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About the Academy of Jerusalem Back to the Home page of the Academy of Jerusalem. |
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The Academy of Jerusalem is an innovative institution,
which draws its inspiration from the spiritual traditions associated with the
city of Jerusalem and its multi-cultural environment. The Academy aims to
stimulate research and creative thinking on aspects of contemporary life by
operating as a think tank and as an organizer of educational seminars,
meetings and discussion groups. Papers, articles, and books have emerged as a
result. (See partial list of publications.) Within Judaism, one of
the most powerful sources of inspiration is that of the "Kabbalah",
the mystical tradition. Within that tradition, a key concept is that of the
Four Worlds which between them encompass the tree of life. From the highest
world (Azilut in Hebrew) which encompasses the divine, comes
inspiration; from the world of creation (Bri'ah) comes the ability to
comprehend and appreciate divine inspiration; while in the world of forms (Yetzirah)
is found the power to refine ideas into realizable forms which are then
carried out in the fourth world (Assiyah), that of the normal and
rational universe of human Action. The Academy of Jerusalem conceives of its purpose as having been
inspired in the higher world but is concerned to see that its work is down to
earth and practical by bringing together some of the best minds in
contemporary society and getting them involved in thinking about the nature
of the world in which we live. It aims to involve in its work representatives
of all those who live in Jerusalem - Christians, Jews and Moslems as well as
those who are inspired by its world-wide symbolic significance. It derives
its inspiration primarily from the Jewish tradition but is deeply committed
to the recognition of the value of all spiritual traditions in the Holy City. Associates of the Academy of Jerusalem: Prof. Menachem AlexenbergConceptual artist,
specialist in cyber art. Former Dean of Visual Arts, the Pratt Institute, and
the New World School of the Arts. His works are exhibited in over 50 major
museums. Israel. Tirtsah ArziEditor,
radio producer, author and environmental activist. Media Developments,
Jerusalem. Dr. Michael Ben-EliArchitect, cybernetician, consultant on organizational integration and environmental management. New York. Dr. Joseph BerkePsychotherapist,
author, director of the Arbours Association, London. See Psychoanalysis and Kabbalah Rabbi,
Futurist, media specialist, Jewish art historian. Yeruham, Israel Dr.
Asher Eder Shelly ElqayamPoet,
author, active in world Peace movements. Jerusalem. Rabbi
Ohad Ezrahi Teacher
of Hassidic Kabbalah, photographer and graphic artist. Leader of the haMaqom
spiritual community by the Dead Sea. Nick GreenM.Sc.
systems design. Founder of the Compunet, the UK's first "people's net”,
and first promoter of multi-user adventure games. Assistant to the late Prof.
Gordon Pask. Architect, urban planner, and cybernetician. Founder of the Hayut Foundation - sponsor of the Academy of Jerusalem, Dean of R & D, Jerusalem. Prof. Moshe IdelResearch scholar and lecturer. Leading authority on the history of Kabbalah, Jewish mystical ideas, and their relationship to other schools of thought. Winner of The Israel Prize and the EMeT Prize for outstanding scholarship. Jerusalem. Dr.
Chris King Mathematician and Chaos Theorist, Eco-Shaman and Musician. Author of the "Genesis of Eden" HTML Encyclopedia. Lecturer
on the Psychology of Human Potential. Leader of workshops integrating
traditional Jewish ideas and practices with contemporary psychology. Author
of “The Elements of Judaism” and the prize-winning “Mind, Brain and Human
Potential”. Rabbi Hayim MalovitckiRabbi, Director Yeshiva "Sha'ar haShamayim", Artist, Jerusalem. Author
of over twelve books including "Dimensions of Paradise", specialist
in sacred geometry and the geometry of reconciliation. London. Orthopedist, Psychiatrist and
Anthropologist researcher and Peace Activist. Cairo, Egypt. Mohamed Sabet M.Sc engineering, researcher of Sacred
Architecture, Delft. U. The Nederlands. Discoverer of “the Abraham Triangle”.
