This is PART 1 of Yonassan Gershom's FAQ on reincarnation and the Holocaust. It contains Frequently Asked Questions regarding his work with people who believe that they died in the Holocaust during World War II and have been reincarnated.
PART 1 (which you are reading now) discusses issues directly related to the content of his two books Beyond the Ashes (1992) and From Ashes to Healing (1996) (which you can buy in our online bookstore.) This FAQ discusses which Jewish groups believe in reincarnation, some common misconceptions and media distortions about Reb Gershom's work, the concept of the Jewish soul, some controversies regarding this work, etc.
PART 2 discusses general issues of Jewish reincarnation beliefs about "karma," how they relate to Jewish mysticism and the Holocaust, who comes back as who, some thoughts on healing the karma of the Holocaust, forgiveness, etc.
Part 3 continues the discussion about karmic issues from Part 2, with answers to questions regarding the reactions of specific groups and individuals -- Jewish and non-Jewish -- to this work, some controversial Orthodox beliefs, the novel "Night of Broken Souls" by Monteleone, etc.
All answers in this FAQ are direct quotes by Yonassan Gershom and represent his current beliefs and opinions at the time of writing. This FAQ can be used as a news release: Copyright permission is hereby given to quote from it in reviews, articles, books, etc. (Journalists: Please read this FAQ before contacting Rabbi Gershom for an interview or refeence question.) For use of the entire FAQ, please contact the author at gershom613@yahoo.com. This update replaces all previous versions of the FAQ.
More recently, one of the cases from his second book was featured on the BBC program, Science Mysteries(Discovery Channel, aired April 15, 1999), and footage from the Sightings program was used on UPN's Unexplained Mysteries (2005.) See also the list of articles, interviews, and book reviews on this site.
His latest book on reincarnation, Jewish Tales of Reincarnation, was published in November 1999 and was featured by the Jewsih Book Club that month. This is not on the Holocaust per se. Rather, it is a collection of 70 Jewish teaching tales from both classical and modern texts and folklore sources, retold in user-friendly language for the general public, with notes, commentaries, bibliography, etc.
Rabbi Gershom is also on the Top Reviewers list on Amazon.com -- voted there
by readers like you. (Click the logo to see all his reviews). If you visit
an Amazon listing from this FAQ and like his review, please give him a "useful"
vote of thanks to help keep him on the Top Reviewers list.
If you would like to receive notices about Rabbi Gershom's new books, upcoming speaking engagements, travel schedule, TV and radio interviews, etc. please join the Reb Gershom Updates list. (This is an announce-only list for this purpose only -- you will not be spammed.)
Q-1: Do all Jews believe in reincarnation?
Q-2: Where can I read about reincarnation in Judaism?
Q-3: What kind of Jew are you, Rabbi Gershom?
Q-4: Does your work officially represent the Breslov position?
Q-6: But didn't you get your ideas from the Edgar Cayce material?
Q-7: What do you mean by "Jewish souls"?
Q-8:But isn't that limiting, to always come back as a Jew?
Q-9: But don't you say in your books that the Jews from the Holocaust returned as gentiles?
Q-10: But you clearly said that Jews were coming back as blonds!
Q-12: Can I convert to Judaism through you, Rabbi Gershom?
Q-14: Do you have a listserv for discussing your books and these types of cases?
Q-15: Can I meet with you personally for a private consultation?
Q-16: How can I support Rabbi Gershom's current reincarnation work?
1. genetic survival through one's descendants;
2. Physical resurrection;
3. An immortal soul in heaven;
4. Reincarnation.
Some Jews also believe in a combination of these. For example, it is possible that one might spend some time in various levels of Heaven or Gehenna (purgatory) before reincarnating on earth again, with a final Resurrection in the Last Days. Generally speaking, coming back here through reincarnation is not the goal of most traditional Jews -- Rebbe Nachman of Breslov once suggested that this world we are living in now is really Gehenna! When you look around at the world, it certainly does seem like Hell sometimes.
There is a well-known Hasidic story, which took place in the 1800's during the time of Reb Schneur Zalman of Liady (the first Lubovitcher Rebbe), where a soul of one of his disciples was offered a choice between spending a half hour in Gehenna (purgatory) to atone for a sin, or reincarnating on earth again -- and he chose Gehenna to get it over with!
