Albion-Andalus

The name Albion-Andalus is drawn from the names of two geographic regions from our distant past: Albion, the ancient name of Great Britain, and Al-Andalus, the medieval name of much of Muslim Spain. Both were meeting places of cultures which spawned great creativity. Likewise, Albion and Andalus, or Great Britain and Spain, are the places from which the founder of Albion-Andalus, Netanel Miles-Yépez, received both parts of his surname.

Netanel Miles-Yépez, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Netanel Miles-Yépez is a Mexican-American artist, comparative religion scholar and teacher of contemporary spirituality. After learning that he was descended from a Mexican family of crypto-Jews, Netanel decided to study History of Religions at Michigan State University and Contemplative Religion at the Naropa Institute, specializing in comparative religion, mystical spirituality, and non-dual philosophies.

In 1998, he moved to Boulder, Colorado, to study with the innovative Hasidic master and leader in ecumenical dialogue, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. In addition to Schachter-Shalomi, he also studied with various Sufi masters and teachers of Buddhism, and counts Father Thomas Keating, Trappist monk and founder of the Centering Prayer movement, as an important influence. After years of working as a professional editor, and as the director of a non-profit, Netanel started Albion-Andalus Books to publish serious, though less obviously marketable works often overlooked by larger publishers. 

Currently, Netanel divides his time between running Albion-Andalus and teaching in the Department of Religious Studies at Naropa University. He spends the rest of his time traveling, writing, painting and working on publishing projects. His paintings have been shown in a number of solo and group exhibits in Colorado. As a writer, he is known for his acclaimed translation, My Love Stands Behind a Wall: A Translation of the Song of Songs and Other Poems (2015), his commentaries on Hasidic spirituality, A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters (2009) and A Hidden Light: Stories and Teachings of Early HaBaD and Bratzlav Hasidism (2011), as well the edited volumes, The Common Heart: An Experience of Interreligious Dialogue (2006) and the award winning Living Fully, Dying Well: Reflecting on Death to Find Your Life's Meaning (2009).

To further explore Netanel’s art and other work see his personal website here.

 Jamelah Zidan, Editorial Assistant

Jamelah Zidan has a M.S. in Education from Sarah Lawrence College. She taught science in NYC before becoming the Assistant Director at an interfaith retreat center in the Berkshires. She’s slowly been making her way deeper into nature and further out West, and has recently arrived in Boulder, Colorado.

Samantha Krezinski, Sales and BookKeeping Assistant

Samantha has a M.A in Religous Studies from Naropa University. After living in Boulder for many years, where she began working with Albion-Andalus Books in 2015, she is now working remotely from her home in Wisconsin.

Daniel Jami, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Daniel has a B.A. in Religious Studies and Traditional Eastern Arts from Naropa University. A hip-hop artist, poet, and scholar-practioner, he is the author of Love Blooms Among the Ruins (2023). After interning and working as an editorial assistant with Albion-Andalus, Daniel now oversees the day-to-day operations of Albion-Andalus from his home in California, with the continued support of founder Netanel Miles-Yépez.