Find spiritual strength for healing in the wisdom of Jewish tradition. Whether you are facing illness yourself, serving as a caregiver, providing pastoral care, or simply wondering where God is when we get sick, the teachings and wisdom of Jewish tradition can help you cope with the difficulties of illness and infirmity. With a format designed to accommodate the stressful life of people dealing with illness, Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler helps you focus on spiritual well-being as an essential aspect of physical healing and wholeness. He provides comfort and inspiration to help you maintain personal balance and family harmony amid the fear, pain, and chaos of illness. Combining the stories of real people with insights from Jewish sources, he offers practical advice and spiritual guidance for: Reaching inward to the soul when the body fails Reaching outward to provide strength, comfort, and compassion to the ill or infirm Reaching upward to God through prayer and daily gratitude
Find inspiration for a satisfying spiritual life of practice through the combination of contemporary mindfulness meditation and classical Hasidic spirituality. The soul yearns to feel connected to something greater and to know happiness despite personal suffering and seemingly endless need. Surprisingly, the perspectives of the late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Hasidic spiritual teachers offer a radically different Jewish theology that speaks directly to today’s spiritual seekers whose faith has been shattered by both modernity and the Holocaust. These masters taught of interdependence, interconnectedness, selflessness, service and joy, anticipating the insights of contemporary science and twenty-first-century spirituality. Bringing together the teachings of beloved Hasidic master Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev (1740–1809) and the practice of mindfulness meditation, Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater reveals a new entrance into Jewish spiritual life. Covering the Five Books of Moses, these two volumes present accessible translations of selections from Kedushat Levi, R. Levi Yitzhak’s Hasidic Torah commentary, which emphasizes our spiritual capacity to transform consciousness and so our life experience. The selections are paired with Rabbi Slater’s commentaries to illuminate their message. “The lessons in Kedushat Levi were not originally intended as intellectual curiosities or as demonstrations of R. Levi Yitzhak’s brilliance. They were meant to inspire religious passion and deeper spiritual practice. I believe that these teachings will come to life in us when we bring them into our lives in practice.” —from the Introduction
Fresh, Useful Perspectives on the Spiritual Dynamics of Prayer Better music, better sermons and better prayer books can only go so far. Many innovations have been tried around the world, and no doubt, synagogue leadership will continue to think creatively about improving services. But deep and lasting change will only come when each of us takes ownership and responsibility for what only we can really guideour inner lives. from the Preface Join over fifty Jewish spiritual leaders from all denominations in a candid conversation about the why and how of prayer: how prayer changes us and how to discern a response from God. In this fascinating forum, they share the challenges of prayer, what it means to pray, how to develop your own personal prayer voice, and how to rediscover meaning and Gods presence in the traditional Jewish prayer book.
For people who don't believe that God can intervene in our lives, and why Judaism is still important. "Judaism has so much to teach us about how we treat ourselves, each other, and our planet.... Of course, you can learn these values elsewhere. But as a people, Jews have thousands of years of experience turning this kind of stuff over and over. [We’ve] had millions of users working to debug the system. Rather than look to other sources for guidance, let us turn to our own people’s past to discover what it has to say about our present and our future." —from the Introduction For some people, the biggest stumbling block in religion is God—even for an ordained rabbi who admits her rational mind “can’t buy into a God in the sky who writes down our deeds and rewards and punishes us accordingly.” But not being sold on an intervening God shouldn’t bar you from living a vibrant and fulfilling Jewish life. The God concept has seen many upgrades over the centuries and it is these reinterpretations that have kept Judaism relevant. In this provocative look at the ways in which God concepts have evolved and been upgraded through the centuries, Adventure Rabbi Jamie Korngold examines how our changing ideas of God have shaped every aspect of Judaism. With enthusiasm and humor, she shows that by aligning our understanding of God with modern sensibilities, Judaism can be made more meaningful, accessible and fully compatible with twenty-first-century life.
