125 * Esotericism, Accessibility, and Mainstreamization: Pre-Prayer Gesturing and the Evolution of Jewish Practice Levi Cooper* “Certainly, there was some deep meaning in it, most worthy of interpretation, and which, as it were, streamed forth from the mystic symbol, subtly communicating itself to my sensi- bilities, but evading the analysis of my mind.” Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850) Moments before beginning the silent ‘amidah prayer, male and female synagogue attendees in Istanbul turn to each other and offer a feeting hand gesture. This study tracks this inimitable practice from its hazy origins, through almost four centuries to the present day. Beyond uncovering the sources of the custom and laying bare the justifcations and explanations, this study considers the evolving meaning of this practice. To this end, I will argue that the custom goes through different stages. The practice’s recorded history begins with esoteric kabbalistic lore, it then metamorphoses into an accessible template, before processes of mainstreamization threaten its existence. The survival of the practice is protected in contemporary communities that function like Nature Reserves. 1 * Kreitman Post-Doctoral Fellow, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Jewish Thought. This study was conducted while I had the pleasure of being an Academic Visitor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford. I am grateful for this opportunity, for the assistance afforded me in the Bodleian Libraries, and to my affable host Professor Joshua Getzler. I also wish to express my gratitude to Joel Wolowelsky, Murat and Luna Bildirici, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and to all my dear friends in the Istanbul Jewish community. I am thankful to