Madonna has upset senior Jewish mystics during her recent tour of Israel, Sky News reports. Madonna, a follower of the Jewish-based faith Kabbalah, recently appeared Israeli TV where cameras were allowed behind the scenes access to her tour. Kabbalah purists – who argue the religion can only be practised by men over 40 or by those who abstain from material desires – were said to be furious to spot the Kabbalah book the Zohar in the Material Girl’s dressing room. "Madonna is not dealing with the real practical Kabbalah,” Leading Kabbalah Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri said. "We deal with spiritual issues of the soul, whereas Madonna is dealing with issues of the body as well. Her teaching of Kabbalah is erroneous."
However, Madonna has received backing from other religious heavyweights. Last week, she was booed on stage in Romania for criticising the country’s treatment of Romany gypsies, but she has been applauded for her stance by senior figures within the Hindu and Jewish faiths. "Romania and Europe should apologise for the blatant show of prejudice shown towards Roma brothers and sisters when Madonna spoke against Roma discrimination during her concert in Bucharest,” Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and Rabbi Jonathan B Freirich, said in a joint statement to press. "The alarming condition of Roma people is a social blight for Europe and the rest of the world."
