The Aquarian Minyan was sparked into being in 1974 during a month-long Kabbalah workshop led by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z”l in Berkeley, California. The heart of his transmission was his vision of personal and collective transformation, renewal, paradigm shift – a new ‘reality map’ encompassing the awareness that each of us together, all of creation, is unified in Creator. God is in all, and all is God.
People were excited by Zalman’s experiential style and inclusion of mystical and cross-cultural ideas, and a small group decided to organize a community that would continue to celebrate Shabbat in this fashion. Over the years, the Aquarian Minyan grew from a loose-knit group into a larger Jewish Renewal community, drawn together by shared spiritual values and visions, and participation in innovative Renewal style prayer and celebration.
More information about the Minyan’s origins and first 25 years can be found in the Festschrift that celebrated the Minyan’s 25th anniversary.
Over the years, the Minyan has been a fertile incubator for Jewish spiritual leaders in the Renewal movement. We are honored that many of our alumni serve as rabbis, cantors, and lay leaders of congregations throughout the world. Our community continues to offer rich opportunities for individuals to develop their spirituality and their leadership abilities.
With the onset of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, the Minyan quickly began providing regular Shabbat evening and morning services by Zoom, as well as High Holyday and other holyday celebrations – thereby expanding our reach and community beyond the Bay Area. At the same time, we introduced an exciting new component to Minyan offerings – the Aquarian Minyan Yeshiva – a Zoom-based innovative new learning environment providing ways to connect with a diverse and eclectic group of teachers and topics.
The Minyan has also been able to offer additional one-time and ongoing programs via Zoom, such as the Ruach Shalom Project – exploring the spirit of wholeness and peace, the Book Club, Author Night and Special Programs, and Weekly Sharing, as well as the active Tikkun Olam Committee.
In addition to making all our services and programs accessible by Zoom, we now also celebrate Holydays and several Shabbat services each month in-person at members’ home and in rented venues.
In June 2024, we joyously celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Aquarian Minyan. Information about our Jubilee celebration can be found HERE.
The Minyan is currently guided by an elected Council of up to 12 members, our Rabbi in Residence Rabbi Jonathan Seidel, our many gifted lay leaders and guest rabbis, and our Staff: Amitai Wahrhaftig (administration) and Hannah Cohen (Programming Director). Many committees perform vital services for our community.
We look forward to continuing to evolve spiritually as individuals and as community, mentoring emerging leaders and cultivating gratitude for the many gifts of our lives.
What is Jewish Renewal?
(with thanks to Rabbi David Zaslow)
Renewals’ roots are in Hasidism as it was re-formulated and transformed by Martin Buber, Hillel Zeitlin and other creative liberal thinkers rooted in traditional Judaism. Renewal is highly indebted to Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook and other non-Hasidic thinkers. Many Renewal leaders had previously been heavily involved with Eastern Paths: meditation, chant and ecstatic worship. Rabbis Schachter-Shalomi and Carlebach helped launch the current movement shortly after the Second World War – coming from the Chabad- Lubavitch movement in the US.
Jewish renewal is a worldwide, transdenominational movement grounded in Judaism’s prophetic and mystical traditions.
Jewish renewal carries forward Judaism’s perpetual process of renewal. Jewish renewal seeks to bring creativity, relevance, joy, and an all embracing awareness to spiritual practice, as a path to healing our hearts and finding balance and wholeness— Tikkun haLev and Tikkun haNefesh
Jewish renewal acts to fully include all Jews and to respect all peoples.
Jewish renewal helps to heal the world by promoting justice, freedom, responsibility, caring for all life and the earth that sustains all life —Tikkun Olam.
We draw from the wellsprings of ecumenism, egalitarianism, personal prayer, ecological awareness, and a sense of the fundamental place of Jewish mysticism in our faith.
The Jewish Renewal Movement was founded by Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi, and is dedicated to making the presence of G-d real and relevant in the lives of contemporary Jewish families, individuals, partners and friends.
Read more about Rabbi Zalman in this brief biography.