By Yonit Tanenbaum
Photos by Yossi Percia / COLlive
In a pioneering effort to bring together the Buddhist and Jewish communities, the Jewish Children’s Museum (JCM) in Brooklyn, NY, hosted a convoy of Buddhist monks.
After Monday’s guided tour of the popular and interactive exhibits, the delegation of Buddhist leaders, United Nations representatives, and rabbis conducted a dialogue around the similarities between Buddhist and Jewish fundamental principles of peace and tolerance.
“This is a big opportunity to find out about the Jewish religion,” commented Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UN Dr. Palitha Kohona who led the group. Throughout the tour of the museum the monks identified similarities in customs of dress and dietary laws practiced in both religions.
The two groups joked about standing out in a crowd – the rabbis with the traditional kipa and tzitzis, and the monks with shaved heads and brightly colored robes.
In addition to observed directives, the Ambassador noted the similar principals between Buddhism and Judaism: “Tolerance, self-understanding, and non-violence.”
The relationship between the Museum – which is run as a division of Tzivos Hashem, the children’s arm of Chabad-Lubavitch – and the Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN was born almost 2 two years ago when Senior UN Correspondent Gloria Starr-Kins introduced representatives to one another.
The relationship further developed when the Museum hosted the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UN, along with 40 other UN staffers and diplomats, in October 2009.
This week’s tour began with an exhibit about Jewish morals that “make the world a better place,” explained tour guide Goldy Cohen. “It is not exclusive to Judaism, it applies to everyone equally,” she added. The exhibit showcases moral values such as uplifting the sick, respecting parents and elders, giving to others.
An officer from Kohona’s delegation offered a quarter to be used in an interactive station in the exhibit – a large gumball machine. Out rolled a white gumball.
All eyes followed the white gumball as it wound its way through a maze along one wall and landed in a miniature hospital near the floor – representative of how a quarter can be used to give to others rather than to take for one’s self. “Every person put into this world has choices to make and can choose how to react,” said Cohen, as she led to the group toward the Kosher Exhibit.
Buddhist-born student at Columbia University, Savan Wijewardene, pointed out to the group that the Jewish dietary laws of not eating dairy with meat are similar to the Buddhist dietary customs.
After touring the Six Days of Creation Exhibit and the Shabbat Exhibit one of the monks asked a young rabbi present to explain the meaning of the fringes he wore, which were hanging from his belt to his pockets. He explained to the captivated group that the numeric value of the tzitzit totals 613, the number of commandments in the Bible. “We, too, have things to remind us,” noted a monk clad in bright orange linen robes.
“By having a greater understanding of Judaism, people will be nicer to Jews and even more than that, have tolerance of all cultures,” said the head monk of Staten Island Buddhist Temple, Bhante H. Kondañña.
Director of Development at the Museum Rabbi Mendel Spalter opened a sit-down dialogue by connecting the gathering with the recent celebration of the Jewish New Year.
“We celebrate the creation of man on the New Year,” Spalter spoke from the podium. “Everyone is equal and unified under G-d, therefore it is very apropos for us to gather now,” he said and concluded with a blessing for a happy and healthy year.
Rabbi Simon Jacobson, best-selling author and director of A Meaningful Life Institute, spoke about the New Year saying that on the High Holidays people communicate with G-d and connect to a higher reality. He paralleled that bond with intercultural connections.
“Words can be traps. We should try to find a medium that transcends words in order to connect to each another and express the inexpressible,” Jacobson then led a word-less hymn, called a niggun, sung by Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidim on the High Holiday of Yom Kippur.
“Just like every music note is necessary on its own and as part of a greater composition, every person is indispensable,” expressed the rabbi.
Ambassador Kohona addressed those present, saying, “I hope this will lay the foundation for future relationships between our two communities.”
He noted the similarities in beliefs that Jacobson touched upon during his talk that, “the world is being renewed constantly and changes moment to moment.”
“The most important factor is to bring happiness into the world,” declared the head monk of New York Buddhist Temple, Venkurunegoda Piyatissa. “I appreciate the effort to bring peace and unite us,” spoke the 80-year-old monk softly into the microphone.
Kins, who initially introduced the two groups to one another more than one year ago, said it is her hope that such intercultural events spur “peace around the world. I am just brimming over with the pleasure of this,” she added.
to all u cultural amoratzim, bhhuddism isn’t a religion (even though ppl do worship buhddah, that is not bhudism)
bhuddism is a philosophy. it does not even talk about Hashem. it mostly talks about the teachings of mr. bhuddah whom his followers consider an enlightened teacher.
but buddah never called himself a prophet or a god.
bhuddists mostly teach about relating to this world- how to relate to one’s thoughts& 2 the world.
doing the work of the most high, loving thy nieghbors as thyself…bles bless bless.
#2, Buddhists are not muslim or arab, they don’t even look it. They look almost Indian if anything. #1, They are ovdei avodah zarah, but so what? They can’t visit the museum? (#7) As far as 770, the question is, is it appropriate for the kedusha of 770 to bring a bunch of Buddhist monks in full regalia in there? (#6) And what are people kvetching about bringing them to Crown Heights? They were in Crown Heights! Last I checked, that’s where the JCM is! I think it’s a great and informative way to expose them to yiddishkeit. Do you… Read more »
Batya where are you? I expect to see you in anything that shows Lubavitch in a positive light.
Nope, Judaism does not preach that.
For sure not “non-violence,” that is Ganhdi, we teach that if someone comes to kill you, you kill him first. And the Rebbe in the 1960’s spoke about not taking terrorists prisoner, lest that give the arabs ideas of prisoner exchanges, v’dal
you’re awesome!!
they are NO arabs and NO muslim. Its a tottaly different religion. buddhist. Come one every one, a minimum of culture…!
To the debtractors of 770 – why don’t you take your ignorant and negative selves and go to 770 between mincha and maariv EVERY motzei yomtov – Rosh Hashana, Simchas Torah, Pesachj, Shavuous etc. – and see a farbrengen WITH the Rebbe – but unfortunately you don’t SEE the Rebbe! You just FEEL the Rebbe. You don’t have a clue what’s going on there – it’s an opportunity to “BE with” the REbbe. It’s truly above “teva” to be by these farbrengens. But, to borrow a secular expression – “You can take a horse to the water, but you cannot… Read more »
Buddaism is a mixed bag, like the religion of Edom. Some worship idols, but in principle, it is almost more of a philosophy of how and why to escape from the world, than it is a religion. In any case, Chazal also talked to idolators to explain Judaism.
a new havener
are they arabs or muslims?
DIDN’T THE ARTICLE CLEARLY STATE THEY ARE BUDIST MONKS. i don’t get your question. They are neither arab nor muslim, they are asian if anything.
i agree with you 100%!!
Who’s the guy in picture number 4 setting up the food? Hope it tasted good!
i agree
unfortunately, i would NOT recommend a tour of 770.
And in crown heights, you don’t exactly see elokus rolling down the streets.
Exactly what I was thinking.
weird and interesting
but still cool
sad to say but 770 today is not a place that can represent Judaism, Lubavitch or the Rebbe in a positive light….
weird way to get an acquaintanceship in lubavitch with judaism
oh how the mighty have fallen
i wouldve recommended tour of 770 or crown heights
Here is one Chabad organization that truly does positive work.
Keep up ur great work Rabbi Benjaminson
Are monks allowed to smile?
cool i am the first one to comment just i question are they Arabs or Muslims cause they defiantly look it
heim