8-week Kabbalah course begins today

With celebrities like Madonna, David Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow turning to Kabbalah for guidance, it is no wonder locals have been clamoring to learn more about Jewish mysticism.

The Jewish Learning Institute and the Chabad Jewish Center of Newport Beach have responded by offering an eight-week course, The Kabbalah of Character, that will examine the nature of the human spirit and the qualities that define one’s personality. Through the structure of Kabbalah — an esoteric interpretation of the Torah and other classical Jewish texts — the course seeks to offer audiences a strategy for making positive changes in their lives.

Rabbi Reuven Mintz, director of the Chabad Jewish Center, said Jewish mysticism — or the contents of the Kabbalah — offers a template for “personal growth and more meaningful living.”

“We convey tools in order to empower and enable each individual to bring change for the better, and ultimately live each day to one’s ultimate potential,” he said. “We hope people will gain purpose, meaning, contentment, and ultimately joy and a zest for life.”

Participants will read specific excerpts of Kabbalistic texts that deal with human character and interpret them with the help of Rabbi Aron Berkowitz, who will lead the course. Lessons include the reason for being, how to remove internal and external barriers to growth and strategies for developing meaningful relationships.

Kabbalah of Character is open to anyone who is interested, and no background knowledge of the Kabbalah or related texts is required.

The course, which costs $99, will meet from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesdays at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa, beginning today through Mar. 13. For more information or to enroll, visit www.myJLI.co or call (949) 721-9800. Anyone interested is invited to attend the first lesson without any financial obligation.