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Biographies

Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis

book Geoffrey Dennis is rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Flower Mound, TX. He is also Lecturer in Rabbinics at the University of North Texas, where he teaches courses in Kabbalah and in Rabbinic Literature. He received his M.HL and was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He also has degrees in Education and Nursing. He is an advocate of life-long Jewish learning and has taught for many years in the Melton Mini-School for Adults and for URJ’s “A Taste of Judaism” program. Prior to his ordination, Rabbi Dennis was a registered nurse working in cardiac and hospice.

His articles have appeared in The Journal of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Sh’ma, Parabola, and The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. Two of his essays have been included in the anthology The Inner Journey: Views from the Jewish Tradition (2007). His most recent article, “The Mirror of Heaven: The Meaning of Water in Judaism” appeared in Parabola this year.His first book, The Encyclopedia of Myth, Magic, and Mysticism, has been selected as a runner up in the 2007 National Jewish Book Award. He is married and has two sons.

Rabbi Dennis specializes in Jewish mysticism, folklore, history, and medicine, but also has written in a variety of other areas. Potential lecture topics include:

Myth, Mysticism, and Magic: An Introduction to Kabbalah.
The Sound of Sheer Silence: Silence as a Jewish Spiritual Discipline.
Songs of Glory: Mystical Prayers in the Siddur
Seeking the Center, Entering the Land: The Labyrinth in Jewish Literature and Lore.
The Bride of God: Jewish Erotic Theology.
The Garments of Metaphor: A Midrash on Dressing for Success.
The Jewish Prometheus: Moses and the Angels.
This Too is Torah: The Role of Medicine in Jewish Spirituality.
When Going to the Privy…: Jewish Texts on Health and Healing.
Princes, Beasts, Wheels, and Valkyries: Jewish Angelology.
Judaism, Eroticism, and Zionism: The Art of E.M. Lilien (Powerpoint).
Little Less than Divine: Three People Who Tradition Teaches Became Angels and What that Tells us About Judaism.
Dybbuks, Demons, and Golems, Oh My!: An Introduction to the Monstrous in Judaism.
Crypto-Jews of New Mexico: Rediscovered or Reconstructed?
The Mirror of Heaven: Water in Jewish Tradition and Mysticism.

Publications:

“The Mirror of Heaven: The Meaning of Water in Judaism,” Parabola: The Magazine of Myth and Tradition, (Summer, 2009)
“Seeking the Center, Entering the Land: The Labyrinth in Jewish Imagination,” Parabola: The Magazine of Myth and Tradition, (Spring, 2009)
“Water as a Medium for Altered States of Consciousness in Early Jewish Mysticism,” Journal of the Anthropology of Consciousness, 19:1(Spring, 2008)
“The Bride of God: Jewish Erotic Theology,” in Jews and Sex, Nathan Abrams, ed., (Five Leaves Publications, 2008)
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism, (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2007).
“Harmonizing the Passions” and “Building the Sanctuary,” reprinted in The Inner Journey: Views from the Jewish Tradition, Jack Bemporad, ed. (Morning Light Press, 2007).
“What is the role of angels in Jewish tradition and folklore?” An Extraordinary Gathering
of Angels, by Margaret Barker, (MQ Publications, 2005).
“Harmonizing the Passions: A Jewish Theologian Finds a Middle Way,” Parabola: The Magazine of Myth and Tradition, (Fall 2004)
“Debates in Contemporary Reform Judaism,” book review, CCAR Journal (Fall 2004).
“The Congregational Nurse: A New Ally in Making the Synagogue a Center for Healing,” CCAR Journal (Fall 2003).
“This too is Torah: The Rationale in Judaism for the Practice of Medicine,” Healing Ministries (April 2003).
“Nish’ma,” Sh’ma: The Journal of Jewish Responsibility (January, 2003).
“Building the Sanctuary of the Heart: Through Silence, God Speaks to the Heart,” Parabola: The Magazine of Myth and Tradition, (Winter 2001).
“Torah L’chayyim: Instruction for Life: An Incentive Model for Adult Education,” CCAR Journal (Spring 2001).
“Love is Stronger than Death: Meeting the Needs of Jewish Hospice Patients,” American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, (July, 1999) [Reprinted by request in Healing Ministry, January 2000].
"Introducing the Holocaust," book review, CCAR Journal (Fall 1998).
"Meaning Beyond the Mystery: Abraham Joshua Heschel on Prayer,"
Cincinnati Judaica Review (1995).
"Safed Spirituality," book review, Cincinnati Judaica Review (1994).

