Is Harry Potter A Nice Jewish Boy?

Cia Sutter delivered a lecture on her thesis at Accio back in July.

On the most basic level, Jews are familiar with concepts of witchcraft and wizardry from our own stories about Moshe turning his staff into a snake, Eliyahu Hanavi passing between the veil of this world and the world to come, and the golem. On a more profound level, Harry's journey teaches him to combine his inherently loving nature with a strong resolve.

To Sautter, these characteristics represent the kabbalistic attributes of chessed (charity) and gevurah (courage).

I think it is irrefutable that the Harry Potter Canon owes much of its overall structure to Alchemical literature. Tracing that line backward, to Alchemy's roots in Kabalah is the obvious next step. While I repudiate Hans Andrea's theories that the books themselves "radiate an incredible spiritual power" and are religious tractates for a new age, I think there is much worth in discussing the Kabalic elements of the books. Anyone interested in further discussion is welcome to join up at Harry Potter For Seekers.

By the way, if your only interest in Kabalah has anything to do with Madonna, red strings or 'holy' water blessed by a flim flam man, you're missing out on one of the greatest bodies of literary and philosophical works in existence.