Rabbi Omer-Man, director of spiritual outreach for the Los Angeles Hillel Coun- cil and a nationally known writer and lec- turer. But reasons why are almost beside the point. Simply put, placing blame is not a sign of chasidut, or saintliness in a Jew- ish sense. So regardless of the cause, if, as Rabbi Zaiman said, "vocabulary struc- tures how you think," then the first task for those desiring spiritual fulfillment within Judaism is to relearn Judaism's vocabulary for expressing life's mysteries. "Otherwise," noted Rabbi Zaiman, "you're always on the outside, and the spiritual quest is being on the inside." After survival, then what? • There is wide agreement that American Jews have lost much of their spiritual mooring. 32 Rabbi Zaiman and other Jewish reli- gious leaders interviewed also widely agreed that increasing numbers of Amer- ican Jews, having handled life's personal survival issues, have begun to look to- ward spirituality for the inner peace they still seem to lack. The emergence of the rapidly spreading ba'al teshuvah movement, which has brought tens of thousands of previously non-religious Jews into Orthodoxy over the past two decades, is one manifesta- tion of this. Reform Judaism, meanwhile, which in its classical form all but negated the spiritual. component, has witnessed the birth of its own small traditionalist movement. Rabbi Zaiman also sees the proliferation of self-help books as yet an- other stab at spiritual completion. Rabbi Mark Zimmerman of Atlanta's Congregation Beth Shalom believes that part of this spiritual awakening can be traced to contemporary American Juda- ism's loss of its ethnic roots. "Everything the older generation did smacked of Judaism," said Rabbi Zim- merman, who is Conservative. "For them, religion was a knee-jerk reaction because they were raised in a community where Jewish religion and culture went hand-in-hand. "Today, we're one step removed from that ethnicity and so people are looking. They are missing something and they don't really know what that is, so they call it spirituality." For Rabbi Omer-Man, a crucial part of the Jewish spiritual quest is to find a mentor — a rabbi or knowledgeable lay person — and to join a community — be it an established congregation, a chavurah, or an "alternative minyan." "The practice of going to a place and trying to belong is extremely important," he said. "My most profound spiritual work and prayer, I do myself. But it is also important to go to synagogue. We need community because we deceive ourselves. The community is where we find our teachers and sense of direction. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1990 0 Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man: Community protects us from self-deception. Rabbi Menachem Goldberger: "Without Torah, you can only have pieces of spirituality." We can't do it alone." For the observant, spirituality without Torah is a meaningless oxymoron; a futile attempt to celebrate the light while ignor- ing its source. "When it comes to Jewish spirituality, the bottom line is an attempt to follow the path of Torah," said Rabbi Goldberger. "Without it, you can only have pieces of spirituality." But regardless of the point of view, the consensus among those interviewed is that Judaism's religious institutions must do more to promote sensitivity to life's spiritual dimension. Rabbi Syme urges congregations to create "varied points of entry for the vast numbers of Jews who stand outside the Jewish community and its notion of spiri- tuality. "Jews grow up thinking they are apart from Jewish spirituality because they are s Books On The Spirit ome Rabbis say that one way to enter Jewish spirituality is through learning its vocabulary. Books, which attempt to describe the spiritual experience, the spiritual life, and the varieties of Jewish spirituality are one way to acquire this vocabulary. Here are several titles that might be useful: • The Way of Man by Martin Buber. At only 41 pages, Buber's interpreta- tion of six Chasidic stories is easily ac- cessible and eminently readable. The philosopher discusses the tales' rela- tions to our lives and how we can put them into practice. • Jewish Spirituality, edited by Ar- thur Green. A comprehensive two- volume collection of essays by scholars and rabbis on the history and devel- opment of Jewish spirituality from Biblical days to the present. Volume II examines current modes and innova- tions in Jewish spirituality. • Honey From the Rock by Lawrence Kushner. Poetic and sometimes highly personal, this text incorporates autobiography, Biblical quotations and Jewish legends to usher the reader through the many forms of spiritual encounters. • Beggars and Prayers and Teshuvah by Adin Steinsaltz, Orthodox Juda- ism's reigning popularizer. The first volume retells Chasidic tales by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and includes Rabbi Steinsaltz' own spiritual in- sights. The second is his widely read guide for easing into observant prac- tices. • Meditation and The Bible by Aryeh Kaplan. How did the Prophets attain their spiritual insights? This is an attempt to explain the nature of spiritual experiences and how they can be cultivated. Its drawback for the beginner is the author's reliance on technical terms. — A.J.M. and I.R.