The bottom line is, that Judaism is not dogmatic about afterlife beliefs because they cannot be clearly proven. So there is a lot of freedom about what individuals can believe while still remaining true to Jewsih theology. Ironically, it is the more modernized groups such as Reform and Reconstructionism which are the most skeptical about the afterlife! On the other hand, many Orthodox and Hasidic Jews have no problems with believing in reincarnation (called gilgul ha-neshamot in Hebrew.)
Some non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews believe in reincarnation also. For example, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the first chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Palestine (died 1935) believed in reincarnation. So does Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the well-known Talmud scholar. Many Sephardic Orthodox Jews also believe in it.
The following three books on Judaism and reincarnation were all written by Orthodox scholars and published in 1999:
Jewish Tales of Reincarnation by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (A Hasidic storytelller). This is a collection of 70 teaching stories from both traditional and modern sources, with overviews about the themes in each section, notes for each story, bibliography, etc. (Easy reading, accessible to Jews and non-Jews alike.)
Reincarnation and Judaism: The Journey of the Soul by Rabbi DovBer Pinson (A Lubovitcher Hasid.) An excellent theological presentation on how traditional Jewish teachers and texts have viewed reincarnation through the centuries, as well as a discussion of how reincarnation impacts all of us today. (Intermediate level, requires some knowledge of basic Judaism, history, and theology.)
The Jewish Concept of Reincarnation and Creation: Based on the Writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital, translated by Rabbi David M. Wexelman, founder and director of the Kabbalah Clinic in Jerusalem. This is a primary source text from the 16th century. Chaim Vital was the chief disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Holy Ari) and primarily responsible ofr preserving his teachings in writing. (Advanced level, requires a working knowledge of kabbalistic terminology and concepts from an Orthodox Jewish POV.)
For an in-depth Torah essay on the issues of sin, punishment, repentance, spiritual growth, the soul, afterlife, etc. see Defending Torah Secrets and Reincarnation by Rabbi Ariel bar Tzadok of Kosher Torah.com. NOTE: This document is in PDF format -- you'll need Acrobat Reader to read it. It also assumes you have a basic Torah background, i.e., that you are familiar with Jewish source texts and commentaries, Hebrew terminology, etc.)
Among the non-Orthodox, the Conservative and Reform denominations do not believe in it officially, but many individual members do. (The Reform movement recently published a very nice introductory book, What Happens After I Die?: Jewish Views of Life After Death, which includes a chapter on reincarnation.) Reconstructionist Judaism officially denies the existence of an afterlife, but many Reconstructionist individuals believe in reincarnation. Rabbi Zalman Schachter of the Jewish Renewal movement (formerly called B'nai Or) believes in reincarnation, as do many of his followers. You can read two reincarnation accounts by Rabbi Schachter on this website.
More books on Jewish reincarnation and afterlife teachings
Breslov is not hierarchical like some other Hasidic groups. We do not have a single leader or council of elders or other central authority to set policy -- we don't even have a membership list! So how could there be an "official Breslov stance" on this or anything else? The final authority in Breslov is always God's law as revealed through his Torah at Mt. Sinai (both Written and Oral.) . When Rebbe Nachman was asked by his Hasidim if there were any special rules for them to follow as his disciples, he said: Whatever is in the Shulchan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law.) As stated above in question Q-1, there is no conflict between Orthodox Judaism and belief in reincarnation. As for the rest, some Breslovers like what I do, and some don't -- as with anything else in this world.
Part of the problem is that the general public thinks (wrongly) that the "Old Testament": is the only holy book Jews have, and does not know that Hasidic Jews (and other groups as well) have these mystical teachings. So when they hear that I believe in reincarnation, they perceive my work as New Age when it is really firmly rooted in Hasidism (also spelled Chassidism).
Unfortunately, some people have misunderstood my openness to diversity as promoting occultism and/or mixing neo-pagan ideas with Judaism. This is not my intent at all. So in my second book, From Ashes to Healing I clarified my own theological position and clearly stated that I am a practicing Hasid. Although I admit to a certain fascination with Cayce as a psychic, his theology is far too Christian-oriented for me as a Jew. For this reason, I am not a member of the A.R.E., even though their press published my books. (For the same reason, I am also not an Anthropsophist, even though they published the Dutch and German translations.)
A-6A: People who ask this question are usually trying to
insinuate that I am a Christian missionary (NOT!) or otherwise
trying to cast doubt on my Jewish bona fides. They are also
people who have little insight into how the publishing industry
works. As explained in Q-6 above, this was a business arrangement,
period.
