The Beginnings of Kabbalah in America T PDF

ARIES
ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268 brill.com/arie
Te Beginnings of Kabbalah in America:

Te Unpublished Manuscripts
of R. Levi Isaac Krakovsky
Jonatan Meir
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Abstract
L’article a pour sujet la personnalité extraordinaire du kabbaliste le Rabbin Levi Isaac Kra-
kovsky (1891–1966), un des étudiants oubliés du Rabbin Yehuda Leib Ashlag (1885–1955).
Krakovsky diffusait l’enseignement de son maître en Amérique en anglais, écrivait des dou-
zaines de livres et essayait d’établir des yeshivot de Kabbalistes. Contrairement à son maître, il
présentait un enseignement exotérique et une vision de diffusion de la Kabbale dans le monde
entier. Son influence était minime, mais un de ses élèves était Shraga Philip Berg qui continuait
son chemin et le complétait de plusieurs points de vue. L’article se base sur de riches matières
archivales, parmi lesquelles de longues essays de l’auteur en manuscrit qui sont décrits ici pour
la premiere fois. D’une telle façon, nous décrivons le dévelopment de la Kabbale en Amérique
du début du vingtième siècle jusqu’ aujourd’ hui.
Keywords
Kabbalah; Modern Kabbalah; Jewish Mysticism; Levi Isaac Krakovsky; Yehuda Leib Ashlag
In 1939, a booklet on the essence of Jewish occult wisdom, Te Omnipotent Light

Revealed: Te Luminous Tegument to Unite Mankind into One Loving Brother-
hood, came out in Hollywood. Tis town was indeed a hotbed for a wide array
of spiritual seekers interested in esoteric literature. Furthermore, it is evident
from the work’s content that the author sought to adapt the traditional spirit
of the kabbalah to this environment or, more precisely, to arouse interest in
Jewish mysticism within these same circles. As we shall soon see, the situation
was more complex. Te writer, Rabbi Levi Isaac Krakovsky (1891–1966), had
returned to the United States in 1937 afer a circuitous spiritual voyage, which
featured an extended stay in the Land of Israel. In Jerusalem, he became a stu-
dent of R. Yehuda Leib Ashlag (1885–1955), a kabbalist who would eventually
become one of the most influential thinkers in the field. While Jewish occult
wisdom’s metamorphosis in North America has recently merited several in-depth
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/15700593-13130204

238 Jonatan Meir / ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268
discussions, Krakovsky’s role in this story has yet to be described in full.1 Var-
ious archives contain a great deal of material on his enterprise, including book
manuscripts, pamphlets, announcements, and letters. Tese texts have the poten-
tial to illuminate a little known yet riveting chapter in the annals of American
Jewish mysticism.2
Te Kabbalah Culture Society

For the most part, Levi Krakovsky’s activities in the Land of Israel are veiled in
mystery. We do not know how he turned up in Jerusalem or even how many years
he spent under Ashlag’s wing. Tat said, Krakovsky seems to have been one of the
kabbalist’s first students, joining his circle in 1922. Although they were forced to
part ways for much of the mid-1920s, the apprentice stayed in his mentor’s com-
pany as much as possible.3 Before their encounter, Krakovsky was involved in
a variety of spiritual pursuits. For instance, he wrote a bizarre psychologically-
oriented pamphlet in Yiddish on overcoming pain and tribulations, which was
apparently printed at his initiative in the 1920s.4 According to his later testimony,
Krakovsky also toiled over some ambitious kabbalah-related projects during this
same period, such as the translation of several books. However, he made no effort
to publish any of these works while in Jerusalem.
Upon returning to the United States in 1937, Krakovsky was bent on spreading
the wisdom of the kabbalah, in the spirit of Ashlag, to English-speaking audi-
ences. With this in mind, he endeavoured to bring numerous works to print
and concocted a handful of ambitious plans, two of which stand out from the
rest. Firstly, he aspired to compile a voluminous concordance of kabbalah litera-
ture, for which he obtained haskamot (approvals) from Ashlag and several other
rabbis.5 Secondly, he aspired to establish a kabbalah academy in North America
1) For a basic description of Krakovsky, see Simons, Benjamin Wolf Rosoff, 377–379; Myers,
Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 23–31, 34–35.
2) Krakovsky’s manuscripts, which are in the possession of his family, were generously placed
at my disposal by Jody Myers.

3) On the nascent stages of the Ashlag circle, see Meir, ‘Wrestling with the Esoteric’ 585–647;
idem, ‘New Discoveries’, 345–368.

4) Krakovsky, Die Goldene Gezete.
5) Handwritten haskamot for Krakovsky’s various enterprises reached the hands of Jody
Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest. Among those who “approved” of his concordance
project were Ashlag, Yitzhak Herzog (1947), Eliezer Silver (1943), and the Rebbe of Monas-
trish (1937). Passages from Herzog’s commendation also embellish Krakovsky’s later books.
Moreover, some of these “approvals,” particularly that of the former, were sent to potential
donors, along with copies of his books. Krakovsky, ‘Haskamot’ (MS).
Jonatan Meir / ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268 239
along the lines of those that were popping up in Jerusalem at the time. However,
before elaborating on these two central projects, it behoves us to take stock of
the organization that he set up to further these goals.
Around the time of his return to the United States, Krakovsky founded the
Kabbalah Culture Society of America—a makeshif association which operated
in the 1930s and 1940s (first in Brooklyn and later on in Hollywood). Its objec-
tive was to disseminate Ashlagian kabbalah, albeit with revisions and additions
that were meant to suit this corpus to a new environment. Krakovsky man-
aged to obtain the support of several academic researchers, rabbis, and highly-
influential American Jews, whose names were prominently displayed on official
letters that he distributed. Among the patrons were Leo Jung, Herbert S. Gold-
stein, Joseph Lookstein, S.B. Hoenig, Hirsch Manischewitz, S. Margoshes, Max
J. Mintz, D.S. Stern, and Isaac Sossnitz. It is worth noting that there are practi-
cally no other known sources pointing to these figures’ involvement in spreading
Jewish esoteric wisdom. Te only exception is Sossnitz, a doctor, psychologist,
and Zionist functionary, who translated Adolph Franck’s book on the kabbalah
into English in 1926.6
Some of Krakovsky’s letters from 1939 bear the name of the chief rabbi of
Mandatory Palestine, Isaac Herzog, who had given the former haskamot upon his
departure from the Land of Israel.7 Within the Society’s framework, Krakovsky
published a number of pamphlets and booklets (in English, Hebrew, and Yid-
dish) that faintly echo his grand visions for disseminating the kabbalah. Al-
though there is scant information on this organization, we will attempt to glean
some insights from Krakovsky’s publications during the years of its existence.
Revealing Secrets and Disseminating Propaganda

Krakovsky’s style was much more aggressive than that of his mentor, Yehuda
Leib Ashlag. Tat said, his powerful urge to disseminate the kabbalah lacked the
6) Franck, Te Kabbalah. Te book’s impact was considerable. In fact, its imprint on the popu-
lar Kabbalah literature in English is evident to this day. On the book’s immediate reception, see
Teosophist Magazine, 262–263. Sossnitz’s father, Joseph Yehudah Leib Sossnitz (1837–1910),
was born to a Hasidic family in Eastern Europe and embraced the Jewish Enlightenment
movement. Afer immigrating to America in 1891, he published popular books on science.
See ‘Joseph L. Sossnitz’. Years later, the son touted him as a kabbalist in, say, the dedication of
his above-mentioned translation: ‘Dedicated to the memory of my unforgettable teacher and
father Joseph L. Sossnitz, great kabbalist, thorough scientist, true philosopher and indefatiga-
ble seeker for truth’.
7) For some reason, Herzog’s name was erased from a couple of the letters. Several of these
documents (bearing the Society’s name) are housed in various archives, see Krakovsky. ‘Letters’
(MS).
pangs of a believer who has plunged into the depths of wisdom and is quaking
with fear due to the secrets he revealed. Instead, standing before us is a cultural
agent who distributed material on the importance of learning kabbalah. In many
respects, Krakovsky’s writing falls under the rubric of propaganda whose allure
rests exclusively on its sharp language. Conversely, Ashlag’s output is laden with
dialectics of revelation and concealment, greatness and humility.8 Be that as it
may, Krakovsky admired his teacher’s innovations and sought to translate his
message for a new reality. Wielding a booming voice, he undertook to spread
Ashlag’s message far and wide. However, his writing lacks the sense of intricacy
that is usually associated with the unveiling of the occult.
In 1938, Krakovsky printed one of his first booklets, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah
and its Importance. Te work beseeches readers to recognize the value of Jewish
esoteric wisdom and labour on behalf of its revelation in manifold ways.9 On
the inner cover page, the author describes the aim of his organization: ‘Te
Kabbalah Culture Society of America: For the Support of the Kabbalah Institute
of Yeshivat ‘Itur Rabanim’ of Jerusalem. And for the Publication of Kabbalah
Texts and the Concordance of the Kabbalah’. Itur Rabanim was the academy
that Ashlag had founded in Jerusalem for the purpose of disseminating his own
books and the said concordance, which Krakovsky had lugged to the United
States.10
Te booklet’s text opens with an admonition to those who refrain from study-
ing the kabbalah, which harbours the secret of the redemption: ‘Its learning
and its dissemination, is known to the elect as the only healing balm for all ills
which beset the whole of humanity’.11 For the sake of substantiating these claims,
Krakovsky grounds the introduction on references to ‘Christian kabbalists’ who
discovered the power latent in the Jews’ ancient wisdom.12 He also avails himself
of their works to illustrate that the kabbalah should be classified as a science.13
Te author even claims that ‘should the pages of the Kabbalah some time become
accessible to the intelligent English speaking student, he will be astounded as well
as delighted to find such great wealth of occult truth and deep philosophies of
8) Ashlag, Or ha-Bahir, vol. 1, 347. For a discussion on these elements see Meir, ‘New Discov-
eries’.
9) Krakovsky, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance. Te author’s listed address is in
Brooklyn.
10) For a discussion on Ashlag’s yeshiva and its various incarnations, see Meir, ‘Wrestling with
the Esoteric’.
11) Krakovsky, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance, 3.
12) Ibid., 5–6.
13) Ibid., 13.
life’.14 According to Krakovsky, he published this leaflet in the hopes of raising

