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· 360 ratings · 46 reviews

Start your review of That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist: On Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist

Oct 29, 2012 Arlene rated it liked it

I found this book an insightful resource because it is based on Boorstein's own personal experience being a practitioner of both Conservative Judaism and also Buddhism. I appreciated her insights into how Buddha is not a deity demanding worship to his image; and that during his teachings he asked that each person discover Buddhism for his or herself. This, Boorstein, explains leaves room for each person to experience Buddhist practice (i.e. meditation, mindfulness, etc.) by virtue of who they ar I found this book an insightful resource because it is based on Boorstein's own personal experience being a practitioner of both Conservative Judaism and also Buddhism. I appreciated her insights into how Buddha is not a deity demanding worship to his image; and that during his teachings he asked that each person discover Buddhism for his or herself. This, Boorstein, explains leaves room for each person to experience Buddhist practice (i.e. meditation, mindfulness, etc.) by virtue of who they are and how they arrived to be the person they are. For example, if someone happens to suddenly experience the icons or symbols of the religion they grew up with (such as Judaism, Catholicism, Christianity, etc.) as they meditate, nothing in Buddhist teachings says 'that is "wrong"' or "unacceptable"' but rather it is actually possible, valid, and acceptable. Alternate religious practice, of course, is not necessary or required alongside Buddhist practice, but if one does also adhere to belief in another religion as they practice Buddhism, there's room for each individual's complete personal experience without feeling 'wrong', or feeling fear of being admonished, etc.

Much of this book describes Boorstein's self consciousness about being a practitioner of Buddhism while being a devout and practicing Jew, too. This is perhaps a generational or cultural trait of someone who is maybe more religious in her Judaism than others or of someone who grew up in a devout practice. Those who are feeling challenged by practicing Buddhism alongside another religion may appreciate this aspect of the book.

It was an insightful book and a good introduction to the openness possible in the Buddhist practice.

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Sep 01, 2017 Valeri Drach rated it it was amazing

Can you be an observant Jew and a practicing Buddhist/ Why not says Sylvia Boorstein. For many the practice of prayer and meditation go hand in hand. I personally think they each strengthen the other. Religion is. Ricky subject, always has been. Boorstein tries to go above the fray and join the two religions. I think it can be done if your main interest is to be compassionate, a person who strives to be a better person while practicing their religion, rather Han excluding people from your specia Can you be an observant Jew and a practicing Buddhist/ Why not says Sylvia Boorstein. For many the practice of prayer and meditation go hand in hand. I personally think they each strengthen the other. Religion is. Ricky subject, always has been. Boorstein tries to go above the fray and join the two religions. I think it can be done if your main interest is to be compassionate, a person who strives to be a better person while practicing their religion, rather Han excluding people from your special club. It is not what religion you call yourself, it is not as if any religion is better than another, it is the respect a truly religious and spiritual person has for all religions. Meditation is the relationship that you have with yourself, it is the goal of being unattached. Boorstein tries to take the reader step by sep through her mediation evolution, from a woman of the 1970s to her recommitment to Judaism and her new found commitment to her practice of meditation. It worked so well she became a dharma teacher, traveling the world. Makes sense to me. ...more

Jan 30, 2022 Larry rated it it was ok

This book just really didn't resonate with me. I was hoping to find a pathway back into Judaism, but her experience was so different from mine that it's not applicable. Also, there was some re-interpretation of the Bible that was so different from the actual meeting as to render the Bible meaningless. I'm all for reinterpretation, don't get me wrong. And it's great that the author can grasp the personal insight that she does from the Bible. But if the meaning is so divorced from the original tex This book just really didn't resonate with me. I was hoping to find a pathway back into Judaism, but her experience was so different from mine that it's not applicable. Also, there was some re-interpretation of the Bible that was so different from the actual meeting as to render the Bible meaningless. I'm all for reinterpretation, don't get me wrong. And it's great that the author can grasp the personal insight that she does from the Bible. But if the meaning is so divorced from the original text, then you get the sense that anything can mean anything. ...more

May 21, 2017 Kristine rated it it was amazing

Some friends of mine, aware of my great respect for Buddhist understanding and of my dedication to practice, have been surprised at my renewed interest in Judaism. "Why," they wondered, "would you want to complicate yourself with Judaism?" It's not a question, for me, of *deciding* to complicate myself with Judaism. I *am* complicated with Judaism. I have too much background in it not to be. More important, though, is that the complication nourishes me. I love it. - p 41

