Dov Peretz Elkins

He has written widely for the Jewish and general press, including such journals as "Reader's Digest", "New Woman", "The Christian Century", "Judaism", "Hadassah" magazine, "Religious Education", "Conservative Judaism", "The Reconstructionist", and many others. He served as editor of "Beineinu", the national organ of the Rabbinical Assembly, as book editor of "Torch", journal of the National Federation of Men's Clubs, and is a regular book reviewer for several Anglo-Jewish weeklies throughout the country, including the "New Jersey Jewish News".

Rabbi Elkins was born in Philadelphia. He is a graduate of Gratz College for Hebrew Teachers (1958), received his BA in literature from Temple University (1959), and his M.H.L. from the Jewish Theological Seminary (1962). He was ordained as a rabbi in 1964. He received his doctorate in counseling and humanistic education in 1976 at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. In 1989 he was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree for distinguished rabbinic service by his alma mater, the Jewish Theological Seminary.

After two years as military chaplain at Fort Gordon, GA (1964-66), Rabbi Elkins became Associate Rabbi of Har Zion Temple of Philadelphia. From 1970 to 1972, he served as spiritual leader of the Jacksonville Jewish Center in Florida. From 1972 to 1976, he occupied the pulpit of Temple Beth El, Rochester, NY, one of America's largest and most prestigious congregations. From 1976 to 1985, he maintained a private practice in pastoral counseling, and was consultant to synagogues and many national Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, as well as in the corporate world, such as Xerox, Kodak, IBM, etc.

From 1985 to 1987, Rabbi Elkins was spiritual leader at Beth El Temple, Norfolk, VA. From 1987-92, he was Senior Rabbi at The Park Synagogue, Cleveland, Ohio, and now is Rabbi at The Jewish Center, Princeton, NJ.

Dr. Elkins is the author of over thirty books, including "Humanizing JewishLife: Judaism and the Human Potential Movement", and a series of handbooks for Jewish group leaders called "Series in Experiential Education" (S.E.E.). These include, to date, Clarifying Jewish Values, Jewish Consciousness Raising, Experiential Programs for Jewish Groups, Loving My Jewishness, and Prescription For A Long and Happy Life: Age-Old Wisdom for the New Age. He has published a two-volume collection of inspirational readings on the High Holidays, Moments of Transcendence, a soft cover re-issue of "Shepherd of Jerusalem: A Biography of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook", a calligraphed collection of Hasidic sayings, "Melodies From My Father's House - Hasidic Wisdom For the Heart and Soul", and an innovative handbook called "Jewish Guided Imagery - A How-To Book For Rabbis, Educators and Group Leaders".

His books include "Hasidic Wisdom: Sayings of the Jewish Masters", compiled by Simcha Raz, translated by Dov Peretz Elkins and Jonathan Elkins, and "A Shabbat Reader: The Universe of Cosmic Joy". In 1999 he published "Forty Days of Transformation: Daily Reflections of Spiritual Growth from Rosh Hodesh Elul to Yom Kippur and Meditations for the Days of Awe". In October 2000, his first children's book was published, "Seven Delightful Stories for Every Day".

His latest book is "Chicken Soup For The Jewish Soulr", co-edited with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. This book was on the "NY Times" bestseller list two weeks after the publication date, and has already been acclaimed as one of the best in the 50-volume "Chicken Soup" series.

Dr. Elkins has been trained in group dynamics, human development and humanistic education at leading growth centers throughout North America, including Esalen Institute, at Big Sur, CA, NTL (National Training Labs) at Bethel, ME, and the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. He is a certified instructor of Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) and Teacher Effectiveness Training (T.E.T.).

Elkins is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Council for Jewish Education, the Jewish Educators Assembly, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), the Conference of Jewish Communal Service, and the Association for Humanistic Psychology. He was honored by Gratz College in 1996 with the "Distinguished Alumnus Award."