Tom
Parnass

Tom Parnass is a PhD candidate specializing in Jewish thought, focusing on early modern Jewish intellectual history, particularly Kabbalah, the Jewish esoteric literature. He studies the development of Lurianic Kabbalah, a central form of modern Jewish mysticism that originated with Rabbi Isaac Luria. Tom explores how Luria’s teachings, developed in the sixteenth-century town of Safed, were reshaped by his students in Damascus and Jerusalem. Originally centred on the master’s insights into his disciples’ souls, these teachings were transformed into a spiritual ethos that profoundly impacted contemporary Jewish culture. Tom’s work emphasizes the adaptation of religious- esoteric knowledge to meet the varying needs of specific groups and contexts.

Tom’s work emphasizes the adaptation of religious-esoteric knowledge to meet the varying needs of specific groups and contexts.

Tom holds a BA and MA in history from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He lives in Tekoah with his wife. Tom has done volunteer work in shelters for children who have suffered abuse. In his free time, he enjoys playing traditional Turkish music on his saz and spending time with family and friends.