The 'Spirit' moves himJONATHAN SEIDEL Adjunct Professor, Judaic Studies
Jonathan Seidel was educated at Oberlin College, Jewish Theological Seminary and UC Berkeley, where he received his doctorate in Judaic Studies with a dissertation on Jewish magic in antiquity. He is a trained hazzan (cantor), spiritual leader of Heichal Ba'oranim in Flagstaff and teaches Judaic studies at the University of Arizona. He is the cofounder of the Coalition on the Environment in Jewish Life [COEJL] of southern Arizona and is currently producing a new collection of earth songs and chants based on Biblical, Rabbinic, Native American, Arabic/Sufi, Spanish and other sources. His research and teaching interest is in creating new liturgies, texts and music which bring the various aspects of the soul together in music and movement. Dr. Seidel lives in Tucson with his wife, Linda Rifkin, and their daughters Maya (9) and Elah (5).
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When Rabbi Ayla Grafstein sent out a survey to members of her congregation, Ruach Hamidbar-Spirit of the Desert, she suspected that there was an interest in starting a Kabbalah class. But when the survey results came back indicating that an overwhelming 85 percent of her congregants would like to learn more about Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, she felt that she had to accommodate their request.And when Grafstein learned that Jonathan Seidel, an old friend from the University of California at Berkeley, had moved to Arizona within the past year and was teaching Kabbalah classes at the University of Arizona, she asked him to share his wealth of information with Spirit of the Desert members. Seidel, who has more than 15 years experience teaching Jewish mysticism and magic, led a monthly "Introduction to Kabbalah" class for anyone interested in the subject at the Palo Christi Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, where Spirit of the Desert has its bi-monthly Sabbath services. "About 25 people attended the first monthly class, held in September," said Grafstein, who leads the Valley's only Jewish Renewal congregation. "As the word gets out, we hope that more people will participate." The class was an "ongoing monthly discussion of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. "(I'll teach about) where folklore and Kabbalah come together, and how some folk traditions exemplify kabbalistic ideology or thought," Seidel said. Seidel played a strong role in the life of Ruach Hamidbar. Aside from teaching the monthly Saturday afternoon class, he also lent his vocal talents as hazzan to the enhancement of Friday night and Saturday morning Sabbath services on the weekends he taught. Although Reform and Conservative Jews generally use the term hazzan, which is Hebrew for cantor, to refer to an individual who is certified by the Cantor's Assembly or the American Conference of Cantors, the Renewal movement recognizes the tradition of liturgical leaders studying with mentors. Seidel studied with Sephardic Hazzan Isaac Sevi in Berkeley, Calif., Grafstein said. Seidel is not an ordained cantor. "We feel twice blessed to have found a person who is so multi-talented," Grafstein said. "(Jonathan) opens the mystical gates through his kabbalistic teachings and inspires you to go deeper and deeper in your knowledge, practice and experience of Torah." Seidel's extensive educational background has led him to posts as a visiting faculty member at Stanford University and the University of California at Davis, Berkeley and Santa Cruz. He taught at both the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he lived with his wife and two children, and at Arizona State University in Tempe. Seidel spent two days a week at ASU, where he taught courses on "The Holocaust" and "Women in Religion." He also taught "Myth and Ritual," "The Hebrew Bible" and "Western Religions." When not teaching in the Valley, or commuting back and forth to Tucson, he could be found teaching "Kabbalah" at U of A. Teaching Jewish mysticism has been a natural progression for Seidel. His vast educational background includes an undergraduate degree in religious studies and voice from Oberlin College, a master's degree in Judaic studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, a certificate in Jewish magic from Cambridge University in Massachusetts, and a doctorate in Near Eastern studies from the University of California at Berkeley. It was at Berkeley's Aquarian Minyan, one of the first Jewish Renewal communities in the United States, that Grafstein and Seidel met 17 years ago. Having served as a song leader in various synagogues, Seidel hopes to release a CD of original Jewish music, including many Sephardic-style tunes, he said. Music has always played a huge role in his life, Seidel said. "I was really into Jewish music from all sides from a very young age," he said. "I was raised in a very musical home. My father was a professional singer, and I studied voice (in college)." Aside from his many teaching engagements, Seidel is trying to get his dissertation on ancient Jewish magic published. And in his rare spare time, he is working on a book about Jewish folk medicine and magic. Magic and Divination in the Ancient World
This collection of essays focuses on divination across the Ancient World from early Mesopotamia to late antiquity. The authors deal with the forms, theory and poetics of this important and still poorly understood ancient
phenomenon.Edited by Leda Ciraolo and Jonathan Seidel Publication date: August 2002 (225 pp.) * ISBN 90 04 12406 3 Studies in Ancient Magic and Divination, 2 Jonathan Seidel received his doctorate from UC Berkeley (1996) with a dissertation on Jewish magic in the Dept. of Near Eastern Studies. He has taught Judaic Studies at Stanford, Santa Cruz, Davis, and Arizona and has published studies in Jewish folklore, history, rabbinics and mysticism.
Dr. Seidel now works as assistant spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel in Eugene, Oregon. His new writing project is a study of magic and medicine in Jewish history and culture. |