Rabbi Dana Kaplan writes in his forthcoming book The Transformation of American Judaism:
According to Boteach, Kabbalah "argues for the spiritual supremacy of women over men, for feminine transcendence over masculine imminence, and feminine radiance over masculine expedience". He finds a deep disconnect between this esoteric wisdom and Madonna’s behavior over a long period. "Madonna has spent her career dishonoring women, portraying them as chunks of meat bereft of personalities or even souls. She set back the cause of female recording artists by a generation by showing, a full 50 years after the feminist revolution, that a woman cannot sell a record unless she takes off her bra."
One could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Boteach is simply jealous. He is, after all, the Orthodox rabbi who became famous because of his supposedly close friendship with Michael Jackson. Boteach himself now speaks of this friendship as "one of the great mistakes of my life". Yet, he was not above befriending a celebrity in need when it suited his purposes. He also used sex to sell his first popular book, Kosher Sex. While it is true that the book made the argument for monogamy and generally traditional sex roles, the very title of the book played upon the same sources of interest that Madonna and others take advantage of so effectively.
…Despite his criticisms, Boteach says that "the Kabbalah Centre deserves applause for having taken one of the most significant, yet ignored, disciplines of Judaism and bringing it to the thirsty masses." As a popular author who has published on the Kabbalah, Boteach agrees that this is "a singular and outstanding achievement." He also admits that much of the opposition to the Kabbalah Centre from the established Jewish community is animated by jealousy. The Centre has attracted tens of thousands of students and raised millions and millions of dollars focusing on a subject that was, until very recently, considered arcane and obtuse.
