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Visalia Rabbi and Zen Priest Achieves Milestone, Announces Interfaith Retreat
Dharma News Desk, The Buddhist Channel, 14 Aug 2026
VISALIA, CA (USA) -- A local figure with a unique spiritual footprint has reached a new milestone in his Buddhist practice. Rabbi Dr. Adam Fogel, who is dually ordained as a nondenominational Rabbi and a Zen Buddhist Priest, has been formally empowered as an Apprentice Zen Teacher.
The empowerment, which designates him as a Dharma Holder and Assistant Koan Teacher, was conferred on July 25, 2026, by Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford Roshi within the White Plum Lineage.
To mark this transition, Fogel's newly established meditation center, Original Witness • Visalia Zen Center, will host a free online interfaith Zen meditation retreat on Saturday, September 5, 2026 . Titled "Firewood, Ash, and Atonement: Dōgen's Genjōkōan and the Jewish High Holidays," the virtual daylong event will explore themes of personal self-discovery and renewal, bridging Zen Buddhist philosophy with the Jewish High Holiday season.
The retreat is the center's inaugural major public event. Alongside it, Fogel will publish a three-part online essay series on Zen and the Jewish High Holidays, beginning with "Returning to Imperfection: 'Going Nowhere, Going Nowhere.'"
Fogel, who also works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice in California and online , has been a Zen practitioner since 1996 . His background includes study with teachers in the Sanbo Zen tradition.
"True respite comes from acknowledging life as it is, accepting yourself just as you are," Fogel said in a statement. "All of spiritual practice is grounded in a simple truth: Our very being, who we really are, all of this is about vulnerability, intimacy, and love."
Based in Visalia, Original Witness • Visalia Zen Center offers formal Zen training with an interfaith and inclusive approach, supporting spiritual exploration for individuals from all backgrounds.
Advanced registration for the September 5 retreat is free and open to the public at originalwitness.com, where the upcoming essay series will also be published.
About the Original Witness • Visalia Zen Center
The center is a new meditation community offering formal Zen training alongside interfaith inclusivity and supportive spiritual exploration. It is led by Rabbi Dr. Adam Fogel.
Media Contact:
Adam Fogel
Phone: (559) 697-3635
Website: originalwitness.com
Email: adam@originalwitness.com
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