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FROM JUDAISM to BUDDHISM: Jewlsh WOMEN's SEARCH for IDENTITY

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FROM JUDAISM to BUDDHISM: Jewlsh WOMEN's SEARCH for IDENTITY FROM JUDAISM TO BUDDHISM: JEWlSH WOMEN'S SEARCH FOR IDENTITY Deborah A. Brodey A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Adult Educatioa, Community Development, and Counselling Psychology Ontario hstitute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto O Copyright by Deborah A. Brodey 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale (*Iof Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K 1A ON4 Canada Canada Your Aie Votre ieldrence Our iib Notre retdrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT From Judaism to Buddhism: Jewish Women's Search For ldentitv Master of Arts dcgree, 1997 by Deborah A. Brodey Department of Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology Ontario Institute For Studies In Education of the University of Toronto It is well known that disproportionately high numbers of Jews have become Buddhists in Nonh America. (Kamenetz, 1994) This study is an exploration of nine North Arnencan Jewish women who have tunied to Buddhism for their spiritual developrnent. The two research questions explore why these women are attracted to Buddhism and the process of how they are integrating the two religions within themselves. 1 have used the Push and Pull mode1 of conversion (McGuire in Selengut, 1988) to analyze why these women feel pushed fTom Judaism and pulled towards Buddhism. In analyzing the second question, my findings suggest that these women are not converting fully to Buddhism, but rather are integrating both approaches in different ways. This integration was often articulated by the women as retaining their cultural and ethnic identity as Jews, while practicing Buddhist philosophy and spintual practices in their everyday lives. Acknowledeenients This thesis would not have been written without the participation and assistance of many people. 1 am grateful to my thesis supervisor and friend, James Draper, for al1 his support and encouragement right from the inception of this project. My deep-felt gratitude to Annie Mandlesohn, rny fiiend and mentor whose ideas have influenced the direction of this thesis, and for the hours of discussion since the beginning of this project and finally for the editing of the final drafl. I bow to my Dharma teachers: His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hahn, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Christopher Titmuss. To my ffiends and teachers that have helped me on this journey: Edmund OISullivan, Maggie Paxson, John Leavitt, Jan de Souza, Norbert de Souza, Sharry Aiken, Robert Brodey, Molly Kwan, Marina Princz, Marie Paulyn, Rosamond Cunnington, Tashi Dolma, Andrea Drynan, Kate Scroggie, Stephanie Signorelli, Jamie Miller, al1 my friends at TIFA in Dharamsala, Priscilla George and to the rnany other fiends who have been there. To Maddy Harper whose rnemory continues to inspire me and who was responsible in part for the direction rny life has gone in. Finally, heartfelt gratitude goes to al1 the participants in this study, who made this thesis possible and who shared their lives with me with such openness. 1 am indebted to thern. My deepest thanks to my family. In memory of Blanche and Abraham Brodey. iii Table of Contents Chapter I Chapter 3 - Methodology Chapter 5 - The "Push" Chapter 7 - The "Pull" Chapter 8 - Integration Chapter 9 - Conclusion Appendices Prologue For the last eight years 1 have been travelling back and forth between India, Nepal and Toronto. The first two trips 1 spent working and travelling. The third trip, however took me on a joumey that was the start of my awareness into the realm of the spiritual. This journey transformed my life. Wlien 1 lefi for Kathmandu in October, 1991 1 sensed that this trip was going to be dit-erent from any other. 1 had just finished a coniract working with Native women in Canada, where 1 learned many things tiom the women 1 worked with. The most important teaching for me was that 1 became aware of another reality, one that goes beyond the secular teachings 1 grew up with in the Judaism I experienced. 1 began to see myself as a spiritual beinç in relation to the world, part of an interrelated universe. This new awareness led me back to Asia. 1 spent a month at Kopan, a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, where Tibetan Lamas taught hundreds of "hungry" Westerners about the Buddhist Eight-Fold Path. It was a time of a great deal of questioninç and reflection. Was this a viable path for me? Could 1 ernbrace this path, or would 1 feel conflict because of my Jewish background? What would my family think? At Kopan 1 didn't commit to the Buddhist path but there was a seed planted. While 1 was there I couldn't help noticing the disproportionately large numbers of other Jewish women and men participating. 1 was fascinated by this. Why are Iews attracted to Buddhism and other Eastern traditions? What kind of Jewish backgrounds do they corne from? What aren't they getting fiom Judaism? Will they leave Judaism or can they be Buddhists and rernain Jewish? Do they feel a conflict about it? These questions remained unanswered in the back of my mind. 1 continued to explore Buddhism after Kopan by participating in other meditation retreats from various Buddhist traditions, ranging from Tibetan Buddhism to Vipassana to Zen, Gradually over tirne, 1 found myself getting more immersed in the teachings. 1 was attracted to the experiential approach of Buddhist meditation and the emphasis on testing the teachings out for oneself It is very direct compared to learning by rote at religious school. Sitting in my inner sanctuary was vastly different from sitting in a synagoçue and listening to passages hom the Torah of a male God which 1 couldn't relate to. The central teachinç in Buddhism, that there is sufferinç in life and that there is a way to end suRering, was very appealing to me since 1 was going through a dificult time in my life. This approach gave me a new lens through which to view my own sufferinç and the sufferinç of others. allowinç me to be more accepting of my own pain and others', rather than fighting it. As well, the teaching of the interrelatedness of al1 life resonated with me. 1 had learned the same perspective from the Native Wisdom teacliings and was for nie a powerfbl antidote to the patriarchal notion of understanding the world in terms of oppositions t hat has been inherent in the mainstreain branches of the Judeo-Christian traditions: female and male, good and evil, human relationship to non-human nature, us versus them. In 1993, 1 made a formal commitment to a Buddhist practice with The Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn. 1 felt connected to his approach to Buddhism which emphasizes mindful practice in our daily lives and in society in order to transform ourselves and Our environment. Making this commitment was a big step for me and I stniggled with what it would mean to be a student of Buddhism and a Iewish wornan. Despite some conflicted feelings, I decided to dive in anyway. As 1 continued to learn and understand more about what it was 1 was committing to, 1 became increasingly interesteci in what Judaism as a spiritual path was, as well as thinking about the forces that caused me to seek outside of Judaism. 1 corne from a family of mixed parentage; rny father is Jewish and my mother, an agnostic from a Protestant background. According to many Jews 1 am not considered Jewish, however 1 was raised as a secular Jew and was accepted into a Reform Synagogue as a Jew. Moreover, 1 identified myself as a Jew. 1 received a Jewish education from a Refonn Synagogue and from a Hillel workshop for youth and their parents. Unfortunately. as an adult I retained very little knowledge and understanding of Jewish religion. My Judaism meant havinç a stronç sense of family, history and of social justice and the remembennç of the suffering that we as a people have endured. 1 don? remember ever feeling connected to the reliçious aspects we were taught. For esample, 1 couldn't believe that God was a 'he' 1 can remeinber being in one of the classes and the teacher asking us to describe God. Many of the children talked about God beinç an old nian with a big white beard looking down on us. 1 remeinber saying that 1 thought God was more of a presence or an enerçy al1 around us rather than a person. It was love. 1 don't remember how the teacher responded. but 1 reniember having dificulty relating to the concepts of God that the others spoke of That is one of my more vivid mernories. Mostly 1 remember feeling uncornfortable. 1 am unsure if this had to do with niy general discornfort in classrooms and the rote style of learning or because 1 had a father who had very conflicted feelings about his own Jewish identity, particularly when it came to religion or because half of me was 'WASP' and 1 grew up in a non-Jewish neighbourhood.
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