Posted to Op-Ed on

Op-Ed: When “Jewish Healing” Isn’t Jewish At All

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of CrownHeights.info. The topics discussed in this article are controversial and readers should consult a competent Rabbinical authority regarding all religious matters.

by Yossi M.

Over Shavuos, I overheard conversations about new “healing centers” opening in various locations, offering “spiritual ceremonies” to Jewish audiences. What I discovered through basic research should alarm every Torah-observant Jew.

The “House of More,” operating in Florida, presents itself with carefully crafted language designed to appeal to Jewish sensibilities. Their website speaks of being “rooted in tradition” and offering “ancient practices” with “meaningful rituals.” But whose tradition? Which ancient practices?

The Deceptive Marketing

Their vision statement reads: “We see a thriving Jewish community, rooted in tradition and equipped to live with purpose, depth, and connection.” They promise to bridge “Jewish spirituality, weaving ancient practices with contemporary relevance.”

The problem? These aren’t Jewish practices and rituals at all.

Following the Trail: Holotropic Breathwork

One of their featured practitioners, Meir Kay, prominently promotes Holotropic Breathwork on his website. This technique was created by Stanislav and Christina Grof, whose approach explicitly draws from Hindu and Buddhist concepts of consciousness.

According to Grof’s own writings, he connects his “holotropic” states to the Hindu conception of Atman-Brahman and relates his “hylotropic” mode to Buddhist concepts of namarupa. The practice incorporates mandala drawing as one of its four core components. Mandalas are sacred symbols in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the cosmos and used as spiritual focal points for meditation and religious devotion.

Even more concerning, Kay’s “simple exercises” include “Chakra Breathing,” directing practitioners to “focus your inhales and exhales on each of the seven main chakra energy centers.” The chakra system is fundamental to Hindu and Buddhist spiritual practice – pure avoda zara.

Native American Rituals Disguised as “Grounding”

In his facilitator guidelines, Kay recommends creating rituals beforehand, including “saging the space” – a Native American spiritual practice where sage smoke is believed to carry negative energy to the “Great Spirit.” Photos on the House of More website show presenters conducting sage ceremonies.

This is presented as an “ancient tradition” – which it certainly is. Just not a Jewish one.

The Cacao Ceremony: Mayan Religious Ritual Repackaged

On May 27, 2025, House of More hosted a “cacao ceremony.” Research reveals this practice has “its earliest known origins among the Mayans and Aztecs” who “believed that cacao was a gift from the gods and used it in rites of passage and other significant life events.”

To this day, in Guatemala and Mexico, shamans conduct these ceremonies “honoring ancestral spirits.”

If your interested in knowing what a cacao ceremony looks like: What is a cacao ceremony ? Understanding the origins of ceremonial cacao (English version)

Consider this scenario: Someone opens a healing center and promotes a powerful ceremony for “trauma release and positive energy.” The ritual involves parents ceremonially passing their children over fire to “cleanse negative energies and invite healing.” Sounds like it could be beneficial, right?

But then you discover they’re calling it “The Molech Ceremony.”

Suddenly, everything changes. The name reveals the true source and spiritual context. We would immediately recognize this as avoda zara – regardless of any claimed therapeutic benefits.

This is literally what’s happening here. They’re taking religious ceremonies from other faiths – cacao ceremonies from Mayan god-worship, chakra practices from Hindu spirituality, sage rituals from Native American spirit beliefs – and marketing them to Jewish communities. In many cases, they’re not even trying to disguise the original names and contexts.

The list of these ceremonies go on.. 

The Musical Component: Sanskrit Prayers and Hindu Devotion

House of More features performers like Shimshai, who describes himself as a “sacred music” artist and “spiritual teacher” whose music invokes “ancestral devotion and dedication to higher consciousness.” His songs contain “ancient Sanskrit and Hebrew prayers” – combining our holy language with the sacred language of Hinduism.

Shimshai has an entire album titled “जय भगवान्” (“Victory to the Lord”) dedicated to Hindu gods. One song, “Hara Hara Mahadeva,” translates to: “Glory to the great God Shiva… You are worshiped by all the other aspects of God, Brahma & Vishnu worship you…”

His performance partner, Susana, is described as a “medicine woman” leading “Temazcal” ceremonies and “sacred Pipe traditions,” heading something called the “ChicuauhtliMetztli Moondance of California” – a “5-night Indigenous prayer ceremony” involving “rounds around the womb altar” as “offerings to Grandmother Moon.”

The Pattern: Mixing Sacred and Forbidden

The insidious nature of this infiltration lies in its presentation. These practitioners sprinkle in Hebrew terms and Jewish-sounding language to create legitimacy. They speak of “tradition” and “ancient practices” without specifying that these traditions belong to other religions entirely.

This isn’t about cultural appreciation or even alternative wellness – this is about practices rooted in foreign spiritual systems being marketed to Jewish communities under the guise of “Jewish healing.”

A Wake-Up Call

Our communities deserve better than deceptive marketing that packages avoda zara as Jewish spirituality. When organizations claim to serve Jewish communities while promoting Hindu systems, Native American spirit ceremonies, and Mayan religious rituals, we must call it what it is.

The question isn’t whether breathing exercises or meditation can be beneficial – it’s whether we’re comfortable with our community members unknowingly participating in practices explicitly rooted in foreign religious systems.

