Everything Is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism Review

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(More customer reviews)Everything is God is a book with a great deal of heart. The reader can easily tell that Jay Michaelson is a very sincere thinker on Jewish matters and in the wider world of spirituality. With this in mind, it is easy to forgive the book some of its shortcomings. For one, the work is not overtly Jewish. Michaelson quotes Hindu and Buddhist sources far more than traditional Jewish ones. The reader gets the impression that Michaelson is more comfortable in that world. Second, the book is organized in a way that does not help the reader access this difficult subject matter. Michaelson should have thought more about the arrangement of his materials. With that said, this is a grounded and beautiful work. Michaelson presents a picture of God, spirituality, and Jewishness which appealing, productive and humane.

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This exploration of the radical, yet ancient, idea that everything and everyone is God will transform how you understand your life and the nature of religion itself. While God is conventionally viewed as an entity separate from us, there are some Jews—Kabbalists, Hasidim, and their modern-day heirs—who assert that God is not separate from us at all. In this nondual view, everyone and everything manifests God. For centuries a closely guarded secret of Kabbalah, nondual Judaism is a radical reorientation of religious life that is increasingly influencing mainstream Judaism today. Writer and scholar Jay Michaelson presents a wide-ranging and compelling explanation of nondual Judaism: what it is, its traditional and contemporary sources, its historical roots and philosophical significance, how it compares to nondual Buddhism and Hinduism, and how it is lived in practice. He explains what this mystical nondual view means in our daily ego-centered lives, for our communities, and for the future of Judaism.

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Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History Review

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(More customer reviews)A Rabbi once joked to me about learning about Judaism. He noted that some folks promote their religions by giving out pamphlets from fold-up tables. He noted, "If someone asked a Jew about Judaism, he'd have to do this," and he plunked down a stack of about 10 books on his desk with a loud whack.
That's how it gets after 3500 years, I'm afraid.
Well, here it is for your perusal; Judaism between two covers. It's not complete, but it's pretty much the best damn overview of Judaism that I have ever seen. It's well-written, concise, informative, and thorough. There is very little authorial agenda in the book, and he clearly tries to treat potentially hot "political" issues (such as the divisive "Who is a Jew" issue) as even-handedly as possible (Telushkin is an Orthodox Rabbi). Further, the book is laid out in such a way, like encyclopedia entries, that a person looking for information on a particular topic--such as the Jewish take on Jesus, say--can find it quickly and easily.
If you are interested in learning about Judaism at all, or if you are a Jew yourself who wants a good starting point for educating yourself, I highly recommend this book.

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Hillel: If Not Now, When? (Jewish Encounters) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hillel may be the only ancient rabbi that most Jews, and many non-Jews, have heard of. The Jewish outreach program on many university campuses is named after this famous rabbi. And many people have also heard (part of) Hillel's famous statement summarizing the Torah while standing on one foot: "What is hateful to you, do not do unto others." But, as Rabbi Joseph Telushkin lucidly explains, there is a very great deal more to Hillel's life and work.
And not only is there more, Rabbi Telushkin argues, much of Hillel's core teaching is a) more relevant to the Jewish condition than it has been at any other time in the past 2000 years, and b) most Jews, including perhaps even most practicing rabbis, do not appreciate or act upon these core teachings.
Hillel taught many important lessons. I will discuss only one of them here. To learn about the others, and to learn far more detail than I can mention here, I urge you to read Rabbi Telushkin's well-written book Hillel: If Not Now, When? (For those familiar with his recent works on ethics, this book is much shorter, and although it will reward careful study, can be read through like a biography.)
Hillel is best-known for the above quoted statement of the golden rule. But as Rabbi Telushkin observes, the context of the quote, as well as the complete quote, are much less well-known.
The context is that Hillel is responding to a pagan who has approached him and requested that Hillel convert him to Judaism, and explain the Torah to him while standing on one foot. Hillel agrees! While such openness to conversion might not surprise a Christian, it does surprise most Jews, including most rabbis, today. Rabbi Telushkin is obviously troubled by the modern Jewish antipathy toward interested non-Jews. Citing Hillel, Telushkin argues that in societies that permitted it, Jews were very open to potential converts.
With the Roman destruction of the second Temple in the year 70, and the subsequent expulsion of the Jews from the Land of Israel, Jews found themselves almost everywhere among more or less hostile hosts. For much of this time, in both Christian and Muslim lands, conversion to Judaism was punishable by death. In fact, still today, conversion out of Islam is punishable by death in many parts of the Muslim world. Over these many centuries of oppression, Jews adopted the idea of resistance to accepting converts.
Telushkin presents a strong case, based on Hillel, that this resistance, while understandable, is an aberration. In addition to the famous one-foot story, Telushkin presents two other similar stories in which Hillel quickly accepts people who wish to convert. However, in each case, it is clearly understood that once they convert, they will need to learn more.
In fact, this immediate acceptance, before learning or study, is how most Jews alive today became Jews: they were immediately accepted into the Covenant knowing little or nothing about it, and they were then expected to learn about it. That is simply another way of saying that Judaism accepts young children as Jews if they happen to be born to a Jewish mother. These Jews, having been immediately accepted before they study extensively, remain Jews, regardless of whether they ever learn or practice anything Jewish.
Rabbi Telushkin is gently observing that the practice of being hostile to converts, as so many Jews today are, is a) inconsistent with historical teaching and practice pre-Roman-expulsion b) inconsistent with the often stated goal of keeping the Jewish community thriving and c) unfair and hurtful, since it discriminates against some people based on an accident of birth.
The close of the famous one-foot story is: "Now go an learn." A good place to start is Hillel: If Not Now, When?


