The 49-year-old Jewish Orthodox rabbi recently obtained his license as a pilot for private, single-engine aircraft. This is just one of his latest adventures in self-development.

Rather than take a sabbatical every seven years, Lapin says he refreshes himself by learning new skills "to prevent getting stuck in a rut."

First, the Willow Glen resident took up sailing and studied navigation until he received his certificate from the American Sailing Association to man 40-foot yachts.

Now his latest accomplishment is earning his wings. His venture in aviation was inspired by a boyhood fascination with the "adventure and romance" of flight, he says.

"Nothing prepares you for facing a runway at 80 mph," he says.

Lapin began his first lesson at Tradewinds Aviation flight school at Reed-Hillview Airport in San Jose on Sept. 2, 2001. He flew again on Sept. 8, but because of the flight grounding after Sept. 11 there was a three-week gap in his flight logbook when he wasn't allowed to fly. Since then, he's made frequent forays into the great beyond.

"It's certainly uplifting," he says, laughing.

Tradewinds Aviation certified flight instructor Woody Woodsworth says he was impressed with Lapin's dedication during the last three years, logging in the necessary 75 hours needed to take the flight test, despite being called away often on business trips.

Besides his rabbinical responsibilities at Willow Glen's Congregation Am Echad on Meridian Avenue, Lapin owns his own negotiating and consulting firm, Conflict Management, Inc. in downtown San Jose. He advises global clients including AT&T, British Telecom, York International and the United States Air Force.

Yet all these added commitments never deterred him for getting his license.

"He's very intense and he's goal-driven," Woodsworth says. "It takes a lot to keep that going for three years."

Lapin says, "My instructors were very happy and dedicated to getting me my wings."

Woodsworth says he was surprised when he learned that Lapin was an Orthodox rabbi, but says he shared Lapin's perspective on the spiritual aspects of flying.

"I'm a religious man myself," Woodsworth says. "When I fly, I'm looking down on God's creation."

While Lapin says he thinks there a probably a mere handful of U.S. Orthodox rabbis who are licensed pilots, he does not know of any religious reasons why it would be forbidden.

"It's a bit of a pity that I miss a lot of events like fly-ins that are held on Saturdays," he says.

In the Jewish religion, Orthodox Jews observe the Sabbath from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sunset. This time is spent in prayer and with family, there is no work or outside activities.

Yet Lapin says there is a common misinterpretation that Orthodox Judaism results in religious restrictions that limit life. He sees biblical regulations as showing what is safe and good for human beings.

His view of Orthodox Judaism is that it is, he says, "The integration of God's law with the world. There's not a dichotomy between holiness and the secular."

This integrated perspective allows him to see all of his activities as spiritual.

"Flying is incredibly spiritual," he says. "It's a combination of man and God. It's seeing man's creativity and innovation in engineering and God's hand in the sunset."

But when he's the pilot in command, Lapin says he's focused on the task and not consciously on the spiritual level until after the experience.

He says that flying also allows him to spend quality time with his family. Lapin and his wife have three boys and six girls, including five-year-old twin girls. He will take one or two of his children at a time or bring his wife, Chanie, along so she can get away.

"She promptly falls asleep," he says, laughing. Besides supervising the seven children still living at home, Chanie is also the principal of Eitz Chaim Academy in Los Gatos.

While Lapin says he doesn't fly to destinations more than five or six hours away, he's certainly been around the world many a time.

Lapin was born and raised in South Africa, educated in England and at Harvard University.

He moved to San Jose to become rabbi at Am Echad in 1991 when his father, who founded the community in 1977, passed away.

Congregation Am Echad is on the corner of Meridian and Willowbrae avenues, which Lapin jokes should be called "Will you pray?" because there are three synagogues in close vicinity.