Ancient Jewish mysticism involved in modern battle

Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005 | 7:23 a.m.

Clark County counselor Felice Lipkint called herself a "Jew Bu."

Lipkint, who manages the county's employee assistance and organizational development office, said she grew up Jewish but turned to Buddhism for spiritual enlightenment.

But then she discovered Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish mysticism. That allowed her to bridge the gap between the Judaism of her childhood and the spiritual connection to the "light" she was yearning for, Lipkint said.

A member of the controversial Kabbalah Centre's Las Vegas satellite, Lipkint now teaches continuing education classes based on Kabbalah principles at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

She said her classes appeal to people who are searching for a spiritual connection or for those just wanting to find a way to make their life better.

"The more people we get to expand the very basic concept of the light will help the world be a better place. That's the ultimate goal."

But the secular form of Kabbalah that Lipkint is promoting in her classes, as well as the heavily commercialized teachings coming out of the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre, have local rabbis debating whether the increased interest in Kabbalah shows a positive, spiritual renewal within Judaism.

Several rabbis said they are responding to the Kabbalah craze, bolstered by celebrity practitioners such as Madonna and Demi Moore, with classes of their own. Valley Outreach Synagogue hosted a seminar Friday night looking at the differences between the pop culture Kabbalah and the traditional teachings of Jewish mysticism.

"The pop Kabbalah, which has become so prominent in people's awareness because of the involvement of Hollywood personalities, is like most popular culture -- it is a very diluted and a surface approach to the profound spiritual teachings," Kabbalist Rabbi Stephen Robbins said prior to his lecture Friday.

"It is faddish, and for those of us in Judaism who teach and practice this ancient wisdom, the pop culture nature of it has diminished what we think is the real impact and value."

Local rabbis also say the Kabbalah Centre has commercialized much of the teachings, selling specially blessed Kabbalah water and red strings that are supposed to protect the wearer from evil or envious thoughts.

"They take people and they teach them the pop version of the mystical Jewish tradition, and they tell them they are going to cure all their ailments and solve all their problems, and that is not it," Rabbi Felipe Goodman of Temple Beth Sholom said.

A Los Angeles-based spokeswoman canceled a second interview the Sun had with Lipkint without explaining why. The spokeswoman never responded to phone and e-mail requests for interviews with other rabbis at the Las Vegas center.

Lipkint herself, however, laughed at how "trendy" Kabbalah has become when she first talked with the Sun.

"What happens with any wisdom, with any new age kind of thinking, is a lot of people circle around it looking for some kind of quick fix or quick answer that is going to make it all right for them," Lipkint said. "Kabbalah doesn't do that."

Robbins, founder of the Jewish Academy of Religion in Los Angeles, said his point in coming to Las Vegas to speak was not to create conflict with the Kabbalah Centre but to teach about what Kabbalah is really supposed to be about.

The teachings have been part of Judaism for at least 2,000 years, but the Zohar, the major written work behind Kabbalah, dates to 13th century Spain.

For centuries, the faith was regulated to the fringes of Judaism and only middle-aged men were allowed to study it because it was believed that one needed to be grounded in the Torah and in life to be able to understand Kabbalah's depths.

Several rabbis said they believe that is still the case today, but some, such as Rabbi Mel Hecht of Temple Beth Am, believe there is some good studying Kabbalah even if one couldn't fully understand it.

In the real study of Kabbalah, individuals usually need a fundamental understanding of Judaism first, Robbins and other rabbis said. But then Kabbalists commit themselves to studying and practicing techniques of Kabbalistic wisdom -- intellectual techniques, techniques of meditation, prayer and worship.

"You have to develop your mind and spirit and care for the body to be a vessel to feel the continual presence of God around us," said Robbins, a descendant of Rabbi Isaac Luria, a famous 16th century Kabbalist.

Robbins believes Kabbalah should definitely be pursued as a course of Jewish study to help Jews better connect with their faith and have a more meaningful relationships with God.

"We are pleased that Kabbalah is not hidden anymore," Robbins said. "I would have preferred another way for it to become revealed."

Christina Littlefield can be reached at 259-8813 or at clittle@lasvegassun.com.