The Jew in the Lotus: A 25th Anniversary Retrospective

Speaker: Rodger Kamenetz

Series: Jewish Enrichment

Date: December 8, 2019

Location: Bender JCC, Rockville

Professor Rodger Kamenetz shares what he learned about Judaism from the Dalai Lama. His book, The Jew in the Lotus describes the historic dialogue between rabbis and the XIV Dalai Lama as a lively, funny and profound exchange. The Jews came to help a people in exile with wisdom about survival, in exchange they saw their own tradition as illuminated in the eyes of an acknowledged Buddhist master. What endures for Kamenetz after all these years are certain moments of sacred encounter, of holy dialogue, and which has now led him to look for the sacred in dreams, in Jewish practice, and in the teachings of Rebbe Nachman. Rodger will give the big picture of the dialogue and his personal wrestling with its implications and will invite the audience to share their own questions-- and answers.