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Marc Gafni

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Mordechai Gafni
Born
Marc Winiarz

1961 (age 62–63)
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
Other namesMarc Gafni, Mark Gafni, Mordechai Winiarz, Mordechai Winyarz
Websitehttp://www.marcgafni.com/

Mordecai Gafni (born 1961) 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 ongoing personal and theological controversies.[1] In 2004 and 2005 articles in Haaretz,[2] he is described as promoting a balance between the erotic and the ethical in Judaism. He is best known for his teachings on the relationship between spirituality and eroticsm, and his claim that all failure of ethics result from a collapse of Eros.[3] Eros is defined by Gafni in his teaching as interiority, presence, yearning and interconnectivity.[4] He also is described as promoting the integration of the feminine god head with the masculine god head through their integration in the lived life of every individual. He has referred to this process as Yichud.[5]

Biography

Gafni, also known as Marc Gafni, Mark Gafni, Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Winiarz, and Mordechai Winyarz, was born to Holocaust survivors in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.[6] Gafni was raised in Colombus, Ohio[citation needed] and educated at Modern-Orthodox yeshivas in the New York area. In the 1980s, while attending Yeshiva University,[6] Gafni worked with Jewish Public School Youth, an organization providing Jewish social clubs in public schools.[7] In 1988, Gafni also worked as a Rabbi in Boca Raton, Florida.[2] After making aliya in the 1990s, Gafni served as rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Tzofim.[8] When Gafni moved to Israel he hebraicized his name. "Winiarz" meaning "winemaker," is related to the Hebrew word "gefen" - grape, thus the name "Gafni". In the late nineties he opened the Bayit Chadash spiritual center in Jaffa.[8] Gafni advocated bringing eros back into Jewish practice.[9]

He was ordained as a rabbi by Shlomo Riskin of Efrat. He also received rabbinical certification from the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel, and from Rabbi Gershon Winkler. Riskin has since expressed his intent to withdraw his rabbinical ordination because Gafni went beyond the bounds of Orthodoxy; when Gafni heard of Riskin's wishes, he wrote a letter returning Riskin's semicha.[2]

He also possesses a Ph.D from Oxford University.[citation needed]

Gafni has been married and divorced three times,[citation needed] and has three children from his marriages.[6]

Writing

He has written a series of bestselling books on the subjects of Judaism, eroticism and spirituality.[10] His book Soul Prints was the subject of a PBS special.[10] 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."[11]

His books were published by Simon and Schuster.[12] He released an audio lecture series in 2004, entitled "The Soul Prints Workshop: Wisdom Teachings from the Kabbalah Illuminating Your Unique Life Purpose".

Allegations of improprietry

Gafni had been accused of sexual improprieties in the past.[2] These accusations, more than 30 years old, have been refuted by Gafni [13]. Gafni's claim is backed by professional polygraph results[14] administered by expert Gordon H. Barland, Ph.D[15]. New allegations surfaced in 2006 after three women accused Gafni of sexual harassment.[8] Within a few days of the allegations, Gafni seeking to spare his students the pain caused by the false alegations in the press[16], left his position at Bayit Chadash in Israel.[8] Gafni returned to the United States[7] in order to introspect and recover the necessary material and information to fully refute all allegations of impropriety[17]. The inappropriate handling of the accusations and Gafni's subsequent resignation from Bayit Chadash led to its closure.[18] Once in the United States, Gafni sent a remorseful letter to his congregation,[19] causing his former supporters to express regret.[1] Gafni, on his personal website, later explained that the letter was to cool the controversy and was not an admonition of fault; Gafni maintains that the allegations are untrue.[20]

In July 2008, an article published in the magazine Catalyst, a publication for which Gafni himself had written anonymously, countered earlier accusations, in particular the claims of harassment by the three women and of sexual predation, citing new evidence including recovered emails and lie detector tests.[21] The article also quotes former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson as supporting Gafni's contention that the allegations of harassment are untrue, and that the relationships were mutual and consensual.[21]

Gafni's reputation has also been supported by extensive professional evaluation.[22] [23] [24]

Bibliography

Books

  • A Certain Spirit; {Vadai} Re-Defining Certainty. Hebrew, Modan Publishers, 1999
  • A Uncertain Spirit, {Safek} Reclaiming Uncertainty as as Spiritual Value, Hebrew Modan Publishers, 1999
  • The Erotic And The Holy: Kabbalistic Tantra for Everyday Living (February 2006)
  • 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 Sounds True (2004)
  • "The Erotic and the Holy: The Kabbalistic Tantra of Everyday Life" Sounds True, 2005

References

  1. ^ 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)
  2. ^ a b c d Rosenblatt, Gary (September 24, 2004). "The Re-Invented Rabbi". Between the Lines. Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2004-09-25. Retrieved 2008-01-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Gafni, Marc (2004). The Mystery of Love. Simon and Schuster. pp. Ch 3 and 7.
  4. ^ Gafni, Mordechai (2003). "The Erotic and the Ethical". Tikkun. Berkeley, CA. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ On the Erotic and the Holy--Sounds True DVD series
  6. ^ a b c Livneh, Neri (March 4, 2004). "Post-Orthodoxy Journey". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2005. Retrieved 2008-08-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |archivedate= (help) Note:Ha'aretz archives show article (#1076999) for cost. This link is a free convenience link to the article.
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ a b c d Raved, Ahiya (May 18, 2006). "Rabbi Gafni accused of sexual assault". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Rosenblum, Jonathan (July 14, 2006). "'Sexualizing' the public square". The Jerusalem Post. p. 10. Archived from the original (convenience link) on 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |archivedate= (help) See also Gafni, The Erotic And The Holy: Kabbalistic Tantra for Everyday Living
  10. ^ 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)
  11. ^ "PR Newswire Europe". July 11, 2005.
  12. ^ "Marc Gafni". Simon and Schuster. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  13. ^ http://www.catalystmagazine.net/content/view/616/10113/
  14. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=164
  15. ^ http://www.barlandpolygraph.com
  16. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=419&lan=english
  17. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=310
  18. ^ 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= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  19. ^ 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)
  20. ^ Gafni, Marc (2007). "Why I Signed the Letter". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  21. ^ a b Bell, Jeff (2008). "Trial by Internet: An archetypal spiritual drama" (PDF). Catalyst Magazine. 27 (7). Salt Lake City, Utah: Catalyst Magazine: pp. 20–25. Retrieved 2008-07-25. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  22. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=7
  23. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=155
  24. ^ http://www.marcgafni.com/?page_id=156&lan=english

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