Jews in the Age of Authenticity - Jewish Spiritual Renewal in Israel

In this book, Rachel Werczberger takes stock of the Jewish New Age spirituality scene in Israel at the turn of the millennium. Led by highly charismatic rabbis, the Hamakom and Bayit Chadash communities attempted to bring about a Jewish spiritual renewal by integrating Jewish tradition - especially Kabbalah and Hasidism - with New Age spirituality. Having spent over two years in field research, Werczberger presents a comprehensive ethnographic account of these two groups, examining their rise and fall after only six years of activity. At the core of their aspiration for Jewish spiritual renewal, claims Werczberger, was the quest for authenticity. She investigates the ways in which the language of authenticity was embraced by the members of the communities in their construction of a new spiritual Jewish identity, their re-invention of Jewish rituals, and their failed attempt at constructing community. She concludes that all these elements point to the dual form of politics of authenticity and identity with which the Israeli Jewish New Age is involved.

List of contents

Preface: From Dharamsala to Jerusalem - Introduction: Jews in the Age of Authenticity - New Age Judaism in Israel and the Quest for Authenticity - Collective Rituals of the Self - An Identity of Choice, a Spirituality of Search - Community Building and Charismatic Leadership - Conclusion: New Age Judaism and the Politics of Authenticity - References - Index

About the author

Rachel Werczberger received her PhD in sociology and anthropology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She currently teaches at the program for religious studies at Tel-Aviv University and at the Holon Institute of Technology.

Product details

• Authors: Rachel Werczberger, Werczberger Rachel
• Assisted by: Jonathan Garb (Editor), Philip Wexler (Editor), Jonathan Garb (Editor of the series), Philip Wexler (Editor of the series)
• Publisher: Peter Lang
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2016
• EAN: 9781433117558
• ISBN: 978-1-4331-1755-8
• No. of pages: 180
• Dimensions: 150 mm x 10 mm x 225 mm
• Weight: 270 g
• Series: After Spirituality; After Spirituality
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Judaism; Israel, Authenticity, RELIGION / Judaism / General, Spiritual, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Jewish Studies, Jonathan, Rachel, Jewish Studies, Ethnography, Judaism, Philip, renewal, Jews, Jewish, Relating to Jewish people and groups, Social groups: religious groups and communities, Wexler, New Age spirituality, Garb, Werczberger, spiritual authenticity, Jewish renewal