From Buddhist Monastery to 'Hear O Israel': Rabbi Yitzhak Pango's Transformative Journey
Rabbi Yitzhak Pango, a prominent Israeli lecturer known for his work on Judaism and faith, shared the extraordinary path that led him from a secular upbringing in Herzliya to his current life as a spiritual figure. His journey included combat service, the loss of a comrade, studies in psychology and alternative medicine, becoming a Reiki master, and time spent in Buddhist monasteries in India.
Pango, whose name honors an uncle killed in the Six-Day War, grew up in a secular family of Holocaust survivors. Despite a childhood largely unfamiliar with religious life, a brief encounter with a rabbi preparing him for his bar mitzvah at age 13 left a lasting impression. Later, during his military service as an Armored Corps soldier, he encountered religious individuals but still didn't see Judaism as a suitable life path.
A pivotal moment occurred after the death of a fellow soldier in Lebanon. This direct confrontation with mortality prompted a shift in his perspective, leading him to seek meaning and purpose beyond mere experiences. This quest for meaning propelled him into studying psychology, Chinese medicine, and alternative therapies, eventually leading him to become a Reiki master.
Dissatisfied with the limitations of individual healing, Pango sought a broader way to impart knowledge. His search led him to India, where he studied Buddhism and meditation, spending time in a monastery in isolation and silence. It was within this monastery, after a long period of silence, that he unexpectedly uttered Hebrew phrases from his bar mitzvah Haftarah. Shortly after, a near-fatal encounter with a scorpion in his sleeping quarters sparked a nascent belief in a higher power watching over him.
The defining experience, however, came when he recited the "Shema Yisrael" prayer from a card given to him by Chabad emissaries. This recitation triggered a profound physical and spiritual reaction, leading him to question the depth of spiritual power within Judaism that he had previously overlooked. Driven by a desire for authenticity, he decided to explore Judaism at its perceived source, much like his journey to study Buddhism in India.
His return to Judaism gradually unfolded, including attending lectures by the "Eretz" organization, which provided an intellectual framework. While his parents initially feared this change, his mother later acknowledged its positive impact. Pango integrates insights from psychology and personal development into his lectures, viewing his return to religious observance as an ongoing daily process rather than a completed event.