money and attracting ‘advance orders’ for the concordance.
Te kabbalist’s description of his own handiwork and the coveted impact
of the book are exceedingly ambitious. It is difficult, Krakovsky writes, for his
generation to comprehend the writings of Isaac Luria (HaARI, 1534–1572), and
many of the commentaries on Luria’s works are more difficult than the source
itself. Te main problem, he asserts, is the lack of a systematic approach to these
texts; hence the relevance of the new concordance. Employing a flowery style,
Krakovsky offers the following description of this formidable project:
For these reasons it was long felt that the Jewry together with humanity at large needed
and would welcome a concordance of the wisdom of Kabbalah. Tis concordance is a
topical dictionary. Under each and every topic mentioned, discussed or even touched
upon in the Zohar, or Kabbalistic lore, I have collected and gathered in alphabetical
order each and every saying that may be found in all Kabbalah …. My concordance
traces each topic from its root and ends only where it has logically evolved to the natural
conclusion of its final branch.15
As per Krakovsky’s count, he laboured on this project for ten straight years. He
also mentions that it consists of fifeen volumes and no less than 10,000 pages.
In his estimation, the concordance will open the gates of wisdom that were
hitherto locked and induce everyone to embrace the kabbalah.16 Furthermore,
the author hopes to print a three-volume translation of the writing of the ‘greatest
and the world’s most famous Kabbalist Rabbi Judah Halevi Ashlag’. As far as
Krakovsky is concerned, the concordance and the English version of his rabbi’s
books constitute a pathway to wisdom:17
Here too the Kabbalah had been a closed book to date. My concordance and text books
will open it to all. In the years to come, generations and generations of Jews will be
grateful to you [i.e., presumptive donors] who will make the printing of these works
possible and thus make the Holy Kabbalah accessible to all.18
On the face of things, this tract addresses both non-Jewish and Jewish readers.
However, the distinction between these two groups was important to Krakovsky,
as he occasionally described a gradual process by which the kabbalah would
spread throughout the world: the first phase would take place within Jewish
society, and the second would involve the entire world. In his later writings, he
14) Ibid., 8.
15) Ibid., 15–17.
16) Ibid., 16–17.
17) Ibid., 17–18.
18) Ibid., 19.
would place a greater emphasis on this distinction. Accordingly, the concordance

was written in Hebrew, and it never crossed his mind to translate this thick tome
into English.19
A year later (1939), while living in Hollywood, Krakovsky circulated a similar
pamphlet, which he titled A Call To Israel! Wisdom of Kabbalah: Te Indispens-
able Light for the New Age of Israel and All Mankind.20 Once again, the author
referred to his ties with Ashlag’s yeshiva, opening the document thus: ‘Te pro-
ceeds from the sale of this booklet will go to the support of the Kabbalah Insti-
tute, ‘Itur Rabanim,’ in Jerusalem, Palestine’. Te main text heightens the above-
mentioned difference between Jews and the rest of humanity. Krakovsky opens
with poignant declarations concerning the reason for and importance of expos-
ing the kabbalah to English speakers. In the process, he feels obliged to unveil
the ‘truth’ about the Jewish people, namely that they are superior to the other
nations and are the bearer of all the world’s secrets. However, in his estimation,
the time has come for a major change:
Not only should it be dispersed among our own people, but among all people of all lands
and religions …. Tis ancient and true wisdom of the Kabbalah is the divine word which
we believe God entrusted to Israel for the benefit of all mankind, and we must reveal it,
diffuse and broadcast it throughout the entire world.21
Even if there are hints of such a vision in Ashlag’s oeuvre, Krakovsky radicalizes
this message in a way that his rabbi would have never considered. Tereafer,
Krakovsky engages in apologetics, seeking to restore the honour of Israel: ‘Even a
slight glimpse of these truths will compel all people to confess that we are a wise,
intelligent and cultural race; that the Jewish people bear the stamp of Heavenly
Knowledge from times of old’.22 Of course, this contention also applies to the
kabbalah, a body of wisdom that, in his view, is linked to and descends from
everything. Consequently, ‘It is not only our duty to the world, to make these
great truths known to humanity; it is equally our duty to ourselves, to show the
world the difference between the accumulated occult knowledge of other races
and the secret knowledge and culture of Israel’.23 In making these arguments, it is
obvious that the author was contending with other works that had recently come
out in English:
19) Tis state of mind is evident from the passage of a recommendation that Jacob Kohn gave
to Krakovsky on March 27, 1940.
20) Krakovsky, A Call To Israel.
21) Ibid., 1.
22) Ibid., 4.
23) Ibid., 6.
Another vital reason for uncovering the contents of the wisdom of the Kabbalah at this
time is because the world is trying to disinherit us of this sacred knowledge. Mankind is
trying to alienate it from us, by ascribing it to other doctrines and teachings, such as the
Hindo philosophy, the Yoga, Egyptian teachings, and others. All humanity is seeking
and grasping for the truth; they are chasing the phantoms of these other, superficial
teachings, which are based on the true mother of all wisdom, the Kabbalah.24
Krakovsky even went so far as to differentiate the kabbalah from every other
phenomenon:
Nothing in the world can be of greater benefit to our race than to prove that our ancient
wisdom of the Kabbalah, which is verily the vital soul of our race and religion, has no
trace of any affinity whatsoever with the occult doctrines of other nations. We can only
prove that this true knowledge has no resemblance to their dogmatic concepts and occult
knowledge by expounding the truths of our wisdom throughout the entire world.25
Te kabbalistic idea of tzimtzum infuses Krakovsky with a powerful sense of

revelation, which was uncommon among the kabbalists of his generation:
We must open wide the gate to our great and profound wisdom of the Kabbalah, and by
doing so we will effect a complete salvation for our people. Popularizing the knowledge
of the Kabbalah will obliterate the veil that conceals our true face, in the eyes of all
people …. Humanity will see that no existing knowledge can duplicate, or even resemble,
the profundity and intelligence of the ancient, God-given Kabbalah truths. All those
who try to compare it to other literature will realize their complete failure; they will be
ashamed and embarrassed for their attempt to make such a comparison.26
At the heart of this tract stands a vision of enterprise. More specifically, he calls
upon his readers to disseminate the kabbalah first among the Jewish people and
then among the rest of the nations. In order to pass on this wisdom to the entire
world, it is imperative that the Jews reacquaint themselves with this same body
of knowledge. In Krakovsky’s estimation, there is only one way to fulfil this goal:
A Kabbalah academy should be organized in this country, to acquaint the general public
with the profound wisdom of the Kabbalah. Te learning and wisdom of the Kabbalah is
not something which can be learned easily; it must be studied, with the will to learn and
the desire for knowledge. Tose who have spent years in learning this deep wisdom are
best fitted to help the beginner …, and through the establishment of a Kabbalah academy,
the studious individual may have an opportunity of studying these ancient truths under
the guidance of trained teachers.27
24) Ibid., 2. Tis section was aptly titled ‘Kabbalah has No Resemblance to Any Other Occult
Doctrine’.
25) Ibid., 2–3.
26) Ibid., 3.
27) Ibid., 7–9.
At this point, Krakovsky raises the banner of his translation project:

As soon as the English popular textbook of the Kabbalah, which I have spent more
than fifeen years in translating and writing, is published and broadcast throughout
the country, I am confident that our high-minded individuals will execute every effort
to have the rest of the Kabbalah scripts translated into the tongue which they can
understand. Tese manuscripts are in my possession, only awaiting the right moment
to be given to Judaism and humanity.28
Krakovsky concludes by imploring his audience to launch this venture at once.

