One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi

by Alan Lew and Sherril Jaffe

Book Overview

Known as the Zen Rabbi, Alan Lew works to bring two ancient religious traditions into our everyday lives. This spiritual memoir integrates Eastern and Western spirituality and shows how Zen in America... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568362870
• ISBN13: 9781568362878
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.7" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Applause for One God Clapping - an inspiration

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!

Alan Lew, a Zen Buddhist Journeys to his Jewish Roots

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.

A memoir for thinkers: funny, engaging, frank

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.

An illuminating spiritual autobiography

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.

Wonderful spiritual journey of a Jewish seeker, via Buddhism

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.