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The Empty Chair: Finding Hope and Joy: Timeless Wisdom from a Hasidic Master, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov Review

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(More customer reviews)This little book contains such timeless wisdom. My personal favorite goes something like "all the world is a narrow bridge. The secret is not to look down." I find myself going back to it again and again, particularly at times when I feel lost or in need of an insight. I usually find something to renew my hope. I have given it as a gift many times. Even those who do not come from a Jewish background will find something to touch their hearts. Truly a treasure.

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Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers Review

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(More customer reviews)Like many of my most valued books, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's `Jewish Wisdom' arrived by accident, not through deliberate choice, but rather as a result of my having missed the reply deadline for one of my book clubs.
The full title of the book gives a greater sense of the scope of this 650+ page book: `Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers'. This statement in the subtitle comes very close to an encapsulation of the Jewish faith for me -- it is an ethical way of life; it is a spiritual way of life; it is a way of life with high regard for history; it is a way of life with high regard to teaching and learning; it is a way of life that has accomplished great works and produced great thinkers. All of these things benefit the whole of humankind. `Two thousand years ago, when a non-Jew asked Hillel, the leading rabbi of his age, to define Judaism's essence, the sage could have responded with a long oration on Jewish thought and law, and an insistence that it would be blasphemous to reduce so profound a system to a brief essence. Indeed, his contemporary, Shammai, furiously drove away the questioner with a builder's rod. Hillel, however, responded to the man's challenge: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: this is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary; now go and study" -- a model statement that has defined Judaism's essence ever since. As Hillel knew, the right words at the right time can inspire people for generations.'
Rabbi Telushkin has written or edited literally hundreds of books, and many of them consist of collections of writings or quotations. One of the things that sets this apart from other books of quotations and writings, both Jewish and non-Jewish, is the running commentary that speaks to the importance in the ongoing development of Jewish life and faith of the writings presented here. Indeed, some quotations appear more than once, because they have a relevance to more than one topic.
Rabbi Telushkin concludes with a fifteen-page bibliography, which reads as a 'best of' list of Jewish literature (and is a frequently-addressed reference source for me when looking up Jewish information of almost any field). At the front of this bibliography, he starts by listing the top-ten collections of Jewish quotes and texts -- what other book of quotations references even one, much less ten, other such collections?
A truly inspiring book, a wonderful reference, a thoughtful and insightful collection -- this book will not gather dust on the shelf. For those who are not Jewish, this book contains the key to following Hillel's instruction to 'go and study'. For those who are Jewish, this will serve as a solid addition to the library of essential facts and useful opinions and impressions from culture and history.