All in all, these pamphlets constituted an introduction to Krakovsky’s afore-
mentioned magnum opus, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed.29 He saw this book
as a summary and embodiment of his endeavours during the two years that pre-
ceded its publication in 1939. Aside for a picture of the author, the cover fea-
tures an eclectic, quasi-Masonic drawing, which imparts the work with the look
of contemporaneous publications on the occult. Te text itself opens with a
promise to unveil the kabbalah—an undertaking that will bring hitherto un-
known scientific facts to the world’s attention.30 Tereafer, he expands upon a
previous theme: the wonderment experienced by the reader upon discovering
this all-encompassing31 and unparalleled body of wisdom.32 Here too, Krakovsky
accentuates Israel’s uniqueness vis-à-vis the other nations and the urgent need to
establish a kabbalah academy in the United States.33 Te rest of the text con-
sists of quotes and translated passages from kabbalistic books (some of which
are in the spirit of Ashlag) as well as a discussion on the principle of the truth
and its manifestations (one chapter was devoted to quoting non-Jewish philoso-
phers and writers). Lastly, he dedicates Te Omnipotent Light to ‘my beloved and
highly revered holy Rabbi Judah Halevi Ashlag, dean of the unique Kabbalah
Institute, “Itur Rabanim”, of Jerusalem’.
Given Ashlag’s propensity for keeping in touch with his students, even those
far away, the lost correspondence between the teacher and Krakovsky was bound
to have shed light on their relationship. Perhaps an echo of this exchange was
preserved in the notebook of Moshe Baruch Lemberger, one of Ashlag’s closest
28) Ibid., 9.
29) Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed. Te cover also features a heading that graced
earlier pamphlets: ‘Wisdom of the Kabbalah’. Moreover, it includes the following quasi-cita-
tion: “Kabbalah is based on scientific fact, its laboratory the human organism.” Te society’s
address was in Hollywood.
30) Ibid., 13.
31) Ibid., 16.
32) Ibid., 36–37.
33) Ibid., 44.
students. In the summer of 1939, Lemberger summarized a conversation that

he had with his mentor: ‘He told me to write a letter to R. Levi Isaac, and to
rebuke him for rarely working, and the proof is that he is not succeeding in his
undertakings, and he [Ashlag] said that by means of a letter from me can [sic]
possibly be of greater benefit than he [Ashlag] writing to him [Krakovsky] on
his own’.34 It is evident from Lemberger’s entry that Ashlag not only encouraged
Krakovsky to translate his kabbalistic writings into English and publish them,
but wanted the latter to solicit donations for the yeshiva in Jerusalem. In all
likelihood, it was Krakovsky who produced an Itur Rabanim memorial tablet
(yorzeit tavel) in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English with space for the names of
the deceased and the donor.35 At the time, Krakovsky was indeed busy raising
funds, translating works, and publishing his first book in English. However, these
activities did not prevent him from conceiving a plan to launch his own academy
that would disseminate esoteric wisdom throughout the New World.
In the Ticket of Reviews

It stands to reason that Krakovsky was aware of the fact that his primary ‘cus-
tomers’ were practitioners of sundry occult phenomena, namely groups well out-
side the fold of traditional Jewish society (Tese factors may have even helped
Krakovsky publish his book in 1939). He may have even received their help to
publish his book in 1939. Tat said, he certainly could not have fathomed that
within fify years Hollywood would turn into the centre of a post-modern kab-
balah movement. Tis is not to imply that Krakovsky was nonchalant about
spreading his gospel. It was indeed with this goal in mind that he sent his books
to myriad journals and individuals in the hopes that they would write reviews—a
course not taken by Ashlag.
In mailing copies of Te Omnipotent Light Revealed for review, Krakovsky
would include a prospectus describing the work’s content and extolling his own
virtues.36 Along with the book’s table of contents, the brochure includes words
of praise from Yitzhak Herzog, Leo Jung, Charles Cutler Torrey, Paul del Solla,
and Leon Fram. However, our focus is on two other aspects of this document:
Krakovsky’s biography; and his own view of this text.
Te brochure indeed discloses several previously unknown biographical
details:
34) Lemberger, Hashem Shamati Shimecha, vol. 3, 119.

35) One such tablet from the 1930s can be found, see Krakovsky, Tablet (MS).
36) Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed (Prospect).
To young Levi I. Krakovsky, pursuing a career of violin playing and teaching in Seattle,
Washington, came a strong inner urge to delve into the mysteries of the Kabbalah and
the Zohar. Accordingly, he lef the West Coast of America 22 years ago, in search of
a teacher, and eventually reached Palestine, where he spent 16 years in research, study
and writing. He is renowned all through America for his 15-volume Concordance of
the Kabbalah, which consists of 10,000 pages. For the past two years Rabbi Krakovsky
has toured the continent, lecturing on the Kabbalah in various Canadian and American
cities.37
Once again, Krakovsky refers to the never-to-be-published concordance. In fact,

most of the approvals in the brochure were for this shelved project, rather than
the new English book. Tis, then, suggests that the kabbalist still held out hopes
of publishing the concordance. At any rate, Te Omnipotent Light was depicted
in no less glowing terms, while completely ignoring all the existing English liter-
ature on the topic:
Tis book on the Kabbalah, written in English, is the first beam of Godly light to be
ushered into the world in this day of chaos and destruction. Kabbalah, the most powerful
heavenly light, has been in the universe since time immemorial. It was consecrated by the
Supreme Power to be unveiled particularly in this darkest of all dark ages, for the purpose
of dissipating the thick veil enshrouding the human race. Mankind will never attain to
its millennium until the literature of the holy Godly wisdom—the Kabbalah—is taught
and disseminated to the four corners of the globe (cf. Zohar Treatise on Amendments,
p. 8).Te Omnipotent Light Revealed is a book for spiritual leaders and laymen alike. Te
mere reading and meditating upon its wondrous topics will serve as a talisman to draw
light, goodness and peace to our world.38
While there are parallels to these sort of ideas in Ashlagian thought, Krakovsky’s
style is much more assertive than that of his mentor.
His passion for disseminating Te Omnipotent Light is apparent in a corre-
spondence with Cyrus Adler, the editor of Te Jewish Quarterly Review, on the
matter of advertising the book and having it reviewed in this journal. Although
no other correspondence has been fully preserved, we can assume that it is indica-
tive of his other solicitations. Te first letter (together with the marketing pro-
spectus) was sent to Adler on November 14, 1939:
Te Omnipotent Light Revealed by Rabbi Levi I. Krakovsky, described in the enclosed
circular, is the result of many years of research into every important document in all
Semitic languages. Te author undertook these studies and elaborations for the purpose
of bringing to light knowledge hitherto unknown to students of mystic lore. Tis is the
37) Ibid. Krakovsky’s background also comes up in the opening lines of Herzog’s letter from
1947.
38) Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed (Prospect).
first of an intended series of books dealing in a comprehensive manner with Kabbalistic

topics. Its commentaries are so arranged as to facilitate classroom study, and it is also
a book that will interest the general reading public. Tis literature is an invaluable
instrument for the dissemination of the highest intellectual and spiritual achievements
of mankind.39
While lacking in intellectual ingenuity and comprised entirely of general sum-

maries, this sort of exuberant marketing recurs in all of Krakovsky’s letters con-
cerning the distribution of his books. A relatively subdued version of this pro-
spectus ran in Te Jewish Quarterly Review: ‘Kabbalah, that ancient wisdom
which is the innermost core of Hebraic culture, was preserved through the ages
so that in this dark and chaotic era it might be unveiled to be the redeeming Light
for Israel and for all mankind’.40 It also bears noting that Adler found the book
worthy enough to be reviewed in his journal. However, the article, which came
out later that year, was unsparing: ‘Tis book purports to give an exposition and
brief history of the Zohar and Kabbalah, an esoteric subject which is still obscure
to the average reader. Unfortunately the treatment is not clear and lucid enough,
nor is the style very attractive’.41
Krakovsky indeed sent the book and prospectus to many outlets and worked
feverishly in the run up to its publication. Tis letter reached the American
Jewish Historical Society:
Under separate cover I am sending you a pamphlet relating to my many years of research
in Palestine on the subject of Kabbalah, and the publication of my first English work Te
Omnipotent Light Revealed. My aim in publishing this book was to acquaint American
Jewry with the authentic Hebraic esoteric lore, thus filling a void in Jewish scholarship.
By ordering copies for your library as well as for your members, you will be extending a
real help to me in my scholarly project and for further publications.42
Even though the organization’s worldview diverged sharply from that of the
author, it purchased several copies of his book.
Tanks to Krakovsky’s diligence, Te Omnipotent Light netted a host of re-
views. For instance, the piece by Joseph L. Blau (the author of a book about Chris-
tian Kabbalah and a few compelling reviews on kabbalah literature, inter alia)
is a bit more informative and restrained than the piece in Te Jewish Quarterly
39) In essence, the correspondence was between Krakovsky’s secretary, Mona L. Rosnal, and
Adler’s counterpart, Esther Zukerman; see Correspondence with Cyrus Adler (MS).
40) Krakovsky, ‘Advertisement’.
41) ‘Books Received’, 102.
42) Krakovsky, ‘Letter’, 1940 (MS). Krakovsky also enclosed copies of his marketing prospec-
tus and the small English pamphlet from 1939 (A Call To Israel) in each parcel.
Review: ‘Rabbi Krakovsky is a pupil of the famous Palestinian Kabbalist, Jehuda

Halevi Ashlag. In this book, the influence of his teacher is noticeable particularly
in his markedly ethical and social approach’. Afer citing from a discussion on
reincarnation, which Blau found to be both interesting and innovative, he posits
that ‘Beyond this insight, the book is a simple exposition of a few Kabbalistic
doctrines’. He also mentions that ‘Kabbalah is declared to be a science [therein],
its study “based on scientific fact. Te human body is the laboratory of the
Kabbalistic wisdom” …. It will be interesting to see whether Krakovsky proves
this point in his larger work; he does not do so here’.43 Although Krakovsky later
emphasized this point, he never truly went into depth. Tat said, science would
become a focal point of Philip Berg’s reading of Jewish esoteric knowledge.
Another of the writer’s target audiences was the Teosophists, some of whom
were indeed quite interested in Jewish occult wisdom. In general, they found
some merit in Te Omnipotent Light, but also felt somewhat deceived. In a review
in one of the movement’s organs, the anonymous critic bemoaned the fact that
Krakovsky shunned the Teosophists’ universal vision, deeming his own core-
ligionists to be the exclusive revealers of the gospel and the only catalysts for
change.44
While Krakovsky managed to enlist a few important Jewish figures into his
association and convince other members of this milieu to review his books, in
the final analysis his efforts to spread the kabbalah in North America suffered
many disappointments. His entreaties, from the 1930s on, that the time had long
come to restore the kabbalah to its glorious past garnered little support from
those he targeted most heavily—Jewish society—and he ultimately jettisoned
this line of argumentation. Tat said, Krakovsky did manage to publish a number
of books and compendiums, share his revelations with others, and help anyone
who turned to him for advice on kabbalah-related topics.45
A Kabbalah Academy in America

