Material Girl’s spiritual journey has tight security

SECURITY was tight in and around the hotel where American star Madonna kicked off a three-day spiritual retreat cum Jewish New Year celebration in Tel Aviv.

Hundreds of ID badge-clad Jewish followers of the ancient mystical tradition known as Kabbalah had also gathered at the David Intercontinental Hotel to take part in the Roshashan festivities, quite at ease with the celebrity’s appearance.

“It’s OK, same to me, I’m here to rejoice,” said Mikhail, a Russian man who recently immigrated to Israel.

Iris, a 35-year-old Israeli woman said Madonna’s presence attested to ‘the Kabbalah’s great attraction’.

“One doesn’t have to be a Jew to embrace Kabbalah, which is about knowledge and making the world a better place,” she said.

Reporters could hardly get a glimpse of the once self-proclaimed Material Girl, owing to an impenetrable security cordon, but a lucky few managed to attend part of the celebrations, which started without Madonna’s attendance.

Renowned American Kabbalahists delivered recorded speeches, broadcast on large video screens, calling for world peace and the peace of mind - simultaneously translated in Hebrew, Spanish and Arabic to a joyful audience.

Men and women, sitting apart in a large conference room serving as a synagogue, applauded in unison at the end of the feed.

They went on chanting a peace song that mixed Hebrew and Arabic and then stood up clapping and shaking their left hands up in the air to repel evil.

“It’s like imagining you’re throwing away a ball of fire which represents negative energy or evil,” said Iris.

Madonna is due to visit several Jewish religious sites after her Tel Aviv retreat, including Rachel’s Tomb in the town of Bethlehem.

A group of Israeli pacifists urged the superstar to stay clear of any controversial visits as it underscored the need to understand the plight of Palestinians living under Israel’s occupation.

Israel’s tourism ministry vowed to use Madonna’s visit to boost tourism.