Online:

Author: Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism Blog, at http://www.ejmmm2007.blogspot.com. The JMMM blog currently includes over 150 entries.
Contributor: Encyclopedia Mythica. I have written over one hundred and ten entries on Judaic and Mesopotamian mythology.
Cyber-Maiven: "Ask a Rabbi" team, America Online (1999-03); UAHC “Ask-the Rabbi” a program of the Adult Jewish Growth Dept (2002 – present).

Newspapers:

Regular essays in the Religion Viewpoint column of the Denton Record-Chronicle
(1999-09).
Regular guest columns in the Religion Section of the Dallas Morning News (1999-06)

Past Presentations and Workshops:

Scholar in Residence, Temple Sinai, Houston, TX, 2008
Resource Scholar, Interfaith Seminarians Retreat, New Brunsfel, TX., 2007
Scholar in Residence, Congregation HaKafa, Glencoe, Il. 2007.
Scholar in Residence, Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa, CA. 2007.
Scholar in Residence, Congregation Beth Shalom, Baton Rouge, LA., 2007.
“Understanding Kabbalah,” at Congregation Adat Chaverim, Plano, TX, 2007.
“Understanding Kabbalah: Jewish Mysticism, Myth, and Magic,” at Congregation Albert, Albuquerque NM, 2007.
“Death, Food, and Sex: Kabbalah Perspectives on the Most Interesting Things in Life” and “The Garments of Metaphor: An Introduction to Kabbalah,” at Temple Rodef Shalom, Waco, TX., 2006.
“An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism,” at Mensa Texas Regional Conference, 2006.
“This Too is Torah,” “Rabbi Judah’s Handmaiden and other Jewish Reflections of the End of Life,” and “Jewish Texts on Health and Healing,” at Congregation Beth Tikvah, Chicago, 2005.
“The Many Faces of Abraham in Jewish Tradition,” at Abraham: One Father, Three Faiths. Texas Council of Churches Interfaith Retreat, 2003.
“The Synagogue as a place of Healing,” at Shleimut: Integrated Jewish Health and Healing Conference, 2002.
“This Too is Torah” and “Jewish Texts on Health and Healing,” at the Faith and Medicine Annual Science of Family Medicine Conference, University of Texas School of Medicine, 2000 - 02.
“Crypto Jews of New Mexico: Rediscovered or Reconstructed?” at Congregation Beth Tikvah, Chicago, IL, 2002.
“A New Israel: Reflections on the Conversion Experience,” at Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK, 2002.
“Making the Bible an Eternal Text,” “Midrash: Alchemy of the Sacred Word,” and “Controversial Texts,” at Congregation Israel of West Lafayette, IN. 1998.
Storyteller: “Sacred Tales,” Texas Storytelling Festival, 2002, 2003.

Workshops:

“Avodat ha-Lev: Cultivating a Prayer Life in our Children” and “Torah L’chayyim: An Incentive Model for Adult Education,” Greater Houston Yom Limmud, Feb. 2008.
“The Garments of Torah: Esoteric Teachings and Their Everyday Lessons for Us” and “Dybbuks and Demons and Golems, Oh My!: An Introduction to the Monstrous in Judaism,” GDJCC Yom Limud, Feb. 2007.
“Little Less than Divine: Three People Who Tradition claims became Angels and what that Teaches us about Judaism,” GDJCC Yom Limud, Feb. 2006.
“Dybbuks and Demons and Golems, Oh My!: Monsters in Jewish Myth,” GDJCC Taste of Honey, Sept. 2005.
“Creating a Congregation of Learners” and “Healing Body and Soul,” URJ Biennial, 2003.
“Using Jewish Texts in Making Bio-ethical Decisions,” UAHC Southwest Regional Biennial, 2002.
“The Synagogue as a Healing Center,” UAHC Biennial, 2001.
“Finding Healing in Our Daily Lives,” UAHC Biennial, 1999.
“Bikkur Holim: Hospital Visits and Beyond,” and “Spiritual Care of the Dying,” The Synagogue as a Healing Center: UAHC Religious Living Conference, 1999.