A Jewish guy becoming an Imam in Saudi Arabia — that would be news.
A Jewish New Yorker becoming a Buddhist minister in Seattle … well, the Seatlle Post-Intelligencer apparently thinks it’s a big deal. Check out its profile on Rev. Kanjin (formerly Michael) Cederman, the new minister at the Seattle Nichiren Buddhist Church:
Seated in his office one afternoon last week, Cederman wore white socks and sandals and a black robe — garb he replaces with a Shriner hat and Western clothes when he goes to his Masonic meetings.
Outside the temple, he has an affinity for wearing bowlers.
He has a particular style of speech — his accent usually all New York — like when he explains that he wears the robe at Buddhist ceremonies "to make people feel comfortable."
"Not that I should look pretty," he says.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