Dr. Claudio Naranjo M.DTherapist, meditation teacher, and Spiritual Guide. Author of “The Healing Journey”, “How to Be” and books on the Anagram. Painter,
Arts and Hatha-Yoga teacher. Leon SaponarArtist,
musician, Tai-chi Teacher, specialist in integrational modalities. Tel Aviv. Dr. Carlos WartersPsychotherapist, spiritual guide and author, including "Who Do You Think You Are?" o of page. |
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Jerusalem has
rich spiritual connotations and is a crucial ‘point of contact’, where the
aspirations of people from all over the world converge. A focal point of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and of a great many religious sects,
Jerusalem represents the oriental origins of Western civilization. Jerusalem
and the entire Land of Israel may be thought of as the southeast corner of
Europe, and has close ties with both Europe and America. It is at the same
time, the northeast corner of Africa, the western-most shore of Asia, and the
center of the Arab Levant. It is in Jerusalem that the past and the future,
the first world and the third, religious fundamentalism and secular modernity
meet. It is in Jerusalem that the shocks of the convergence of these many
worlds and forces are absorbed, making Jerusalem a crucial point for
synthesis and reconciliation. The
site of the First and Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem is also considered in
Jewish tradition to be the site of the Aqedah (binding/connection)
of Isaac, the father of Israel. According to Christianity, the Temple figured
centrally in the ministry of Jesus, and it is near the Temple Mount that the
Passion of Jesus and his atonement for humanity took place. In Islamic
tradition, the Temple Mount is the place of al Mi’raj (the
risers), the Heavenly Ascent of the Prophet Mohammed. The significance of
this event, as understood in Sufi teaching, is that the planes of spiritual
attainment represented by the major prophets now exist in the archetype of
the ‘complete human being’ that is within each one of us. According to all
three traditions, it is in Jerusalem that humankind (Adam) originated, and
here that the Last Judgement will take place. Jerusalem
also functions as the Mishkan (Divine Dwelling Place) of a
cosmic drama. Whether or not it is standing, the ‘Temple’ represents a
channel of communication between Heaven and Earth, an “axis mundi” connecting
the various human worlds with the Divine. Throughout the history of the city,
for the past 3,000 years at least, a sacred drama has been unfolding in
Jerusalem. How might we assist in its unfolding today? At the Academy of Jerusalem, we are dedicated to elucidating this prophetic vision of Jerusalem that embraces both secular and religious expressions of the Holy City. We aim to further cooperation of and understanding of this vision, as we cope with the future of Israelis, the Middle-East and the emerging global community. Back to the of this page. |
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Jerusalem today is the
political capital of the State of Israel, and the central metaphor of the
Zionist vision. With the establishment and development of the modern State of
Israel, with the recent aliyah from places of oppression such as Russia, Ethiopia, and Syria, and with the initiation of a
process of peace and reconciliation between Israel and her Arab neighbors,
the aims of political Zionism have largely been achieved. But now that Israel
is established as a political entity, the question remains: what cultural and
spiritual function is Zion to fulfill in the future? In
the modern age, science has taken over much of the traditional role of
religion in establishing the common understanding of the world in which we
live. But now we are entering a new age in which science itself is pointing
towards a unitive world-view, which happens to confirm many of the insights
that were provided until now, by religious mysticism. Ecology is such a new
science, and so is Cybernetics/Systems theory, proposing that the simple but
very powerful analysis that "the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts" be applied not only to the biological sphere, but to the entire
range of human culture -- including society and a renewed understanding of
religion. While it is the
capital of Israel, the beauty and strength of Jerusalem reflects it’s being a
tapestry woven from many different threads. There are many communities in
Jerusalem and in Israel that see themselves, uniquely, as the God's chosen
people. But just as a community is more than the sum of the persons that it
contains, Zion itself is greater than the sum of its many communities. Thus, while
there may be many different visions of a 'Heavenly Jerusalem', it is only in
the recognition of 'unity in diversity' that Heavenly Jerusalem can be
realized on earth. The realization of a Heavenly Jerusalem on Earth might
serve as a significant step in the much-needed awakening of the planet as a
whole. The name
Jerusalem, when rendered in Hebrew as Yeru-Shalem, may be
translated as 'the demonstration of wholeness', expressed
