Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review

In this article I intend to analyze the processes by which Pagan identity is formed and expressed by Israeli Pagan women, when attending ‘Women’s Spirituality’ festivals and workshops in Israel. As such it will deal with the complexities of identifying oneself as a (Jewish-born) Pagan in Israel, the nation state of the Jewish people. By doing so it will also hopefully contribute to research on the politics of identity in Israeli New Religious Movements, and more generally – in Israeli society at large. The findings I will present here are part of a wider and ongoing study of the Israeli Pagan community, which is intended to be the first book-length research to focus on Contemporary Paganism in Israel. In this article I will claim that the unique connections between (Jewish) religion and the state in Israel,coupled with the country’s distinct Jewish character, create a situation in which – unlike their North American and Western European sisters – Israeli Pagan women generally find it difficult to express their Pagan identity when participating in Israeli Women’s Spirituality festivals and workshops. This in turn contributes to a consolidation of a Pagan identity separate from the wider Israeli New Age scene.

It this article I would like to explore the rise of what can be called “the utilitarian self” in the contemporary spirituality arena in Israel. This social reality, which has its origins in the religious field of late nineteenth century America, is in Judaic social circles quite a recent development, and began to play a significant role in contemporary Israeli spirituality only since the 1990’s. I would like to suggest that the proliferation of certain Neo-Kabbalah and Neo-Hasidic movements since the 1990’s is indicative of its rise. By examining these we can better understand the utilitarian self, which lies in their background and which presents thecultural conditions for their popularity.I will therefore present a few typical examples of the utilitarian self’s manifestation in Israel, and will then try to clarify the socio-cultural reasons for its prevalence at this time. Let us start, however, with a description of the subject matter. The utilitarian self, I propose, is a particular hybrid of the Romantic spirit and Enlightenment rationalism, joined together by means of capitalist instrumental reason. It represents the current fascination with finding ways – indeed methods or techniques – which allow one to actualize and exercise her or his “hidden” or “unrealized” capabilities in order to undergo an inner transformation and maximize the external conditions of her or his life.

In 2012, the Church of Scientology’s Mission in Haifa, Israel, defected from the Church and reestablished itself as the independent Dror Center. The precipitatingevent was a critical email sent by high-ranking Scientologist Debbie Cook to her contacts throughout the Scientology world. The core of her critique was that theChurch was in decline – a decline she attributed to policies that deviated from guidelines set forth by Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard. The present paperanalyzes the current legitimation crisis within the Church of Scientology through the twin lenses of the Cook letter and the Haifa schism.