12/07: I just found out, with a genealogy report, that this wasn't true. The Meyer families were farmers in Bavaria and left for the US in the 1840's. They harvested their crops early and headed out to sea. But, their ship was blown off-course and they ran out of food. Luckily, another ship found them and steered them to New York. From there they migrated to Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and finally, Ohio.
The Jewish mysticism is what is intriguing to me. But, as you will see, if you read on (in the links), Kabbalah is not just for Jews. Kabbalah teaches that every human being is a work in progress. Any pain, disappointment, or chaos that exists in our lives is not because this is how life is meant to be, but only because we have not yet finished the work that brought us here. That work, quite simply, is the process of freeing ourselves from the domination of the human ego and creating an affinity with the sharing essence of God. In everyday life, this transformation means letting go of anger, jealousy, and other reactive behaviors in favor of patience, empathy, and compassion. It does not mean giving up all desire and going to live on a mountaintop. On the contrary, it means desiring more of the fulfillment that humanity was meant to have.
Jewish Facts About the Kabbalah
One of the things that I found interesting on this site was the belief by Jews that the Holy Trinity is idolatry. But, in truth, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God. "Metaphysically, we understand these to refer to mind, idea, and expression, or thinker, thought, and action. Man is also threefold--spirit, soul, and body; spirit relating to I AM, soul to consciousness (I am conscious), and body to manifestation (I appear)." --Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Unity School of Christianity
The way I was taught to think of it is God/Creator, Son/God's Word made manifest, Holy Spirit/God's word in action.
