Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael and her musical and movement troupe transformed an Elkins Park Mansion into an interactive musical theater Kabbalah Salon Saturday night. Her goal:
"To educate interested seekers and artists about the Jewish esoteric tradition of Kabbalah in an entertaining manner... Shechinah, the Divine Feminie of the Kabbalists has been my path and my muse and her guiding wisdom is the inspiration behind this theatrical performance."
She didn't disappoint, every toe was tapping. The audience was very diverse in terms of religion, ethnic group and Jewish affiliation. When Rabbi Raphael brought out her Shechinah Oracle Cards along with an integrated Havdallah Ceremony to transition from Shabbat (the Sabbath) into the week, the multi-textured audience involvement was very meaningful and effective. People shared about Teshuvah, the transformation theme for life-realignments triggered by the Shechinah Oracle Cards. We were all touched.
Full disclosure, Rabbi Rayzel is a friend. She didn't know I was coming. The combination of scholarship and art just blew me away. Her script is brilliant, in my opinion. Her is an excerpt:
Narrator:Kabbalah — l'kabel — to receive, to inherit an ancient tradition
Wisdom that has passed orally from master to student studied in hidden circles
A system built on layers of our people's treasured teachings.
Voice: A new form of Midrash, legendary revelation
Voice: A new explanation and interpretation of an ancient text
Voice: A way that allows human beings to affect the Heavenly flow of blessing into the world
Then, in the most clear and user-friendly way, the essence of authentic Kabbalah is introduced — the creation theology, the Four Worlds, the Sephirot, the role a spiritual relationship to the metaphor of Shechinah can effectively serve in our lives.
Troupe members of Kabbalah Salon in addition to Rabbi Raphael are: Kohenet Ellie Barabash, Kohenet Shoshana Bricklin, Rinah Shechinah, Linda Silverman and Peggy Smith. For more information and to bring Kabbalah Salon to your community: www.shechinah.com.
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