To many people, Kabbalah is that little red string bracelet celebrities wear after they supposedly find spirituality in rehab. But to Rabbi Jonathan Seidel, Kabbalah is much more than a trend: It’s a way of life.
This weekend, Seidel will share his way of life with others when Or haGan – his synagogue, which translates to “light of the garden” in English – presents A Kabbalah Weekend.

Kabbalah, which comes from the Hebrew “l’kabel” and means “received teachings,” is an ancient form of Jewish mysticism rooted in spirituality and the way people connect with the universe around them. Interested in the deeper meaning of Jewish tradition, Kabbalists often communicate through commentaries on the Torah, which in Judaism, is comparable to the Bible. They strive toward Tzaddik, Tzedek and Tzedakah: righteousness, justice and charity.
According to Kabbalah teachings, every action has cosmic significance with enough power to either save or destroy the universe.
From Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, Or haGan will host text study, workshops, music, meditation and Mark Elber.
Elber, a poet, songwriter and Hebrew translator, is the author of “The Everything Kabbalah Book.”
Seidel met Elber at a conference in San Diego last December and immediately thought he’d be a great person to teach Kabbalah to the University community.
“Elber’s like an intellectual comic on Kabbalah, I’d say,” Seidel said. “He’s a great teacher, very funny, very clear, a great writer.”
According to Jewish law, Kabbalah is to be studied by men more than 40 years old.
“It’s not taken literally, but people that don’t have that level of study of the religion aren’t always equipped enough to handle Kabbalah,” said Ruth Kerman, Jewish Campus Student Corp Fellow at Oregon Hillel. Hillel is the foundation for Jewish campus life, Kerman explained.
Elber had Kabbalah’s complexity in mind when he wrote “The Everything Kabbalah Book.”
“My attempt at writing the book was to make it accessible, but not superficial,” he said in a phone interview after he flew in from New York. “I like to translate things. I want to give (readers) access to things they don’t have access to if they don’t have the language skills.”
Elber was introduced to Kabbalah by his mother when he was 15 after the Beatles went to India to study meditation with the maharishi.
“My mother, who unlike me, was not a huge Beatles fan, said in her thick Eastern European accent, ‘What do they have to meditate about? Kabbalah, that’s something to meditate about!” Elber wrote in his book’s letter to the reader.
Seidel said that while Elber is a popularizer of Kabbalah, he’s an authentic scholar at core. Noting other popularizers like Madonna and David Beckham, Seidel continued that Kabbalah’s popularity in Hollywood may make it seem superficial and trendy. One of A Kabbalah Weekend’s goals is to show that it’s not.
“I’m trying to grow Kabbalah in Eugene, but I want to emphasize that I also want people to study basic Judaism,” he said. “Eating, dancing, culture – they’re very nice, but they don’t grow a person’s spirit.”
Despite being one of the few Kabbalists in Oregon, which according to him has only has about 20 rabbis to begin with, Seidel, who teaches a general introduction to Jewish mysticism at the University, remains confident in spreading Kabbalah to Jews and non-Jews alike.
Elber feels the same way.
“What’s most important to me is to speak about what’s most meaningful and share that with (people),” Elber said. “If they can find something that can be meaningful to them, that’s great.”
Or haGan’s A Kabbalah Weekend is free for University students. No registration is required. For more information, log on to orhagan.org.
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