Calling on God

Sacred Jewish Teachings for Seekers of All Faiths

 

Buy the eBook        

Click here to order the paperback from England or Germany. For orders to Israel, ordering from the US is recommended.

This book touches upon the evolution of Judaism and offers innovative methods for raising our voices, thoughts and footsteps in praise of the living God. Whether you pray in a house of worship or at the dinner table, in times of crisis or in quiet peaceful moments, the sacred phrases and ideas in this book offer a fresh perspective on the spiritual landscape. Engaging with these practices, or using them as inspiration to create your own, will offer new possibilities for enriching your faith journey.

Paperback, 192 pages, $19.95
eBook, $ 9.95

 

 

 

Please scroll down for endorsements.

 

The Author

Pamela Frydman was educated in Orthodox Judaism as a child and Conservative Judaism as a teenager. She was ordained in the Jewish Renewal Movement and served as founding rabbi of Or Shalom Jewish Community, now a Reconstructionist congregation. Prior to entering the rabbinate, Pam studied Sufism, Buddhism and Theosophy and served as a spiritual teacher of Inayati Sufism. Presently, she teaches spirituality, researches and writes on the Holocaust and enjoys cooking delicious meals for family and friends.  (Photo by Ellen Shireman) 

Please visit Rabbi Pam’s website to learn more.

Rabbi Pam also teaches practices from Calling on God in San Francisco.

Reviews

U.S. Review

“Rabbi Pamela Frydman, who has a long, strong résumé as a Bay Area spiritual leader, women’s advocate and educator, has written Calling on God. Frydman offers a fresh look at prayer — whether one seeks to connect with God while in a house of worship or in a private, personal moment. The founding rabbi of Or Shalom Jewish Community in San Francisco, Frydman has studied Sufism, Buddhism and theosophy, is co-chair of Rabbis for Women of the Wall, and is the founder and director of the Holocaust Education Project of the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles.”       – Liz Harris, J, The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California

Israeli Review 

“Pam builds some remarkable spiritual bridges in this book. She endeavors to reconcile the iconoclastic teachings of Murshid Samuel Lewis, the beloved (nominally Jewish, but aggressively universal) Sufi teacher of the San Francisco hippies in the 1960’s, with the knowledge and respect for Jewish form (in a universal context) that she’s picked up from Reb Zalman and other Jewish teachers. Although her approach to Jewish practice is informed by Jewish perspectives, it is also informed by perspectives drawn from Sufism, and from popular spiritual figures like Baba Ram Das, the Dalai Lama, etc. Regarding the subtitle… I suppose that some non-Jewish seekers may find this book a useful introduction to Jewish practices—some of them normative, some of them not. I think it will be most useful to Jews who are already oriented towards other spiritual traditions, and may be looking for ways to incorporate Jewish practice in what they do as well. On the other hand, more traditional or conventional Jews who are seeking to enliven their Jewish practice and shift to a more spiritual perspective, may find some of the practical suggestions in this book to be useful, even enlightening.” – Ya’qub ibn Yusuf, also known as Josh Heckelman, proprieter of Olam Qatan, a spiritual bookstore in Jerusalem, publisher of the Hebrew translations of HaDiwan by Jellaludin Rumi and Lev HaKabbalah (The Essential Kabbalah) by Daniel Matt; editor of The Essence of Sufism in the Light of the Kebzeh, by Murat Yagan.

German Review

“I think Calling on God is a very important book for several reasons. Spiritually, Rabbi Pamela teaches us that we all come from the same source of life however we call it. Theologically, she brings out the teaching of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi that there are many paths to the ONE. And politically, she reminds us that if we learn to listen to each other and learn from each other we can act together for the benefit of our world.

