One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi [Hardcover]

Alan Lew (Author), Sherril Jaffe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1999

“We no longer live in a global village. We live in a global apartment house and the walls are very thin.”

Alan Lew is known as the Zen Rabbi--a leader in the Jewish meditation movement and a Zen practitioner for more than thirty years. His story will take you from Brooklyn, where his grandfathers introduce him as a child to the rituals of Jewish life, to the flowering of the sixties in California where, in the company of poets, hipsters, and beats, he settles on Zen Buddhism as a spiritual path. The enhanced self-awareness he learns in Zen practice leads to a completely unexpected revelation--the depth of his attachment to being a Jew. Yet even after settling in as rabbi of the largest conservative synagogue in San Francisco, he is not at the end of his search for a spiritual home. One God Clapping is more than just a spiritual autobiography--it is a bold experiment in the integration of Eastern and Western ways of looking at the world. From Zen Buddhist practitioner to rabbi, East meets West in this firsthand account of a spiritual journey.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lew's compelling spiritual autobiography traces a circle from his Jewish boyhood in Brooklyn through a long, intuitive quest that brought him to Berkeley, California, where he practiced Zen Buddhism. After 10 years of Zen meditation, Lew realized that his is an undeniably Jewish soul. This revelation, accompanied by dreams, visions, and uncanny coincidences, drove him back to New York, his family, and the temple, culminating in his becoming a rabbi. He then returned to California to lead a large and contentious San Francisco congregation and was promptly "outed" as a former Zen Buddhist. Lew soon found himself surrounded by fellow Jews who had also sought enlightenment through Buddhism but who could not deny their Jewishness, and suddenly it all made sense: he realized that he could combine the two practices. Lew's discovery of how meditation can help people open their hearts to Jewishness has rekindled, for many disaffected Jews, a passion for the deep emotion, beauty, and compassion of Jewish prayer. Lew's pioneering efforts also remind us of the inherent resiliency of this consistently beleaguered faith. Donna Seaman

Review

“A fascinating personal story and a parable for Jewish practice in our time." -- Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus and Stalking Elijah

“It’s a rare thrill to find such clarity in any tradition: as Zen says, ‘pointing directly to the heart.’” -- Norman Fischer, Co-abbot, San Francisco Zen Center, and contributor to Spiritual Manifestos: Visions for Renewed Religious Life in America from Young Spiritual Leaders of Many Faiths

“Lew opens his heart and treats the reader to a banquet for the soul. A treasure.” -- Lawrence Kushner, author of Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary, Honey from the Rock: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism, and other books --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha America (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568362870
• ISBN-13: 978-1568362878
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, December 30, 2001

By 

Hanah W. (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi (Hardcover)

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."

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful spiritual journey of a Jewish seeker, via Buddhism, September 16, 1999

By 

[e-mail] or Mark D. Reiss (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi (Hardcover)

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Applause for One God Clapping - an inspiration, February 18, 2001

By 

Cameron Sharp (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi (Hardcover)

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!