“Mindful” has become a popular term to open a book title with, but Mindful Jewish Living gives mindfulness—as applied to the practice of Judaism—thoughtful treatment. Rabbi Jonathan Slater, a friend of Spirit Rock’s Sylvia Boorstein, offers meditation and mindfulness as complements to traditional Jewish practices, such as study of the Torah, divine service, and deeds of loving-kindness.
But don’t mistake this for a sloppy hybrid of Judaism and Buddhism: God and Jewish practice remain front and center. Says Slater, “As a Jew, I need Judaism to be a system that leads me to an experience of God. It has been my experience that mindfulness can serve as a path to God. The reality to which the heart wakes up through mindfulness practice is God.”
So while it’s not yet a well-worn passageway, with Mindful Jewish Living, the door between meditation and Judaism is opened more than a crack.
