Forms of Neopagan witchcraft religions inspired by the Semitic milieu, such as Jewitchery, may also be enclosed within the Semitic neopagan movement. These groups are particularly influenced by Jewish feminism, focusing on the goddess cults of the Israelites.[1]
A notable contemporary Levantine Neopagan group is known as "Am Ha Aretz" (עם הארץ, lit. "People of the Land", a rabbinical term for uneducated and religiously unobservant Jews), "AmHA" for short, based in Israel. This group grew out of Ohavei Falcha, "Lovers of the Soil", a movement founded in the late 19th century.[2]
Elie Sheva, according to her own testimony an "elected leader of AmHA" reportedly founded an American branch of the group, known as the Primitive Hebrew Assembly.[3][4]
Beit Asherah ("House of Asherah") was one of the first Jewish neopagan groups, founded in the early 1990s by Stephanie Fox, Steven Posch, and Magenta Griffiths. Magenta Griffiths is High Priestess of the Beit Asherah coven, and a former board member of the Covenant of the Goddess.[5][6]
Semitic neopagan movements have also been reported in Israel[7] and in Lebanon.[8]
Kohenet movement and "Jewitches"edit
In 2006, rabbi Jill Hammer founded the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, which has a stated mission to "reclaim and innovate embodied, earth-based feminist Judaism", inspired by pre-Israelite Semitic religion priestesses such as Enheduanna, who was a devotee of the goddess Inanna.[9] The word kohenet is the feminine declension of kohen, the priestly lineage in Jewish tradition. The ordination of "Hebrew priestesses" has led to some consternation in the Jewish community, with some feeling that the Kohenet movement is not solely Jewish, due to the presence of aspects of paganism that are incompatible with the Torah.[10][11] The syncretic aspects of this religious movement have been characterized as "goddess worship", though supporters say that the movement expresses a creative approach to problems posed by non-egalitarian streams of Judaism.[12] Similar organizations include the Lilith Institute (also known as Mishkan Shekhinah), an organization and community more overtly aligned with Wicca and other feminist/goddess-centered neo-pagan movements than the Kohenet Institute.[13] A related movement is "Jewitches" (sometimes styled as JeWitches), Jews – often but not exclusively women – who combine Jewish religious tradition and witchcraft, often including elements of Semitic neo-paganism.[14][15]
^Jennifer Hunter, Magickal Judaism: Connecting Pagan and Jewish Practice. Citadel Press Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, New York, 2006, pp. 18–19.
^Interview with Elie in Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today, by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond (2001), p. 105.
^. Witchvox. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
^Lewis, James R. (January 1, 1999). Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions. ABC-CLIO. p. 163. Retrieved December 8, 2016 – via Internet Archive. beit asherah.
^"Covenant of the Goddess - Representing Witches and Wiccans since 1975". Retrieved December 8, 2016.
^Ofri Ilani. Paganism returns to the Holy Land. Haaretz, 2009.
^"Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute". kohenet.org. from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
^Silvers, Emma (July 11, 2013). "Kohenet institute says it helps women reclaim their role as priestesses". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
^Kustanowitz, Esther D/ (January 29, 2021). "'There's no one right way to kohenet': The Hebrew priestess movement aims to center women's voices". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
^Grenn, Deborah (2008). "Claiming the Title Kohenet: Examining Goddess Judaism and the Role of the Priestess Through Conversations with Contemporary Spiritual Leaders". Women in Judaism. 5 (2).
^Grenn, D'vorah. "Welcome..." The Lilith Institute. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
^Greene, Heather (October 25, 2021). "How some 'Jewitches' are embracing both Judaism and witchcraft". Religion News Service. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
^Greene, Heather (March 9, 2014). "Paganism in Israel: where the modern meets the ancient". The Wild Hunt. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
Further readingedit
Engelberg, Keren (October 30, 2003). "When Witches Blend Torah and Tarot" reprinted in The Jewish Journal (July 21, 2008)
Jacobs, Jill Suzanne. "Nice Jewitch Girls Leave Their Brooms in the Closet" in The Forward, Oct 31, 2003
Michaelson, Jay (December 9, 2005). "Jewish Paganism: Oxymoron or Innovation?" in The Jewish Daily Forward.
Raphael, Melissa (April 1998). "Goddess Religion, Postmodern Jewish Feminism, and the Complexity of Alternative Religious Identities". Nova Religio, Vol. 1, No. 2, Pages 198–215 (abstract can be found at: Caliber: University of California Press 2012-01-04 at the Wayback Machine)
Various authors. "Jewish Paganism" in Green Egg, Winter 1994 (Volume 27, #107).
Winkler, Rabbi Gershon (January 10, 2003). Magic of the Ordinary: Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism. North Atlantic Books. ISBN1-55643-444-8, ISBN978-1-55643-444-0.