Frankly, I would have preferred a Jewish press. But, at the time I was
looking for a publisher back in the mid-80's, the Jewish presses were
all too chicken to publish a book that linked reincarnation with the
Holocaust. Several editors privately told me they personally liked the
book but could not publish it because it might upset the living Holocaust
survivors and that would backlash on their business. A.R.E. Press had
no such qualms, and they already had a line of reincarnation materials,
so my books fit into their market. Publishing with A.R.E. also had
the advantage of the book being promoted worldwide. This, in turn,
resulted in it moving beyond the "Jewish literary ghetto" to
be accepted by the therapy community and the general public.
Hindsight is always 20-20, and now that the books are a success
(and, by the way, they did not provoke any major protests from Holocaust
survivors), more than one Jewish publisher has queried me, but since
A.R.E. Press holds the contract, they get to keep it until such time,
if ever, that the Ashes books go out of print.
(Are you a writier trying to get published? Check out my
Resources for writers page.)
My latest book, Jewish Tales of Reincanation,"
was published by Jason Aronson, Inc., which is a well-known Jewish press.
The last chapter contains a few Holocaust reincarnation stories,
and there was no objection from the publisher -- probably because my
other two books paved the way for acceptance of this topic in the
Jewish community. But at the same time, Jason Aronson has done very
little, if anything, to promote this book outside the Jewish community
-- were it not for my website, you would probably never know it existed.
(sigh). So, there are pros and cons to both sides of this issue.
Jewish teachings, however, say that the Jews are a karmic soul group
which is bound together by the covenant which God made with the Jewish
people at Mt. Sinai. Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) teaches that all the
souls of all the Jews who ever were or would be born -- incarnated at
the time or not -- were present at Mt. Sinai when the Torah was given.
This one-time cosmic event was for all eterninty, bonding these souls
together as one body. This Covenant is -- in the words of the Torah --
l'dorotam l'vrit olam, "For all generations to be an eternal
covenant."
As I explained in chapter 3 of my first book,
Beyond the Ashes, in some contexts the Biblical phrase from
generation to generation also means from incarnation to
incarnation. Jewish mysticism teaches that we tend to come back
in our own family lines. So, to be Jewish is a matter of both
geneology and spirituality. Jewish souls chose to be born into Jewish
families in order to remain connected to the sacred Covenant at Sinai.
(Note: A convert to Judaism becomes grafted onto the family tree and
returns as a Jew in future lives.)
Some Jewish groups, such as the Lubovitcher Hasidim, believe that
"once a Jew always a Jew" and that Jewish souls always
come back as Jews. This doctrine is according to an answer given
by the sixth Lubovitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Joseph I. Schneerson, died 1950)
in response to a question posed to him right after World War II.
However, there are other Jewish teachers and texts which suggest that,
under certain unusual circumstances, Jewish souls do sometimes get exiled
from their own people and come back as non-Jews or even as animals,
plants, or stones. (See Sharei ha-Gilgulim and Sefer
Ha-Pliyah.) My theory is that so many Jews were killed at once
during the Holocaust, that there simply were not enough Jewish women
on earth to give birth to all of them as Jews again. There also
seem to be cases of people who suffered so much as Jews during the
Holocaust, that they came back as non-Jews hoping to have a life
of relative safety.
In his introduction to my book, From Ashes to
Healing, Brad Steiger wrote:
"...While some souls may achieve spiritual evolution by
participating in numerous cultural expressions, others may eveolve
as steadily -- or even more directly -- by repeated incarnations
in the same ethnic group. Interestingly, I have heard a number
of Native American shamans express a similar sentiment, that the
most powerful medicine practioners have incarnated primarily --
or exclusively -- in life experinces within the same tribal
structure." (Intro., p. xiii)
The real problem is not that Jews come back as Jews, but that non-Jews
think of Judaism as narrow and limited, so they don't see the Jewish
path as something positive to come back to. When the same behavior --
returning for many incarnations in the same culture -- is seen as
"spiritual" when Tibetans or Native Americans do it,
but "limited" when Jews do it, then we are seeing a subtle
form of prejudice at work. In reality, Jews who come back as Jews
are no more limited than Tibetans who come back as Tibetans!
As for exposure to different cultures, Jews have lived all over the
world throughout our 5000-year history. So we have been part of many
different cultures while still remaining Jews. Diversity is not an
either-or proposition. It is possible to be both firmly rooted
in one's own culture or group and also be open to the rest of the world.
Ironically, during the nineteenth century, when nationalism was on the
rise, it was this very universalism which the antisemites condemned,
because they claimed that the Jews had no loyalty to any one country!