In around 1942, Krakovsky evidently scrapped the organization that he had
established only a few years earlier, but did not throw in the towel. Instead, the
promoter set out on a somewhat different path. For the next few years, the name
43) Blau, ‘Book Note’, 115. In another review, the book was encapsulated thus: ‘A brief presen-
tation of the Kabbalah by a champion thereof. A first book in Kabbalistic apologetics’. Mor-
rison, ‘Review’, 106. For a discussion on Ashlag and other contemporaneous kabbalists’ view
on science, see Huss, ‘Altruistic Communism’, 109–130.
44) H.T.A., ‘Book Review’, 236–237.
45) For example, Samuel H. Dresner thanked Krakovsky for clarifying a few kabbalistic
sources; Dresner, Te Zaddik, 20.

Kabbalah Foundation graced all the writers’ publications and his place of res-
idence was once again in Brooklyn. Te first work that came out under this
imprint was a small leaflet. As per the Yiddish section, ‘Rabbi Levi I. Krakovsky
studied Kabbalah for 20 Years—out of them 16 Years in the Land of Israel’.
Te author then elaborates on the books that he translated into English (three
long manuscripts) and the concordance. In addition, he discusses the roughly
400-page translation of Klalai Hokhmat haEmet (literally: the Principles of the
Wisdom of the Truth) by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the RaMChal, 1707–1746)—
a book that Krakovsky considers an invaluable kabbalah primer.46
As noted, he accumulated many haskamot for his various endeavours over
the years, foremost among them the concordance and his translation of the
RaMChal’s book. Nonetheless, it was these two projects that went down the
proverbial drain.47 Finally, the leaflet discloses the plan to establish a kabbalah
academy in the United States for the Jewish public.48
During this same period, the kabbalist published a circular in Yiddish and
English announcing the opening of the Wisdom of Kabbalah Institute, which
would offer lessons on Jewish esoteric wisdom on a regular basis.49 In the Yiddish
section, Krakovsky quotes extensively from Bnai Yisaschar (the Sons of Issachar),
a book by Tzvi Elimelech Shapira of Dynów, a nineteenth-century Hasidic rebbe.
Shapira’s work indeed refers to spreading kabbalah to the masses, but draws a
clear distinction between the learned and simple folk.50 Likewise, Krakovsky
designates his yeshiva for ‘all sincere, observant Jews seeking enlightenment in
the secret mysteries of Torah’. Tis criterion would be stressed in all the booklets
that he printed from that point on. In this respect, he adhered to the ethnocentric
kabbalistic tradition, which is a far cry from the approaches taken by some of
Ashlag’s present-day ‘followers’.51 It also stands to reason that, as in his mentor’s
yeshiva in Jerusalem, Krakovsky delivered his lessons in Yiddish—not Hebrew
46) Krakovsky, If Eventually—Why Not Now? Yiddish section, 2. In the English section (2),
he notes that the concordance is a mere four volumes long.
47) Te Krakovsky family has preserved a bundle of recommendations from various figures,
including Joshua Bloch of the New York Public Library (1945), Wolfson from Harvard Uni-
versity (1946), Erwin Gudnau of Yale (1946), and del Solla (1957).
48) In all likelihood, Krakovsky also gave private Hebrew lessons and edited a couple of pam-
phlets on learning this language during these years. See Golub, ‘Mimeographed and Pamphlet
Literature’, 181.
49) Krakovsky, Yeshivat Chochmat ha-Kabbalah. Te lessons were given free of charge, at the
author’s Brooklyn home.

50) Te citation from Bnei Yisaschar was summarized into English: “Teach the wisdom of
Kabbalah to the folk.” Te original is slightly different; see Shapira, Bnei Yisaschar, 93a.
51) See Wolfson, Venturing Beyond, 17–128.
or English. Tere is no other information on Krakovsky’s academy, the number of

students included. However, we do know that he continued to translate various
texts and release pamphlets bearing the seminary’s imprint. In 1943, Krakovsky
began to reprint Ashlag’s tour de force, Talmud Eser haSefirot (the Talmud of the
Ten Spheres).52
During this period, Krakovsky also distributed an eight-page leaflet. Similar to
his earlier marketing campaigns, this document touts his closeted works, such as
Luzzatto’s book (listed at 450 pages therein). Moreover, he describes one of his
own popular works, the 175-page Kabbalah: Te Light of Torah, as ‘An original
and popular exposition by the author of some vital Kabbalistic topics’.
Yet another English pamphlet from this time is provocatively titled Israel’s
Survival in Kabbalah (1944). Besides his usual medley of panegyrics to Jewish
esoteric wisdom, Krakovsky admonishes those who refrain from learning kab-
balah.53 Furthermore, he alludes to the events of the Holocaust and the respon-
sibility thrust on every Jew’s shoulders in these trying times. He concludes his
words with a resounding plea:
Open the doors of all houses of learning for the holy Kabbalah! Its study will invoke
heavenly aid. Te voice of Jacob sounding the truths of Kabbalah will chain the beastly
enemy. Te fetters of our exile will be torn asunder and we shall finally triumph over
all our adversaries. Israel, rise! Rescue the remnant of your people! Be not the cause of
your own calamities and downfall. Do not hinder the advent of your redeemer. Heed the
words of your last prophet Malachi to ‘remember the Torah of Moses’. For only the study
of Kabbalah, which is knowledge of God’s will, draws knowledge from heaven which is
your redemption. ‘For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea’ (Isaiah 11:9).54
Krakovsky assumes a slightly more restrained tone in Aseh Tov (Do Good)
[1940–1950?], a small Hebrew pamphlet that he printed during this period.55
Te text opens with the following words: ‘I am hereby turning with this meager
work to the entire community of Israel in the Land [of Israel] and the exile, for
I wish to arouse the attention of the whole nation’. Te entire purpose of this
52) An unabridged version of Talmud Eser haSefirot was printed in Jerusalem between the
years 1939–1940, whereupon Krakovsky laboured on its English translation. Ashlag, Talmud
Eser Hasefirot. Also see ‘Contemporaneous Literature’, 262: ‘Kabbalah has moved to Brooklyn
and its devotees have begun printing, their first effort being Talmud Eser Hasefirot of the Ari’.
An advertisement appeared in the Yiddish press: ‘Der Yidicher und Hebreischer Literature’,
459.
53) Krakovsky, Israel’s Survival in Kabbalah.
54) Ibid., 7–8.
55) Krakovsky, Aseh Tov. Judging by the print, this pamphlet came out in the 1940s or 1950s.
communication was to goad the Jewish people into embracing the kabbalah as a
countermeasure against the trials lurking on the horizon.
Te Shelved Translation of Luzzatto’s Primer

Krakovsky’s aforementioned rendering of Luzzatto’s Klalai Hokhmat haEmet
was set to print in the 1940s, but he never managed to get it published. In the
hopes of soliciting support for its publication, the translator circulated a pam-
phlet with a sample of his work, Luzzatto’s introduction, and his own prologue.56
Tis text also cites from numerous haskamot that he garnered for this project.57
As indicated therein, Krakovsky was also interested in printing a bilingual edi-
tion of this book. (Years later, Philip Berg published his own translation of Klalai
Hokhmat haEmet. Even if Berg made some use of his colleague’s manuscript,
a comparison between the two versions demonstrates that they are not identi-
cal.) Of particular interest is Krakovsky’s prologue in which he harnessed current
events to his vision of spreading the kabbalah:
Te hope that, through the means of scientific discovery, man would reach his fulfill-
ment, has utterly failed. Giant strides have been made in external knowledge, during
the past fify years. Scientific inventions have contributed greatly to the improvement
of man’s physical welfare, but spiritually there has been regress rather than progress. Te
present total war, in which all humanity is involved, is evidence enough of this. Man’s
true salvation lies in his unfoldment of spirit.58
From Krakovsky’s standpoint, the redemption can only be brought to fruition

via the kabbalah, which is the solution for every problem. In this context, he had
no compunctions about quoting at length from Albert Pike’s laudatory words on
Jewish esoteric wisdom. For example, he cites from the jurist’s thoughts on the
kabbalah’s impact on visionaries, dreamers, and Freemasons: ‘Everything scien-
tific and grand in the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Boehme, Swe-
denborg … and others, is borrowed from the Kabbalah; all the Masonic associa-
tions owe to it their secrets and their symbols’.59 In so doing, Krakovsky rehashes
56) Krakovsky, General Principles of Kabbalah. Te Hebrew title—Klalei Hokhmat haEmet—