Offers inspiration and guidance to help you make greater meaning and flourish amid the challenges of aging. It taps ancient Jewish wisdom for values, tools and precedents to frame new callings and beginnings, shifting family roles, and experiences of illness and death. For seekers of all faiths; for personal use and caregiving settings
What a wonderful way to start each day. An inspirational companion of comfort, reassurance, and hope that helps you start each day of the year on a positive note—with a powerful quote from a Jewish source, and a brief, striking reflection on it from an inspiring spiritual leader.
Does death end life, or is it the passage from one stage of life to another? In The Death of Death, noted theologian Neil Gillman offers readers an original and compelling argument that Judaism, a religion often thought to pay little attention to the afterlife, not only presents us with rich ideas on this subject—but delivers a deathblow to death itself. Combining astute scholarship with keen historical, theological and liturgical insights, Gillman outlines the evolution of Jewish thought about bodily resurrection and spiritual immortality. Beginning with the near-silence of the Bible on the afterlife, he traces the development of these two doctrines through Jewish history. He also describes why today, somewhat surprisingly, more contemporary Jewish scholars—including Gillman—have unabashedly reaffirmed the notion of bodily resurrection. In this innovative and personal synthesis, Gillman creates a strikingly modern statement on resurrection and immortality. The Death of Death gives new and fascinating life to an ancient debate. This new work is an intellectual and spiritual milestone for all of us interested in the meaning of life, as well as the meaning of death.
The inside story and practical lessons from one of the most exciting developments in contemporary Judaism. Part description and part prescription, Empowered Judaism is a manifesto for transforming the way Jews pray andmore broadlyfor building vibrant Jewish communities. [It] represents the latest chapter in [an] uplifting history of religious creativity. This is a book that every Jewish leader will want to read and every serious Jew will want to contemplate. from the Foreword by Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna Why have thousands of young Jews, otherwise unengaged with formal Jewish life, started more than sixty innovative prayer communities across the United States? What crucial insights can these grassroots communities provide for all of us? Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, one of the leaders of this revolutionary phenomenon, offers refreshingly new analyses of the age-old question of how to build strong Jewish community. He explores the independent minyan movement and the lessons it has to teach about prayer, community organizing and volunteer leadership, and its implications for contemporary struggles in American Judaism. Along with describing the growth of independent minyanim across the country, he examines: The roles of liturgy, space, music and youth in this new approach to prayer Lessons to be learned from the concept of immersive, intensive Jewish learning in an egalitarian context Jewish values in which we must invest to achieve a vibrant, robust American Jewish landscape for the twenty-first century
Claim the Spiritual Freedom That Waits Beyond the Suffering and Slavery of Addiction “One of the important similarities between AA and Jewish spirituality is the statement in Step 12, ‘to practice these principles in all our affairs....’ There is no dichotomy of sacred versus secular. Jewish spirituality applies to how we eat, sleep, work, socialize and recreate. There is nothing that is external to the relationship of human being to God.” —from the Foreword A major new Jewish contribution to 12-Step spirituality. This easy-to-read exploration from a Jewish perspective is the first comprehensive approach to successfully integrate classic Jewish spirituality with the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other recovery resources. With clarity and passion, Rabbi Paul Steinberg masterfully weaves traditional Jewish wisdom with the experience, strength and hope of AA. He draws on Jewish resources—theological, psychological and ethical—that speak to the spiritual dimension of the disease, and shows how the principles of Jewish spiritual recovery directly align with those of the AA 12 Steps. Along the way, he courageously shares his own personal struggles with alcoholism and addiction in a way that will help others find guidance and a new life path—and stay on it.
Who were the Sephardic Jews of the Ottoman Empire? What lasting lessons does their spiritual life provide for future generations? “How did the Judeo-Spanish-speaking Jews of the Ottoman Empire manage to achieve spiritual triumph? To answer this question, we need to have a firm understanding of their historical experience.... We need to be aware of the dark, unpleasant elements in their environments; but we also need to see the spiritual, cultural light in their dwellings that imbued their lives with meaning and honor.” —from Chapter 1, “The Inner Life of the Sephardim” In this groundbreaking work, Rabbi Marc Angel explores the teachings, values, attitudes, and cultural patterns that characterized Judeo-Spanish life over the generations and how the Sephardim maintained a strong sense of pride and dignity, even when they lived in difficult political, economic, and social conditions. Along with presenting the historical framework and folklore of Jewish life in the Ottoman Empire, Rabbi Angel focuses on what you can learn from the Sephardic sages and from their folk wisdom that can help you live a stronger, deeper spiritual life.
