Shmuley Boteach
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Shmuley Boteach (born November 19, 1966) Los Angeles, California, U.S. is an American Orthodox rabbi, radio and television host, and author. Rabbi Boteach is a resident of Englewood, New Jersey.[1]
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[edit] Education and early career
Rabbi Boteach received his rabbinic ordination in 1988 from the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement in New York City, as a disciple of its leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
That same year he was sent as a Chabad-Lubavitch shaliach (emissary) to become its representative for a student group with unofficial ties to Oxford University in England, where he founded the L'Chaim Society on the campus, to encourage young Jewish students to participate in Jewish culture and religious events at the university.[citation needed] The rabbi used the student organization as a forum for debate with a prominent array of public figures and celebrities. However, Rabbi Boteach and the Chabad-Lubavitch organization in England did not agree on all issues regarding how to reach out to Jewish students at Oxford and the role of non-Jewish students; Newark mayor Cory Booker, a non-Jew, served as President of the organization for a period of time.[2] After this disagreement, Rabbi Boteach returned to the United States.[citation needed] He was ordained by Chabad after studying at a Chabad yeshiva in Los Angeles and for three years at the Torat Emet Yeshiva in Jerusalem.[3]
According to London newspapers, "Boteach was ousted from the L'Chaim Society of Oxford University for mismanagement of funds. (He allegedly used money from the charity to maintain a lavish home. Boteach insisted it was his right to do so.)"[4] According to Boteach, ". . . I was summoned from my station in Oxford to a meeting of the Chabad leadership in London, where I was told that I would have to rescind the membership of 5,000 non-Jewish students because too many in Anglo-Jewry complained that their participation diluted the Jewish character of our organization. I was crestfallen and resisted the order, leading ultimately to my official separation from the Chabad movement.[5]
[edit] Later career
Boteach achieved worldwide recognition from the publication of his bestseller, Kosher Sex.[6] In late 1999, Boteach won the "Preacher of the Year" Award from The Times, setting a record for the most points ever garnered in the competition's history.[citation needed] He also publishes a weekly syndicated column for which, in 2005, he was awarded the American Jewish Press Association's highest award for excellence in commentary.
Besides branching into radio, Boteach has continued to stay active with L'Chaim. The group had strong connections with the "Heal the Kids" foundation, which Boteach co-founded with Michael Jackson. According to Fox News, the charity was "bogus" and "To this day there has no been no accounting for the money Boteach and Jackson raised for their Time for Kids/Heal the World Foundation."[4] The charity is now defunct. The rabbi was a frequent guest on news programs during the height of Jackson's child molestation trial and has since repudiated Jackson.[citation needed]
In 2007, Rabbi Boteach was labeled “a cultural phenomenon” and “the most famous rabbi in America” by Newsweek magazine, and was named one of the ten most influential rabbis in America.[citation needed] Also in 2007, Rabbi Boteach was honored by The National Fatherhood Initiative, receiving their award for his efforts on Shalom in the Home to promote the importance of a caring father in the contemporary family.[citation needed]
He has also been involved in radio broadcasting. Rabbi Boteach joined the 'Oprah and Friends' XM radio network in January of 2008, and his national program, 'The Rabbi Shmuley Show,' is heard on XM channel 156 at noon and 5 pm EST throughout the week. In addition, Boteach also hosts his own series Shalom in the Home, a reality television program airing on Monday nights at 10:00 on TLC, where he facilitates family members to overcome their problems. The program debuted on April 10, 2006. A second season of the series debuted in 2007.[7]
Boteach's latest book, "The Broken American Male: And How To Fix Him," was released in January 2008.
[edit] Bibliography
- Boteach, Shmuley (January 2008). The Broken American Male: And How to Fix Him. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312379247.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Parenting with Fire: Lighting up the Family With Passion and Inspiration. New York: New American Library, Penguin Group, 2006.
- Boteach, Shmuley. 10 Conversations You Need to Have With Your Children. New York: Harper Collins/Regan Books, 2006.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Hating Women: America’s Hostile Campaign Against the Fairer Sex. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Face Your Fear: Living with Courage in an Age of Caution. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2004.
- Boteach, Shmuley. “Teach Your Children Well.” World Jewish Digest June 2004. Excellence in Single Commentary.
- Boteach, Shmuley. The Private Adam: Becoming a Hero in a Selfish Age. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Judaism For Everyone: Renewing Your Life Through the Vibrant Lessons of the Jewish Faith. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Kosher Adultery: Seduce and Sin with your Spouse. Avon: Adams Media Corporation, 2002.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Why Can’t I Fall in Love: A 12-Step Program. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
- Boteach, Shmuley; Geller, Uri; and Chopra, Deepak (Foreword). The Psychic and the Rabbi: A Remarkable Correspondence. Naperville: Sourcebooks, 2001.
- Shmuley Boteach and Uri Geller. Confessions of a Psychic and a Rabbi. (Foreword by Deepak Chopra) Element Books Ltd (March 2000) ISBN 1862047243
- Boteach, Shmuley. Dating Secrets of the Ten Commandments. New York: Doubleday/Random House, 2000.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy. New York: Broadway Books/Random House, 1999.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Moses of Oxford: A Jewish Vision of a University and Its Life, Volume One and Two. London: Andre Deutsch, 1994.
- Boteach, Shmuley. Dreams. New York: bp, 1991.
[edit] References
- ^ Stewart, Nikita. "A man on a mission: Cory Booker", The Star-Ledger, October 3, 2000. Accessed September 2, 2007. "'I knew him when no cameras were rolling,' said Boteach, who lives in Englewood and sees Booker frequently."
- ^ "Have Shtick Will Travel", Washington Post, April 4, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Orthodox equivalent of Dr. Ruth to dive into 'spicy sex' at MJCC, Hern Keinon, Jerusalem Post, March 19, 1999.
- ^ a b "Pinocchio Loses by More Than a Nose", Fox News, December 23, 2002. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ "Rebbe to the world", Shmuley Boteach, Jerusalem Post, June 17, 2007.
- ^ Brecher, Elinor J. "RABBI SCHOLAR DEFENDS BOOK ON JOY OF SEX", The Miami Herald, April 12, 1999. Accessed August 1, 2007.
- ^ Lipowsky, Josh. "Rabbi Shmuley goes global", Jewish Standard, March 29, 2007, accessed April 29, 2007. ""Shalom in the Home' recently began its second season on TLC and airs Sunday nights."
[edit] External links
- Shmuley Boteach Official website
- Shalom in the Home Official website
- Oxford Judaism Contains some of Boteach's essays from his laters years at Oxford.
