Zohar and Kabbalistic Hasidus

Service Description

Thursday evenings 7:30-9:30pm Curious about entering the world of Kabbalah? This course offers a guided and welcoming entry into the Zohar, the foundational text of Jewish mysticism, while also creating space for deeper textual challenge. The course is divided into two complementary sections, both connected to the weekly parshah (Torah portion): First hour: An accessible exploration of either Zohar or Hasidic teachings linked to the parshah. No prior background or language skills are assumed — just bring your curiosity and a willingness to dive into the imaginative and spiritual worlds of Jewish mysticism. Second hour: A slower, deeper dive into short Zohar passages in the original Aramaic, also drawn from the parshah. This section is designed for anyone who wishes to challenge themselves and engage closely with the original text and its depth. Taught by Zohar scholar and translator Nathan Wolski, this course creates a rare learning space that balances openness and depth - an invitation to step into the Zohar at whatever pace feels right for you. About the facilitator: Nathan Wolski is the Liberman Family Lecturer in Jewish Studies with the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, Australia. He is the author of A Journey into the Zohar: An Introduction to the Book of Radiance (SUNY, 2010), the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume 10 (Stanford, 2016), and with Joel Hecker, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volume 12 (Stanford, 2017), and more recently, Kabbalistic Yiddish: Aaron Zeitlin’s Mystical-Messianic Poetics (Cherub, 2020). As part of Di Farborgene Khalyastre - a little collective of artists, musos and him - he has produced three Yiddish albums and three illustrated Yiddish books. Often grumpy in shul, he believes that mystical poetry, Beethoven and trees are the only resistance. Please note that you don’t need to commit to all the weeks of the course to sign up. You're welcome to register even if you're just interested in trying it out — the process is designed for your convenience.