The International Kabbalah Congress: A Celebration of Unity

"Connecting for Good" - The theme of the International Kabbalah Congress 2009

TEL AVIV - Over the past five years, the International Kabbalah Congress, hosted by Kabbalah International, has established itself as one of the world's most culturally diverse and awe-inspiring gatherings.

Not quite an arts festival, not quite a cultural extravaganza, not quite a social experiment, but something of all three, the 8th annual International Kabbalah Congress is a three-day celebration of human unity and a deep personal experience for every participant.

This year, it was held in the center of Tel Aviv's Exhibition Gardens - Ganey ha Ta'arucha. Despite the tension between Israel and its neighboring countries, and a growing uncertainty about the global financial situation, record numbers made the journey to the 2009 Congress. Many of the 6,000 participants who arrived from over 52 countries were first-timers attracted by past attendees' testimonials.

A Life Changing Experience?

Anyone who has been to a Kabbalah Congress will tell you that it is a most profound, life-changing experience. The program includes immensely engaging workshops, uplifting meal sessions, emotional and energetic cultural evenings, fun activities and games for children and adults, a variety of awe-inspiring music and dance performances by participants from all parts of the world, and enlightening Kabbalistic lessons with Rav Michael Laitman, PhD.

This winter, the 2009 International Kabbalah Congress took place at the largest exhibition ground in Israel, in the modern setting of Tel Aviv - Israel's largest metropolis, as it spread the warmth of mutual care and respect all throughout the region. For a few brief days, the makeshift village known as "Pavilion Number 10" became the warmest and most cordial place in the Middle East, or even the whole world. It was an event of magnificent diversity, a coming together of people of all ages and from all walks of life: celebrities, creative artists, engineers, road workers, dancers, white collar workers, students, musicians, stock-investors, school teachers, performers, tradesmen, writers, DJs, plumbers, academicians, politicians, designers - and the list goes on and on.

Not Your Regular Congress

But the International Kabbalah Congress was more than just a three-day spectacle. As Congress veterans are quick to point out, the Congress was marked by its special preparation, focus, and purpose. The aim of this event was to nurture the common point of human unity beyond all the differences that separate people - beyond languages, races, religions, educational achievements and occupational interests.

The Congress created a special environment that enabled its participants to realize the high potential that lies in the connection between people. Its primary aim was to invert the self-centered approach that lies at the base of human relationships and is opposite to the global nature of life in the 21st century. Since this opposition is what gave rise to the current financial, environmental, and educational crises, inverting our self-centered approach will alter the world's unpromising course and begin moving it toward tranquility, peace and prosperity.

In the midst of the raging global financial crisis, this Congress gave its participants a taste of the better world we all dream of and the practical tools to help us take our first steps as one united human family.

For many participants, the International Kabbalah Congress became a deeply transformational experience, one where they broke through their psychological barriers that separated them from others and discovered new ways of expression and communication.

The result was a multi-faceted event, playful and lively, but at the same time one that facilitated deep inner focus and personal growth.

This Congress gave everyone the chance to experience unprecedented unity among people and witness a mini-model of a new, better humanity.