Born in Secrecy--Maaminim: The Practical Kabbalah of Shabbatai Sevi - Paperback
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This book tells the story of the Sabbatean descendants who continued to carry the spark of faith in the enigmatic Shabbatai Sevi (1626-76), not in public, but behind closed doors, through gestures, rituals, and coded language. This is the story of those who have long lived in shadows. It is the first book on Sabbateanism written from within the tradition.
As a descendant of the Maaminim (a devoted circle of Shabbatai Sevi's first followers), Uluc Ozuyener gives voice to a history that has lived in silence. His book is both a personal journey and scholarly exploration--to reveal how a faith could survive, and even flourish, through exile, contradiction, and concealment. It weaves together theological analysis, archival research, Ladino hymns, Zoharic commentary, and personal testimony. Ozuyener engages with the Kabbalistic foundations of the worldview--particularly the belief that exile and descent are not signs of failure, but sacred processes through which hidden light can be revealed. The Maaminim believed holiness could emerge from darkness, that fidelity could be expressed through transgression, and that secrecy was not simply survival--it was devotion.
Uluc Ozuyener founded the Society for Sabbatean Studies, the first international organization dedicated to preserving and illuminating the heritage of the Maaminim, the hidden followers of Shabbatai Sevi. He is a descendant of the Sabbatean Kapancı sect, born in Turkey, now living in the U.S. Professionally, Ozuyener leads global IT teams, but beneath the surface of his technical career has been a devotion to this subject. His public contributions include interviews and articles in Şalom, the leading Jewish newspaper in Turkey, and a widely viewed conversation with journalist Ruşen Çakır on Medyascope (you can turn on the English translation while watching), where he discussed the lived experience of Sabbatean descendants. His fluency in Turkish, English, and Spanish, and his deep grounding in Ladino culture, enable him to work with rare manuscripts, oral traditions, and mystical hymns with both intellectual rigor and emotional intimacy.
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