Mordechai Gafni, Mark Gafni, Mordechai Winiarz, Mordechai Winyarz
Occupation(s)
Philosopher, writer
Spouse
Chaya[2]
(m. 1998; div. 2004)
[3]
Children
3[1]
Academic background
Education
Queens College, Oxford University
Alma mater
Oxford University
Thesis
The Theology of Acosmic Humanism: Mordechai Lainer of Izbica (2006)
Academic work
Discipline
Theology, Religious Studies
Sub-discipline
New Age spirituality
Institutions
Center for Integral Wisdom
Website
www.marcgafni.com
Marc Gafni (born Marc Winiarz; 1960) is an American philosopher, writer, and former rabbi who became a New Age spiritual teacher with a focus on integral theory, eros, and "outrageous love".[1][4][5][6][7] He is the president of the Center for Integral Wisdom, which he co-founded with Ken Wilber, and he is the co-founder and co-president of the Office for the Future.[8][9] He is the author of Radical Kabbalah and Your Unique Self: The Radical Path to Personal Enlightenment,[10] which won USA Book News Awards in 2012.[11]
Gafni's teachings, often described as integral or world spirituality, aimed to transcend traditional religious boundaries and offer a modern, inclusive approach to spiritual practice. In the late 1990s, Gafni made a significant impact in Israel by founding the Bayit Hadash spiritual center in Jaffa and hosting a popular television program, Tahat Gafno, on Israel's Channel 2.[5][12] His work during this period was characterized by a blend of traditional Jewish teachings with contemporary spiritual themes, appealing to a diverse audience seeking a deeper connection to spirituality outside conventional religious frameworks. Gafni's 2003 book, Mystery of Love, further established his reputation as a provocative thinker on the subjects of eros, sexuality, and relationships.
However, Gafni's career has been marred by serious allegations of sexual misconduct.[4][5][6][7][13] In 2004, he faced accusations of sexual assault during the 1980s from two women who were teenagers at the time. Despite Gafni's denials and attempts to frame the relationships as consensual,[14][15] the allegations led to significant fallout, including the return of his rabbinical ordination to Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.[4] More allegations emerged in 2006 from attendees of the Bayit Hadash center, resulting in its closure[16] and further tarnishing Gafni's reputation.[17][18][19][20] In 2016, further fallout was triggered in part by an article in The New York Times.[5][21][22]
In recent years, Gafni has continued to be a polarizing figure. He co-founded the Center for World Spirituality, later the Center for Integral Wisdom, with support from prominent figures like Ken Wilber and John Mackey. Despite ongoing allegations and public disavowals from former supporters, Gafni has persisted in his spiritual and philosophical work, publishing books such as Radical Kabbalah and A Return to Eros.
^ abLivneh, Neri (March 4, 2004). "Post-Orthodoxy Journey". Haaretz. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Cite error: The named reference Hubbard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Chaya-2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abcRosenblatt, Gary (September 24, 2004). "The Re-Invented Rabbi". Between the Lines. The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on September 25, 2004. Retrieved January 11, 2008. Alt URL
^ abcdOppenheimer, Marc (December 25, 2015). "A Spiritual Leader Gains Stature, Trailed by a Troubled Past". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
^ abFriedman, Gabe (December 29, 2015). "4 quotes by ex-Orthodox rabbi Marc Gafni not in The NY Times article". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
^ abJTA (December 31, 2015). "US Jewish group spurns ex-rabbi over his sexual behavior". The Times of Israel. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
^Cite error: The named reference Matousek-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Ellsberg, Michael (January 12, 2014). "John Mackey, Co-CEO of Whole Foods, and Marc Gafni on 'The Unique Self of Business'". Forbes. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference Stein-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference USABook2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"The Gafni Show: Tachat Gafno". IMDB. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
^Chang, Sophia (March 5, 2020). "Influential New Age Guru Sued Over Allegations He Molested Child While At Yeshiva University". Gothamist. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference Gafni-2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Gafni, Marc (February 10, 2017). "NCFM Member Marc Gafni, Fake Facts: Unchecked Falsehoods that Destroy Lives". National Coalition for Men. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference Ner-David-2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Siegal-2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Raved-2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Ganihar-2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Singer-Heruti-2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Kustanowitz-2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Rosenblatt-2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
MarcGafni (born Marc Winiarz; 1960) is an American philosopher, writer, and former rabbi who became a New Age spiritual teacher with a focus on integral...
