Anthroposophy, the alternative spiritual movement founded in 1913 by Austrian Esotericist Rudolf Steiner, has become a significant presence in contemporary Israeli society. Two branches of the Anthroposophical society operate in Israel, along with an Anthroposophical Kibbutz in the upper Galilee. Waldorf education, based on Steiner’s pedagogical principles, is highly popular, with hundreds of Waldorf kindergartens, schools and training centers across the country. Additionally, several Anthroposophical remedial homes and villages support people with special needs.
The widespread success of Anthroposophy in Israel raises intriguing questions. How did the spiritual teachings of Rudolf Steiner, which are rooted in western esoteric traditions and incorporate numerous Christological themes, resonate withing Israeli Jewish society? How do Israeli Anthroposophists engage with Steiner’s negative views on Judaism and Zionism?
The lecture will explore the reception history of Anthroposophy in Israel, focusing on the efforts of Israeli anthroposophist to reconcile their Jewish and Israeli identities with their Anthroposophical beliefs and practices.
Boaz Huss is the Aron Bernstein Chair in Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Thought and serves as the chair of the Goldstein-Goren International Center for Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University. His research focuses on the history of Kabbalah, Western esotericism, New Age culture, and new religious movements in Israel. Huss's recent publications include The Cosmic Movement: Sources, Contexts, Impact (Bialik Press, 2021, co-authored with Julie Chajes) and Mystifying Kabbalah: Academic Scholarship, National Theology, and New Age Spirituality (Oxford University Press, 2020). His forthcoming book, The Secret Doctrine of the Jew: Jewish Theosophists and the Kabbalah, is scheduled for publication in 2025 by the State University of New York Press.
The widespread success of Anthroposophy in Israel raises intriguing questions. How did the spiritual teachings of Rudolf Steiner, which are rooted in western esoteric traditions and incorporate numerous Christological themes, resonate withing Israeli Jewish society? How do Israeli Anthroposophists engage with Steiner’s negative views on Judaism and Zionism?
The lecture will explore the reception history of Anthroposophy in Israel, focusing on the efforts of Israeli anthroposophist to reconcile their Jewish and Israeli identities with their Anthroposophical beliefs and practices.
Boaz Huss is the Aron Bernstein Chair in Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Thought and serves as the chair of the Goldstein-Goren International Center for Jewish Thought at Ben-Gurion University. His research focuses on the history of Kabbalah, Western esotericism, New Age culture, and new religious movements in Israel. Huss's recent publications include The Cosmic Movement: Sources, Contexts, Impact (Bialik Press, 2021, co-authored with Julie Chajes) and Mystifying Kabbalah: Academic Scholarship, National Theology, and New Age Spirituality (Oxford University Press, 2020). His forthcoming book, The Secret Doctrine of the Jew: Jewish Theosophists and the Kabbalah, is scheduled for publication in 2025 by the State University of New York Press.