Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (born Zalman Schachter) is a rabbi in the Jewish Renewal movement. He became a rabbi through Chabad (Lubavitch), a part of Hasidic Judaism, which itself is a part of Orthodox Jewish.

Over the years his teachings became more and more liberal, and he eventually left Orthodox Judaism altogether. He no longer views halakha (traditional Jewish law) to be normative, and his views on halakha are now closer to what is taught in Reform Judaism or Reconstructionist Judaism.

He maintains a great interest in Kabbalah (esoteric Jewish mysticism), and ecology and environmental ethics. He is considered an extremely controversial figure within the Jewish community, especially for his views on sexuality and Jewish practice. Although he privately ordains his students as rabbis, no mainsream denomination of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative or Reform) recognizes his students as rabbis. Most Orthodox Jews (and many Conservative Jews) no longer consider his rabbinic ordination to be valid.

See also: Rabbi