Best Jewish Orthodox Movements
In My Grandfather's Blessings , Rachel Naomi Remen , a cancer physician and master storyteller, uses her luminous stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive. When doctor and author Rachel Naomi Remen ( Kitchen Table Wisdom ) was young, she was caught between two different views of life: that of her rabbi grandfather and that of her highly academic, research-oriented parents, who believed religion was the opiate of the masses.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was very moved by many of the stories as I, like most people, have also been touched by terminal illness and loss in my life."
"The introduction to this book should be required reading for anyone serving in the nonprofit world or the helping professions."
"The condition of the book was excellent & service was wonderful."
"I really love this book."
"It's one I don't want to pass on, because I know I will read it again and again and even mark special pages that will help in challenging times."
"So if you want goosebumps as well as a soul-full book, this is a must read!"
"I am glad I bought the book to read all these stories."
"I read this book a few months ago and enjoyed it."
Named one of "forty-two books to read before you die" by the Independent (UK). 2015 National Jewish Book Award Winner. 2016 Winner of the GLCA New Writers Award in Nonfiction. One of Star Magazine's "Fab 5 Can't-Miss Entertainment Picks". A moving and revealing exploration of Hasidic life, and one man's struggles with faith, family, and community. “With this book Deen has laid to rest the idea that a Hasid from New Square could never become a great writer in English, or an articulate chronicler of his own experiences.” ― The New Republic. “In this moving book, Deen lays bare his difficult, muddled wrestling with his faith, the challenges it posed to everything he thought he knew about himself, and the hard-won redemption he eventually found.” ― Library Journal. “I understand that even if I did visit New Square I would have no greater access to Hasidic life than my occasional walk through Williamsburg, where I can see but can't penetrate its appeal, or its secrets. It is the book's ticket to mass appeal as well as the seat of his disquiet in its writing.Though he writes because he has a story to tell, Deen's work, especially in his memoir, is clearly crafted to benefit others dealing with a wavering faith.” ― Tablet Magazine. All Who Go Do Not Return gives us not only an insider's glimpse into a shrouded world few outsiders get to see, but also a movingly told narrative of one man's struggle toward intellectual integrity. The setting may be the world of Hasidic Judaism, but the drama and the insights are universal.” ―Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"[SPOILER ALERT: I found it difficult to write this review without discussing some of the major aspects and events of the book. Moreover, it has intrinsic interest because it opens the door to the inner sanctum of the insular, Skverer Chassidic community located in New Square, New York. (For those who are not in the know, this moniker cuts a large swath, describing anyone from the most liberal Jewish Orthodoxy--just to the right of Conservative--to a graduate of Yeshiva University's rabbinical school. For most of us that live in the United States, we tend to think of communities like New Square as quaint, anachronistic, recreations of the Eastern European shtetl. Hasidim who live in places like New Square, the Amish, the Hutterites, and other similar types of communities have their joys but also have their strife. As we see with Deen's account, however, there is little wiggle room and those who do not fit in are destined suffer a life of repression or need to leave. In desperation, he resorts to moonlighting as an elementary school teacher and a tutor, jobs where it is expected to falsify documents so that he will get a paycheck cut by the government. He buys a car for a job and finds himself enjoying the forbidden radio and driving outside of New Square, exploring a vast new world. He has had glimpses of the outside world, but has lived within the Hasidic community and is unacquainted with modern American social conventions and culture. Deen's wife, Gitty, makes a valiant attempt to stay loyal to her husband but she is too moored in the Skverer community to embrace a larger world. The account of his wedding night, where as a student he was learned in the Jewish laws of intimacy but completely ignorant of the actual physics of the act, is a perfect example of this. Nevertheless, even though Deen takes great pains to describe his experience in a distanced, journalistic way, he is unable to completely do so. This is, perhaps, the greatest strength of the book and the thing that makes it stand out from the crowd in what appears to be a new genre of non-fiction describing an authors 'escape' from ultra-orthodoxy. Some have questioned the truth of some of the claims in Feldman's book and Vincent actually came from a far less insular brand of Orthodoxy than Deen. Those who have a drum to beat on these issues will use the book as a way to reinforce their negative stereotypes of Hasidism and by extension Orthodox Judaism. For example, he is repeatedly dismissive of what he considers the triviality of Talmud study--for example having in depth knowledge of just exactly how to write a legally binding contract in 5th century Babylonia. Another interpretation, closely aligned to this, would be an admonishment against using one of the secret names of God to elevate one's soul to a higher level than one is able to tolerate. It makes sense that a more modern interpretation might be used as leverage to deter people from secular culture or philosophy, but that seems far flung from the original meaning of the story. Of course, given that Deen felt forced to adhere to Jewish law and tradition, he did lead a perfunctory existence that lacked any real soul. He mentions the portrayals of Hasidim by Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Elie Wiesel and 'wincing' at how these authors 'romanticized' Hassidic life. It is ironic that such a problem exists within Hasidus today: that specific branch of Judaism was started in the late 1700s by Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer (known as the Baal Shem Tov or 'Good Master of the Name') specifically as a spiritualist backlash against the rationalist brand of Judaism practiced in Eastern Europe at the time. There are those in the Orthodox Jewish community who will want to censure Deen and will decry his book, but I think that this would be a grave mistake."
