Skeptic

The Skeptic, Jews, Zen, and Blindness is a compilation of vignettes and essays that chronicle the experience of a Jewish man who struggled with his own tradition before he returned to it. The book investigates his loss of faith, primarily due to the Holocaust, and it illustrates his encounters with other ways humankind has experienced spirituality. Before reconnecting with the Jewish Community, he ordained as a Zen Monk with Zenshin Philip Whalen despite the onset of progressive sight loss. His disability was mitigated by years of volunteering in AIDS hospices and prisons. He describes the history of Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco from 1994-9, when Whalen was its Abbot. Stories about his encounters with people in California and Texas who cope with blindness, terminal illness, or prisons enliven the manuscript. He also shares tales about his extensive travel to Europe, Israel, Southern Asia, China, and Japan. Stories featuring Philip Whalen in his later years, with glimpses of Allen Ginsberg and Thich Nhat Hanh emerge from the pages. Underlying the narrative, he describes his family's triumphs, tragedies, and dysfunctions. He shares his thoughts about Judaism and Zen through the lens of increasing disability and advancing age.