Be Still and Get Going

July 11, 2005
Once again Rabbi Lew (One God Clapping
; This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared
) beautifully marries the ancient traditions, history and lore of the Torah and Talmud with the serene meditative practices of Zen Buddhism. His singular distinction of founding and leading a meditation center, Makor Or (in San Francisco), the first of its kind connected to a Conservative synagogue, gives him a unique perspective. He says that Jews have had the written treasures, rich discussions and the sacred Sabbath right in front of them for 3,000 years, but have often overlooked them. Using selected Torah passages, Talmudic musings and contemporary stories of friends and congregants, Lew illustrates the intrinsic spiritual path within Judaism and suggests ways to incorporate that path into an everyday spiritual practice. Like any good teacher unafraid to address big, broad issues—suffering, fear, conflict—and agile enough to make sense of the more elusive ones—listening for and finding God, connecting to and appreciating sacred emptiness—Lew follows each lesson with a summation of "practice points." Seekers need not be Jewish to engage the ancient wisdom of these meditations that offer a rich, multileveled path to everyday spirituality.

July 15, 2005
Lew, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco and cofounder of Makor Or, the first meditation center connected to a synagogue, has written an interesting guide to spiritual practice and awareness for Jewish readers. As suggested by the title of one of his previous books -"One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi" -Lew is deeply informed by the traditions of the East, and his work in part reconciles Zen meditation with insights from the Torah, the Talmud, and the Mishnah. Many readers will discover in Lew's pages an authentic and modern way to reinvent their relationship to Jewish practice. For most collections.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.