Yosel Tarnofsky: Kabbalist, Theosophist, Jewish Spiritual Master
By Judd Handler
The Madre Grande Monastery is one of the most beautiful places in San Diego County, and one of the least-likely places for a Jew to live. Located in Dulzura, just 10-minutes from the border of Tecate, the monastery is a 264-acre paradise. It is also home to Yosel Tarnofsky, an all-together different kind of Jew.
Considering the spiritual path Tarnofsky has taken, he thinks it makes perfect sense to live with Theosophist abbots of The Paracelsian order.
Tarnofsky not only lives in the monastery; he teaches and performs Thai Massage, a healing modality that is often described in the west as assisted yoga stretching. Thai Massage is gaining in popularity, although it has only been taught in U.S. massage schools for the past two decades.
Originally from Chicago, Tarnofsky has become one of the most sought-out Thai Massage practitioners, often traveling to Chicago, New York and Orange County to perform Nuad Bo Rarn, Thai for ‘traditional healing medicine.’
The 55-year-old compares Thai Massage to Kabbalah.
“The original foundation in Judaism, in my opinion, is based in mysticism, in Kabbalah,” he says. “I was studying Kabbalah in 1972, way before Madonna was pushing it into the mainstream,” he says.
The parallel between Kabbalah and Thai Massage, Tarnofsky notes, is that both were studied only by very observant and learned religious men.
Kabbalah, of course, was studied by rabbis; what is known as Thai Massage in the west was practiced by Buddhist monks, who doubled as physicians and most likely were the inspiration for the development of Chinese medicine.
“What’s interesting about Thai Massage is that it is neither massage nor is it from Thailand,” Tarnofsky says. “And up until 100 years ago, Buddhist monks were the only ones allowed to do this work.”
Thai Massage originally comes from India, where its principles were developed over 5000 years ago. As Buddhism spread to countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand, so did meditation, herbs, hydrotherapy and other natural-healing arts. Tarnofsky says that Thai Massage spread to Thailand about 2500 years ago.
Like the Buddha himself, Tarnofsky embarked on a spiritual quest to seek out personal answers to the universe. Tarnofsky’s path reads much like a novel. In fact, one of his spiritual teachers, Larry Shine, was the inspiration for Somerset Maugham’s novel Razor’s Edge.
Tarnofsky thinks the seeds for his own spiritual growth were planted after a couple of near-death, out-of-body experiences.
As a child, Tarnofsky suffered from asthma. He received weekly injections, and one day, at age 10, a confused doctor gave him the wrong shot. Tarnofsky went into anaphylactic shock and almost died.
“It was exactly how people describe it in books,” says Tarnofsky of his near-death experience.
“I floated outside my body. I was on the ceiling watching everything that was going on.”
Tarnofsky had a similar out-of-body experience after being arresting for hitchhiking near Reno. He was locked in a filthy jail cell, contracted meningitis, and once again found himself outside of his body, watching himself fight for his life.
Tarnofsky’s connection to Judaism includes a half year as a sheep herder on a kibbutz in Israel. He learned Hebrew the spiritual way, through Tarot cards, which is deeply connected to Kabbalah.
“I didn’t learn Hebrew in Hebrew school, that’s for sure,” says Tarnofsky. “I got kicked out.”
Having grown up in a secular household, Tarnofsky waited until the age of 25 to receive his Bar Mitzvah.
“I was bar-mitzvahed on a Chabad bus in New York City,” he explains. They stopped me on the street and asked me if I was Jewish and told me they were one person short of a minyan.
“I told them I’d be happy to help but I haven’t even been bar-mitzvahed. They told me no problem; we’ll bar-mitzvah you here on our bus.”
Tarnofsky’s only observant relative was a grandmother. Growing up, Tarnofsky was called Joey by everybody except his Bubbe.
Being the spiritual seeker he is, Tarnofsky had his name analyzed via numerology later on in life by his spiritual teacher in Independence, California, John Heston, who at one time was studying to become a rabbi.
“John didn’t like the numerology with Joel so he suggested I use another name. I didn’t want to be one of those people in the sixties who changed their name to Sunshine; I wanted something more natural.”
What Tarnofsky picked is the name his bubbe used to call him, Yosel.
“I always loved my Yiddish name,” he says.
Tarnofsky’s spiritual quest, however, has not taken him to Thailand, or India or any other country that one might associate with spirituality.
“I’m probably the only Thai Massage teacher who has never been to Thailand,” he says. “I don’t think it’s necessary to seek out spiritual enlightenment and teachers in far-off exotic places.”
Tarnofsky says he is very skeptical about people who call themselves spiritual.
“You don’t have to go to India to seek spirituality and if somebody is calling themselves spiritual, chances are, they are not that spiritual.”
Thai Massage wasn’t Tarnofsky’s first foray into the healing arts. It was only 16 years ago that it came to San Diego, specifically to I.P.S.B. college in Pacific Beach, where it was brought back from Thailand by senior instructor Rick Gold, who is also Jewish.
Prior to steeping himself in Thai Massage, Tarnofsky, who earned his HHP (holistic healthcare practitioner) license, taught yoga for free, before it became trendy.
He also performed massage for 10 years but was eventually discouraged that people kept coming back to him with the same problems. Tarnofsky would eventually discover his life’s purpose in Thai Massage.
As for now, Tarnofsky feels pure bliss at the monastery and spreading the healing energy through Thai Massage.
“It’s funny, I didn’t ever think that I’d live in the monastery,” he says. “I’m a city boy. I like to do my own thing, but I’m older now and the city is getting more expensive and more chaotic.”
Ever the grounded and pragmatic spiritualist, Tarnofsky adds, “I figured I may as well give the monastery my rent money and not some rich, environmentally-unfriendly developer.”