External linksedit
Primitive Hebrew Assembly (Am Ha Aretz USA)
Tel Shemesh
January 01, 1970
semitic, neopaganism, group, religions, based, attempting, reconstruct, ancient, semitic, religions, mostly, practiced, among, jews, united, states, contents, jewish, neopaganism, kohenet, movement, jewitches, also, references, further, reading, external, link. Semitic neopaganism is a group of religions based on or attempting to reconstruct the ancient Semitic religions mostly practiced among Jews in the United States Contents 1 Jewish neopaganism 1 1 Kohenet movement and Jewitches 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksJewish neopaganism editFurther information Yahwism and Ancient Canaanite religion The notion of historical Israelite or Jewish polytheism was popularized in the United States during the 1960s by Raphael Patai in The Hebrew Goddess focusing on the cult of female goddesses such as the cult of Asherah in Solomon s Temple citation needed During the growth of Neopaganism in the United States throughout the 1970s a number of minor Canaanite or Israelite oriented groups emerged Most contained syncretistic elements from Western esotericism citation needed Forms of Neopagan witchcraft religions inspired by the Semitic milieu such as Jewitchery may also be enclosed within the Semitic neopagan movement These groups are particularly influenced by Jewish feminism focusing on the goddess cults of the Israelites 1 A notable contemporary Levantine Neopagan group is known as Am Ha Aretz עם הארץ lit People of the Land a rabbinical term for uneducated and religiously unobservant Jews AmHA for short based in Israel This group grew out of Ohavei Falcha Lovers of the Soil a movement founded in the late 19th century 2 Elie Sheva according to her own testimony an elected leader of AmHA reportedly founded an American branch of the group known as the Primitive Hebrew Assembly 3 4 Beit Asherah House of Asherah was one of the first Jewish neopagan groups founded in the early 1990s by Stephanie Fox Steven Posch and Magenta Griffiths Magenta Griffiths is High Priestess of the Beit Asherah coven and a former board member of the Covenant of the Goddess 5 6 Semitic neopagan movements have also been reported in Israel 7 and in Lebanon 8 Kohenet movement and Jewitches edit In 2006 rabbi Jill Hammer founded the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute which has a stated mission to reclaim and innovate embodied earth based feminist Judaism inspired by pre Israelite Semitic religion priestesses such as Enheduanna who was a devotee of the goddess Inanna 9 The word kohenet is the feminine declension of kohen the priestly lineage in Jewish tradition The ordination of Hebrew priestesses has led to some consternation in the Jewish community with some feeling that the Kohenet movement is not solely Jewish due to the presence of aspects of paganism that are incompatible with the Torah 10 11 The syncretic aspects of this religious movement have been characterized as goddess worship though supporters say that the movement expresses a creative approach to problems posed by non egalitarian streams of Judaism 12 Similar organizations include the Lilith Institute also known as Mishkan Shekhinah an organization and community more overtly aligned with Wicca and other feminist goddess centered neo pagan movements than the Kohenet Institute 13 A related movement is Jewitches sometimes styled as JeWitches Jews often but not exclusively women who combine Jewish religious tradition and witchcraft often including elements of Semitic neo paganism 14 15 See also editAshurism Canaanism Christo Paganism Folk Judaism Jewish Buddhist Practical Kabbalah Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew BibleReferences edit Jenny Kien Reinstating the Divine Woman in Judaism 2000 ISBN 978 1 58112 763 8 Jennifer Hunter Magickal Judaism Connecting Pagan and Jewish Practice Citadel Press Books Kensington Publishing Corp New York New York 2006 pp 18 19 Interview with Elie in Being a Pagan Druids Wiccans and Witches Today by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond 2001 p 105 Judeo Paganism or Jewish Paganism Witchvox Archived from the original on February 23 2009 Retrieved June 16 2021 Lewis James R January 1 1999 Witchcraft Today An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions ABC CLIO p 163 Retrieved December 8 2016 via Internet Archive beit asherah Covenant of the Goddess Representing Witches and Wiccans since 1975 Retrieved December 8 2016 Ofri Ilani Paganism returns to the Holy Land Haaretz 2009 Naim Hani March 31 2010 الباطنيـون والوثنيـون فـي لبنـان هـذه هـي معتقداتنـا As Safir Retrieved January 9 2019 Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute kohenet org Archived from the original on June 16 2023 Retrieved June 18 2023 Silvers Emma July 11 2013 Kohenet institute says it helps women reclaim their role as priestesses Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved August 4 2022 Kustanowitz Esther D January 29 2021 There s no one right way to kohenet The Hebrew priestess movement aims to center women s voices Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved August 4 2022 Grenn Deborah 2008 Claiming the Title Kohenet Examining Goddess Judaism and the Role of the Priestess Through Conversations with Contemporary Spiritual Leaders Women in Judaism 5 2 Grenn D vorah Welcome The Lilith Institute Retrieved August 4 2022 Greene Heather October 25 2021 How some Jewitches are embracing both Judaism and witchcraft Religion News Service Retrieved August 4 2022 Greene Heather March 9 2014 Paganism in Israel where the modern meets the ancient The Wild Hunt Retrieved August 4 2022 Further reading editEngelberg Keren October 30 2003 When Witches Blend Torah and Tarot reprinted in The Jewish Journal July 21 2008 Hunter Jennifer July 1 2006 Magickal Judaism Connecting Pagan amp Jewish Practice Citadel ISBN 0 8065 2576 2 ISBN 978 0 8065 2576 1 Jacobs Jill Suzanne Nice Jewitch Girls Leave Their Brooms in the Closet in The Forward Oct 31 2003 Michaelson Jay December 9 2005 Jewish Paganism Oxymoron or Innovation in The Jewish Daily Forward Raphael Melissa April 1998 Goddess Religion Postmodern Jewish Feminism and the Complexity of Alternative Religious Identities Nova Religio Vol 1 No 2 Pages 198 215 abstract can be found at Caliber University of California Press Archived 2012 01 04 at the Wayback Machine Various authors Jewish Paganism in Green Egg Winter 1994 Volume 27 107 Winkler Rabbi Gershon January 10 2003 Magic of the Ordinary Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism North Atlantic Books ISBN 1 55643 444 8 ISBN 978 1 55643 444 0 External links editPrimitive Hebrew Assembly Am Ha Aretz USA Tel Shemesh Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Semitic neopaganism amp oldid 1195033732, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
