BANGOR – A leader of the Jewish meditation movement will visit Maine next week to explain the connections between Buddhism and Judaism.

Rabbi Alan Lew’s 1998 book, “One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi,” chronicles how he reconnected with Judaism through Zen Buddhism.

He will serve as a visiting scholar Sept. 16-17 at Congregation Beth Israel, 144 York St.

“I’ll be in Bangor two weeks before the High Holy Days,” Lew said in a telephone interview. “So I’ll be talking about taking the holiday season a lot more seriously. That can put us on a real journey of soul. The high holidays [Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur] are partly a season of transformation, and meditation is a very powerful tool for spiritual transformation.”

Although he has vacationed on Mount Desert Island and lectured in Portland, this visit will be his first to Bangor, he said.

Two years ago, Lew outlined in the book “This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation” how the two months between Tish’a B’Av (a fast commemorating the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple) and Sukkot (a harvest festival) could be used as a time to experience Judaism more fully.

Lew’s latest book, “Be Still and Get Going: A Jewish Meditation Practice for Real Life,” released in late August, combines ideas from the previous two books, he said.

“Meditation is really a wonderful tool for opening people up to the power of daily practice,” he said.

Lew was ordained in 1988, after pursuing a career as a writer and as director of the Berkeley Zen Center. He has served as rabbi of Beth Shalom in San Francisco since 1991. Six years ago, he co-founded Makor Or, a Jewish meditation center at the synagogue.

The most observant Jews recite the Pesukei Dezimrah, or Verses of Praise, every day, in private and public prayer. The verses consist of a series of psalms, preceded and followed by a special blessing. Recitation is intended to prepare and uplift the soul, purify thoughts and make Jews worthy to approach God in prayer.

Many Jews skip Verses of Praise recited during the first 20 or 30 minutes of the Saturday morning shabbat service. Congregants usually wander in toward the end of the recitation of Psalms, often bewildering non-Jewish visitors.

“Daily practice is the great missing link in Judaism,” Lew said in a 1998 interview. “We stand around scratching our heads, wondering why Judaism has stopped being spiritual, and it’s because we have lost the sense of Judaism as a daily practice. That’s why many of our meditation sessions precede services and take place in a synagogue, instead of just a monthly retreat.”

The Psalms, however, are a kind of meditation, said in preparation for the service, according to Rabbi David Cantor of Beth Israel.

“Most people find it excruciatingly boring and they skip it,” he said, “but I’ve found it to be transforming. I like to arrive first thing in the morning to recite the Psalms. I sit back, close my eyes and calm myself.”

Cantor encountered Lew a few years ago at a retreat. He suggested the synagogue invite the San Francisco rabbi to Bangor.

“He’s a great teacher who has a message people seem to want to hear,” Cantor said. “For some Jews, there’s nothing speaking to them today out of the Jewish tradition. It can be found, but only if you have a teacher who can show you where to find it … and see the gems within the tradition.”

Lecture schedule

8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16:

The Art of Living with Uncertainty

Noon Saturday, Sept. 17:

The Art of Cultivating Self-Awareness, Part 1

7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17:

The Art of Cultivating Self-Awareness, Part 2

For information about Rabbi Alan Lew’s visit, call Beth Israel, 945-3433. Lew will sign books after sundown Saturday. Books may purchased at BookMarc’s in Bangor.