Customer Reviews

One God Clapping

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Rabbi Alan Lew discusses his rich Brooklyn childhood, his family's move to largely anti-Jewish suburbs of Westchester, his studies at Penn, his marriage, his move into Zen and ten years in monastic contemplation to fulfill his spiritual yearnings, and his return to Judaism and the rabbinate. This is the story of his integration of the East with the West. It's about Jewish karma, and the reclamation of spirituality. It's about why so many Jewish youth turn East in their spiritual quests, experiment with Eastern religions and worship the exotic (sometimes just because it is exotic). This book is both easy to read and interesting. I also highly recommend a little book of wisdom by a young Jewish/Buddhist author named Taro Gold titled "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life."

Rabbi Alan Lew and his wife Sherril Jaffe share the candid story of his own personal spiritual growth in this highly readable book. From early childhood and youth in New York, to years of seeking and wandering, through his experience as a Buddhist, rebirth as a Jew, training in the rabbinate, and current position as the spiritual leader of a major Conservative congregation in San Francisco, Rabbi Lew's fascinating journey will leave you laughing and crying, at times simultaneously.

I found this book to be the closest thing to the classic "Autobiography of a Yoga" by Yogananda that I have ever read, but of course from a Jewish rather than Hindu perspective.

Never being preachy or dogmatic, Lew and Jaffe gently and delicately carry the reader through the pages of "One God Clapping" with eminent respect. There is a fresh and ingenuous quality to the writing, never contrived or manipulative, which allowed me to personally live each chapter with the authors; I literally sped through the book in a few hours, and at the end I was left wanting more. The good news is that there WILL be more awaiting us at Rabbi Lew's Jewish Meditation Center in San Francisco.

For all of those hungry to learn about Jewish spirituality, "One God Clapping", the story of a unique man's path from childhood to becoming a leader in the field, is a must read.

This book has been a continuing source of inspiration on my spiritual journey. I am going through the process of converting to Judaism and hold a strong interest in Zen meditation, Yoga and a mindful way of life. The stories told in One God Clapping touched my heart, my soul, and my intellect, and gave me the sense that I was reading about my own life. Rabbi Lew offers up a heartfelt glimpse into the experiences of his life with a warmth and honesty that speaks a universal truth about humanity. I laughed. I cried. I re-evaluated my priorities and I loved it. Well written with a fluidity that makes the reading experience delightful, this is one I will read again and again. Mazal Tov to Rabbi Lew!

Whenever I am in San Francisco, that City by the Bay, I leave my heart at Congregation Beth Shalom, the friendliest shul West of Nevada. So when I saw this book authored by its rabbi, I immediately purchased it. Rabbi Alan Lew, the popular Rabbi of San Francisco's Congregation Beth Shalom discusses his rich Brooklyn childhood, his family's move to the vacuous suburbs of Westchester, his studies at Penn, his marriage, his move into Zen and ten years in monastic contemplation to fulfill his spiritual yearnings, and his return to Judaism and the rabbinate. This is the story of his integration of the East with the West. It's about Jewish karma, baby, and the reclamation of spirituality. It's about why so many Jewish youth turn East in their spiritual quests, experiment with Eastern religions and worship the exotic, it's about the twisted Yakov in all of us who yearns to wrestle with god and come out Yisrael (yashar/straight). It's about an Iowa Writers Program grad who practiced Zen for a decade, happened upon a synagogue, became its lay leader, enrolled in rabbinical school at age 38, and six years later graduated as a valedictorian and prize winner. Rabbi Lew's tale is similar to that of last Summer's book by Rabbi Tirzah Firestone (With Roots in Heaven), in that both author's heard an inner voice of their grandmothers' which returned them to their birth faiths. Thankfully, his ill-gotten Everlast Boxing shorts and gloves were stolen in his childhood, so he became a teacher instead of a boxer. But seriously folks, this book is both easy to read and interesting. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.

An interesting, easy to read narrative of the author's journeys. I can't say I learned all that much about why Rabbi Lew returned to Judaism, except that most of his decisions come from the kind of flashes of insight that are not easily reduced to words.

He did, however, explain reasonably coherently why he was attracted to Conservative Judaism rather than to Orthodoxy - a somewhat unusual phenomenon, because baal teshuvot (Jews who have "returned" to religious observance) generally veer towards Orthodoxy. Lew explains that because of his Buddhist experiences, he was comfortable with the rigorous spiritual practice demanded by halacha. But he was not comfortable with the ideological demands of Orthodoxy; while many baal teshuvot choose an ideology first and seek to alter their practice to conform to that ideology, Lew chose the practice long before he was certain about what he believed, and thus is more orthoprax than orthodox. He writes when he was in rabbinical school and contemplating switching to Orthodoxy, an Orthodox friend told him "There's a right way to think and a wrong way. That's what Orthodox means- the right way to think." That is when Lew decided that Orthodoxy was not for him.

Although I found most of this book to be merely interesting rather than riveting, there were a few "wow" moments here and there. Some examples:

1. His explanation of cults and other religious mistakes: "If a person shows any sign of spiritual power whatsoever, they [Americans] immediately fall to worshipping him. The idea that someone could be spiritually powerful but also evil or venal, or simply crazy, is beyond their ken . . . because spiritual power is somewhat rare in the West, when most Americans encounter it for the first time, they are utterly defenseless."