In this time, many religious people are becoming more and more closed in their own thinking. The new world that is open for every path to emerge frightens them and they seek narrow borders. People are looking for THE right way. In Jewish tradition, we never have had only one path. We learned from our neighbors and, at times, we lived with them in peace together. Today it seems that some of our people have forgotten about this. This forgetting is dangerous and that is why Rabbi Pamela’s book is so important to open minds, hearts and neshamot (souls) to connect to each other.

Only when you trust in your own path can you help to open the path for others. Many Jewish people lost this EMUNAH (faith) and are afraid of doing something “wrong.”

“Calling on God” gives us an eye opener, a soul opener and a mind opener to help us look at what is beyond our own garden. Our world is so full of gems; let’s share them. Thank you Pam for this book. May it find its way into the world!” – Cantor Jalda Rebling, Ohel Hachidusch, Berlin, Germany

Endorsements for Calling on God

“Rabbi Pamela Frydman has done us a great service in aligning Jewish spiritual source material with the practices of the Sufis of the Hazrat Inayat Khan/SAM school. I know that the suggestions she makes are ones that she and people she has worked with have verified by practice. I urge the reader not only to offer sacred merit on her behalf, but also to validate and experience these wonderful practices in the presence of the living God.”Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement

“This is a remarkable book and I recommend it for people of all faiths who are seeking to find deeper meaning and spirituality in sacred texts and the texts of our own lives.” Rabbi Stan Levy, cofounder and vice-chair of the board, Academy for Jewish Religion, California; rabbi, Congregation B’nai Horin, Los Angeles

“Rabbi Pamela Frydman’s Calling on God is perfect for anyone searching for a deeper connection to the Divine. Whatever your background, you will discover time-tested practices of Jewish spiritual technology deftly illuminated by the Sufi tradition. A unique and wonderful gift to all spiritual seekers.” Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, rabbi, Congregation Brith Achim, Petersburg, Virginia; past chair, Richmond Rabbinic Association; past president, OHALAH, Jewish Renewal rabbinic and cantorial association

“There is a great deal in this book to learn, appreciate and practice. There are profound presentations on the masculine and feminine aspects of the Divine Being. There are Dances of Universal Peace and healing practices. There is an exploration of Hebrew and Aramaic Divine Qualities as inter-related families such as the Qualities of Eternity, Strength and Love, in the same manner as the treatment of the Ninety-Nine Names of God in Physicians of the Heart.” from the preface by Wali Ali Meyer, head, Esoteric School of the Sufi Ruhaniat International 

“Our beloved Rabbi Pamela has just manifested a fabulous book of teachings and practices connecting the mystical portion of Judaism to us all–Jews and non-Jews alike. At our past two Dervish Healing Order gatherings, she led us in an evening of Shabbos. Her chanting of Hebrew zikr and calling upon the Shechinah — the Divine Feminine — was a highlight of the meeting. I highly recommend her offering. All blessings,” Hakim Sauluddin, director, Dervish Healing Order of the Sufi Ruhaniat International 

Calling on God is a long-needed guide for those on the spiritual path who seek to better understand Judaism. It provides those of us not born to the Jewish faith with a much-needed window into the depth of this religion and explains many of its profound practices. Through her spiritual guidance, Rabbi Pam lifts the reader above the differences and distinctions that divide the family of Abraham—Christians, Jews and Muslims—and brings us back once again to our common denominator, our personal relationship with the Divine.” Scott Sattler, M.D., former chief of staff, St. Joseph Hospital; member, Clergy Advisory Board, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

“A resource for those seeking renewed relevance in mystical Jewish teachings, Rabbi Pam Frydman’s holy compilation of blessings, phrases, and vocalizations is informative, fascinating, and, at times, deeply moving. Through word, chant, and movement, Calling on God deftly enables readers from all faiths to embody spirituality, teaching that intention trumps denomination.” Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, president, Board of Rabbis of Southern Nevada; past president, OHALAH, Jewish Renewal rabbinic and cantorial association; rabbi, Congregation P’nai Tikvah, Las Vegas