As more of these “healing centers” emerge, we need rabbinic guidance and community awareness. Our tradition is rich enough without borrowing from others – especially when that borrowing involves fundamental violations of Jewish law disguised as Jewish growth.

Related Articles

33 Comments

    • Shmully 2.0

      Sounds much much worse than COTS. While most of COTS was an amalgamation of disparate exercise and modalities, some of which may have been rooted in, but none of which were actual expressions of Avoda Zara, and while serious would only fall into the category of Abizrahyu Deavoda Zara,

      This new wave is openly and unapologetically Avoda Zara rebranded as healing.

  • Anonymous

    Instead of complaining about the people who are trying to help focus on making the community a place of healing so people don’t feel the need to go to these alternatives

  • Anonymous

    The community has failed us but everyone focuses on these alternatives instead of why people feel the need for them and what is lacking in the community

  • Anonymous

    Has even one rabbi spoken up about this? Of course not.
    They are too busy going onto the “House of More” podcast, and enjoying the publicity.

  • MP

    Can you elaborate also on Hape and Ayawaska ceremonies?
    Are they also considered avodah zarah?

  • Totally agree

    Let’s these people go and do what they want. Go be free meir Kay and do whatever cracked breathing program you want. Why are you obsessed with sharing your newfound enlightenment with our children. And your enlightenment this year is completely different than what you ‘discovered’ two years ago, which in itself should show how bs it is. These people need to be told to stay away.

  • Same with...

    Ayahuasca, Ketamine, MDMA etc. treatments given by useful idiots in therapy, ceremonies and retreats.

  • Resident

    We should list common therapies that aren’t so kosher

    Shefa
    Truth
    Anochi

    Please list more that you know of

  • Levi

    Hi Mr Yossi M,

    Following your article with interest.

    1. Have you researched every
    therapy at the House of More & certain that every single therapy
    method is based on עבודה זרה??

    It is very bold & judgmental to make such
    General statements of House of More.

    2. I have personally participated in a
    sweatlodge twice at the Center. It is lifesaving!

    3.The facilitater runs it strictly kosher

  • David Band

    If you’re going to publish something that criticizes specific individuals, the least you can do is put your name on it

  • Dov Werdiger

    This budding journalist might need to some more research. Firstly, the House of More has never marketed anything beyond an organically grown Whatsapp chat and an Instagram page. Secondly, this author has clearly not actually spoken with anyone in real life who is seeking something more than what they seem to be offering. A listening ear, an understanding heart and a genuine hug.

    • Na

      Why does he need to offer an alternative?? He’s just informing you to be careful…
      You want an alternative try EMDR or some antidepressants.
      Stop ruining families by making drug addicts.

    • Anonymous

      You clearly know nothing he is not just warning he is outright condemning it and this is a common occurrence people telling you what not to do without offering an alternative this issue runs much deeper then someone just giving some advise and if you grew up in the community and where honest with yourself you would recognize

      Antidepressants are drugs plain and simple

    • Sooll

      “try . . . some antidepressants”
      ALSO,
      “Stop ruining families by making drug addicts”

      maybe slow down, take a breath, and look honestly at what you are professing.

      And no, beathing is not avoda zara

  • Eli Nash

    “As part of the Jewish trauma response very afraid of everything else. Oh avoda zara!” – Eli Nash

    whttps://www.instagram.com/reel/C7ngcC4t2Y4/?igsh=cjJmNjhheW5ydDB5

  • shea hecht

    Yossi,
    Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You did a great job exposing one more trick of the Yetzer Horah to infiltrate our community with service of Avodah Zorah.
    The thing that I have been saying over the last few years, is that all these philosophies and perversions “DON”T WORK”!!!

  • P. Or

    I have a very special personal tradition. It has brought me therapeutic calm and healing that keeps me going for the rest of the week.
    Every Motzei Shabbos, 15 minutes after Havdala I have an enormous evacuation.
    Seems pretty routine and harmless….
    But imagine what if I started calling it “the ba’al pe’or cleansing ritual”?

    Avodah zarah, hashem yishmor!!!!!

  • Joe

    These aren’t foreign practices — they’re rooted in Torah: breath is neshama, energy is Sefirot, incense is ketoret, healing is teshuvah. House of More isn’t blending Judaism with other faiths — it’s reviving our own spiritual tools with kavod, clarity, and connection.
    house of more thank you for saving lives.

    • AH

      Oh. So let’s pursue this further: libations are nesachim, offerings are korbanos, etc. etc. But you know, the key difference is to whom or Whom those offerings and libations are going.

  • Breathwork is great

    I knew a guy who could only write op-eds with his first name, after a few breathwork sessions he was courageous and dignified enough to put his full name.

  • Use your mind my friend, not people's shouting

    Learn Halacha:

    בכל מתרפאין חוץ מעצי אשרה. That means that if a cup of water was offered as a sacrifice to an idol – you cannot drink it. But it’s water. But YOU CAN DRINK WATER! Using things that HASHEM created (don’t you believe that?) is not idol worship!
    The only thing that now remains is if it itself is viewed as the “savior”? The answer: no, it’s just help. Like water makes you not thirsty

  • AB

    The Rebbe never said cancel meditation, since it comes from hindu culture
    The Rebbe said
    “Make it Kosher ”
    “Kosher meditation”
    This is the goal of House of More,
    I trust their wonderful team who provide these healing modalities in a Kosher way.

Add your comment

The comment must be no longer than 400 characters 0/400