Anonymous asked: Can you share your thesis for your "Jews and Buddhism" paper?

It was actually a response paper after a documentary screening at my college. We watched Belief Amended, Faith Revealed and had a discussion with the director, Bill Chayes. (He’s a nice guy. A little overly-serious about his films, but hey, that can be good.)

I focused my paper on my delight in seeing the way many ethnic Jews combined parts of traditional Judaism with practices of Buddhism and zen. (The film provides numerous examples, including Ginsberg.) From a personal perspective, raised Catholic, I remember hearing almost derogatory statements made about people who “pick and chose” their own religious identity (“cafeteria Catholics”). The “spiritual blending” highlighted in the film was incredibly intriguing. You should all see it if you get the chance!