grammatically in the future tense. Thus the very name 'Jerusalem' implies both
the content of the message and a mode of working, in which wholeness will be
demonstrated "on earth, as it is in heaven". The term 'academy',
when rendered in Hebrew as “aqadem-Yah”, suggests a facility
that is specifically concerned with 'advancing the Divine'. Thus it is the
aim of the Academy of Jerusalem to foster the advancement of the divine
purpose of demonstrating wholeness -- within individuals and in communities
and in the greater whole which these communities comprise. Our point of
departure is not, however, an abstract universalism. While we seek to
appreciate and communicate contributions from many perspectives---the Academy
of Jerusalem is, first, a Jewish organization. Given that the focus of
Judaism is particularistic, this may appear to be paradoxical. However, it
may be because Judaism is not based on a vision of the conversion of
humankind to one particular form of religion, that it can provide a point of
departure for appreciating the contributions of various approaches oriented
towards oneness. Such a vision of divine unity is expressed in the words of
the Hebrew Prophet: "My House (the Temple) shall be called a House of
Prayer for all the Nations." The Academy aims
to create practical frameworks for the implementation of the ideals provided
by the concept and reality of Jerusalem; the heavenly and the worldly
Jerusalem. It also aims to
provide a forum where those inspired by the idea of Jerusalem can work
together; as well as providing an environment that will enable creative
thinkers from all traditions to come together and study global problems,
particularly in the field of ecology, communications technology and
interaction between peoples. The Academy will publish the results of such
studies in a variety of formats and primarily by the Internet. The Academy of Jerusalem recognizes the value that spiritual traditions hold and offers a wide range of programs to assist and facilitate not only the individual's personal development, but also for the broader quest of humankind to understand itself and the world it inhabits. We believe we have an important role to play in the latter, collective quest as well as in the search for new perspectives appropriate to a world community learning to overcome age-old divisions. We hope to enable researchers to become aware of the more global dimensions of their work. Back to the of this page. |
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The Academy of Jerusalem is a facility providing appropriate learning environments meant to facilitate dynamic encounters with the concepts implied in Jerusalem and its name. We are developing creative and innovative programs to aid participants in implementing these core values in their own lives. Our programs are designed to draw together creative thinkers world - wide and to harmonize warring conceptual opposites into complements, relating the whole/holy Adam to the modern urban context of earthly Jerusalem. The Academy provides a platform from which experts involved in areas that have a bearing on the wholeness of Jerusalem can communicate with one another and reach a wider audience. The Academy has
already begun sponsoring a series of special conferences. The Academy also
provides a network of communications that extends across religious and
institutional lines. In addition to formal conferences, the Academy intends
to host forums on Internet, which will facilitate the ongoing discussion of
topics generated in our conferences and workshops. The Academy
seeks to develop a state-of-the-art learning system to build up rapid
interaction between participants in the programs. It will serve as a node for
the global evolution of man's new consciousness in the world of the 21st
century. Back to the of this page. |
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The headquarters of the Academy of Jerusalem, with
its communications center/office, conference room, and meditation room, is
situated in the very heart of the Old City in a literal bridge between the
Jewish and Moslem Quarter, and looks out upon the Dome of the Rock. Thus we
are ideally located to serve as a facility for individuals and small groups
who wish to enter upon a "journey within" in the Holy City. The
Academy was established in 1992. The Academy plans to offer a wide range of
programs to assist and facilitate participants in experiencing these core
values. In moments of grace, participants would experience the flow of the
Divine into their lives. The Academy is funded As the major project of the Hayut Foundation for the renewal of Zionism. The Hayut Foundation is supported by private donations from individuals, funds and foundations. It is recognized as a voluntary body ("amutah") by the State of Israel. It receives no contributions from any official source. The Academy is actively looking for more funding in order to expand its activities. Support from outside Israel can be sent through the P.E.F. Back to the of this page.
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