Five Tuesdays: Feb. 10, 17, 24; March 3, 17 | 7:00 PM Eastern time
Rabbi Neal Gold
The 16th century saw a remarkable convergence of Jewish souls in a small, airy town in northern Galilee: Tzefat (Safed). In that unexpected setting, a spiritual revival took place, centered on Kabbalah, innovative spiritual practices, and a handful of remarkable charismatic rabbis. The spiritual revolution of Tzefat reverberates throughout modern Jewish history.
In this course, we’ll explore some of those figures and their insights, with an emphasis on the mystical encounters with the divine that they offered. We’ll also see how this unique moment in time — in the wake of the forced expulsion from Spain — left a lasting mark on Jewish spirituality down to our own time.
This five-week course follows last fall’s JEWISH MYSTICAL ENCOUNTERS course, and newcomers are warmly welcomed.
Image: A Kabbalistic ILAN (tree) from The Gross Collection, University of Haifa
Ilanot: Maps of God, Center for the Study of Jewish Culture