From Judaism to Buddhism: Jewish women's search for identity

It is well known that disproportionately high numbers of Jews have become Buddhists in North America. (Kamenetz, 1994). This study is an exploration of nine North American Jewish women who have turned to Buddhism for their spiritual development. The two research questions explore why these women are attracted to Buddhism and the process of how they are integrating the two religions within themselves. I have used the Push and Pull model of conversion (McGuire in Selengut, 1988) to analyze why these women feel pushed from Judaism and pulled towards Buddhism. In analyzing the second question, my findings suggest that these women are not converting fully to Buddhism, but rather are integrating both approaches in different ways. This integration was often articulated by the women as retaining their cultural and ethnic identity as Jews, while practicing Buddhist philosophy and spiritual practices in their everyday lives.