Winner of the 1997 National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought, "Stalking Elijah" traces Rodger Kamenetz's rollicking and profound cross-country journey in search of the great teachers revitalizing Judaism today.
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Winner of the 1997 National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought, "Stalking Elijah" traces Rodger Kamenetz's rollicking and profound cross-country journey in search of the great teachers revitalizing Judaism today.
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Add this copy of Stalking Elijah: Adventures With Today's Jewish to cart. $1.39, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by HarperOne.
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Add this copy of Stalking Elijah: Adventures with Today's Jewish to cart. $4.75, very good condition, Sold by Sue Miteff rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Lyon, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by HarperOne.
"Stalking Elija: Adventures with Today's Jewish Mystical Masters" (1997) is a sequel to Kammenetz's "The Jew in the Lotus" which recounts a visit of Jewish thinkers of various backgrounds and persuasions to Dharmsala, India, the home of the Tibetan Government in exile, to discuss the secret of Jewish survival in the diaspora with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders. The book, and the discussions, went far beyond that topic, however, and centered upon an inter-faith dialogue between the Jewish leaders and the Tibetans on the nature of their religious beliefs and practices.
In "Stalking Elijah", Kammenetz tries to find his way back to a Jewish observance using the insights he had gleaned from his meeting with the Tibetans. In other words, he undertakes a journey from Dhramasala to Judaism. The book recounts Kammenetz's meetings with Jewish spiritual leaders, most of whom practice a form of "mystical" or contemplative Judaism in Kammenetz's attempt to recover something of Judaism for himself.
I was frustrated by the book and found it hard to write about it. The book strikes me as self-indulgent and as unduly polemical. Also, Kammenetz's discussions of his meetings with his teachers are superficial. We don't really see enough of the teachers to get a good feeling for what they have to say.
The most valuable theme of the book, for me, is given in the title of this review. This is advice given by one of the Rabbi's to whom Kammenetz turns for spiritual advice, an ex-Lubavitcher Rabbi who, like Kammenetz, visited the Dali Lama. In the context of the book, the Rabbi advises the author to begin where he is in life in his search for spiritual enlightenment. Thus, Kammenetz finds he his to work within the scope of his Jewish background and learning, and follow a Jewish path to define and to realize his religious goals. The advice to "start from where you are" is wise, I think, beyond the use to which it is placed here. In every walk of life at every stage, the beginning of wisdom is to "start from where you are" rather than to try to be someone else or to be discontented with one's life. Good rabbinical advice, and good Buddhist advice too.
In addition to this component of the book, I found the final chapter describing a Passover seder in Dharamasala attended by Jews and Tibetan Buddhists well written. It can stand alone as an essay.
The book is of mixed merit, but its goal and message are valuable.