2. A wonderful story about a service at JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary) on Yom HaShoah: Professor No. 1 speaks at length about his horrifying Holocaust experiences, and concludes "I don't see why we should remember it at all"- his point, according to Lew, being "If we really remembered the Holocaust, there would be no way to contain the horror." That night, it was announced that the son of Professor No. 2 (also a survivor) was being engaged. Normally, the students would sing a congratulatory song, but they were too shocked by Professor 1's speech. Professor 2 then yelled "You better sing ... The whole point is, they tried to finish us off, and they failed. I'm the only one left in my family, and now my son is going to get married and have chidren, and my family will continue." The students sang, needless to say.

3. A wonderful quote from Louis Finkelstein: "Judaism is very difficult. It demands more of its lay people than most religions demand from their priests. Most people complain that today's Jews don't do enough, that they aren't observant enough. But I think who's holding a gun to their heads?"

I appreciated Alan Lew's journey into both Zen and Judiasm, conveyed through short anecdotes of his life experiences. Lew's life reflections draw us in and show us all how our lives move forward--constantly influenced by past experiences. Lew does not judge or over-dramatize his past. His quiet, moving reflections simply move the reader through his life in a very holistic way. "One God Clapping" has inspired me to work through some issues in Judiasm that have drawn me away from my religion of birth. I don't know what the outcome of my search will be--but Alan Lew has shown me that compassion and honest exploration will lead me exactly where I need to be.

Lew certainly writes as though he's got some meditation under his belt. His prose is clean and zen-simple, reflecting his life's events-from Brooklyn kid to zen student to Conservative rabbi--without commentary, like a transparent lake. The events themselves, however, are more than enough; rather than injecting opinions about the pervasive corruption of many (Jewish, Buddhist, and otherwise) "spiritual guides", for example, he allows the teachers to speak for themselves. The results are biting and smart, and Lew's own integrity subtly shines through.

Most importantly, however, is what he has to say-and what he's shown, with his own life's choices--about Judaism, religious practice, and why hard work is necessary for spiritual benefits along ANY path. The structure of Judasim, like the structure of Buddhism, offers more than enough ways to profoundly affect one's life. The "intentional gestures," of Judaism linger on doorposts and order the week; they affect food and prayer, charity and relationships. And they are, Lew asserts, the enduring keys not only to Jewish survival, but to successful living in the "global apartment house."

It's certainly a worthwhile buy; he's a smart, insightful guy who has a lot of important things to say about This Religion Stuff, Why We Should Bother, and how to save Judaism from the downward spiral of ambivalence and bagel-ization. Thumbs up.

Book Review of One God Clapping

One God Clapping, The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi, by Alan Lew with Sherril Jaffee is a wonderful addition to the spiritual biography genre. Rabbi Lew makes clear that our spiritual journey is not measured by our attendance in any particular religious forum, but rather in our satsifaction with who we are in the world and what we do with our divine nature and opportunities. Traversing the time span between the 1940's to the 1990's, from California to New York City, from Zen centers to Synagogues, from civil rights marches to poetry readings, Lew's' own odyssey reflects that spiritual longing so many people feel but have too few clues to discover.

Combining his own personal history, with a good measure of historical teachings from the Buddhist and Judaic traditions, the reader is given a unique tour of disciplines and celebrations orienting us all in our community with each other and our communion with God. In addition, his ability to communicate the vital significance of our simply being present with each other, whether at the end of our lives in hospice care or in celebrating the birth of a child, we are ultimately given an opportunity to see as Lew put it, the heartbreaking beauty in life itself. As a national radio broadcaster, I am very selective about the books I read and who I interview. I would reccomend One God Clapping to any person interested in the process of spiritual discovery. Rabbi Lew invites you into his heart and home, reminding us all, that each of our hearts and homes are one in god, regardless of our religious affiliations or spiritual practices.

Zoh M. Hieronimus Host of the Zoh Show, zohshow.com

Disarmingly honest, this memoir traces the spiritual odyssey of Alan Lew - and, in doing so, casts the bright light of a divergent thinker on the 60s, the spirituality movements, the beauty-and-the-beast nature of family relations, and the current state of Judaism. By being totally personal, Lew has managed to write a thoroughly universal book that will resonate with many. It reads like a chatty page-turner yet unearths profound questions.

I admit that I'm biased since I have twice met Rabbi Lew when I attended religious servics at his synagogue in San Francisco. I liked Rabbi Lew's book and found his spiritual journry to be engrossing. We all have our own spiritual struggles and being able to eavesdrop on someone else's helps us focus upon our own. Rabbi Lew was raised in a secular, politically leftist household and though he retained his political liberalism, he attained spirituality and a strong belief in God, starting with a legnthy immersion into Buddhism that evolved into a return to Judaism. Rabbi Lew is not one to do things half way. He was fully immersed in his Buhdism and sort of rose in the ranks of that community. When he rediscovered Judaism, he became so immersed that, as the oldest student in his seminary class, he became the top student, totally devoting his life to his goal to become a Rabbi. He also shares his family struggles in this book. I must conclude by disagreeing with another reviewer who feels that Rabbi Lew did not illumnate his reasons for leaving Buddhism. In fact, I think he was very clear: he felt that his life was subject to a doctrine that was too dogmatic and too controlling of his individuality. At least, that's what I gleaned from my reading of the book and, the reason seemed to be rather clearly stated.