Four-week Jewpernatural course promises to clear up paranormal questions

Paranormal beliefs are rising fast. In 2016, 46 percent of Americans reported believing in ghosts, according to Chapman University. That figure has reached 57 percent, and since the pandemic, one in five Americans say they’ve personally met a ghost. And it’s not just ghosts. Topics like astrology, dream interpretation, and psychic abilities are rapidly becoming mainstream, according to a news release.

Although the resurgence of public interest in the paranormal is new, Rabbi Levi Raskin of Chabad Jewish Center of Rancho Santa Fe says there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Starting on Monday, May 1, he’s leading a four-week course from the Jewish Learning Institute titled Jewpernatural that unearths the Jewish perspective on dreams, astrology, spirits, and other enduring mysteries.

“The Jewish tradition has probed these issues for three millennia,” Raskin said in the news release. “These are legitimate questions that deserve meaningful and satisfying answers.”

For some, alternative beliefs provide comfort amid lonely and uncertain times. In one incident reported by Teen Vogue, Chicago resident Emily Jacobs said the ghost in her apartment “brings her comfort.”

“Even in the loneliest of times during the pandemic, especially living alone, I have a friend who checks in on me,” she said, according to the news release. Jewpernatural takes this into account.

Raskin says the new course will address the anxiety driving interest in the paranormal. “We won’t get bogged down in the spooky details,” he said in the news release, “and we can’t claim to provide absolute certainty. But we will discuss how we can find comfort and refocus our energy on what matters most.”

The trend toward the paranormal encompasses a broad spectrum of beliefs, including jinxes, demons, spirits, communicating with the deceased, and astrology. To satisfy this curiosity, Jewpernatural addresses everything from the role of angels and the efficacy of the “evil eye” to whether the stars have much to say about your future.

“We’re tackling a wide spectrum of ideas,” Raskin said in the news release, “but after preparing the materials, I’m confident we’ll be able to offer a thoughtful, satisfying, and relevant perspective rooted in authentic Jewish thought.” Register today at jewishrsf.com/jli

For more information, email info@ jewishrsf.com or call 858-756-7571.