Peter Jaeger will explore the complex, dual religious identity of singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen by examining the intersection of his Jewish heritage and his deep commitment to Zen Buddhism.
The name “Roshi” refers to Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi, Cohen’s longtime Zen master at Mount Baldy Zen Center, while “Rashi” refers to the famous 11th-century French rabbi and foundational biblical commentator, symbolizing Cohen’s deep-rooted grounding in Jewish text and tradition.
Cohen does not reject Judaism for Buddhism, nor does he simply use Zen as a secular self-help tool. Instead, Cohen initiates a unique interfaith dialogue, allowing both traditions to enrich, critique, and inform one another.
The talk will track these themes through Cohen’s poetry, lyrics, and prose, showing how the Zen experience of emptiness and mindfulness blend with Jewish liturgical themes of exile, covenant, and praise.