Nowadays, when global consciousness is more popular, the Jews are
accused of being narrow and limited and "not universal
enough." In other words, whatever society does not like at any
given time is often projected onto the Jews. People who make these
type of accusations need to re-examine their stereotypes about Jews
and Judaism.
A-8: Not exactly. Only some of the Jews returned as gentiles
-- and those who did often feel lost from their people. The vast
majority came back as Jews again! It is true that two-thirds of
the stories mentioned in the first book (published 1992) were from
non-Jews, but that figure is now completely obsolete. Since publication
of that book, hundreds of Jews are also telling their Holocaust
reincarnation stories. Nowadays I hear more Jewish stories than gentile
ones.
My reason for citing so many non-Jewish cases in the first book was
because they are the most convincing to the skeptic in terms of trying
to prove reincarnation. If a Jew says he was a Holocaust victim in
another life, people are going to say, "Look, you must have heard
about it from your family during childhood, then forgot about it, and
now you think it is a past-life memory." Which would be possible
in such cases. So although the cases of Jews returning as Jews may be
more numerous, they are not easily examined in a scientific way, because
there are too many other influencing factors.
On the other hand, when a non-Jew from the rural USA, who has never
even met a Jew, nevertheless has accurate memories of rituals and customs
of Eastern European Jews that are not well-known to the outside world,
then the case is far more convincing. But these stories of Jewish souls
in gentile bodies are only a small minority of the six million Jews who
were killed. Many Jews have these memories also! But for some reason,
the general public chooses to ignore the Jewish souls who came back as
Jews again, and tends to focus on the more sensationalized cases of
gentiles with Jewish memories.
When the first book came out, the National Examiner (an American
tabloid) ran an article entitled "Holocaust victims being
reincarnated in blonde bodies," (Oct. 18, 1989, p. 15). The more
mainstream presses have also focused on the idea of Jews returning as
blue-eyed blonds, which continues to perpetuate an inaccurate view of
my theories.
In my second book, From Ashes to Healing, I devoted many pages
to correcting this misperception, and continue to correct it whenever
I am interviewed by the press. But at the same time, new books continue
to appear which quote the old blue-eyed blond material. Which is one
reason for this website, where I can post the most up-to-date info.
Those who came back as blonds (either as Jews or as gentiles) seem to
have been Jews who died as small children and who wished that they
had looked more like the German children so that they would not have
been persecuted. We know from history that this would not have made
any difference -- the Nazis killed the blond Jews also. But it is a
common attitude among children everywhere that they want to fit in and
be like their peers. So if a brunette child wished she were blond,
maybe that desire carried over into the next life. From these
reincarnation stories we can learn how damaging prejudice is, because
it affects the self-esteem of the victims for many lives to come.
(If you didn't read the two Zalman Schachter stories linked to Q-2 above,
I recommend that you go there now.
Yes, the heart is very important, but Judaism has specific requirements
for defining who is a Jew, and there are specific duties to being a Jew.
A convert to Judaism is expected to take on the entire Jewish way of
life, not just a set of personal beliefs.
To begin your exploration of Judaism, I highly recommend
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Judaism, which, of
course, is not really for idiots! Written by Rabbi Blech of Yeshiva
University (Orthodox), it uses the familiar "Idiot's" series
format to explain the basics in very accessible language.
(NOTE: Please do not misinterpret this section of the FAQ -- I am not
trying to win converts. This info is here because it's a Frequently Asked
Question, not to try and convert anybody.)
By and large, we Jews discourage conversion -- not because we are exclusive,
but because you do not need to be Jewish in order to serve God. Being a Jew
is very difficult in this world, and not everyone is cut out for that type of
lifelong commitment. So normally we encourage people to seek God through
their own religion. However, conversion to Judaism is possible for the
sincerely persistent seeker.
In the cases of people who believe they are reincarnated from the
Holocaust, many do feel that they want to return to their people, and
some have chosen to go all the way and convert. Others felt that
conversion to Judaism would cause major disruptions in their lives
-- such as eating only kosher food, not working on Friday nights or
Saturdays, and possibly exposing their children to antisemitism.
So they choose to remain a gentile in this life, but to learn about
Judaism, with the focus on returning as a Jew again in the next life.
