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Friday February 18, 2005

Video aired to clarify Kabbalah practices

pittsburgh (ap) | For centuries a strand of red string worn around the left wrist has, to some Jews, signified their link to Kabbalah — the Jewish mystical tradition that was once the realm of scholars.

But ever since Kabbalah was popularized by celebrities such as Madonna, Demi Moore and Lindsay Lohan, countless Jewish leaders have condemned what they see as the Hollywood version of the teachings, saying they’ve been watered down into a self-help philosophy unrelated to authentic Judaism.

One Pittsburgh businessman feels so strongly about the issue that he’s now trying to sway public opinion himself. Shlomo Perelman, an Orthodox Jew and owner of Pinsker’s Judaica Center, worries that the study of Kabbalah and the red string itself are being transformed into hollow fashion statements. He’s spent about $10,000 producing a seven-minute video about the significance of the red string that can be seen free on his Internet site, judaism.com.

“It’s been co-opted by Hollywood types and it’s been adopted by mass-market, New Age people,” he said. “It’s not being linked at all to Judaism.”

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