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'Surfing rabbi' catches the big one -- spirituality
Nachum Shifren grew up in the sunny San Fernando Valley, just miles from beautiful beaches and the most bodacious waves in southern California.
And he rode those waves -- every chance he got. He almost skipped his bar mitzvah to catch the surf.
Funny how a kid who hanged ten and slept through Hebrew school could end up becoming a Chasidic rabbi and still find time to surf.
"People think that everyone needs to be one dimensional,†Shifren said. “With surfing I am doing something I love, and I am using it as a tool to develop me spiritually, physically and emotionally."
Shifren’s journey from California surfing dude to Israeli yeshiva student, which he recounted Saturday night at the Lubavitch Center in Squirrel Hill, seems an unlikely one. But when Shifren met a rabbi one day who laid teffilin before hitting the waves, the contradiction -- for him at least -- crashed like a wave on the rocks.
He developed a philosophy that combines mysticism, the Torah, and, of course, surfing. These elements come together in a series of workshops he leads called "Surf and Soul."
Shifren spoke for an hour at the Lubavitch Center, taking questions and showing a scene from the surfing documentary, "Step into Liquid," in which he appears.
"It was an outstanding talk about how a guy can channel his passion in a kosher way, keep himself on a good path, and in addition help others." said Yitzchok Gordon of Squirrel Hill. "I think it is very appropriate that Chabad was connected to tonight's presentation. Chabad is a great Jewish group that takes people in large numbers and helps to plug them into Judaism."
Shifren, the self-proclaimed "surfing rabbi," who also is in town to compete in the Senior Games, is no joke. He seamlessly combines the two lifestyles, right down to the rubber kippah he wears while paddling out ot catch the next big one.
Most in the audience had little experience with surfing -- not unusual, according to Shifren. "They are tentative at first,†the rabbi said, “but as the idea becomes more tenable they become more excited, and then a lot of people wish they could go and do it."
During his talk, Shifren recounted his life story, which began with him as a young Californian successfully avoiding drugs while developing his passion for surfing. Along the way he met many greats of the sport and became pretty adept himself.
"I'm a fairly accomplished surfer,†he said. “I'm not just some schlepper."
There are a multitude of spiritual attributes to surfing, said Shifren. "When you catch a giant wave you realize that you are a very small part of the world, yet Hashem created it for us. There is a power beyond those waves."
There are many day-to-day practical benefits to surfing as well. "It is something to devote your youthful energy to," Shifren said. "If you grow up without a focus, it can be hard to survive. When I was growing up, many of my friends didn't survive, lots of them ended up on drugs. Surfing really grounded me."
Shifren's "Surf and Soul" program takes teenagers on trips around the world that combine surfing, Chasidic thought, and catered kosher meals. Anyone can sign up for the program. Even Orthodox girls who wish to participate are taught by a female instructor.
"I want to help young people understand what it means to be a Jew, and if they find out that I am a surfer, they might think that it is a little bit more cool," Shifren said. "A lot of kids can't really get the 'black hat' routine down; surfing can help as a transition for that."
To people who think that there is something odd in the concept of the "Surfing Rabbi," Shifren said, "I'm not such a tzaddik, I just want to show people that you can walk and chew gum at the same time. I pray three times a day as a religious Jew, and if I see a great wave, then I jump on it as a surfer."
That's an approach young Yitzchak Creeger of Squirrel Hill found appealing.
"It's an interesting approach, how he uses surfing to help reach troubled youth." Creeger said after the program. "He's certainly unique, not a dime-a-dozen." Though Creeger was interested, he doesn't know if he would ever go boarding.
"I wouldn't mind surfing," he said, "if I wasn't scared of falling off."
So where can one find the perfect wave?
"No doubt the biggest, most powerful waves are in Hawaii," Shifren said.
And how's the surfing in Israel?
"I think God created Israel with really bad surfing so that people would have time to study religion instead," he said, though he quickly added, "I have never met a wave I didn't like."
(Edward N. Simon can be reached online at news@pittchron.com.)
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