15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finding new spiritual values within Judaism-- a must read!, September 15, 1998
By A Customer
I am very grateful to have read this book-- it offers me additional insights into Judaism and has enhanced my appreciation of its central tenets. The men and women visited by Rodger Kamenetz in Stalking Elijah are making great strides in reinterpeting Judaism in a more spiritual fashion. If you are looking for fresh insights into the Jewish faith, this book is for you. Of particular interest to me and perhaps to you: a stunning interpretation of the Sh'ma Yisrael, itself worth the price of the book, and an unexpected and powerful interpretation of the Passover story.
Two other five star books for readers interested in Stalking Elijah: The Jew in the Lotus by the same author and David Aaron's Endless Light.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Start from where you are", September 14, 2001
This review is from: Stalking Elijah: Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters (Paperback)
This book is a sequel to Kammenetz's "The Jew in the Lotus" which recounts a visit of Jewish thinkers of various backgrounds and persuasions to Dharmsala, India, the home of the Tibetan Government in exile, to discuss the secret of Jewish survival in the diaspora with the Dali Lama and other Tibetan leaders. The book, and the discussions, went far beyond that topic, however, and centered upon an inter-faith dialogue between the Jewish leaders and the Tibetans on the nature of their religious beliefs and practices.
In "Stalking Elijah", Kammenetz tries to find his way back to a Jewish observance using the insights he had gleaned from his meeting with the Tibetans. In other words, he undertakes a journey from Dhramasala to Judaism. The book recounts Kammenetz's meetings with Jewish spiritual leaders, most of whom practice a form of "mystical" or contemplative Judaism in Kammenetz's attempt to recover something of Judaism for himself.
I was frustrated by the book and found it hard to write about it.
It strikes me as self-indulgent and as unduly polemical. Also, Kammenetz's discussions of his meetings with his teachers are superficial. We don't really see enough of the teachers to get a good feeling for what they have to say.
The most valuable theme of the book, for me, is given in the title of this review. This is advice given by one of the Rabbi's to whom Kammenetz turns for spiritual advice, an ex-Lubavicher Rabbi who, like Kammenetz, visited the Dali Lama. In the context of the book, the Rabbi advises the author to begin where he is in life in his search for spiritual enlightenment. Thus, Kammenetz finds he his to work within the scope of his Jewish background and learning, and follow a Jewish path to define and to realize his religious goals. The advice to "start from where you are" is wise, I think, beyond the use to which it is placed here. In every walk of life at every stage, the beginning of wisdom is to "start from where you are" rather than to try to be someone else or to be discontented with one's life. Good rabinnical advice, and good Buddhist advice too.
In addition to this component of the book, I found the final chapter describing a Passover seder in Dharamasala attended by Jews and Tibetan Buddhists well written. It can stand alone as an essay.
The book is of mixed merit but its goal and message are valuable.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
National Jewish Book Award Winner, December 12, 1997
By A Customer
Stalking Elijah has received the 1997 National Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought. The citation reads, "Stalking Elijah is an insightful journey through new landscapes of Jewish practice. Profound and often raucously funny, Kamenetz's spiritual adventures take him from a poolside Kabbalah lesson in Beverly Hills to a Passover seder for Tibetan freedom. This book will inspire readers to delve into the rich mystical traditions of Judaism and to search for their own paths to Judaism.
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