* * * * * * * * *

"The na

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"The natural mind," I replied, "is free of tensions and doesn't allow attachments to become entrenched. Preferences arise, but they dissipate without causing problems when the mind is relaxed. Annoyance also arises, but it doesn't take up residence. Fears and hurt feelings, doubts and desires, all come up in response to challenges and disappointments, but they don't linger. They don't upset basic clarity. The elegant expression for this," I said, "is 'All defilements are self-liberating in the great space of awareness.' "
"What does that mean?" Joelle asked.
"It means, 'all the nonsense falls out of your head when it's screwed on straight.' "
"You can't say that in a *book*," Joelle laughed.
"Maybe not," I replied, "but it's true." - p 33

* * * * * * * * *

I first discovered Sylvia Boorstein when she was interviewed on a favourite podcast, then found and listened to some of her talks online, before I ever read her words in print. This book reminds me very much, though, of listening to her speak; her gentle humour and warmth and humility and genuineness fill every page. If you're hoping for either a rigorously structured chronological memoir or a step-by-step how-to book on combining the practices of Judaism and Buddhism, this offering might disappoint you -- it's not that sort of book. It didn't disappoint me at all, because I was already accustomed to her relaxed conversational style and the way she uses personal stories to illustrate little gems of wisdom and kindness and moments of clarity.
Reading the book, much like listening to her speak, left me feeling with each brief chapter as though I'd arrived home on a cold day to enter a warm kitchen where my smart, funny grandmother had hot soup waiting for me, which I'd eat while she related an amusing anecdote. Sylvia's stories somehow always leave me feeling calmer and and cosier and kinder -- and as if my complications have been nourishing, and a fair amount of the nonsense has fallen out of my head.
(Not ALL of the nonsense, but I plan to keep reading.)

...more

I was so ready for this book to be perfect and glorious. I'd heard Sylvia boorstein on a radio program and felt sweet, Jewish grandmother heartful energy from her that just called to me. As a Jew and Buddhist, I am excited to see how others have negotiated these identities. This book did not hold together well. The voice that called me from the radio did not take on the same richness in this book. I'm still very much glad I read it and glad that this author has contributed so much to building a I was so ready for this book to be perfect and glorious. I'd heard Sylvia boorstein on a radio program and felt sweet, Jewish grandmother heartful energy from her that just called to me. As a Jew and Buddhist, I am excited to see how others have negotiated these identities. This book did not hold together well. The voice that called me from the radio did not take on the same richness in this book. I'm still very much glad I read it and glad that this author has contributed so much to building a better and more metta-filled world. ...more

Mar 27, 2010 Laila rated it liked it

Sylvia Boorstein is just a gem. I find such comfort in her honesty and search for peace. There are a lot of Jewish references in here that I'm unfamiliar with, but that's okay, it's still interesting. What a quirky life path she's had! Sylvia Boorstein is just a gem. I find such comfort in her honesty and search for peace. There are a lot of Jewish references in here that I'm unfamiliar with, but that's okay, it's still interesting. What a quirky life path she's had! ...more

Jan 12, 2017 Kaitlyn rated it really liked it

This is delightful and also incredibly clear. Her explanations of lovingkindness, the way she shares her understanding of compassion, all of it. Not to mention humorous.

Makes me want to sit down with her and natter for a good long while.

Oct 25, 2018 Quinn rated it liked it

Syvia Boorstein is a practicing Jew. She encounters Buddhism as interesting, then intriguing, then congruous to Judaism. She teaches that you don't need to give up Judaism (or Catholicism, as shown by friends she includes) to be a Buddhist. Religions roots go deep, and eventually, given time and space, come back to a simple teaching: be kind. Or, as Rabbi Hillel said, "That which you despise, do not do to others. That is the Torah. The rest is commentary. Now go study."

An interesting book, for

An interesting book, for sure. I thought (and it was my mistake) that it would be less about Boorstein and more about religion, but it is an enjoyable book with many interesting ideas.

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Eh. The stories were nice, but I didn't really learn anything about how she moves in the world as both a Buddhist and an observant Jew. The book just felt like one big justification to her Buddhist friends of how she could also be Jewish, and one big justification to her Jewish friends of how she could also be Buddhist - while also one big attempt to convince herself it was okay to be both.

As an observant Jew who has become increasingly interested in Buddhist thought, I was excited to read this

As an observant Jew who has become increasingly interested in Buddhist thought, I was excited to read this, but also thoroughly disappointed. I couldn't even read the last couple of chapters.

