Rabbi on the Ganges: A Jewish-Hindu Encounter is the first work to engage the new terrain of Hindu-Jewish religious encounter. The book offers understanding into points of contact between the two religions of Hinduism and Judaism. Providing an important comparative account, the work illuminates key ideas and practices within the traditions, surfacing commonalities between the jnana and Torah study, karmakanda and Jewish ritual, and between the different Hindu philosophic schools and Jewish thought and mysticism, along with meditation and the life of prayer and Kabbalah and creating dialogue around ritual, mediation, worship, and dietary restrictions. The goal of the book is not only to unfold the content of these faith traditions but also to create a religious encounter marked by mutual and reciprocal understanding and openness.
Alan Brill is the Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair in honor of Sr. Rose Thering for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University and author of several books including Judaism and Other Religions and Judaism and World Religions.
Preface Acknowledgments Encountering Hinduism From A Jewish Perspective Vedic Worldview Darshan-Philosophies Hindu Denominations Hindu Texts and Piety Godliness Worship Karma-Kanda Modernity Epilogue: The Malida Offering Bibliography About the Author
Brill's serious, respectful treatment of the Jewish-Hindu encounter in Rabbi on the Ganges provides much needed breathing room for Jewish lay readers to think about Hinduism with a respected Modern Orthodox Jewish writer who clearly cherishes his experience. . . . Brill approaches Hinduism with an appreciative eye, looking not to debunk, but to find riches. . . The riches in Rabbi on the Ganges are many, and the text also points to places for further, important developments for Jewish readers interested in Hinduism. . . . We can only speculate what the world Judaism of today would like if the majority of the Jewish diaspora had settled in Southeast Asia, or in India in particular. It is a tantalizing thought experiment, through which Brill would be a most enjoyable guide. * Journal of Interreligious Studies * This work is the best comparative analysis ever of Jewish and Hindu philosophy and religious thought. Brill knows his Jewish sources impeccably, and with skilled observations of daily life and engaging dialogues with Hindu thinkers and texts, we accompany him on his journey. This is a groundbreaking dialogue, and through Brill's appreciative eyes Hindus and Jews will come to understand both the other and themselves in a new way. It has my highest recommendation. -- Nathan Katz, Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Florida International University The late Swami Dayananda Saraswati declared Hinduism and Judaism to be the two fountainheads of Religion in our world-the one of the Abrahamic traditions and the other of the Dharmic religions. Yet for the most part in the course of history, the two have remained foreign to one another. In recent times this has changed dramatically, not least of all reflected in the fact that India is frequently the preferred destination of young Israeli Jews. However serious attempts to understand the religious world of the other have been rare. Alan Brill's book is an impressive pioneering work in this regard and will enable those familiar with Jewish teaching to gain a serious comprehensive understanding of Hindu religious thought, practice, and devotion. Moreover the clarity and insights he provides will enlighten not only Jews, but all those who wish to gain understanding of the rich wisdom and forms of Hindu religious life. -- David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs Brill succeeds in juxtaposing a comprehensive introduction to Hindu history, thought, and practice with personal reflections drawn from his experiences in India. A Highly readable contribution to the growing field of Indo-Judaic studies, and an invitation to further Hindu-Jewish dialogue. -- Yudit Kornberg Greenberg, George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Endowed Chair of Religion, Rollins College Rabbi, professor, traveler, storyteller, spiritual seeker, all of these roles have woven together to enable an outstanding achievement: Alan Brill's Rabbi on the Ganges. This book serves both as an introduction to Hinduism and also as a comparative study of Hinduism and Judaism. Brill has an ability to sift between the essential and the trivial that allows this introduction to be significant and meaningful, exploring the history of Hinduism and its variety of denominations and philosophies. Despite the enormous amount of information, the book doesn't feel dense but rather very readable. In terms of the comparison to Judaism, there are insights both relating to the rituals and practices of these religions but also the deep spiritual teaching. Brill also shows parallel developments in both religions, such as regarding the status of women and responses to modernity. One of the most significant messages of the book is showing how the contemporary Jewish view of Hinduism is based on a Hinduism of antiquity rather than the Hinduism of today. For me, this book has been transformative, and I believe that it will form a basis for a fruitful relationship between Judaism and Hinduism. -- Rabbi Yakov Nagen, senior educator Otniel Yeshiva
