Deconstructing the Kabbalah

Members of the Jewish faith had an opportunity to learn about an increasingly popular and mystical facet of their religion during a recent series of workshops on the Kabbalah.

The “Kabbalah of Now” workshops explore ancient and modern mystics and the purpose of kabalistic mysticism in peoples’ lives.

Kabbalah is the mystical aspect of the Jewish faith, according to Rabbi Menachem Piekarski of the Chabad of Hamden. Kabbalah, which enhances the Jewish tradition, was in its earliest years studied only by scholars until various forms were brought down to an intellectual level ordinary people could relate to, Piekarski said.

Piekarski led the Kabbalah workshops.

“My goal is to connect the Jewish people with Judaism,” he said, “to make people more aware of Judaism. And there is a message for those who are not Jewish, of goodness and kindness.”

Ida Borges was among Jewish community members who took notes and asked questions during a Kabala workshop on Monday. She said she looks forward to more workshops in the future.

“I’ve only known about it for a few years,” she said. “I look forward to learning much more about it.”

Borges said she learned about the workshops through friends. “It’s much more in depth than other divisions of Judaism,” Borges said, “so getting to hear about it is exciting.”

Piekarski said he has been teaching Kabbalah classes in Hamden since 1994. He was very pleased with the feedback he received from the recent workshops.

“I have received a positive response,” he said. “Hopefully if everything goes well, we will continue to go forward with the classes.”

The workshops, which began in November, took place at the Senior Center at Miller Library. The final workshop was scheduled for this past Monday.

However, since there was so much interest, Piekarski said he decided to hold another session next week at the regular time, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., this time at his Park Avenue home.

No knowledge of Hebrew is required to attend the free workshops, although donations are welcome.

They are aimed toward the Jewish community but also intended to promote a message of self-improvement with a goal of reaching beyond the Jewish community, Piekarski said.

Kabbalah has opened up to mainstream America, due in large part to celebrities such as Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Britney Spears and Madonna, who started the trend and claims to have converted to the Jewish religion.

Piekarski said many people claim to know about the Kabbalah and Judaism, but more often than not, they lack any real breadth of knowledge.

“Kabbalah is the mystical aspect of religion,” he said. “Lately, many people have claimed to know about it and really don’t know what they are talking about.”

Peikarski urges anyone interested in learning more about the Kabbalah or Judaism to get information from a reliable source.

“Be very careful where you’re getting your information from,” he said. “From what I can see, things can be distorted. Do your research. If someone looks to have been living the authentic life, then go with it.”

For information about upcoming workshops call the Chabad of Hamden at 248-9492.