NYC Exhibit Traces Jewish Occultism from Fortune Tellers to Psychics

In an era where spiritual explanations for societal ills are gaining traction, a new exhibit delves into a historical precedent: the Jewish engagement with the occult.

"Jews Are Magic," currently on display at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in Manhattan, traces the fascination with mysticism, fortune-telling, amulets, psychics, and other occult practices within Jewish communities. While the exhibit spans from biblical times, its primary focus is on the period between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. During this era, Jews in Eastern Europe and New York's Lower East Side, facing increasing urbanization, oppression, and the pressures of assimilation, turned to the occult for solace, much like their non-Jewish contemporaries.

Samuel Glauber, an advisor to the exhibit and a specialist in the Jewish occult, noted that engagement with these "unseen realities" remained strong even as society modernized. The exhibit showcases how these practices were not confined to the fringes; writers, intellectuals, and even scientists were drawn to the supernatural, lending a degree of respectability to activities like fortune-telling and seances, which Sigmund Freud famously termed the "uncanny."

The exhibit features materials such as palm-reading manuals and amulets designed to ward off evil. It draws a parallel to contemporary trends, where platforms like TikTok host numerous tarot readers, crystal healers, and astrology influencers, many of whom offer alternative explanations for current events or health concerns. This resurgence of interest in the supernatural is often attributed to a rejection of institutional authority and a search for metaphysical answers when official explanations for economic and political instability feel insufficient.

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In this time period, when people commonly think that sort of magic is getting left at the wayside and people are becoming more modern, they’re just as engaged with these unseen realities as they were beforehand.