Status Updates From American JewBu: Jews, Buddh...

Thanks Brandeis for this great PhD thesis model :)

This title is so cringey but we'll see 🙈

"A recent study by the Pew Research Center (2013) demonstrated that Jews are the most warmly regarded religious group in the United States today."

"And what this intellectual and highly rational form of Judaism lacks are practices that allow Jews to better cope with the stresses and demands of everyday life."

"...a larger trend that Jewish studies scholars have acknowledged: the modernization of Judaism, in the US as in Europe, has led to a form of Judaism that is highly rational and intellectual."

"...a larger trend that Jewish studies scholars have acknowledged: the modernization of Judaism, in the US as in Europe, has led to a form of Judaism that is highly rational and intellectual."

"Jewish meditation teachers ... present meditation as a clear and useful tool that helps people cultivate a range of positive outcomes: increased intentionality, stress reduction, compassion, gratitude, awareness, wisdom, and loving-kindness."

"The teachers abandoned the metaphysical elements of Buddhism too, including any discussion around the cycles of rebirth, realms of existence, or four stages of enlightenment that are all integral to Buddhist teachings in Asia."

"Classes in Jewish meditation tend to exclude Buddhist practices or ritual items that might be interpreted by practitioners as incompatible with Jewish law in an effort to make participants ... feel comfortable."

Sigalow's PhD thesis. An interesting topic, otherwise. Last 63 pages are appendices, notes and index.