The Conversion to Judaism site
may help you to explore some of the issues involved, if you do decide
to consider conversion. Be aware, however, that this site is written
by a Conservative Jew (that's a denomination, not a political stance!)
with, in my opinion, a subtely negative attitude about Orthodox Judaism
(my denomination). Although he is sincerely attempting to be
"inclusive" of all types of Jews, he is, in my opinion, also
pushing the non-Orthodox agenda. However, the site does explore some of
the basic issues, dilemmas, and family/social problems which sometimes
confront converts to Judaism. The site also includes addresses of rabbis
of all denominations that you can contact for further info on conversion.
For a good how-to-convert book, try
Becoming a Jew by Rabbi Maurice Lamm. In this book, which has been called the
definitive text for converting to Judaism, Rabbi Lamm does an excellent job of balancing the
commitment to halachah (Jewish law) with sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of
people seeking to become Jews. I also recommend
Embracing the Covenant: Converts to Judaism talk about Why and How,
which is an excellent anthology of over 50 personal essays by people from all kinds of
backgrounds who have converted to Judaism. You can find more recommendations in the
Basic Judaism section of my online bookstore.
So these stories do NOT minimize the Holocaust. They demonstrate how
very deeply the Jewish people were wounded by the tortures in the camps,
and how this pain carried down from one incarnation to the next, and
how it will take many lifetimes to set it right again. Such a deep,
deep tragedy! It adds yet another layer to the enormity of the
Holocaust, because it means that this was not just a historical event in
one century only, but also an event that is engraved on the souls of
the Jewish people for many incarnation to come. So from these stories,
we can all learn something about how destructive prejudice and abuse
are on the human soul and psyche.
Q-6A: Why weren't the Ashes books published
by a Jewish press? Why did you choose an occult Christian
press?
Q-7: What do you mean by "Jewish souls"
A-7: The idea of a"'Jewish soul" (yiddische neshamah)
is probably the biggest difference between the Jewish and New Age
philosophies about reincarnation. New Agers see Jewishness as something
temporary, connected to the body only -- a mere fact of physical birth
but nothing else. So, according to the New Agers, the soul is really
generic, without any permanent ties to any culture or religion from one
life to the next.
Q-8: But isn't that limiting, to always come back as a Jew?
A-8: Not necessarily. Coming back in the same path for multiple
incarnations can also enable a soul to reach deeper levels of
spirituality. The Dalai Lama (head of Tibetan Buddhism) claims to have
been the Dalai Lama for fourteen incarnations. Most likely, he also
spent many lives as an ordinary Tibetan monk before that. Yet nobody
ever suggests that the Dalai Lama is spiritually limited because of
this! Yet when I talk about Jewish masters who have come back for many
incarnations as Jews again, then this objection about
"limitedness" is always raised.
Q-9: But don't you say in your books that the Jews from the
Holocaust are now returning as gentiles?
Q-9: But you clearly said that Jews were coming back as blonds!
A-9: First of all, let us be very clear that there are also blond
Jews! Jews are not a biological race -- we come in all colors, from
very light-skinned to very dark-skinned, and everything in between.
True, some of the blond cases in my first book were gentile Germans,
but others were Jews. And again, this is only a very small group within
the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis. Many have returned
as people with darker hair and skin, too. One case in my first book was
of a Czech Jewish teenager who returned as an African-American.
Interestingly, very few people ever refer to her case in the media,
even though it was most convincing!
Q-11: How can these Jewish souls who are reincarnated into gentile
bodies re-connect with the Jewish people in this life?
A-11:To be considered Jews in this life, one must be born of a Jewish
mother, or else formally convert. Yes, I do I recognize the phenomenon
of Jewish souls occasionally being born into gentile bodies. And I
am supportive of such people in their spiritual quest. But I also
uphold the principles of Jewish law, which say that one must be Jewish
in this life -- either by birth or official conversion in this life --
in order to be counted as a Jew by the Jewish people. One cannot simply
claim to be Jewish on the basis of feeling it in your heart, or because
Jesus was born a Jew, etc.
Q-12: Can I convert to Judaism through you, Rabbi Gershom?
No. To avoid having my work turn into a fad or a cult, I have
specifically decided not to be involved in doing conversions. I do
not want people to become Jews just because they read my books or got a
contact high from me at some conference. Becoming a Jew is a serious
decision which affects all future incarnations. So take it slowly.
If you are interested in becoming a Jew, consult a local rabbi and go
from there. But be aware that your sincerity will be tested first, and
his focus will be on accepting the Torah way of life, not reincarnation.
Q-13: Doesn't your work trivialize the Holocaust and minimize the
responsibility of the Nazis for their crimes?
