The Rabbi''s Brain: Mystics, Moderns and the Science of Jewish Thinking

About Dr. Andrew NewbergDr. David Halpern

Andrew B. Newberg is Director of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College. Dr. Newberg has been particularly involved in the study of mystical and religious experiences throughout his career in addition to the use of neuroimaging studies in the evaluation of neurological and psychiatric disorders. He is considered a pioneer in the field of neurotheology which seeks to link neuroscience with religious and spiritual experience. Dr. Newberg has published over two hundred articles essays and book chapters. He is the author or co-author of eight books including the bestselling How God Changes Your Brain (Ballantine 2009) and Why God Wont Go Away (Ballantine 2001). He has presented his work at scientific and religious meetings throughout the world and has appeared on Good Morning America Nightline ABCs World News Tonight Book TV National Public Radio Fresh Air London Talk Radio the Discovery Channel the National Geographic Channel the BBC National Public Radio and the nationally distributed movies What the Bleep Do We Know? and Bill Mahers movie Religulous. His work has been written about in the Los Angeles Times Time Newsweek Discover Magazine Readers Digest The Washington Post and The New York Times. p>David Halpern is a resident in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Prior to attending medical school at Sidney Kimmel Medical College David spent two years studying Jewish texts and philosophy at Yeshivat Hakotel in the Old City of Jerusalem Israel. He then returned to New York to earn a B.A. in Psychology at Yeshiva University where his graduating thesis focused on the intersection of the philosophy of free will as interpreted by Jewish and Christian Theology. David received Rabbinic Ordination in March 2014 from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. There he created a capstone project exploring the intersection of medical practice with Jewish medical ethics and law. Additionally David completed rabbinic internships at the Puah Institute helping Jewish couples navigate infertility as well as the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot assisting women in obtaining a Jewish writ of divorce and preventing domestic abuse. As a medical student at Jefferson David was particularly interested in the intersection of Judaism and medicine as well as Jewish medical ethics. As the President of the Jefferson Jewish Student Association David coordinated and gave monthly talks on Jewish-themed topics including: Jewish Holidays the Jewish Patient and Judaism and Genetics. Most relevant to this book David worked with Dr. Andrew Newberg M.D. at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on a theoretical research project exploring topics related to Jewish Neurotheology. While currently he has less time to devote to active study and research in Jewish topics David remains actively involved in Torah study and Jewish communal leadership in the suburbs of Philadelphia giving shiurim lectures and studying together with others whenever possible. David is married and lives with his wife and their two children in suburban Philadelphia.