was placed at the top of the cover page.
57) Krakovsky, If Eventually, 2; idem, Israel’s Survival, 1. See also Krakovsky, ‘Haskamot’
(MS).
58) Ibid., II.
59) Ibid., II–III. In this citation, Krakovsky omitted the name of Louis-Claude de Saint-
Martin. He dubs Pike (1809–1891) the ‘eminent Masonic authority’ and quotes extensively
from his book: Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freema-
sonry, 625, 744, 745. Pike imbibed the foundations of his own outlook on the kabbalah from
an earlier claim that the kabbalah is the source of all occult bodies of knowledge.
Nevertheless, this text is directed at a Jewish audience. “Behold”, he seems to be
saying, “even non-Jewish intellectuals recognize the value of the kabbalah. So
how can we Jews abandon it”?
Tese same ideas also turn up in a promotional sheet that he sent, along with
a sample from his translation, to potential supporters.60 Tis pamphlet describes
Krakovsky’s worldview in straightforward manner:
Tis is the age when Israel must rouse themselves from their complacency and embrace
the Secret Mysteries of Torah contained in the Zohar and in the Wisdom of the Kab-
balah. It is stressed in the Zohar that Israel’s survival and redemption hinge upon their
labor in the Secret Mysteries of Torah. Te inner Hebrew spiritual Wisdom … should
forthwith become a paramount subject of study by all students of Torah. It is imper-
ative that Israel promote the teachings of the Secret Mysteries of Torah by publishing
works on the Kabbalah in English; for it will open up and pinpoint unbelievable vistas
of spiritual worlds, bringing peace and content for man on earth.61
While calling for this corpus to be translated into English, Krakovsky limits his
student base to yeshiva-educated Orthodox Jews. Nonetheless, the idea of grad-
ual dissemination is latent herein. Similar to other works he penned, Krakovsky
cites non-Jews in order to demonstrate that the light is embedded inside the
kabbalah. For instance, he quotes at length from the effusive praise thereof by
Epiphanius Wilson (1845–1916), a scholar of Asian occult wisdom.62 Krakovsky
reaches the conclusion that the Jews must return to their esoteric lore, as this is
the sole path for earning the admiration of the nations and thus shining the light
back on Judaism.
Translations and Primers

In the 1940s and 1950s, Krakovsky toiled on a series of kabbalah translations
(especially the writings of Ashlag) and a few of his own comprehensive primers,
most of which remained in manuscript form. Years afer, some of these works
were stencilled and circulated, perhaps to those few students that the anonymous
kabbalist managed to attract.
Eliphas Levi; see Hanegraaff, ‘Occultist Kabbalah’, 645; Uzzel, Te Kabbalistic thought of
Éliphas Lévi, 84–119.
60) Krakovsky, Open Tou Mine Eyes (MS).
61) Ibid.
62) Krakovsky provides a lengthy excerpt from Wilson’s introduction to Barclay and MacGre-
gor, Hebrew Literature.

Ashlag’s texts reached Krakovsky soon afer being published in Jerusalem, and
the latter immediately got cracking on rendering them into English. Unprinted
during his lifetime, these translations are now stored in various places as type-
written copies—the same format in which they were distributed. Among these
works is Te Vessel for Spiritual Light,63 which is basically an English version of
Ashlag’s Hakdama leʾPtikhat Hokhmat haKabbalah (Introduction to the Wis-
dom of the Kabbalah), a book that was initially copied on a stencil machine in
Jerusalem in 1943. Another work is Kabbalah: Dialogue Between God and the
Hebrew Alphabet. Tis text, which is part translation and part adaptation of a
section of Sefer haZohar’s introduction, and a commentary by Ashlag, mainly
examines the kabbalistic significance of the Hebrew alphabet.64 Likewise, Eli-
jah the Prophet’s Eulogy to ‘the Supreme Being’ includes a translation of Petakh
Eliyahu (the introduction of the Zohar) and an explanation thereof in the Ashla-
gian spirit.65 Tough unpublished, Krakovsky’s Te Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi
Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’—a translation of the beginning of his mentor’s Tal-
mud Eser haSefirot—enjoyed a comparatively wider distribution.66 Produced in
the form of typewritten copies, it is indeed available at many libraries across the
continent. As we shall see, the work’s relative popularity stems from the relation-
ship that Krakovsky formed with one Philip Berg in the mid-1960s.
While labouring on these translations, Krakovsky also found the time to write
his own Ashlagesque summaries of the kabbalah literature. In 1950, a quasi-
introduction or synopsis of Krakovsky’s own gospel, titled Kabbalah: Te Light
of Redemption, came out under the imprint of the Brooklyn-based Kabbalah
Foundation.67 Most of this book is dedicated to explaining Lurian and Ashla-
gian thought. However, Krakovsky does not explicitly refer to his mentor by
name. Once again, the objective is to lure Jews back to the kabbalah. Tis partic-
ular work has become an of-cited source even outside the research community,
netting multiple print runs in recent years. Tat said, the criticism (including
63) Krakovsky, Te Vessel for Spiritual Light (MS). He does not expressly indicate that this
book is a translation of one of Ashlag’s works. Te Hebrew original was affixed to the first
volume of Perush haSulam, a commentary on the Zohar that was written in 1945.
64) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: Dialogue Between God and the Hebrew Alphabet (MS). Tere is
a different title on the inner page of this typewritten book: ‘Preface to the Zohar by Simon
Bar Yochai, With the Great Commentary (Te Ladder) by Rabbi Yehuda L. Ashlag’. Afer
Krakovsky’s passing, his son Abraham distributed photocopies of the work.
65) Krakovsky, Elijah Te Prophet’s Eulogy (MS). Te book was typewritten.
66) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’ (MS). Te book was
typewritten; see note 106. As per the cover, the book was translated back in 1942.
67) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption.
a review by Gershom Scholem) was not particularly flattering.68 Yet Krakovsky

could take solace in the letters of support from acquaintances like Leo Jung (who
had backed the kabbalist since at least the 1930s).69
In parallel, Krakovsky released a four-page English pamphlet comprised of
short explanations on the kabbalistic spheres, holy names, and the importance of
spreading ‘the holiness and light’.70 Tis document stands out for its illustration
of a kabbalistic tree. In all likelihood, this tract was intended to market his book
Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption and reel in new sponsors. Krakovsky’s success
in getting this work to print encouraged him to initiate a fundraising drive for his
other manuscripts. As soon as the book came off the press, he circulated a letter
containing elaborate, prophet-like exhortations on the need to study kabbalah
and render it into English. Not only did Krakovsky believe that a return to ‘this
wisdom’ would have a personal impact on the life of its newfound adherents, but
would also have broader ramifications ‘for all mankind’.71
A similar outpouring informs a special ‘receipt’ that he concomitantly printed
for all those pre-ordering his yet-to-be-published Man: Te Goal of Creation,
What Does the L-d Require of Him? Te text of this receipt promises prophetic
wonders to whoever buys five copies of the book.72 Te author’s robust marketing
effort notwithstanding, the book remains in manuscript form to this day.73
In Man: Te Goal of Creation, Krakovsky stresses the importance of translating
kabbalah texts into English. Moreover, it constitutes a sort of systematic intro-
duction to various issues in Jewish esoteric knowledge. According to the author,
the resistance of both rabbis and academic scholars to the kabbalah (since the
days of the Wissenschaf des Judentums) can be attributed to a lack of teachers
and books.74 Put differently, by virtue of the endeavours of Ashlag in the Land
of Israel and Krakovsky in the United States, the time was ripe for a revival of
68) An anonymous reviewer described the book thus: ‘Te Brooklyn kabbalists have become
vocal or perhaps literate, through Te Kabbalah by Levi Isaac Krakovsky … an exposition,
uncritical and unphilosophical of esoteric dogma’. Central Conference, 408. In another publi-
cation, the book was summarized in a single sentence: ‘An essay on the origin of the Kabbalah
and the important place it must have in Jewish theology’. Jewish Book Annual, 6. For a more
positive reaction, see Schachter, ‘Some Recent Mystical Literature’, 278. Gershom Scholem’s
review is discussed in the vicinity of note 100.
69) Jung, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’, 1950 (MS).
70) Krakovsky, Spiritual Knowledge is the True Paradise.
71) Krakovsky, ‘Letter’ 1950 (MS). According to this document, Kabbalah: Te Light of
Redemption came out at approximately the same time.

72) Krakovsky, A Voice fom Heaven is Calling Israel. Te address therein is in Brooklyn.
73) Krakovsky, Man: Te Goal of Creation (MS).
74) Ibid., 159–160. Krakovsky is alluding to Heinrich Graetz’s remarks on kabbalah.
Jewish occult wisdom. He produced several other manuscripts on similar topics

for the purpose of insinuating the kabbalah into the ken of those studying Torah
in North America, all of whom were concentrating entirely on the written tradi-
tions. In light of the above, Krakovsky saw every book that he wrote as another
step towards the redemption.
Key to Paradise
Another of Krakovsky’s closeted works was Key to Paradise, a 220-page book that
he completed in 1953.75 Although not expressly mentioned even once, Ashlag’s
spirit hovers over each and every line. Here too, Krakovsky stresses the impor-
tance of the kabbalah, but the crux of this work is a mellifluous and straightfor-
ward adaptation of Lurian and Ashlagian concepts (it perhaps contains a trace
of the lost concordance). At one point, the author brings up his teacher’s inter-
pretive enterprise, which he considers a gateway to a new age:
Tis revival of the Wisdom of Kabbalah can be witnessed. First, by the fact that a vast
number of publications and commentaries on the Kabbalah works have been published
in Israel within the last two decades. Second, by the vehement pursuit of the Kabbalah
in Israel, which has currently painted a surge of emotion and momentum that is unpar-
alleled in Jewish History.76
Krakovsky penned a similar, unpublished book—Te Secret Light of the Torah.