A-12: Exactly the opposite! My work holds the Nazis responsible not
only for the death of the body, but also for the anguish of the soul.
The Nazis did not seek to kill the body only -- they also sought to
destroy the Jewish identity and spirit forever. Many of those Jewish
souls who came back as gentiles did so because they were so horribly
treated by the Nazis, that they could no longer bear the shame and
pain that was put on them for being Jews. They came back as gentiles
because they wanted to be loved and to be safe from persecution.
Q-14: Do you have a listserv for discussing your books and these
types of cases?
No, but read on: There used to be a group called GERSHOM on Yahoo that I
founded and ran for several years, but I am retired from Holocaust
reincarnation work and no longer doing this. However, there is a new
group called
Unlocking the Door, founded in June 2003 by a former moderator of
the GERSHOM group. Many of the other former members are there also.
It's a safe place to discuss these issues, so check it out.
There is also a RabbiGershomUpdates list which sends out occasional info relating to the release of new books, upcoming programs, TV and radio appearances, etc. This is the list to join if you just want to know the "when and where" of my activities without getting all the messages from the discussion group(s). (This is an announce-only list for this purpose only. You will not be spammed.)
Go to the RebGershomUpdates list homepage
If you just need to talk about your past-life story, you might want to try the listserv group, where you can meet other people with similar experiences. I occasionally participate in this forum, and it is accessible by e-mail or in the Web.
In From Ashes to Healing, first published in 1996, I stated that I was retiring from reincarnation counseling. That was my sincere intent at the time, but it has proven to be virtually impossible. Even though I do not have a regular therapy practice, people from all over the world continue to write or e-mail me for help. Therapists, academics, and researchers continue to contact me as an expert in this unusual and very specialized field. Reporters call me for the Jewish perspective on reincarnation. Like Leonard Nimoy who ended up being forever Spock, I seem to have acquired the role of "Holocaust reincarnation rabbi" for life, even though I have now moved on to other projects (Such as my soon-to-be-published book on Jewish Themes in Star Trek. Hence the reference to Nimoy and Spock here.)
As I have explained elsewhere, I never had a paying position for this work. People will pay hundreds of dollars to see a therapist, but somehow they expect a rabbi to do it all for free. And although the books have helped many people to find healing and peace of mind -- praise God for that! -- they have not been bestsellers, and generate very little in the way of royalties. The books have brought me fame but, alas, no fortune. Even keeping this website online comes out of my own pocket. So....
Second, you can make a gift of money directly to me via the Amazon Honor System. To do that, simply click on the PayBox at the right and go to my PayPage. Minimum donation is $1.80 and, if you are already logged in as an Amazon customer, you are already set to go (that's how the box knows your name.) Or, if you prefer PayPal, use gershom613@yahoo.com as my address. Be sure to include a note saying it is a donation.
Third, you can send a physical gift via Amazon instead of money. Check out my Wish List on Amazon.com through the link on my >About Me page. Since this is our family wish list, some items are not reincarnation-related, but all would be most welcome! Also, if you have your own book you would like me to consider reviewing, got to my Want me to review your book? page and have your publisher send me a copy.
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No, I do not make referrals. However, You might check with the Association for Past-Life Research and Therapies, Inc. (APRT) for a referral. However, be sure to say that I referred you, or they may want to send you back to me -- and I'm retired. Also tell them you do not want to be referred to Hazel Denning or any of her students because I consider their blame-the-victim approach to issues of "Holocaust karma" to be detrimental. Ask for somebody who is familiar with my books and who respects my theology and does not claim, as Hazel Denning does, that every Jew who died in the Holocaust was an abuser in another life. Not! Please continue on to Part 2 of this FAQ for further discussion of these and other karmic issues, which you should definitely read before seeking a pastlife therapist.
And please be aware that I am no longer collecting stories for books. The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was to say I had counseled people "for free" in return for their story. That was true Over 25 years ago (the first story in Beyond the Ashes was collected in 1981) but it is not true now. There will be no more books by me on this topic, and I am no longer keeping track of new cases.
Are you a writer trying to get published? Visit my Resources for writers page.
Have you already published a book that you want me to review on Amazon? Go to my Want me to review your book? page.
If you found this FAQ useful and would like to receive notices about Reb Gershom's new articles, books, upcoming speaking engagements, travel schedule, TV and radio interviews, etc. please join the RebGershomUpdates list. This list is announce-only, for this purpose only -- you will not be spammed. Go to the RebGershomUpdates list homepage