‘Learning Kabbalah’ …While Standing on One Foot

A paraphrase from a story of one seeking to convert to Judaism asking whether all of Judaism could be taught while standing on one foot, and the rabbinic responses to him.
But, you can ‘learn’ Kabbalah, the Jewish form of mysticism, while standing on one foot: Kabbalah is the story of the inside of God, commonly called the Godhead, and our relationship with God.
And the rest is your imagination, assisted by the ‘imagination’ of rabbis and others over the last millennia.
As a former member of the GHC community, I tried to teach Kabbalah.  But, I have since learned that one cannot teach or learn Kabbalah.  One can only, as the word indicates, ‘receive it.’ 
I invite you to join me as we immediately jump into Kabbalistic texts, from a book by my teacher, Daniel Matt, called The Essential Kabbalah, and copies of the excerpted passages will be available in each class.
Rav Julius Rabinowitz

These classes are free and are made possible by the Second Pillar of the Campaign for GHC 2025. For additional information and to RSVP, please contact Naomi at SecondPillar@ghcny.org.

Rabbi Julius Rabinowitz

As a former GHC member for about 15-20 years, I am returning ‘home’ where I learned much of what I have been doing these last 13 years, part-time by definition, but full-time in spirit, as a pulpit rabbi in Norwich, CT for Beth Jacob Synagogue.

In a previous life, I was an intellectual property lawyer for about 35 years in NYC, mostly in the law firms of Kuhn Muller, and then Hughes Hubbard, and ending with General Electric. And when I realized that I had all the ‘marbles’ I will need to collect in this life, I decided that it was time to get to know my God a little better just in case I might meet up with God at some future time. So, what better place than rabbinical school while I continued to practice law, an activity that was also supported by my having grown up in the yeshiva.

But then a funny thing happened as I was entering the end of my rabbinical school life:  my legal career came to a formal close with the successful completion of a multi-year project for GE.

And being a ‘Synagogue mouse’ what better place for me to continue my life’s journey, but to play in the pulpit sandbox with my congregants, which I have been ‘living’ these last years. And I look forward to reprising a role at GHC that I played during my pre-rabbinical school days: teaching, or trying to teach, Kabbalah.

I look forward to seeing old friends, and meet new ones in my NY playground, and to  learning from you as much as I hope you will learn from me.

B'Shalom,

Rav Julius Rabinowitz