Free Lectures on Jewish Mysticism Coming to Area Synagogues

Four lectures on Kaballah, a form of Jewish mysticism, will be offered from May 11-13 at various reform synagogues in Baltimore.

The Hoffberger Foundation's scholar-in-residence weekend, "From Kaballah to the Big Bang: Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Spirituality," will feature Daniel Matt.

Matt is a leading authority on Kaballah, according to a news release from the foundation.

The following events will be held with free admission:

Friday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. — Speaker and dinner at , 2905 Walnut Ave., Owings Mills. The lecture will be "Shekhinah: The Feminine Half of God." Call 410-654-9393 to RSVP.

Saturday, May 12, 11:30 a.m. — Shabbat Kiddush luncheon. , 7401 Park Heights Ave., Pikesville. The lecture will be "Raising the Sparks: Finding God in the Material World." Call 410-764-1587 for more information.

Saturday, May 12, 5:30 p.m. — Havdalah study. , 7313 Park Heights Ave., Pikesville. Lecture: "The Zohar: Masterpiece of Kabbalah." Call 410-358-0105 for more information.

Sunday, May 13, 9:30 a.m. — Breakfast at , 909 Berrymans Lane, Reisterstown. Lecture: "God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality." Call 410-526-3676 for more information.

Matt has more than 10 books, including "The Essential Kabbalah" (translated into seven languages), "Zohar: Annotated and Explained," and "God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality."

He is currently translating and annotating the Zohar. So far, he has completed seven volumes of "The Zohar: Pritzker Edition," covering more than two-thirds of the text, according to the release.

Matt has appeared in Time magazine as well as on National Public Radio and The History Channel. For 20 years, he served as professor at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., and has taught at Stanford University and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Matt lives in Berkeley.