Following a simple introduction to basic kabbalistic concepts,77 the author
responds to the events of the hour in an apocalyptic tone. He paints a morbid
picture of the ‘nuclear science’ age in which impressive technological advances
are coupled with spiritual atrophy. Amid the progress in exoteric fields, there is
an urgent need for exposing the kabbalah and releasing dormant ‘mystical forces’.
Eschewing its revelation at this hour, Krakovsky claims, will inevitably lead to
a global ‘atomic war’.78 Ashlag was simultaneously expressing similar ideas in
Israel, such as his plans for an ‘altruistic communism’.79 Against this backdrop,
Krakovsky excoriated ‘the Jewish spiritual leadership in America’ for not doing
enough to disseminate the kabbalah and for trying to distort Judaism:
75) Krakovsky, Key to Paradise (MS). A footnote referring to a book printed in 1950 suggests
that he attempted to publish Keys to Paradise; Ibid., 167.
76) Ibid., 14–15. Also see ibid., 156–157.
77) Krakovsky, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS). A glossary of kabbalistic terms was ap-
pended to this book.

78) Ibid., V–VII.
79) Ashlag, ‘Writings for the last Generation’, 815, 820.
Israel’s contemporary spiritual leaders are doctoring the Torah with modern science and
are dispensing secular concoctions. Tey are diluting the Torah with ‘Philosophy’ and,
even at the university level, they have swelled up the Torah curriculum with secular
education.80
Tis state of affairs, in his estimation, is delaying the fulfilment of the prophets’
vision and exacerbating the destruction that is already underway. However, the
writer believes that a model for spurring on the coveted change can be found in
the exegetical enterprise of his unmentioned teacher.81 Krakovsky then sums up
his polemical argument:
It is mandatory that Israel be armed with the spiritual weapon that alone has the power
to effect their redemption. Schools where the teachings of the Zohar and the Kabbalah
can be promoted must be established and become a living force all over the world. Te
secret mysteries of Torah are the divine indwelling fire of the Torah that will draw the
supernatural down to earth. It is incumbent upon Israel to take the initiative of laboring
in the living waters found in the Zohar and the Kabbalah. Tis service to G-d will render
Israel worthy of having G-d respond to them with the secret light of redemption from
above.82
Tese and similar claims, which are sprinkled throughout the pages of this book,
reflect Krakovsky’s ardent desire to spread the kabbalah as an immediate solution
to all the world’s problems. In other words, he aspired to import the ‘reawak-
ening’ that he had witnessed in Jerusalem to the United States and beyond. As
noted in another unpublished work, Te Way Tat Leads to Belief in God and the
Knowledge of Him,83 the profusion of Talmud academies that Krakovsky fore-
sees in New York does not fill him with hope, for the students are concentrating
exclusively on the Torah’s body (the peshat) and forsaking its soul (the kabbalah).
Te Torah, he adds, is encased in shells that must be broken.84 If this were not
enough, Krakovsky claims that afer 2000 years of walking in the dark, Amer-
ican Jewry is helping impede the fulfilment of the prophecies.85 Te kabbalist
then divides the Torah-studying population in the United States into two groups,
both of which incur his wrath: those who occupy themselves exclusively with
the revealed; and those who merge the Torah with philosophy. At this point, the
book rehashes many of the same themes that we have encountered throughout
80) Krakovsky, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS), 2.

81) Ibid., 36.
82) Ibid., 37.
83) Krakovsky, Te Way Tat Leads to Belief in God and Te Knowledge of Him (MS).
84) Ibid., 1–2. Krakovsky adds that occupying oneself with Halacha, Talmud, and pilpul (in-
tensive scrutiny of texts) strengthen the shells and weaken man; ibid., 25, 80–81.
85) Ibid., 2.
his oeuvre.86 Te same can be said for another of Krakovsky’s works, Te Indwell-
ing Fire of the Torah.87 While the main topics of this book are kabbalistic mid-
rashes on the Hebrew letters and sundry attempts to prod his readers into action,
he also stresses that Jewry’s salvation depends on translating kabbalah books
into English and disseminating the principles of Jewish mysticism via English-
speaking channels.88
Te End of the Days

One of Krakovsky’s most riveting, shelved works is Te Dawning Light, a book
consisting of over 300 pages.89 Written in 1956, this work introduces readers
to Jewish esoteric wisdom. More specifically, it surveys elements of the corpus,
explains kabbalistic ideas, discusses the Jewish people’s mission and the virtue
of the Torah, and clamours for a return to Jewish occult literature. Te work
commences with the following dramatic call to action:
I have entitled [sic] this work “Te Dawning Light” because its subject matter is perti-
nent to our time, in which humanity is witnessing its darkest hours … [Te] world is on
the threshold of a great upheaval, which is due to come just before the disclosure of the
dawning light. However, the thick clouds that hover over mankind will, at that time, be
expelled; and the spiritual light, in turn, will permeate the universe. In these ominous
times, when man has been overtaken by fear of nuclear warfare, he must not let himself
sink into despair but rather labor in dispelling the gross darkness to make it possible for
the dawning light to manifest and dissipate the contaminated air of the evil spirit that
holds in its clutches the hearts and minds of man …. A third World War, however, would
amount to mutual annihilation. Consequently, in order to ward off this total destruction
of the human race, it is imperative for man to merit the greatest weapon of all. It is the
source of all creation, to wit: the spirit of G-d.90
Despite the grave importance that he places on his endeavour, Krakovsky once
again limits the study of kabbalah to yeshiva students that are already well-versed
in the Talmudic literature.91 If the Jews shun the kabbalah, ‘another tragedy will
befall’ us.92 In short, Krakovsky is merely calling for the establishment of small
86) Although Krakovsky does not refer to his mentor by name, he extolls Ashlag’s recent
commentary on the Zohar; ibid, 33.
87) Krakovsky, Te Indwelling Fire of the Torah (MS).
88) Ibid., 2.
89) Krakovsky, Te Dawning Light (MS). Tis manuscript and the letters pertaining to Kra-
kovsky’s efforts to publish Te Dawning Light are in his family’s possession.

90) Ibid., I–II.
91) Ibid., 17–20, 29, 34.
92) Ibid., 34–35.
groups of young Talmud scholars that will herald or engender this turnaround.
Te book itself seems to be targeting these same people who, much to the author’s
chagrin, fail to heed his call.
At the very outset of Te Dawning Light, Krakovsky expounds on the Jews’
role in the final stages of the redemption: ‘Te disclosure of the new light upon
Zion, which will completely redeem Israel and the Land from their enemies,
essentially depends upon Israel’s labor in the secret mysteries of Torah hidden in
the Zohar and the Kabbalah’. In this context, he heaps praise on Ashlag’s recent
book: ‘Te new explanations … are the chariot for the light and also the harbinger
proclaiming the redemption of Israel’.93 Following in his mentor’s footsteps, he
then discusses the Land of Israel’s political and spiritual ‘liberation’.94
While to this point Krakovsky pinned the fate of the world on the deeds of
mankind, in Te Dawning Light he succumbs to the temptation of calculating
the apocalypse: ‘Te emendation of the world and man will take place at about
the Hebrew year five thousand seven hundred and sixty [2000]’.95 A special chap-
ter of this book is indeed dedicated to the redemption and the subsequent res-
urrection of the dead.96 He also predicts, albeit with qualification, the year in
which the messiah’s identity will come to light: ‘From this our present Hebrew
year five thousand seven hundred and sixteen [1956] until the Hebrew year five
thousand seven hundred and twenty [1960], his coming, as the writings of the
ancient sages of the Kabbalah reveal, is probable’.97 Given the ostensible proxim-
ity of this event, his readers are entreated to waste no time in repenting and to
prepare themselves for the imminent arrival of the anointed one.
While these sort of calculations were prevalent in other kabbalists’ works, their
inclusion in one of Krakovsky’s propaganda-oriented treatises raises eyebrows. It
is conceivable that he was influenced by the predictions that were bandied about
by Lubavitch Hasids who lived in his neighbourhood. Like other end-of-time
prognosticators, Krakovsky felt no need to justify what he had written once the
date had come and gone. From his perspective, these sort of forecasts merely
expressed the possibility of an immediate redemption and of mankind’s latent
potential to expedite this fateful event by means of purification, sanctification,
and embracing the occult.
93) Ibid., 1. As was his custom, Krakovsky neither mentions Ashlag nor enumerates his works
by name. Tis book also discusses haSulam (the Ladder), his rabbi’s commentary on Te
Zohar; ibid., 16.
94) Ibid., 2–3.
95) Ibid., 39.
96) Ibid., 152–154, 161–165.
97) Ibid., 162–163.
Te Dawning Light is among the few closeted works for which there is evi-
dence that Krakovsky actively sought a publisher: Te Pageant Press was indeed
willing to print it, but apparently there was a disagreement over the terms of the
deal. As a result, the manuscript was put on the backburner.98 Krakovsky only
published one work during this period, Tzadik Yisod Olam [Righteous is the
foundation of the world] (1961). Surprisingly, this book is a compendium of kab-
balistic sources by other authors, rather than one of the works that he had toiled
over for years.99 Te book is apparently the fruit of private kabbalah lessons that
the author gave, as he drew on the kind of texts featured therein for his lectures.
In fact, the lion’s share of Krakovsky’s own gospel would remain buried in works
that remained in manuscript form throughout the rest of his lifetime.
Gershom Scholem and Kabbalah in America

In 1953, Gershom Scholem saw fit to pen a short review of Krakovsky’s Kab-
balah: Te Light of Redemption (1950), which he defined as a sort of ‘kabbalis-
tic propaganda’. Tis critique could have easily been directed at the later works
of Philip Berg’s Kabbalah Centre. According to Scholem, this book features a
modern, Ashlagian adaptation of Lurianic thought. Given its supernatural bent,
he warned, the book should be read with caution, if at all.100 In a letter to a stu-
dent (Sara Ora Heller Wilensky) in the United States, the distinguished profes-
sor urged her to get other pamphlets and booklets by that same anonymous rabbi.
Tough Scholem admitted that he did not think too highly of these writings, he
wanted to complete his vast collection of kabbalah-related material.101 All told,
even afer receiving word of the so-called kabbalists in California (most of whom
98) Richards, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS).