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May 12, 2017 Dave rated it liked it

2.5 stars. She shares some great insight and interesting intersections/parallels, but interspersed with lots of details on people and events that add nothing to her points. Yes, I get it, the diversity of Jews interested in Eastern philosophy is great, but I don't need a chapter giving biographical details of the attendees of a dinner party. Perhaps the author is trying to impress us with the company she keeps. Meh. 2.5 stars. She shares some great insight and interesting intersections/parallels, but interspersed with lots of details on people and events that add nothing to her points. Yes, I get it, the diversity of Jews interested in Eastern philosophy is great, but I don't need a chapter giving biographical details of the attendees of a dinner party. Perhaps the author is trying to impress us with the company she keeps. Meh. ...more

I thought this book has some gems of wisdom. I appreciated Sylvia's honesty and her commitment to understanding and dissolving the tensions of two different religions. I didn't love the style, I wasn't sure of the point in some of the tangents. I also felt like there was some conflict that still hadn't really resolved, but then again maybe it just is and that's the point. I don't know that much about Judaism, so some of that went over my head.

This was such an example of reading a book at exactly the right time. I was teaching a class in Jewish Meditation as I read it and found a few times where I found the perfect quote for my class through my daily reading. The idea of V'ahavta as Compassion/Metta practice is inspired. This provides a whole new layer of meaning and significance to standard Jewish prayers.

Very mixed about this book. Parts were lovely, but the goody two-shoes got to me. I couldn't jibe Boorstein's loving kindness with either the Holocaust or with her love of Jerusalem without a mention of the Palestinians. Very mixed about this book. Parts were lovely, but the goody two-shoes got to me. I couldn't jibe Boorstein's loving kindness with either the Holocaust or with her love of Jerusalem without a mention of the Palestinians. ...more

Jan 13, 2018 Beth Marhanka rated it really liked it

Although I'm not Jewish or Buddhist, I enjoyed this book very much. I'm planning to read her other writings too. Very inspirational. Although I'm not Jewish or Buddhist, I enjoyed this book very much. I'm planning to read her other writings too. Very inspirational. ...more

Oct 15, 2017 Lisa rated it it was ok

This book was a lot more advanced than the first book I read by Sylvia (and my favorite!) It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness. It made for a difficult reading experience because it was a combination of Buddhist religion and Jewish religion.

But here are the quotes I like:

***

But here are the quotes I like:

***

I try to pray as if my prayers make a difference, but I don't believe that prayer saves us from terrible things happening. Terrible things do happen. I do believe that fully mindful prayer, undistracted presence, establishes the capacity of the mind to see clearly, and, when necessary, to surrender gracefully [...] My father said grace at dinnertime, and sometimes, probably in an attempt to be modern and funny, he would say, "Well, here we are again, God." That was it. The whole grace. Maybe that is the whole grace. Here we are.

***

I think the memory stayed with me twenty years as a riddle waiting to be fully understood because I shared the priest's reluctance to give up his attachment to God as conceivable and nameable. God language, however poetically nuanced, is a subtle place to hide attachment. Letting go of even that attachment - not by decision or intention, but by seeing clearly through it to the absolute emptiness of everything - is the birthplace of all possibility.

***

Most often I don't have the sense of praying to anything. I'm just praying. "This is what I'm happy about." "This what I'm unhappy about." "This is what I'm hoping for." "This is the consciousness I'd like to have with me now - alert, focused, accepting, noncombative - and these prayers help me stay in touch with my experience and my intention."

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Nov 04, 2008 Greg rated it it was ok

This has been sitting on my shelf for a long time and I've always really wanted to read it. I finally decided that immediately following my attendance at the Interfaith Youth Core Interfaith Leadership Institute was the perfect time. The book wasn't entirely what I expected though I'm not certain what I expected - perhaps I let it build up too long and so the expectations were so high. Mainly, I just didn't really like her writing and I didn't think her overall approach to the book worked for me This has been sitting on my shelf for a long time and I've always really wanted to read it. I finally decided that immediately following my attendance at the Interfaith Youth Core Interfaith Leadership Institute was the perfect time. The book wasn't entirely what I expected though I'm not certain what I expected - perhaps I let it build up too long and so the expectations were so high. Mainly, I just didn't really like her writing and I didn't think her overall approach to the book worked for me. There are things I liked, however. I very much appreciate her perspective on faith. When she talks about Buddhism working in concert with Judaism, she is careful to explain that the only reason this fits for her is because she's Jewish. She explains that it makes sense that she would see Judaism in Buddhism because it is her frame of reference and that someone with a different frame will see the parallels there. Boorstein provides for multiple interpretations of the same text and I value that. The other thing I valued, especially coming straight from ILI, was the emphasis on stories and storytelling. For me, though, I didn't find all of her stories that compelling and it really bothered me when she would talk about the book as if it had already been written. so, for example, there were a number of chapters where she would say, "when I was writing this chapter" and it just feels odd. ...more

