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."

While I liked Rabbi Lew's book as a light read of his spiritual journey, I feel rather unimpacted by his work. For someone who has developed a conscious eye to the wonder of his life, I am surprised he didnt go farther in explaining the significance of his journey. More importantly, I wonder if the Rabbi appreciates how much he has to offer those of us who wish to learn more about finding spirituality in Jewish religion. While I dont question Rabbi Lew's faith, the book leaves me unimpacted which may be his point after all--you just cant find answers to spiritual questions reading about someone eles's life.

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.