Alan Lew dies; Rabbi and Jewish Meditation teacher

I was saddened to hear this week of the passing of Rabbi Alan Lew. Rabbi Lew, age 65,  died suddenly this week while jogging while visiting the East Coast. He is recognized as a leader of Jewish meditation and a voice for social justice, especially through his congregation in the San Francisco area. You can read a news article here about his death – I’d like to share my thoughts about his life.

In an unusual path to becoming a Rabbi, Lew spent 10 years as a Zen Buddhist monk before entering Rabbinical school. This combination of fascination for Eastern practices and Jewish learning was how I first heard of him.

About 10 years ago, I was also very interested in meditation and Eastern religious practices. I enjoyed the simplicity of ritual I found, and the calming practices of meditation in silence and wonder in nature. My brother (not much of a Jewish practitioner himself at the time) happened to find Rabbi Lew’s book One God Clapping and bought it for me. I read it with rapt attention. The book is Rabbi Lew’s spiritual autobiography and he didn’t shy away from telling the good along with the bad in his life. Most of all, I learned that there were other Jewish spiritual searchers like myself and Rabbi Lew seemed to be a few steps farther along the journey and he had found it a valuable one to take. The book was one step of a path that opened my eyes to the wealth of current spiritual leaders within Judaism. People like Rabbis Zalman Shacter-Shalomi, Shefa Gold, Shawn Zevitt, and many others.

Teachers like this opened up the possibility to me of feeling a Jewish connection while enjoying a sunset, waking up in the morning, or even during services (ha!).

About a year ago, I attended a meditation and lecture by Rabbi Lew. He listened patiently to people’s questions and answered with thoughtful insights inspired by his knowledge of both meditation and the literature of Jewish sages. Its hard to put into words someone’s meditation style, but I felt that my own practice was stronger that day. I would also open my eyes during the practice some times do take a peek at “the master” and see him sitting in his pose rigid and calm, and then return to my meditation.

I feel personally and collectively the loss of Rabbi Lew this week and I pray that his memory is a blessing and we all continue his work and to share his teachings.

- Jeremy