008: Sponsored and developed the book/CD project: At the Rebbe's Table: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies Volume II, edited by Eyal Rivlin and Netanel Miles-Yepez (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2007).

•    2007-2008: Sponsored and developed the book project: A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters translated and retold with commentary by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez (Jewish Publication Society, 2009).

•    2008: Sponsored and carried-out copy-editing and reformatting for the book project: Ahron’s Heart: The Prayers, Teachings and Letters of Ahrele Roth, a Hasidic Reformer Translated and Edited by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Yair Hillel Goelman (Ben Yehuda Press, 2008).

•    2008: Currently we are seeking new printing of Paradigm Shift: From the Jewish Renewal Teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, sponsoring A Hidden Light: Stories and Teachings of the Middle and Late Hasidic Masters translated and retold with commentary by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez (no publisher yet, 2011), a new songbook, Entering the Sanctuary: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's Legacy of Songs and Melodies: Volume III, edited by Richard Kaplan and Netanel Miles-Yepez (The Reb Zalman Legacy Project, 2008), and Toward a Renewal of the Spirit: A Collection of Essays from 1955-2007.


•    "Chai Ellul: The Ba'al Shem's Birthday Teaching" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (September 18th, 2005, 7-8:30 PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "Repentance in Two Worlds: Teshuvah and Tawba" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ayatollah Muhammad Ja'far Mahallati (October 9th, 2005, 7-9 PM, Unitarian Universalist Church, 5001 Pennsylvania Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "A Canopy of Blessings," a Sukkot celebration with Rabbis Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Miles Krassen (October 23rd, 2005 3:30 – 5:30 PM, Naropa University, Main Campus, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "Reb Shneur Zalman and the Maggid of Mezritch" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (December 18th, 2005, 7-8:30 PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "Niggunim and Nusach for the Soul: Melodies and Teachings of the Heart" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, accompanied by Eyal Rivlin (Februrary 23rd, 2006, 7:00-9 PM, Bonai Shalom, 1527 Cherryvale Road, Boulder, CO).

•    "Laughter, Mysticism, and the Spirit of Purim" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen (Februrary 25th, 2006, 7:30-9 PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    1st Annual Rocky Mountain Jewish Meditation Retreat at Shambhala Mountain Center: “Discovering the Divine Within and Without” with Sylvia Boorstein, Rabbis Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Miles Krassen, Joanna Katz & Jeff Roth (March 19-26th, 2006, Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather Lakes, CO).

•    "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Jewish Meditation" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Special Guest Teachers (March 26th, 2006, 7-8:30 PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "T'was the Night before Pesach: Passover Joy or Passoverwhelm?" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Eve Ilsen (April 9th, 7-8:30 PM, 2006, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "From an Elder's Perspective: Weekday Spirituality" with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (May 3rd, 2006, 12:00 PM, Naropa University, Performing Arts Center, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    “Reception for Reb Zalman and The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive Display” (May 3rd, 2006, 1:30 PM, Naropa University, Allen Ginsberg Library, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    “The Old Renewed, the New Made Sacred: The Work of the Fourth Turning” with with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (November 7th, 2007, 12:00 PM, Naropa University, Performing Arts Center, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "Hanukkah and the Miraculous Order" a Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (December 3rd, 2007, 11:30-1PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

•    "Joy, Mirth, Happiness and Humor—Even When You Don't Feel Like It!" A Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (March 10, 2008, 11:30-1PM, Boulder Jewish Community Center, 3800 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder, CO).

WEB-SITES & ON-LINE INFORMATION

•    2005: Created The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Web-site (www.rzlp.org) to provide current and accurate information about Reb Zalman, as well as access to related resources.

•    2005: Created the on-line journal, Spectrum: A Journal of Renewal Spirituality, which has published six issues from 2005-2008. The journal is edited by Netanel Miles-Yepez and has featured articles by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Roshi Bernie Glassman, Rabbi Arthur Green, Father Thomas Keating, Rabbi Miles Krassen and many others.

•    2006: Created The Jewish with Feeling Web-site (www.rzlp.org, click “Works,” then “Jewish with Feeling”) to present readers of the book with more information and an on-line study guide.

•    2006: Created The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Web-site Resources Hub (www.rzlp.org, click “Resources”) where one can find descriptions and links to purchase most of Reb Zalman’s writings and other materials.

•    2007: Created The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive On-Line (www.rzlp.org, click “Archive”) to be the container for the collected writings of Reb Zalman as we edit them. Edited and posted over 40 separate articles by Reb Zalman and others in 2007.

•    2007: Created the new Yesod Foundation Web-site (www.yesodfoundation.org) to mirror the look of The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Web-site.

•    2007: Created The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Blog (www.rzlp.org, click “Blog”) to be a forum for discussion of new and old topics in Reb Zalman’s writings. The Blog is edited by Seth Fishman.

•    2008: Updated the Yesod Foundation Web-site (www.yesodfoundation.org) with parallel content to, and the functionality of The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Web-site.

•    2008: Currently planning an update of information and links on The Reb Zalman Legacy Project Web-site, The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive On-Line, and our Resources Hub.

ON-LINE COURSES & COURSE DEVELOPMENT

•    2006: Sponsored and assisted in the development of “Jewish Contemplative Practice: An On-line Course based on the teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi” for Naropa University’s Extended Studies Department.

•    2007: Sponsored and assisted in the development of  “From Age-ing to Sage-ing: An On-line Course in the Spiritual Eldering Teachings of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi” for Naropa University’s Extended Studies Department. (This course uses digitized audio lectures from The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive).

•    2008: Sponsored and developed “Wrapped in a Holy Flame: An On-line Course in Hasidism Based on Teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi” for Naropa University’s Extended Studies Department. (This course uses digitized audio lectures from The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive).

•    2008: Currently sponsoring and developing “Torah and Dharma: An On-line Course in Hasidism and Zen Based on Teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Roshi Bernie Glassman” for Naropa University’s Extended Studies Department. (This course uses digitized audio lectures from The Reb Zalman Legacy Archive).

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS & ADVERTISING

•    2007: Sponsored an awareness campaign to promote Reb Zalman’s book, Jewish with Feeling. We worked with the co-author, Joel Segel to develop a reader’s guide to be used in book discussion groups, developed a book Web-site, and books were sent out to Hillel directors around the country and sold at discounted prices at numerous events. PDFs of the discussion guides can be downloaded at www.rzlp.org (click “Works,” then “Jewish with Feeling,” then “Discussion Guide PDFs”).

•    2006: Placed advertisements for Reb Zalman’s books Jewish with Feeling: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Practice and Credo of a Modern Kabbalist in our Fall newsletter mailing.

•    2007: Placed advertisements for Reb Zalman’s books Into My Garden: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s Legacy of Songs and Melodies: Volume I (with CD) and Integral Halachah: Transcending and including in our Fall newsletter mailing.

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