Kabbalah in the Twenty-First Century: Departure from Judaism?

Abstract

Conversation with Russian-language scholars of Kabbalah from Moscow and Jerusalem is devoted to the history of Kabbalistic thought on the territory of Russian empire, to the peculiarities of Eastern European Hasidic mysticism and Kabbalistic aspects of contemporary Hasidism (in Russia as well as abroad) and to the reception of Kabbalah in Russian culture. Counterpoint of these topics is phenomenology and sociology of “scientific Kabbalah" by Michael Laitman - Russian-language version of a much broader phenomenon of New Age Kabbalah and attempts to practice Kabbalah outside of Jewish tradition and Judaism. This is a very widespread trend, which exists simultaneously with traditional forms of Kabbalistic studies - in religious institutions, universities and home study groups.