99) Krakovsky, Tzadik Yesod Olam. Tis book revolves around a work by the same name.
While this text is attributed to HaARI, it is probably of Sabbatean origin, for it is adorned
with the words of kabbalists other than Luria.
100) Scholem, ‘Book Review’, 312.
101) To follow are select parts of the letter Scholem wrote to Heller Wilensky on July 19, 1951:
‘A month ago they sent me some rather large book of Rabbi Krakovsky on the kabbalah, for
the sake of reviewing it in Jewish Social Studies. However, I’m still looking for a booklet by the
name of Te Omnipotent Light Revealed, which came out in 1939 in Hollywood under some
fictitious publisher that has certainly not been in existence for quite some time and perhaps
by chance you will run into a copy of the booklet (about a hundred pages long) in Boston
… Another of the author’s booklets was stolen from me by a [female] tourist from America
who paid me a visit … Tat said, one can live in great comfort even without all this’. Heller
Wilensky, ‘Gershom Scholem’, 57. It bears noting that these pamphlets are missing from the
Scholem Collection to this day.
were connected to the Teosophical Society), Scholem viewed the developments

in North America as a mere historical anecdote or a bizarre expression of pseudo-
kabbalah or pseudo-research.
In 1948, Samuel L. Lewis, a Jewish Sufi writer from California, wrote a lengthy
letter to Scholem. Aside for showering unbridled praise on the scholar’s Major
Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941), the letter harbours precious insights on the
Teosophical Society. Te second edition of Scholem’s book, which came out in
New York several years earlier (1946), drew rave reviews from members of the
academe and also made waves in broad sectors of American society. Its report on
the remnants of old-school kabbalists in Jerusalem sparked Lewis’ desire to unite
all those—be they Jews, Christians, or Muslims—who see ‘the inner light’ for the
purpose of forging a shared ‘spirituality’ (Lewis would eventually be dubbed Sufi
Sam and christened the “founder” of the New Age). Scholem’s blatantly derisive
response is of great interest in several respects. With regard to the topic at hand,
the professor avers that no one will ever approach the level of mastery attained
by the inner circle of Jerusalem kabbalists. Moreover, he writes that Lewis’ survey
on the Teosophists is of no use to his own research.102
Tose same ‘kabbalists’ in California certainly felt a greater affinity for their
fellow countryman, Krakovsky, than the German-born professor. Even if the
principles of Krakovsky’s outlook were a far cry from their own worldviews, the
Teosophists surely found some consolation in the various hints in his earlier
writing as to the kabbalah’s universal relevance.
At the outset, Krakovsky indeed appealed to the public at large. However,
from the 1950s onward, his chief concern was to drum up interest among Jews,
which he saw as the first step in an inexorable change of global proportions. Dur-
ing his lifetime, there were several figures in North America who were promot-
ing Jewish esoteric wisdom (in Hebrew and/or Yiddish), by means of multifari-
ous, ofen whimsical approaches, such as Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg (1860–1936),
Benjamin Wolf Rosoff (1869–1957), and S.Z. Setzer (1876–1962). Unlike his
contemporaries, Krakovsky aspired to eventually bring the kabbalah to a much
larger audience. In the final estimate, he was more of a promoter of big ideas and
visions than an independent thinker seeking to renew a venerable tradition in his
own unique way.
102) ‘I must confess’, Scholem wrote, ‘that I have never been initiated into any esoteric circle,
and in interpreting Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism at all, I have been relying on my own
intuition and that measure of understanding which a careful analysis of difficult texts on a
philological basis may afford’. Lewis’ letter and Scholem’s response can be found in his Archive,
Lewis, ‘Letter’ (MS). Te scholar’s answer was also published in Scholem, Briefe, 5–6. At any
rate, his reply cannot be understood without Lewis’ letter, which has remained in manuscript
form.
Krakovsky, Yehuda Zvi Brandwein and the Initial Foray of Philip Berg
In all likelihood, Krakovsky’s name would have remained the preserve of a few
specialists on the annals of Jewish mysticism if not for the arrival of one Shraga
Feivel Gruberger, alias Philip Berg (b. 1929), onto the scene in the mid-1960s.
According to Te Kabbalah Centre’s records, the Brooklyn native was attracted
to the Ashlagian circles in Jerusalem. Tereafer, he became the student and sole
inheritor of Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein (1903–1969).103 Berg indeed spent a few
years under Brandwein’s wing and collaborated with him on fundraising and an
assortment of logistical issues (e.g., moving Brandwein’s yeshiva to Jerusalem’s
Old City). During the 1960s, Berg and Krakovsky met in New York. Although
the latter taught his fellow kabbalist several facets of his own approach, Kra-
kovsky’s part in Berg’s rise was understated or entirely lef out of the Centre’s own
historical accounts.104 However, it appears that the impression he lef on Berg was
appreciably larger than most researchers believe. In fact, it was Krakovsky who set
the impresario on his new path: Berg’s ambitions of making the kabbalah acces-
sible to English speakers naturally led him to shake off the dust from Krakovsky’s
writings. Not only did he absorb Krakovsky’s teachings, but blurred his teacher’s
innovations in the process of integrating them into his own works. Tis unknown
episode, which was exposed by Jody Myers, indeed warrants a closer look, for it
is a key development in the ultimate acceptance of Krakovsky’s gospel.
An examination of the pertinent sources indicates that the first American
kabbalah organization Berg was involved in, Te National Institute for Research
in Kabbalah, was founded in July 1965, with substantial help from Krakovsky.105
In addition, the National Institute probably distributed stencilled copies of one
of Krakovsky’s English translations, which he completed back in 1942.106 Oddly
enough, there is not so much as a hint of Brandwein’s name or his involvement
in the society’s establishment in those same records. However, he is referred to as
the head of the National Institute in an advertisement that it subsequently ran.
What is more, this same text gives the impression that the association was merely
103) See Tidhar, Encyclopedia, vol. 14, 4491; Katai, ‘Construction Worker and Rabbi’, 413–
415; Gotlieb, Ha-Sulam, 456–459; Rabinowicz, Hasidism and the State of Israel, 193–194.
104) Meir, ‘Te Revealed and the Revealed within the Concealed’, 172–176.
105) For a discussion on this organization, see Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 30,
35. Te signatories on the declaration are Philip S. Gruberger, Harry Z. Wulliger, Jacob Flaks,
Levi I. Krakovsky, Eugene Semel, and Yehuda Nussbaum.
106) Krakovsky, Te Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’. While apparently
written or copied in 1942, it was only typed out and distributed twenty years later. Te outer
cover reads ‘Published and Distributed by National Institute for Research in Kabbalah, 147
Remsen st. [sic], Brooklyn, NY’. However, this organization was only founded in 1965.
a fundraising wing of Brandwein’s Kol Yehuda Yeshiva in Jerusalem, rather than

an independent research body. According to one of the books that the Institute
put out in 1965, the publisher is Kol Yehuda, the president is Berg, and the most
senior figure is Brandwein.107 On the other hand, Krakovsky and the rest of the
members were completely lef out.
During those same years, Brandwein edited Ashlag’s writings, continued his
rabbi’s interpretive enterprise on the omissions and amendments to the Zohar,
and reprinted an edition of Luria’s writings. Although a member of Israel’s insu-
lar Haredi community, Brandwein concomitantly served as a member of the Tel
Aviv Religious Council (a body that caters to all residents) and as a religious
director of the Executive Committee of the Workers Union.108 In press inter-
views, he accentuated the importance of Hasidic literature and life, as well as the
kabbalah, to the modern man.109 Similar ideas are expressed in one of his arti-
cles; stressing the importance of ‘renewed national education’ afer the founding
of the Jewish state, he talks about the need to ‘rekindle the ember that was with-
ering for what is now two thousand years’ and how vital religion (not kabbalah)
is to Israeli society.110
Krakovsky and Brandwein originally met back in the 1920s, when both were
frequenting Ashlag’s home in Jerusalem. Although there was mutual admiration
between the two, their relationship was not especially close.111 Brandwein was
uninterested in helping Krakovsky publish his English books within the frame-
work of Kol Yehuda and the National Institute, even though the latter was also
affiliated with both organizations.112
At any rate, Berg soon embarked on a new path. While he apparently split his
time between disseminating Jewish occult knowledge in North America and pro-
moting the yeshiva in Jerusalem, the focus was on the former. In 1968, Berg pub-
lished the following short advertisement for the National Institute in the classi-
107) Kordovero, Or Neerav.