Gafni is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Adi Gafni, Israeli sprint canoer Isaiah Gafni (born 1944), Israeli historian MarcGafni (born...
attracted a lot of controversy from 2011 to the present day by supporting MarcGafni, who was accused of sexually assaulting a minor, on his blog. A petition...
Castaneda Deepak Chopra Paulo Coelho Benjamin Creme Marilyn Ferguson MarcGafni Gandalf Shakti Gawain Linda Goodman Alex Grey Michael Harner Andrew Harvey...
Montessori's theory and philosophy of education were influenced by the work of Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, Édouard Séguin, Friedrich Fröbel, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi...
Castaneda Deepak Chopra Paulo Coelho Benjamin Creme Marilyn Ferguson MarcGafni Gandalf Shakti Gawain Linda Goodman Alex Grey Michael Harner Andrew Harvey...
George Friedman Michel Friedman Justine Frischmann Diane von Fürstenberg MarcGafni Yoav Gallant Benny Gantz Herschel Garfein Mordechai Geldman Julius Genachowski...
Idealism" The Marriage of Sense and Soul (book review) Archived 2011-06-02 at the Wayback Machine "Unique Self Dialogue: Part 1, Ken Wilber & MarcGafni...
of denouncement against spiritual guru MarcGafni, in light of allegations of sexual misconduct against Gafni. Shir EP ("Song") (2008) Zeh ("This") (2009)...
Castaneda Deepak Chopra Paulo Coelho Benjamin Creme Marilyn Ferguson MarcGafni Gandalf Shakti Gawain Linda Goodman Alex Grey Michael Harner Andrew Harvey...
June 28, 2011. Hendrix, Harville; Hunt, Helen LaKelly; Galperin, Lori; Gafni, Marc. "Imago, Unique Self, & the Crying God". Center for Integral Wisdom....
Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020. Gafni, Matthias (August 24, 2018). "The woman behind the scenes who helped capture...
keeping his role invisible to the reader." Military Reporting Matthias Gafni Joe Garofoli Tal Kopan San Francisco Chronicle "for disclosing the Pentagon’s...
from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015. James Marc Leas, "Attack First, Kill First and Claim Self-Defense: Palestine Subcommittee...
Idea?", AMS Feature Column, American Mathematical Society Chow, Sam; Gafni, Ayla; Gafni, Paul (March 2021), "Connecting the dots: maximal polygons on a square...
winning". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2016. Halbfinger, David M.; Santora, Marc (17 February 2019). "Poland and Israel Try to Improve Ties, but History Intrudes"...
Mead Give Us the Earth Herbert Morgan A Voice Is Born: The Story of Niklos Gafni Ben Blake 1948 (21st) One-Reel Symphony of a City Edmund Reek Annie Was...
January Jones, Ingrid Michaelson September 29 Jerry O'Connell Morgan Freeman, Ramy Gafni September 30 Jerry O'Connell Mark Wahlberg, Priyanka Chopra...
most influential". TheMarker. "100 המשפיעים 2017". TheMarker. Schulman, Marc (6 March 2015). "Israeli Election: What Do Israeli Arabs Want?". Newsweek...
Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019. Gafni, Matthias (January 11, 2020). "Behind the blitz: Falun Gong practitioners...
Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2010. Marc Lynch (10 February 2010). "Arabs watching the Israeli elections". Foreign...