Meet Hadar Cohen | Artist & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hadar Cohen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hadar, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
My relationship with risk has evolved over time. When I was younger, I loved taking risks and letting life guide me into the mysterious unknown. Though overtime, I found taking risks harder. I became more protective of myself and asked questions before jumping into risks. Yet I also learned that without taking risks, I cannot evolve into the next phase of my life. For me, balancing between discernment and courage became really important in navigating when and how to take risks. But overall, I do believe that in order to attain a new level of success in our lives, we must be willing to sacrifice something or have something at stake. A risk allows to us to let go of our attachments or perceptions of what should be and let life guide us into a new terrain.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is a spiritual skill building school named Malchut (malchut.one). I created it because I found that many people are struggling with their inner world – their relationship with their thoughts, emotions and body. Most educational systems teach us content such as mathematics, history, language, etc. A mystical school is radically different; it teaches cultivation of character such as courage, humility, patience, compassion, etc. These character traits are only attainable through practice and dedication as opposed to cognitive learning. Spiritual teachings offer support for how we can navigate our relationship to ourselves, which guides us into a relationship with God. At Malchut, we say that the self is the portal to God – when we truly understand who we are, we also understand the Divine.

Our capstone program is God Fellowship, a 12-week training that teaches practical skills of how to use the mind, body and heart to ground your relationship with the Creator. The purpose of this program is to help participants cultivate direct experience of God by working through three channels:​ consciousness (the mind), energy (the body), and devotion​ (the heart). Our fundamental principle is​ that God is life itself and there are many paths to know and​ understand God. We integrate perspectives from spirituality,​ psychology, science, philosophy, and theology rooted in​ multireligious perspectives. Through direct teachings and inner​ transformative work, we cultivate a community of those​ devoted to having a relationship with God and invested in​ healing our world.

We also have a membership based Jewish mystical school open to anyone that is rooted in the tradition of Judaism. The classes range from Kabbalah to Hebrew Goddesses to prayer and devotion and more. We organize yearly retreats as well, in Andalusia to revive the coexistence tradition in Spain, on Arab Jewish identity in London and more to come around Jewish-Palestinain solidairy, Jewish-Muslim healing, and more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start with a morning coffee at Saffron Cowboy Coffee and perhaps go to the park for a morning ritual including journaling and meditation. We then would go to a yoga class at Y7 Studio to move a bit and then enjoy brunch at Otium.

Perhaps we would swing by Sayran to shop some jewelry or visit Black Image Center to see if they have an exhibition up.

During late afternoon we would go for a walk at one of my favorite places in LA, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Then continue to enjoy some spa time at Beverly Hot Springs.

Finally, I would take them for dinner at my favorite restaurant at Girl & The Goat. And afterwards to see a dance show at REDCAT.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My work has been deeply nourished by my community and friendships. Relationships and support networks are crucial for me in developing my career. Relational connections are inseparable from doing political, artistic, or spiritual work, and I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by a diverse community of artists and activists. Particulary my community of Palestinian and Jewish friends have been incredibly supportive -from hosting Shabbat Iftars together to collaborating on political or artistic initiatives. I want to shout out my friend Maya June Mansour (https://mayajunemansour.com) an incredible photographer who has supported me in my artistic visions and creations. My friend Diana Jarrar, founder of MAGICDATES (https://magicdatesbites.com), has nourished me with food and conversations. Dalia Omar Zada and Sheena Wadhawan (https://www.sheenawadhawan.com) are some of my dearest friends who show up for me consistently with love and care in a myriad of ways. Whether planning a social gathering, ritual, or artistic event, my people are always at the heart of how I conceive of my work and bring it to life. I created my own podcast, Hadar’s Web, to interview my relational web and share their wisdom with the world.

Website: https://www.hadarcohen.me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hadarcohen32/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadarcohen32/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxabTZyRcrSrvQhGPyTo2FQ

Other: Subscribe to my Substack – https://hadarcohen.substack.com
Mystical School malchut.one: https://www.malchut.one
https://www.patreon.com/hadarcohen

Image Credits
Maya June Mansour, https://mayajunemansour.com
Julia Maryanska, http://juliamaryanska.com
Sophie Ansari, @scribbledbysophie