Jewish mother in Shangri-La, A
Book Description
When a Jewish mother's son embraces Buddhism, the age-old joke becomes a profound spiritual journey. Rosie Rosenzweig faces every parent's challenge: understanding a child who has chosen a radically different path. Rather than demanding her son Ben abandon his Buddhist practice, Rosie makes an extraordinary decision to explore his spiritual world firsthand.
This remarkable memoir chronicles Rosie's travels from her comfortable Boston suburb to meditation centers across Europe and Asia. Alongside Ben, she encounters renowned Buddhist teachers including Vietnamese master Thich Nhat Hanh and Tibetan lamas Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. From practicing mindfulness meditation to sharing tea with Zen masters, Rosie navigates unfamiliar spiritual territory while grappling with concerns about betraying her Jewish heritage.
What begins as a mother's quest to understand her son evolves into something deeper. As Rosie journeys from a French Zen hermitage to Tibetan Buddhist communities in Nepal, and ultimately to Jerusalem, she discovers unexpected insights about herself and her own faith tradition. Her honest exploration reveals how two ancient spiritual paths might find common ground without compromising authentic religious identity.
This touching story demonstrates how genuine curiosity and love can bridge seemingly insurmountable differences between cultures and generations. Rosie's journey offers hope for anyone seeking to honor their own spiritual roots while remaining open to wisdom from unexpected sources.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Buddhism
📄 Length: 173 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Jews
- ✓ Explore Buddhist converts from Judaism
- ✓ Explore Biography
- ✓ Explore Spiritual life, judaism
- ✓ Explore Spiritual life
- ✓ Explore Judaism
- ✓ Understand Buddhist philosophy and practice
- ✓ Explore Buddhism
