Marc Gafni
Mordecai Gafni, born 1961 (age 62–63), is an American bestselling author and former Modern Orthodox rabbi, who was once associated with the Jewish Renewal movement. He is no longer associated with the movement after a scandal.[1]
Biography
Gafni, also known as Marc Gafni, Mark Gafni, Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Winiarz, and Mordechai Winyarz, was born in the US and educated at Modern-Orthodox yeshivas in the New York area. He worked with an organization providing Jewish social clubs in public schools. He moved to Florida in 1988 where he worked as a Rabbi.[2] He made aliya in 1996 and served as rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Tzofim. In the late nineties he opened the Bayit Chadash spiritual center in Jaffa. Gafni advocated bringing eros back into Jewish practice.[3]
He was ordained as a rabbi by Shlomo Riskin of Efrat. Riskin has since expressed his intent to withdraw the rabbinical ordination; when Gafni heard of Riskin's wishes, he wrote a letter returning his semicha.[4]
Writing
He has written a series of bestselling books on the subjects of Judaism, eroticism and spirituality.[5] His book Soul Prints was the subject of a PBS special.[5] Who is afraid of Lilith? Rereading the Kabbalah of the Feminine Shadow, a book Gafni cowrote with Ohad Ezrachi, was described by the publisher as offering "the much-needed perspective of the male feminist viewpoint."[6]
His books were published by Simon and Schuster.[7] He released an audio lecture series in 2004, entitled "The Soul Prints Workshop: Wisdom Teachings from the Kabbalah Illuminating Your Unique Life Purpose".
False Allegations of Impropriety
Gafni has been falsely accused of sexual improprieties.[4] The allegations against Gafni had circulated for years but came to wider public attention in 2004 with the publication of an article in Jewish Week.[4][8], which has since been refuted by the writer.
In May of 2006, Gafni resigned his positions and left Israel within days of complaints of three women who accused him of sexual harassment.[9] The New York Post falsely reported that he had fled to Colorado.[2] Gafni sent a remorseful letter to his congregation from the United States,[10] causing his former supporters to express regret.[1]
The ramifications of Gafni's actions and subsequent removal from Bayit Chadash led to its closure shortly after his resignation.[11]
Bibliography
- Soul Prints: Your Path to Fulfillment (Paperback - January 29, 2002)
- The Mystery of Love (Paperback - March 16, 2004)
- The Erotic And The Holy: Kabbalistic Tantra for Everyday Living (February 2006)
- Seelenmuster (Paperback - June 1, 2002)
- Gafni and Ohad Ezrachi. Who is afraid of Lilith? Rereading the Kabbalah of the Feminine Shadow (Modan Publishing House - 2005)
Audiography
- The Soul Prints Workshop: Wisdom Teachings from the Kabbalah Illuminating Your Unique Life Purpose (2004)
References
- ^ a b Siegal, Jennifer (May 19, 2006). "Rabbi Fired Over Sex Claims, Defenders Offer Mea Culpa". The Forward. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Montefinise, Angela (May 21, 2006). "Fiend Rabbi On Run". The New York Post. pp. pg 25. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite web}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^
Rosenblum, Jonathan (July 14, 2006). "'Sexualizing' the public square". The Jerusalem Post.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) See also Gafni, The Erotic And The Holy: Kabbalistic Tantra for Everyday Living - ^ a b c
Rosenblatt, Gary (September 24, 2004). "The Re-Invented Rabbi". Between the Lines. Jewish Week. Archived from the original on September 25, 2004. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|archivedate=(help) - ^ a b "Israeli rabbi and best-selling author Marc Gafni to lecture in Tucson". Arizona Jewish Post. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "PR Newswire Europe". July 11, 2005.
- ^ "Marc Gafni". Simon and Schuster. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
- ^ "Letters to the editor". The Jewish Week. October 1, 2004.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Raved, Ahiya (May 18, 2006). "Rabbi Gafni accused of sexual assault". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^
Singer-Heruti, Roni (May 18, 2006). "Rabbi Mordechai Gafni accused of sexually exploiting women". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^
Ner-David, Jacob (2006). "Genug: Time for a Change". Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. Boston: Jewish Family & Life!. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
{{cite journal}}: External link in|publisher=|month=ignored (help)