Editorial Reviews  
The publisher, Jason Aronson Inc. , April 23, 1998 
Torah and Dharma explores the phenomenon of Jews seeking spiritual fulfillment in Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism. Through in-depth, personal interviews of many "seekers," Dr. Judith Linzer exposes the similarities and differences between the two traditions and gives an insightful interpretation of the causes and consequences of such a religious journey. 

Table of Contents 
Preface 
Acknowledgments 
Chapter One -- Introduction 
Background of the Problem 
Purpose of the Study 
Statement of the Problem 
Theoretical Framework 
Methods of Research 
Scope of the Study 
Importance of the Study 
Basic Assumptions/Presuppositions 
Chapter Two -- Review of Literature 
Hasidic Tale and Zen Koan 
The Spiritual Path 
The Modern Person Embarks on the Journey to the East 
The Excursion Ends in Return 
Jewish Identity 
The Contemporary Jewish Renewal 
Chapter Three -- Methods of Research 
Typology 
Interview Format 
Chapter Four -- The Participants' Stories 
Introduction 
Summary of the Twelve Themes 
Introduction to Background Information about Participants 
The Newly Orthodox Jews (the Baalai Teshuvah) 
Rachel 
Nancy 
Roberta 
Mark 
Dovid 
Shmuel 
Lorraine 
Benjamin 
Alan 
Janet 
Maurice 
Karen 
Joseph 
The Formerly Orthodox Jews 
Chaim 
Barbara 
Helen 
Steven 
Sharon 
Ephraim 
Warren 
Introduction to the Theme of Jewish Identity 
Perceived Internalized Anti-Semitism in Self or Others 
Perceived Anti-Semitism 
Lack of Knowledge of Judaism 
Envious of Others' Self-Identity 
Jewish Identity Influenced by a Grandparent 
Positive Experiences with Judaism as a 
Factor in Jewish Identity 
"I Always Felt Jewish -- I Still Feel Jewish" 
Going East and Finding Other Jews There Too 
Eastern Teachers Tell Students to Explore Their Own Roots 
The "Pintele Yid" 
Ambivalent Attitude of Parents towards Being Jewish 
Excursion and Return 
Realizing that Spirituality Is "Real" 
Realizing That Judaism Is a "Real" Spiritual Path 
I Know I Can't Deny My Roots 
Judaism Is Illuminated when Practicing the Eastern Religion 
Translating the Language of Eastern 
Religion into Judaism 
The Practice of Eastern Religions Brings 
Jewish Impulses to the Surface 
The Formerly Orthodox Jews 
Formerly Orthodox Jews Returning to Religious Judaism 
Formerly Orthodox Expressed the Need to 
Leave Religious Judaism 
Chapter Five -- Summary, Conclusions, and 
Implications 
Summary 
Conclusions 
Implications for Further Research 
Chapter Six -- Praises and Criticisms of Judaism and Eastern Religion 
Jews Want Direct Spiritual Experience 
What Needs to Happen within Judaism to Fix 
It 
It's "My" (the Baalai Teshuvah's) Responsibility to Bring This Knowledge to 
Other Jews and to Judaism -- The "Mission" of the Baal Teshuvah 
Today's Practice of Judaism Is a Distortion of "the Real Thing" 
Jews Like the Intensity and Commitment of Orthodoxy 
Jews Like Parts of Judaism but Nothing Fits Quite Right 
Orthodoxy Is Judgmental, Saying It Is the 
Only Valid Form of Judaism 
Judaism Isn't Presented Right 
Jews Critical of Orthodox Upbringing 
Jews Critical of Eastern Religion 
Jews Praise the Eastern Religion 
Jews Praise Judaism 
Chapter Seven -- Updates 
Introduction to Updates 
Barbara's Update 
Helen Harkaspi's Update 
Ephraim's Update 
Maurice Friedman's Update 
Karen's Update 
Lorraine's Update 
Benjamin's Update 
Dovid Zeller's Update 
Judith Linzer's Update 
Chapter Eight -- Jewish-Buddhist Encounter 
Heresy Means Choice 
Jerusalem and Benares 
The Attitude One Brings to Interfaith 
Dialogue 
The Attitude One Has about One's Own Faith Tradition 
Three Approaches to Religion: Orthodox, 
Secular, and Liberal 
The Main Difference between Jerusalem and Benares 
How East and West See "The Other" as Problematic 
Nihilation, or How Religions Invalidate Each Other 
Constructive Use of the "Other" Religion to Gain Perspective 
Jewish Questions, Buddhist Questions, 
Christian Questions 
Interfaith Dialogue as Family Therapy 
What Is Mysticism and Who Needs It? 
Mystical Nothingness in Judaism and Buddhism 
Perspective versus Descriptive 
The Horizontal and the Vertical 
The Individual and the Collective 
The Problem with Texts 
Perhaps East and West Can Complement Each Other 
Comparing Apples and Oranges 
Normal Mysticism 
Mystical Experience Invalidated within Western Religion 
Core Content of Mystical Experience Is Similar across Religions 
Conservative Seminary Out of Step with the 
Mood of the 1960s 
Psychedelic Drugs Provide Stimulus for 
Mystical Experience 
We Are Now Living in the Postmodern Age 
The Task of the Postmodern, Multicultural 
Age Is Interfaith Dialogue 
Attachment versus Detachment 
The Havdalah Problem 
Women's Access to Jewish Mysticism and Textual Study Blocked by Sexism 
Two Distinct Dialogues 
Idolatry 
Buddhism Helps Jews Cope with Our History of Suffering and Persecution 
Do You Cast Your Lot with the Jewish People? And Who Wants to Know? 
Reason to Feel Optimistic about the Future of Judaism 
Blocked Access to Jewish Mysticism, or, Why 
Judaism Hides Her Light 
Jewish Continuity, or, What Is a Jew? 
Bridge-Builders and Barrier-Builders 
The Importance of the Hebrew Language 
The Way Jews View History and Jewish Historical Perspective 
Buddhist Historical Perspective and Mindset 
The Post-Denominational Mystical Jew 
In Defense of Halachah 
So Many Buddhist Teachers and Leaders Are Jewish 
The Wisdom that Jews Who Meditate Can Bring to Us 
Drashot from Meditators' Points of View 
What Does the Jewish Community Need? 
The Future of Judaism, the Future of Buddhism 
Epilogue 
Notes 
Glossary 
References 
Credits 
Index