108) Te collaboration between Brandwein and MaPAI (Hebrew acronym for Workers’ Party
of the Land of Israel) aroused some criticism in Haredi circles, an echo of which can be found
in the words of Vilner, Meetings with the Rabbi, 98–99. See also Sharett, Personal Diary, 2279;
Kapra, Minei Teiman, 272–276. In the late 1920s, Brandwein was involved in a short-lived
pioneering settlement near Jerusalem.
109) Shamir, ‘Is it Possible to Teach Hasidism’, 6–8; Lipschitz, Te Faith of a Hassid, pp. 37–40.
110) Brandwein, ‘Religion, Nation and the Workers Union’, 277–280.
111) Tere is reason to believe that they had a deeper relationship. Te two may have bonded
during a short trip that Krakovsky presumably made to the Land of Israel in 1947; see Myers,
Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 29–30.
112) Brandwein alluded to the connection between these organizations in several of his letters;
Berg, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, vol. 3, 354, 355, 368.

fied section of the Saturday Review: ‘Searching for Truth? Read the Hebrew Kab-
balah in English’. Te advertisement, which includes a mail-order address, does
not reveal the name of the proffered book,113 but Berg was apparently marketing
Krakovsky’s works (especially Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption). Before long,
the Brooklynite had added other works to his distribution list. In 1969, he printed
Krakovsky’s translation of Talmud Eser haSefirot,114 and released a new edition
of Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption in 1970. Tat same year he published
Luzzatto’s Klalai Hokhmat haEmet, perhaps afer adapting Krakovsky’s trans-
lation.115 Berg’s allusions to Krakovsky perhaps betray the connection between
these two American kabbalists’ works. For instance, he wrote that Brandwein had
warned that ‘it’s not advised to be in contact with him’. Nevertheless, ‘I worked
together with that same student [of Ashlag] on a few translations into English’.
In the end, Berg was sued by Krakovsky’s son for plagiarism.116
In 1969, Berg circulated a letter outlining his activities:
Fantastic progress is being made in every direction … except that of the art of living in
harmony on earth—without rancor, conflict, and destruction. It is only through study
of the Kabbalah that this art can be reached …. Tis most holy of studies is not being
conducted within the most holy of cities, historic Old Jerusalem … Here [in New York]
our Center truly expands. Here our enlarged staff can prepare important manuscripts
for printing in Hebrew and English …. In these tumultuous times, the National Institute
regards it as its deep responsibility to contribute to [the] resolution of the upheaval …
to provide a personal guide for each one of us. Tus it has made available the very first
English textbook on the Kabbalah—intended for the beginner regardless of his Hebraic
or religious background.117
Te last work that Berg mentions is indeed one of Krakovsky’s books/transla-

tions, which the former published that same year.
Affixed to this letter was a brochure listing the National Institute’s book offer-
ings. Most of the list is comprised of kabbalah books in Hebrew, which Ashlag’s
113) Berg, ‘Advertisement’, 58.

114) Ashlag, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations. On the margins of his
copy, Gershom Scholem wrote that ‘a second edition with many changes and the addition of
an introduction by Philip Gruberger came out in 1972’.
115) Luzzatto, General Principles of the Kabbalah. In a later edition (1984), Berg was credited
with translating the work.

116) Berg, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, vol. 1, 53, 74–76. For a discussion on the legal proceedings, see
Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 52–53, 229–230. Afer their father’s passing in 1969,
Krakovsky’s sons distributed his translations and other works in stencil form. For example, his
son Avraham circulated texts in this format: Te Kabbalah: Dialogue Between G-d and the
Alphabet.
117) Berg, ‘Letter’ (MS), 61.
students had recently printed. In addition, Berg informs his readers that ‘It is our
hope and dream to produce all the Hebrew volumes in fine English editions for
a far greater readership. We wait for the aid of people of good will’.118
In parallel to Berg’s efforts in the United States, Avraham Brandwein and
Mordechai Sheinberger operated within the framework of the yeshiva in Jerusa-
lem. It is unclear when the rif between the American and Israeli branches tran-
spired, but at an early stage in their partnership Kol Yehuda released the begin-
ning of Krakovsky’s rendering of Talmud Eser haSefirot on its own. Tis edition
includes a new English introduction that emphasizes the criteria for those wish-
ing to delve into the occult.119
Berg resided in Israel from 1971 to 1981 and between 1983 and 1984. Trough-
out this period, he strengthened the Research Centre of Kabbalah, disseminated
his own books (from the late 1970s onwards), and gave lectures. In the 1980s, he
established a short-lived yeshiva in Tel Aviv by the name of Ohr Hozer leʾLimud
haNigleh veʾhaNistar (Returning Light for the Study of the Revealed and Con-
cealed). Within this framework, he circulated a few photo-copied editions of
kabbalistic works, including Krakovsky’s last book.120 Te real turnaround in
Berg’s career occurred years later, upon his return to the United States. Only at
this juncture did he extend the borders of the kabbalah in ways that surely did
not cross the mind of his early teachers.121
Conclusion
Krakovsky and Berg’s careers as promoters of Jewish esoteric wisdom got off to
similar starts. However, the developments in the Land of Israel and the United
States at the height of Berg’s career created an atmosphere that was more amena-
ble to the widespread dissemination of the kabbalah. Tat said, Berg deserves
118) Ibid.
119) Ashlag, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations. With the exception
of an English introduction with a different layout, which was written by Brandwein and
Sheinberger, the template is identical to Berg’s edition. From 1969 onwards, the rif between
Brandwein and Berg’s outfits was manifested in the different names that the two sides used
for their respective organizations. At this early stage, Berg was already using the odd name
‘Yeshivat Kol Yehuda Street’.
120) Te yeshiva’s name appears in the following books: Shaʾar ha-Gilgulim; Krakovsky,
Tzadik Yesod Olam; Shaʾar ha-Kavanot, with the commentary ‘Or Pashut’ by Yehuda Leib
Ashlag.
121) See, for example, the list of courses and Te Kabbalah Centre’s branches in the English
brochure that was affixed to the end of Ashlag, Sefer Matan Torah. According to this text,
centres were established in Tel Aviv, New York, Hollywood, Paris, and Mexico City. One of
the courses on offer was ‘Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and the Age of Aquarius’.
credit for introducing modifications that facilitated his effort to bring this lit-
erature to a wide range of “spiritual seekers”. In fact, the argument can be made
that he forged a new or post-modern version of Jewish occult knowledge, which
skyrocketed in the 1990s and commands attention to this very day.122 Te con-
nection between Ashlag’s doctrine and the works of Krakovsky and Berg still
demand a closer look. At any rate, Levi Isaac Krakovsky’s unsung and multi-
faceted role in the annals of the North American kabbalah revival promises to
shed considerable light on the far-reaching breakthrough that would transpire
several decades afer his passing.
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ARIES

ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268 brill.com/arie

Te Beginnings of Kabbalah in America:

In 1939, a booklet on the essence of Jewish occult wisdom, Te Omnipotent Light

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/15700593-13130204

Te Kabbalah Culture Society

at my disposal by Jody Myers.

idem, ‘New Discoveries’, 345–368.

Revealing Secrets and Disseminating Propaganda

life’.14 According to Krakovsky, he published this leaﬂet in the hopes of raising

would place a greater emphasis on this distinction. Accordingly, the concordance

Te kabbalistic idea of tzimtzum infuses Krakovsky with a powerful sense of

At this point, Krakovsky raises the banner of his translation project:

Krakovsky concludes by imploring his audience to launch this venture at once.

students. In the summer of 1939, Lemberger summarized a conversation that

In the Ticket of Reviews

34) Lemberger, Hashem Shamati Shimecha, vol. 3, 119.

Once again, Krakovsky refers to the never-to-be-published concordance. In fact,

ﬁrst of an intended series of books dealing in a comprehensive manner with Kabbalistic

While lacking in intellectual ingenuity and comprised entirely of general sum-

Review: ‘Rabbi Krakovsky is a pupil of the famous Palestinian Kabbalist, Jehuda

A Kabbalah Academy in America

sources; Dresner, Te Zaddik, 20.

author’s Brooklyn home.

or English. Tere is no other information on Krakovsky’s academy, the number of

Te Shelved Translation of Luzzatto’s Primer

From Krakovsky’s standpoint, the redemption can only be brought to fruition

56) Krakovsky, General Principles of Kabbalah. Te Hebrew title—Klalei Hokhmat haEmet—

Translations and Primers

gor, Hebrew Literature.

a review by Gershom Scholem) was not particularly ﬂattering.68 Yet Krakovsky

Redemption came out at approximately the same time.

Jewish occult wisdom. He produced several other manuscripts on similar topics

Krakovsky penned a similar, unpublished book—Te Secret Light of the Torah.

pended to this book.

80) Krakovsky, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS), 2.

Te End of the Days

kovsky’s eﬀorts to publish Te Dawning Light are in his family’s possession.

Gershom Scholem and Kabbalah in America

98) Richards, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS).

were connected to the Teosophical Society), Scholem viewed the developments

a fundraising wing of Brandwein’s Kol Yehuda Yeshiva in Jerusalem, rather than

107) Kordovero, Or Neerav.

Berg, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, vol. 3, 354, 355, 368.

Te last work that Berg mentions is indeed one of Krakovsky’s books/transla-

113) Berg, ‘Advertisement’, 58.

with translating the work.

——, Israel’s Survival in Kabbalah, Brooklyn: Levi I. Krakovsky [1944?].

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