Elias Gewurz

Elias Gewurz (1875-1947) was a Polish-American Theosophist and author of books about Kabbalah.

"Man is a constellation of powers in which all kinds of seeds are contained" - - Elias Gewurz

Personal life

Elias Gewurz was born in Krakow, Galicia, Poland on September 11, 1875 to Joseph David Gewurz and Adela Zelnik Gewurz. He was educated in Vienna, Austria. He had a brother Bernhard in Vienna, but nothing more is known of his early life.

He spent some time around 1914 in Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island, writing. Then Gewurz apparently applied for an emergency passport at an American consulate and emigrated the the United States. At that time, his homeland of Galicia was a battleground of the Russians advancing upon the German forces in the First World War.

Upon his immigration into the United States, Gewurz went immediately to the Krotona colony in old Hollywood, Los Angeles, and was delivering lectures there in January, 1915. In 1918 he lived in San Francisco, employed as Assistant Librarian at the Olympic Club, but by 1930 he was back in Hollywood, working as a language teacher. The 1940 United States Census shows him supporting himself as a writer in Ventura, California. Sometime in the 1930s he became a naturalized American citizen.

He died on November 23, 1947 in Ventura, California. There is no evidence he married.

Theosophical Society involvement

Mr. Gewurz was transferred to the American Theosophical Society from the Australian Section in June, 1908.

In January, 1916, a notice appeared in The Messenger:

Mr. Elias Gewurz has placed with us, as a donation, a number of copies of his latest book, THE HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE ANCIENT QABALAH. We in turn are making a gift of one copy to each of the newly-chartered lodges as a nucleus for its library yet to be. Return thanks and appreciation to Mr. Gewurz are here made.

It was further reported in June of that year that Elias Gewurz donated "his latest book, published at the Krotona headquarters of the American Theosophical Society, to the library of the Dallas Lodge.

The Hidden Treasures of the Ancient Qabalah was published in 1915 by the Theosophical Book Concern at Krotona, and 1918 in Chicago by the Yogi Publication Society. It was introduced with this review:

The first volume of a new series is just off the press. Those who have found inspiration in the author’s previous book, THE DIARY OF A CHILD OF SORROW, will gratefully welcome this series concerning the ancient Qabalah, which Madame Blavatsky said “is the key of the Sanctuary”, and that “it contains the quintessence of all philosophies, the light, life and wisdom of all ages and all generations.”

This volume is the substance of lectures read by the author before the Krotona Lodge during May and June of the present year. There are ten chapters and a closing Qabalistic Prayer.

Mr. Gewurz is a devoted scholar of this ancient wisdom of the Rabbis, and his book presents in a very attractive manner many of those “hidden treasures”, revealing much of that gold of wisdom and spiritual wealth which have been sacredly garnered for ages.

A. H. T. [Adelia H. Taffinder]

Writings

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists 8 articles by or about Elias Gewurz.

• "Comments on the Light on the Path". The Messenger (September 1916).
• The Hidden Treasures of the Ancient Qabalah Volume I. Available at Internet Archive. "The substance of chapters one to six inclusive has been read before the Krotona Lodge of the Theosophical Society during May and June 1915. Chapter eight was given before the Krotona Institute during the session of February-March 1915, while chapter seven was read before the Krotona Lodge on the 19th of January, 1915."
• The Mysteries of the Qabalah. Volume 2. 1922.
• The Diary of a Child of Sorrow. Available at IAPSOP website.
• Beautiful Thoughts of the Ancient Hebrews. Bloch Publishing Company, 1924.

CreateSpace editions:

• The Hidden Treasures of The Ancient Qabalah: Volume 1 and 2. 2011. 90 pages."This is a short treatise by a western, esoteric writer of the early 20th century." [Amazon.com description]
• Mysteries Of The Qabalah & Sepher Yezirah: 2 Books In One by Rev Dr Isidor Kalisch and Elias Gewurz. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2008. 116 pages. "The Mysteries of the Qabalah is written from a Theosophical point of view. This text explains the signatures of each Hebrew letter, the use of techniques such as permutation and numerology to find deeper meaning in the sacred writings, and the history and a bibliography of Jewish mysticism. The Sepher Yezirah is the central text of the Qabalah, in which the principle of the letters is explained, and the associations between the other letters and the tree of life are explained." [Amazon.com description]

Forgotten Books editions:

• The Mysteries of the Qabalah, Vol. 2: Written Down by Seven Pupils of E. G. 2018. Excerpts.

Nabu Press editions:

• The Hidden Treasures of Ancient Qabalah. Vol. 1. the Transmutation of Passion Into Power. 2013. 134 pages.

Kessinger reproductions:

NOTE: These are reproductions of chapters of The Hidden Treasure of the Ancient Qabalah.

• The Qabalah: The Vessel In Which Transmutation Takes Place. 2005.
• The Qabalah: The Feminine Elements In Man And Their Redeeming Power. Kessinger, 2005.
• The Occult Hierarchy And Its Messengers To The Outer World. 2006. 12 pages.
• Qabalistic Prayer. 2006. 8 pages.
• Justice and Mercy. 2006. 48 pages.
• The Eternal Light According To The Qabalah. 2006.
• Regeneration According To The Qabalah. 2006.
• The Qabalah: Spiritual Companionship Between Man and Woman. 2010.
• The Mystery Of Time And Space. 2010. 48 pages.
• The Qabalah: On The Threshold Of The Sanctuary. 2010.
• The Hidden Treasures of the Qabalah: The transmutation of Passion into Power'. 2010.
• The Knowledge of God Obtained Through Love Pure and Undefiled. 2010.
• The Qabalah: The Peace That Passes Understanding. 2010.