Nov 20, 2013 Grady rated it really liked it

In a series of very short essays - almost more like magazine columns, although these appear to have been written specifically for this book -- Sylvia Boorstein recounts stations on her spiritual journey to being an observant Jewish Buddhist. The key to this mix in her case is that her worldview is essentially Buddhist, while her main linguistic, scriptural, prayer, and ritual traditions are Jewish. As an explanation of what the world looks like from that perspective, the book is beautiful and ac In a series of very short essays - almost more like magazine columns, although these appear to have been written specifically for this book -- Sylvia Boorstein recounts stations on her spiritual journey to being an observant Jewish Buddhist. The key to this mix in her case is that her worldview is essentially Buddhist, while her main linguistic, scriptural, prayer, and ritual traditions are Jewish. As an explanation of what the world looks like from that perspective, the book is beautiful and accessible, and offers a great deal of practical wisdom. Boorstein explains how she can build her faith on the premises that everything is emptiness, that all suffering stems from attachment, and that liberation for all beings is the best ultimate goal, and still consider herself to be wholly Jewish. To do this requires a fairly abstracted understanding of God and her relationship to the divine; for some liberal Jews (as, in a parallel way, for some liberal Christians), that may not be an impossible stretch, but for some more concrete adherents, it certainly is. I suspect Boorstein would be the first to say she isn't universalizing her experience, that everyone's path is necessarily their own. At the same time, she does emphasize, both in her own and in some close friends' lives, that pursuit of Buddhist meditation and ethics has only deepened her commitment to Jewish culture and ritual, and she believes that this path is open to at least some others. ...more

Nov 08, 2021 Beth rated it really liked it

Boorstein is an engaging, humorous writer - the focus of this book is more on her Judaism than her Buddhism.

Feb 19, 2016 Jim Lavis rated it really liked it

Losing this was like losing a friend!

On my trip to the Hampton's, a couple of weeks ago, I accidentally left this book on the plane. I always carry two or three books with me when I travel, so I had something to read, but I found myself really missing this particular book. I felt like I really lost something important, and I didn't know what to do. I was about two thirds through the book, and I even thought to myself, while getting off the plane, "now don't forget you place that book in the pouc

Losing this was like losing a friend!

This memoir was a story of a Jewish woman who re-inspired her faith of Judaism through Buddhism. I love these stories.
These type of stories inspire my own practice and deepen my understanding of others who practice mediation. There is so much good in these books, and reading them broadens and expands my perceptiveness, so after a couple days, I went back online a purchased this book again.

It was a good investment.

...more

This is an oddly disjointed set of essays by Sylvia Boorstein. I started off being very confused - as if large parts of this book were alluded to in her other books, which I haven't read. I think this book would have been better as a true memoir of her life and spiritual path up to this point - that would have created a better narrative and story to follow.

I'm also not sure if this lives up to the title of the book - this is more of a set of essays on how Sylvia integrates her Buddhism and her J

I'm also not sure if this lives up to the title of the book - this is more of a set of essays on how Sylvia integrates her Buddhism and her Judaism, as opposed to a how-to kind of book with steps on how others can do the same.

She is also a very spiritual person - much more so than me - and so I didn't feel connected to her or her stories at all. I think this book has a different audience.

...more

Jun 03, 2014 John rated it really liked it

The best parts of this book are when the author tells about herself and her own experiences of practicing her modes of spirituality with and around others. The parts where she describes various aspects of Buddhism or Judaism and how they relate are less successful in comparison, but they are clear and insightful.

Aug 18, 2015 Kat O'B rated it liked it

Interesting personal stories about how the author balances her Judaism and Buddhism. Some are entertaining; at times the style seems repetitious, but it worked fine to read in small bits over time at bedtime.

Aug 16, 2016 Sandy rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Journeyers

A reassuring and relaxing read. A little bit of everything Buddhist. Dark night (but not by that name), mentors, red herrings, side-trips, and overall just being comfortable with who she is, and how she lets each faith support the other.

Jul 10, 2019 Steph rated it really liked it

LOVED this! I continue to wish that Sylvia was my grandparent or aunt (swoon), she's charming, insightful and loving. I so appreciate her take on the potential blend and overlap between Judaism and Buddhism. LOVED this! I continue to wish that Sylvia was my grandparent or aunt (swoon), she's charming, insightful and loving. I so appreciate her take on the potential blend and overlap between Judaism and Buddhism. ...more

Aug 26, 2007 Matana rated it it was amazing

If everybody read this book and contemplate a little more, a chance of world peace will be a lot higher.

Apr 06, 2008 Marie rated it it was ok

I really liked some chapters, but I was expecting more emphasis on Buddhist teachings.

May 03, 2009 M rated it did not like it

She's a little too spiritual for me. I only read about half then I was too bored to continue. She's a little too spiritual for me. I only read about half then I was too bored to continue. ...more

Jul 02, 2009 Margaret rated it it was amazing

A great introduction to Buddhism, warm and funny and kind.

Sylvia Boorstein (born 1936) is an American writer and Buddhist spiritualist.

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