June 17, 2004
HAVEN'T THE JEWS SUFFERED ENOUGH?:
NEW NAME FOR KABBALAH QUEEN OF POP (BILL HOFFMANN, June 17, 2004, NY Post)
In the most bizarre name change since Puff Daddy became P. Diddy, the Material Girl has adopted the ancient Hebrew name of Esther.Posted by Orrin Judd at June 17, 2004 3:57 PMThe pop queen, whose six-night stand at Madison Square Garden started last night, says she's spooked by the fact that her mom, who was also named Madonna, died at the age of 30, when the superstar-to-be was 5.
"My mother died when she was very young, of cancer, and I wanted to attach myself to an other name," Madonna, 45, told ABC News.
"This is in no way a negation of who my mother was. I wanted to attach myself to the energy of a different name."
While she hasn't yet asked her friends to use the new moniker, Madonna is apparently called Esther when she studies the ancient Jewish mystical practices of Kabbalah.
"In her Kabbalah world, the leaders may call her that during spiritual services," said her spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg.
Hey, another reason to dislike Purim.
Posted by: David Cohen at June 17, 2004 4:08 PMCouldn't she have called herself Goldfish?
Posted by: oj at June 17, 2004 4:15 PMIt is typical in Jewish practice (at least in the US) to adopt a Hebrew name for use in services. Too bad what "Esther" is doing isn't Judiasm. Kabbalah is a way to explore the Torah, not a separate religion which "Esther's” past quotes show is how she looks at it.
Posted by: Bob at June 17, 2004 4:20 PMHow do you say "over-hyped has-been" in Hebrew (or better yet, Yiddish)?
Nice to see that Muggeridge's Law ("there is no way that a writer of fiction can compete with real life for its pure absurdity") is still holding up in fine form.
Posted by: Ed Driscoll at June 17, 2004 4:35 PMHer kakameyme, meshugine shtik is getting farfoylt.
Posted by: Roy Jacobsen at June 17, 2004 4:56 PM"In her Kabbalah world, the leaders may call her that during spiritual services," said her spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg.
And I am Marie of Rumania.
Posted by: Brian (MN) at June 17, 2004 5:52 PMShe besmirched Catholicism's good name for a while. I guess it's only fair that she should move on. I expect around 80 she'll adopt a Sufi name.
Posted by: Chris at June 17, 2004 6:24 PMFirst Madonna a lapsed Catholic. Now Esther the Kabbalist. Funny, she has always acted like a tarted-up Wiccan.
Posted by: Jim Siegel at June 17, 2004 6:32 PMMy mom's middle name is Esther. I am *so* proud that Madonna picked it.
Posted by: old maltese at June 17, 2004 7:26 PMBigthana would have been more accurate.
Posted by: jim hamlen at June 17, 2004 9:17 PMI liked her better as a slut.
Posted by: Robert Duquette at June 18, 2004 1:10 PMShe who is promiscuous in one thing will be promiscuous in all things.
Posted by: David Cohen at June 18, 2004 2:54 PM