For feedback, contact editor@sdjewishjournal.com.
By Judd Handler
The Madre Grande Monastery is one of the most beautiful places in San Diego County, and one of the least-likely places for a Jew to live. Located in Dulzura, just 10-minutes from the border of Tecate, the monastery is a 264-acre paradise. It is also home to Yosel Tarnofsky, an all-together different kind of Jew.
Considering the spiritual path Tarnofsky has taken, he thinks it makes perfect sense to live with Theosophist abbots of The Paracelsian order.
Tarnofsky not only lives in the monastery; he teaches and performs Thai Massage, a healing modality that is often described in the west as assisted yoga stretching. Thai Massage is gaining in popularity, although it has only been taught in U.S. massage schools for the past two decades.
Originally from Chicago, Tarnofsky has become one of the most sought-out Thai Massage practitioners, often traveling to Chicago, New York and Orange County to perform Nuad Bo Rarn, Thai for ‘traditional healing medicine.’
The 55-year-old compares Thai Massage to Kabbalah.
“The original foundation in Judaism, in my opinion, is based in mysticism, in Kabbalah,” he says. “I was studying Kabbalah in 1972, way before Madonna was pushing it into the mainstream,” he says.
The parallel between Kabbalah and Thai Massage, Tarnofsky notes, is that both were studied only by very observant and learned religious men.
Kabbalah, of course, was studied by rabbis; what is known as Thai Massage in the west was practiced by Buddhist monks, who doubled as physicians and most likely were the inspiration for the development of Chinese medicine.
“What’s interesting about Thai Massage is that it is neither massage nor is it from Thailand,” Tarnofsky says. “And up until 100 years ago, Buddhist monks were the only ones allowed to do this work.”
Thai Massage originally comes from India, where its principles were developed over 5000 years ago. As Buddhism spread to countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand, so did meditation, herbs, hydrotherapy and other natural-healing arts. Tarnofsky says that Thai Massage spread to Thailand about 2500 years ago.
Like the Buddha himself, Tarnofsky embarked on a spiritual quest to seek out personal answers to the universe. Tarnofsky’s path reads much like a novel. In fact, one of his spiritual teachers, Larry Shine, was the inspiration for Somerset Maugham’s novel Razor’s Edge.
Tarnofsky thinks the seeds for his own spiritual growth were planted after a couple of near-death, out-of-body experiences.
As a child, Tarnofsky suffered from asthma. He received weekly injections, and one day, at age 10, a confused doctor gave him the wrong shot. Tarnofsky went into anaphylactic shock and almost died.
“It was exactly how people describe it in books,” says Tarnofsky of his near-death experience.
“I floated outside my body. I was on the ceiling watching everything that was going on.”
Tarnofsky had a similar out-of-body experience after being arresting for hitchhiking near Reno. He was locked in a filthy jail cell, contracted meningitis, and once again found himself outside of his body, watching himself fight for his life.
Tarnofsky’s connection to Judaism includes a half year as a sheep herder on a kibbutz in Israel. He learned Hebrew the spiritual way, through Tarot cards, which is deeply connected to Kabbalah.
“I didn’t learn Hebrew in Hebrew school, that’s for sure,” says Tarnofsky. “I got kicked out.”
Having grown up in a secular household, Tarnofsky waited until the age of 25 to receive his Bar Mitzvah.
“I was bar-mitzvahed on a Chabad bus in New York City,” he explains. They stopped me on the street and asked me if I was Jewish and told me they were one person short of a minyan.
“I told them I’d be happy to help but I haven’t even been bar-mitzvahed. They told me no problem; we’ll bar-mitzvah you here on our bus.”
Tarnofsky’s only observant relative was a grandmother. Growing up, Tarnofsky was called Joey by everybody except his Bubbe.
Being the spiritual seeker he is, Tarnofsky had his name analyzed via numerology later on in life by his spiritual teacher in Independence, California, John Heston, who at one time was studying to become a rabbi.
“John didn’t like the numerology with Joel so he suggested I use another name. I didn’t want to be one of those people in the sixties who changed their name to Sunshine; I wanted something more natural.”
What Tarnofsky picked is the name his bubbe used to call him, Yosel.
“I always loved my Yiddish name,” he says.
Tarnofsky’s spiritual quest, however, has not taken him to Thailand, or India or any other country that one might associate with spirituality.
“I’m probably the only Thai Massage teacher who has never been to Thailand,” he says. “I don’t think it’s necessary to seek out spiritual enlightenment and teachers in far-off exotic places.”
Tarnofsky says he is very skeptical about people who call themselves spiritual.
“You don’t have to go to India to seek spirituality and if somebody is calling themselves spiritual, chances are, they are not that spiritual.”
Thai Massage wasn’t Tarnofsky’s first foray into the healing arts. It was only 16 years ago that it came to San Diego, specifically to I.P.S.B. college in Pacific Beach, where it was brought back from Thailand by senior instructor Rick Gold, who is also Jewish.
Prior to steeping himself in Thai Massage, Tarnofsky, who earned his HHP (holistic healthcare practitioner) license, taught yoga for free, before it became trendy.
He also performed massage for 10 years but was eventually discouraged that people kept coming back to him with the same problems. Tarnofsky would eventually discover his life’s purpose in Thai Massage.
As for now, Tarnofsky feels pure bliss at the monastery and spreading the healing energy through Thai Massage.
“It’s funny, I didn’t ever think that I’d live in the monastery,” he says. “I’m a city boy. I like to do my own thing, but I’m older now and the city is getting more expensive and more chaotic.”
Ever the grounded and pragmatic spiritualist, Tarnofsky adds, “I figured I may as well give the monastery my rent money and not some rich, environmentally-unfriendly developer.”
For feedback, contact editor@sdjewishjournal.com.
1 comment:
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