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Rating: 
Summary: Very worthwhile!
Review: I read this book for a class on Judaism and was simply delighted. I have a background in Buddhism and Christianity, with some exposure to Judaism. I was particularly impressed with the mystical traditions and reform efforts while retaining roots in the Jewish tradition. Christianity could benefit from similar efforts! The book is written as a story and I found it easy to follow and entertaining to read. While the differences among various Jewish belief systems was not altogether clear, many differences among and between those in the story helped to illustrate the strength of the tradition through its inclusiveness. The seder held in Dharmasala near the end of the story must have been a rather awkward experience for Kamenetz. Still, it may have opened yet another door for peace and understanding, as well as the collaboration between two peoples in exile.
Rating: 
Summary: Spiritual wanderlust or poor quality compass?
Review: The author writes well and I certainly appreciated that. However, his spiritual journey seems primarily to emphasize his lack of focus and his ability to see Judaism and Buddhism as "one-size-fits-all" spiritual companions. I felt that his analogies between the two religious philosophies were stretched rather thin and I was never entirely certain why he felt so strongly that the two must be related or joined together. I also felt that in several instances, he misrepresented Jewish theological ideas in order to make them fit more neatly into a Buddhist mold. For example, he tries to relate the Buddhist notions of reincarnation with those of Jewish Kabbalistic mystics. While there are similarities, he never makes note of the fact that reincarnation is not a particularly strong thread within any of the major denominations of Judaism. All in all, after reading this book, the phrase, "self-indulgent" keeps coming to mind. I'm sure it was important for him to write it -- I'm just not convinced that it's important for others to read.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual wanderlust or poor quality compass?
Review: The author writes well and I certainly appreciated that. However, his spiritual journey seems primarily to emphasize his lack of focus and his ability to see Judaism and Buddhism as "one-size-fits-all" spiritual companions. I felt that his analogies between the two religious philosophies were stretched rather thin and I was never entirely certain why he felt so strongly that the two must be related or joined together. I also felt that in several instances, he misrepresented Jewish theological ideas in order to make them fit more neatly into a Buddhist mold. For example, he tries to relate the Buddhist notions of reincarnation with those of Jewish Kabbalistic mystics. While there are similarities, he never makes note of the fact that reincarnation is not a particularly strong thread within any of the major denominations of Judaism. All in all, after reading this book, the phrase, "self-indulgent" keeps coming to mind. I'm sure it was important for him to write it -- I'm just not convinced that it's important for others to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Personal spiritual quest
Review: This book comes as a natural sequel to its predecessor "The Jew in the Lotus." The later describes the author's encounter with Buddhist mysticism and how this event eventually led to rediscovering of his Jewish roots. "Stalking Elijah" describes his encounters and dialogues with mystical teachers inspired on Kabbalah, representatives of the Jewish Renewal Movement in America (Rabbi Zalmon Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man, Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb). It is a very personal view, self-centered, a mystical journey that leaves many open questions and speculates on several issues. Although Kamenetz writings may act as a source of inspiration for Jews (and why not for other denominations as well), his exhausting elaboration on certain issues might be viewed as tedious by some readers. His striving quest for religious identification and willingness to share his adventure with his readers underlies a sad paradox: the mystical journey, as much as the experience of God, is such a personal, instrospective, and subjective experience that it becomes impossible to share it with other people by means of all known conventional methods of communication. Probably the most important conclusion he reaches is that when a Jew is faced with the dilemma between mystical experience and practical religious life, complex procedures are not required. A single blessing from the heart may very well do the trick!
Rating:
Summary: Personal spiritual quest
Review: This book comes as a natural sequel to its predecessor "The Jew in the Lotus." The later describes the author's encounter with Buddhist mysticism and how this event eventually led to rediscovering of his Jewish roots. "Stalking Elijah" describes his encounters and dialogues with mystical teachers inspired on Kabbalah, representatives of the Jewish Renewal Movement in America (Rabbi Zalmon Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man, Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb). It is a very personal view, self-centered, a mystical journey that leaves many open questions and speculates on several issues. Although Kamenetz writings may act as a source of inspiration for Jews (and why not for other denominations as well), his exhausting elaboration on certain issues might be viewed as tedious by some readers. His striving quest for religious identification and willingness to share his adventure with his readers underlies a sad paradox: the mystical journey, as much as the experience of God, is such a personal, instrospective, and subjective experience that it becomes impossible to share it with other people by means of all known conventional methods of communication. Probably the most important conclusion he reaches is that when a Jew is faced with the dilemma between mystical experience and practical religious life, complex procedures are not required. A single blessing from the heart may very well do the trick!
Rating: 
Summary: "Start from where you are"
Review: This book 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 Dali 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.
It 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-Lubavicher 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 rabinnical 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.
Rating:
Summary: "Start from where you are"
Review: This book 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 Dali 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.
It 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-Lubavicher 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 rabinnical 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.
Rating:
Summary: I must have missed something
Review: Though I found the author's genuine search for spirituality intriguing, the G-d he found did not have to be a Jewish one. Any religion that offers introspection, comfort and a sense of purpose is wonderful. Unfortunately Jewish spirituality does not exist in a vacuum, nor were the laws written so that we could fashion them as we choose and then call them Jewish. Jewish tradition is so, because it maintains itself pretty much in tact throughout the ages. If you mess with it too much, you will just lose it. Perhaps the author found a religion that fits his lifestyle. That is very nice, but what power than does he have to transmit it, when the religion and it's customs are only of his choosing and his personal view of spiritualty. Just another small point. No where in the Torah does it say that spirituality is a pre requisite for observance, or that it precludes observance. The vehicle for spirituality is the actions, and through them, when they are performed with the spirituality within our souls do we truly reach the levels of inner peace.
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