Ehud Sperling

Biographical Information
"Born December 6, 1949, EHUD SPERLING was one of the first sabras, or native-born Israelis. His family moved to New York City when Ehud was four years old, and he grew up in Washington Heights. He came of age in the 1960s and participated fully in the radicalism of the times. A mathematician and scientist by training, his view of the 60s revolution was one of consciousness, not politics. This led to a deep immersion and continuing interest in all the regimens of self-development: Eastern philosophies, Western esoteric traditions, and psychoactive experimentation.

"In 1975, Ehud founded Inner Traditions, which is today one of the largest and oldest companies worldwide publishing books on alternative health, religion and spirituality, the perennial philosophies, and indigenous culture. Inner Traditions books are distributed throughout the world. The story of Inner Traditions is also his story. Ehud is one of the founding members of the Social Venture Network, an organization of socially responsible entrepreneurs who have spearheaded a movement toward meshing personal, social, and spiritual values.

"In an effort to represent the socially responsible values that his company upholds, Ehud has initiated a reforestation project in Costa Rica, the Hacienda Rio Cote, adjacent to the Rio Cote national forest. He has traveled widely, speaking in forums as diverse as the prestigious Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and to a tribe of headhunters deep in the Amazon jungle. His work as a photographer and videographer has been featured on numerous national television programs and documentaries, as well as in a number of books and publications.

"Before his marriage to Vatsala, Ehud struggled through two conventional marriages, one in the Jewish tradition and the other in the Christian tradition. He now happily makes his home in Vermont with his wife and son.

"The story of Ehud and Vatsala’s unique courtship via correspondence was first published by Ten Speed Press in 2000 as A Marriage Made in Heaven. The newly revised and expanded edition, For Seven Lifetimes, recounts their adventures as a married couple raising a son in a household that blends two different cultures, religions, and languages and is being published by Inner Traditions in February 2011."

Affiliations

 * New Tribe