When Yoga is Kosher but Kabbalah is Not: Spirituality and Cultural Appropriation in Jewish Education

Abstract

This article argues that the traditional boundaries of Jewish education have been challenged by the appropriation of eastern spiritual ideas and practices by many Jews, and the introduction of Jewish mystical ideas to non-Jewish audiences. The reinvention of yoga from a Hindu spiritual tradition to a commonly found element in synagogue-based Jewish education illustrates the flexibility of Jewish tradition to absorb foreign religious ideas and make them an authentic part of Jewish education. It also reflects a shift in emphasis in Jewish education from particularistic religion and ethnicity to a focus on universalism and spirituality. The case of yoga is contrasted with the popularization of the Jewish mystical tradition of kabbalah as a universal spiritual method for a general audience by the Kabbalah Center. In this case, rabbis teaching unquestionably Jewish texts outside the context of Jewish religion or ethnicity have raised doubts about its ultimate Jewish authenticity.