"I gave up on religion after starting to read the Bible , which to me is really a history of a people (whatever name one wants to attach to them) - so I could relate to the writer and his turmoil, in that he dared to think differently. The loss of his family was painful, the loss of his children and having to 'give up' the way of life that included his relationship with his children, one would think he was a child molester.....all because he could not accept what his religion was teaching - he dared to question!"
"He weaves his tale, wrought with the difficulties of finding your true self, then the ugliness of the reality when the true you no longer fits. The entire core of this work is an honest look at his internal and external struggles, as well as the heartbreaking consequences he faced for being free and choosing his own path. Leaving all you have ever known is a brave act, to be sure, but he doesn't gloss over the pain, loneliness, doubts, costs, worries, or staggering weight these life-changing decisions bring with them."
In My Grandfather's Blessings , Rachel Naomi Remen , a cancer physician and master storyteller, uses her luminous stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive. When doctor and author Rachel Naomi Remen ( Kitchen Table Wisdom ) was young, she was caught between two different views of life: that of her rabbi grandfather and that of her highly academic, research-oriented parents, who believed religion was the opiate of the masses. Through a series of unpretentious, affecting vignettes, the author of the bestseller Kitchen Table Wisdom encourages readers to recognize and celebrate the unexpected blessings in their own lives. Many of her recollections are linked to her experiences as a medical student and a physician working with cancer patients, but the most memorable ones relate to Remen's deep engagement with her grandfather, who died when she was seven.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was very moved by many of the stories as I, like most people, have also been touched by terminal illness and loss in my life."
"The introduction to this book should be required reading for anyone serving in the nonprofit world or the helping professions."
"The condition of the book was excellent & service was wonderful."
"I really love this book."
"It's one I don't want to pass on, because I know I will read it again and again and even mark special pages that will help in challenging times."
"So if you want goosebumps as well as a soul-full book, this is a must read!"
"I am glad I bought the book to read all these stories."
"I read this book a few months ago and enjoyed it."
Best Jewish Reform Movements
Clever marketing has led us to believe in chasing happiness down a path that doesn't lead anywhere. No matter where you are in life, finding purpose is easier than you think. Rabbi Evan Moffic knows the power of prayer . You will discover those words in this book and the ten life-changing practices it reveals. Rabbi Moffic also appears regularly on cable news stations as a commentator on Israel and political and social events in America.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have read many self-help books, religious books, and so forth that largely were written for one real reason, to make the author a lot of money, while providing very little in the way of real help to the reader. I have literally spent most of the past 2 decades struggling to overcome a lot of issues, and this small book has done more to help me than most of the other things I have tried combined."
"This is a warm, engaging, and at times beautiful book, in which author Rabbi EvanMoffic acquaints us with the Hebrew prayer, "El Devarim," which means "These are the Words," written down 2000 years ago and still so meaningful today. I found his words about marriage, learning, and celebration to be very moving, but above all, I was deeply touched by his words about death, grief, recovery from devastating loss, and the ways we can support , uplift, and strengthen each other at the most difficult times. Rabbi Moffit decribes the Eilu Devarim as "not only a happiness prayer, but a checklist for a meaningful life.""
"He says , It is a prayer for healing, The words are simple: May the source of strength , Who blessed the ones before us, help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing. and let us say, Amen. Bless those in need of all healing by picturing thinking of friends, and family who are ill etc."
"From this prayer, known as the “Eilu Devarim”, Moffic takes ten lessons and elucidates on using each to brighten lives. For those old enough to remember Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of the classic “When Bad Things Happen To Good People”), Moffic attempts to walk in those giant footsteps, not as an imitation but more as the voice (to my ears) as a Jewish Everyman. His stories of his interactions with members of his congregation and examples he draws from elsewhere are moving and persuasive, as are the lessons he tries to impart."
Best Jewish Conservative Movements
Clever marketing has led us to believe in chasing happiness down a path that doesn't lead anywhere. No matter where you are in life, finding purpose is easier than you think. Rabbi Evan Moffic knows the power of prayer . You will discover those words in this book and the ten life-changing practices it reveals. Rabbi Moffic also appears regularly on cable news stations as a commentator on Israel and political and social events in America.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have read many self-help books, religious books, and so forth that largely were written for one real reason, to make the author a lot of money, while providing very little in the way of real help to the reader. I have literally spent most of the past 2 decades struggling to overcome a lot of issues, and this small book has done more to help me than most of the other things I have tried combined."
"This is a warm, engaging, and at times beautiful book, in which author Rabbi EvanMoffic acquaints us with the Hebrew prayer, "El Devarim," which means "These are the Words," written down 2000 years ago and still so meaningful today. I found his words about marriage, learning, and celebration to be very moving, but above all, I was deeply touched by his words about death, grief, recovery from devastating loss, and the ways we can support , uplift, and strengthen each other at the most difficult times. Rabbi Moffit decribes the Eilu Devarim as "not only a happiness prayer, but a checklist for a meaningful life.""
"He says , It is a prayer for healing, The words are simple: May the source of strength , Who blessed the ones before us, help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing. and let us say, Amen. Bless those in need of all healing by picturing thinking of friends, and family who are ill etc."
"From this prayer, known as the “Eilu Devarim”, Moffic takes ten lessons and elucidates on using each to brighten lives. For those old enough to remember Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of the classic “When Bad Things Happen To Good People”), Moffic attempts to walk in those giant footsteps, not as an imitation but more as the voice (to my ears) as a Jewish Everyman. His stories of his interactions with members of his congregation and examples he draws from elsewhere are moving and persuasive, as are the lessons he tries to impart."