2,000 police guard Madonna pilgrimage

MADONNA will celebrate the Jewish New Year in Israel next week, and 2,000 police are being mobilised for her planned pilgrimage to the graves of rabbinical sages.

The singer is arriving along with 2,000 other students of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, from 22 countries, said Tali Rosen, a spokeswoman for the Kabbalah Centre which organises the trip.

Police are reportedly concerned religious extremists will try to disrupt the visit and 2,000 officers are being deployed.

The Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre, which teaches Jewish mysticism as a spiritual tool regardless of religion, has attracted several celebrities in recent years, including Madonna, actress Demi Moore and designer Donna Karan.

However, some ultra-Orthodox rabbis frown upon the celebrity interest in Kabbalah.

The Kabbalah group are also expected to visit Rachel’s Tomb, the traditional burial place of the biblical matriarch in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.