AboutRabbi Ari Shishler Expertise As a campus rabbi, who teaches both religious and non-religious Jewish teens every day, I'm ready and waiting for your questions.
Experience I spent six years as the head of the Chabad House Young Adults' Division in Johannesburg, South Africa, before moving to learning director.
I am the campus rabbi at the Witwatersrand University and University of Johannesburg and was the campus rabbi at Boston City Campus in Johannesburg for six years.
I have worked closely with the South African Union of Jewish students since 1997.
For the past eight years, I have been a guest lecturer at the Johannesburg "Encounter" program for King David High Schools. I have also spent two years as guest rabbi at the "Encounter" program in Cape Town.
King David High Schools, Yeshivah College and Crawford High Schools invite me regularly to speak to various classes.
Since 1996, I have been teaching Talmud at a local religious high school.
Organizations Chabad-Lubavitch
South African Rabbinical Association
Publications Jewish Tradition, South Africa. Jewish Report, weekly newspaper, South Africa SAUJS annual Holiday guide.
Education/Credentials After completing high scool, I spent six years studying in Rabbinical seminaries in South Africa, Israel and New York.
Expert: Rabbi Ari Shishler Date: 1/8/2008 Subject: religion vs spirituality
Question Can you tell me the difference between spirituality and religion. An example may help me understand the diference.
Answer Hi Marc
What a great question! Many people don't stop to think about this and easily confuse the two.
Religion often means a set of beliefs and practices that people follow. An example would be "the Jewish religion believes in one G-d and follows the 613 commandments".
Spirituality refers to anything which is outside of the experience of the physical world. Spirituality should be part of a religion (e.g. G-d, angels, prophecy etc.) but doesn't have to be. Spirituality can include things like sorcery, fortune-telling, communication with the dead and other things that are not allowed in most religions.
There is positive spirituality and negative spirituality. Religion usually keeps people away from negative spirituality.
Religion without positive spirituality is restrictive, you need to have the spiritual understanding to appreciate what you believe and what you have to do within a religion.
Judaism is a mix of religion and spirituality- you cannot have a full Jewish experience if you only follow the laws, but don't learn about their spiritual meaning, or about developing your spiritual side.