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Sage Tales: Wisdom and Wonder from the Rabbis of the Talmud Review

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(More customer reviews)Rabbi Visotsky, the author of this volume, is a professor at The Jewish Theological Seminary and has been involved in studying and teaching the subject of Jewish Midrash, the ancient tales, parables, and teachings of Judaism, for over forty years. There are twenty-two chapters filled with interesting information told in an easy to read, frequently humorous manner. The title Sage Tales could mean stories filled with wisdom, tales told by wise men, or a history of ancient intellectuals. Visotsky uses the title in all three ways, because he gifts us well-told wise tales and informs us about the history of the times and the men who told the tales.
His opening chapter, for instance, explains what prompted the many unforgettable stories about the appearance of the biblical prophet Elijah long after his death, always appearing as a miraculous helper to people in distress. He tells his own story of how he was lost in Uzbekistan and was unable to communicate with people on the street since he couldn't speak or understand their language. But then a man suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and took him to the house he was seeking, even though he never told the man the address of the house. When he turned around within seconds to thank him, he couldn't find him. He disappeared. Was he Elijah the Prophet? He tells three stories from the Talmud where the rabbis relate similar instances and say that the stranger was Elijah, and he explains why they said so. One is how Elijah caught a man who jumped off a roof to commit suicide and dissuaded him from repeating his mistake. One tells how Elijah replenished a man's sack of jewels that a thief stole and arranged suitable punishment for the thief. Still another has the ubiquitous theme of Elijah disguised as a beggar who knocks on a door begging for alms. He explains how these folktales and others like them are constructed and what they are designed to accomplish. He admits that the "legends were told about people who really lived, but the events may not have happened as described in the narrative."
In his second chapter, to offer another example, he introduces five sages, tells us what they thought on a host of subject, what their teacher said about each of them, what posterity thought of them long after their death, and the tale of how and why the best them, smarter and more loved than the rest, went astray. While his colleagues are mentioned frequently in the Talmud, little is known of him other than his early wise statements and his teacher's accolades.
In the next chapter, to cite a third illustration, he tells how the idea of rewriting and expanding on previously-told ancient stories is an age-old well-accepted practice not only of Jews but of ancient Greeks. The Greeks did it with the Odyssey and the Iliad. The Jews did it frequently as when the tales in the book Pirkei Avot, called Ethics of the Fathers in English, were expanded with new stories in Avot deRabbi Nathan. He gives other interesting demonstrations. In the fourth chapter, our final example, he shows how the Bible itself uses this technique. I am reminded of the title Nathaniel Hawthorn used, Twice Told Tales, although it would be more precise to say "tales told and retold many times."
Visotsky includes two appendices. One, of twenty pages, recapitulates the tales alone without comments so that readers can find them easily and review them. The second, a four page Who's Who, identifies the people mentioned in his discussions. There is also a glossary that defines terms and a section Suggestions for Further Reading.



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The Choosing: A Rabbi's Journey from Silent Nights to High Holy Days Review

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(More customer reviews)Rabbi Myers' book addresses the big questions about God, identity and upbringing. And also, whether it's possible to make black-bean matzoh ball soup. It's a funny and wonderful spiritual journey. I'm lucky enough to know Rabbi Myers personally, but I would have thought this book was great regardless. It should appeal to readers no matter their gender, sexual orientation or religion.

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A young Lutheran girl grows up on Long Island, New York. She aspires to be a doctor, and is on the fast track to marriage and the conventional happily-ever-after. But, as the Yiddish saying goes, "Man plans, and God laughs." Meet Andrea Myers, whose coming-of-age at Brandeis, conversion to Judaism, and awakening sexual identity make for a rich and well-timed life in the rabbinate.

In The Choosing, Myers fuses heartwarming anecdotes with rabbinic insights and generous dollops of humor to describe what it means to survive and flourish on your own terms. Portioned around the cycle of the Jewish year, with stories connected to each of the holidays, Myers draws on her unique path to the rabbinate--leaving behind her Christian upbringing, coming out as a lesbian, discovering Judaism in college, moving to Israel, converting, and returning to New York to become a rabbi, partner, and parent.

Myers relates tales of new beginnings, of reinventing oneself, and finding oneself. Whether it's a Sicilian grandmother attempting to bake hamantaschen on Purim for her Jewish granddaughter, or an American in Jerusalem saving a chicken from slaughter during a Rosh Hashanah ritual, Myers keeps readers entertained as she reflects that spirituality, goodness, and morality can and do take many forms. Readers will enthusiastically embrace stories of doors closing and windows opening, of family and community, of integration and transformation. These captivating narratives will resonate and, in the author's words, "reach across coasts, continents, and generations."

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