An accessible introduction to the Jewish concept of our responsibility to care for others and repair the world. For everyone who wants to understand the meaning and significance of tikkun olam (repairing the world) in Jewish spiritual life, this book shows the way into an essential aspect of Judaism and allows you to interact directly with the sacred texts of the Jewish tradition. Guided by Dr. Elliot N. Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Judaism, this comprehensive introduction explores the roots of the beliefs and laws that are the basis of the Jewish commitment to improve the world. It looks at the various motivations that the sacred texts provide for caring for others, the ways the Jewish tradition seeks to foster such concerns in our social and family relationships, and the kind of society that Jews should strive to create as partners with God. What tikkun olam is. Ancient idea? New concept? The underlying theory has developed over time and branched into related terms and concepts that Judaism has used over thousands of years to describe the duties we now identify as acts of tikkun loam. Why we engage in acts of tikkun loam. Reasons include, but go far beyond, a general humanitarian feeling that we might have or the hope that if we help others, others will be there to help us. How we repair the world. The concrete expressions of tikkun olam in our families, our communities, the wider Jewish community, and the world at large help shape one of the most important aspects of the Jewish tradition. By illuminating Judaism’s understanding of the components of an ideal world, and the importance of justice, compassion, education, piety, social and familial harmony and enrichment, and physical flourishing for both the individual and society, we see how this ancient quest for a world with all these elements helps us define Jewish identity and mission today.
Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code in an old Egyptian synagogue--the amazing story of one of the most important discoveries in modern religious scholarship. In 1896, Rabbi Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University stepped into the attic of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, and there found the largest treasure trove of medieval and early manuscripts ever discovered. He had entered the synagogue's genizah--its repository for damaged and destroyed Jewish texts--which held nearly 300,000 individual documents, many of which were over 1,000 years old. Considered among the most important discoveries in modern religious history, its contents contained early copies of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, early manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and other sacred literature. The importance of the genizah's contents rivals that of the Rosetta Stone, and by virtue of its sheer mass alone, it will continue to command our attention indefinitely. This is the first accessible, comprehensive account of this astounding discovery. It will delight you with its fascinating adventure story--why this enormous collection was amassed, how it was discovered and the many lessons to be found in its contents. And it will show you how Schechter's find, though still being "unpacked" today, forever transformed our knowledge of the Jewish past, Muslim history and much more.
An innovative yet practical guide to greater mindfulness that brings spirituality into our everyday lives—for any lifestyle. “Judaism offers a rich tradition for the spiritual seeker: its spirituality infuses daily activities with holiness and purpose. While relating the spiritual journey to a typical day in your life, we will walk with you through brief sections that discuss Jewish thought and tradition. These are followed by sections that include methods, activities, devotions, and blessings to enrich your spiritual practice. Every page offers the reader another step, another area of focus, another perspective to bring the sacred into everyday life.” —from the Introduction In every moment of each day, we have the opportunity to bring the sacred into our everyday lives. We can perform acts of mindfulness and thanksgiving that can transform our lives and help us repair the world. Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Livingprovides spiritual activities, meditations, prayers, and simple rituals to accommodate any lifestyle and daily routine, giving us a chance to embrace God’s creation throughout the day. Coauthored by a rabbi and a psychotherapist, it bridges the gap between faith and healing, tradition and innovation, acceptance of the past and transformation for the future. Chapters are arranged according to the cycle of each day—from sunrise to midnight—and feature creative new rituals, inspiring passages from traditional Jewish texts, prayers, poems, blessings, acts of kavanah (spiritual intention), and more: SunriseRenewing our bodies with meditation and mindful breathing. Morning Contributing to tikkun olam (repairing the world) by ethically pursuing our livelihoods and recognizing our social responsibility. Afternoon Giving thanks with blessings at meal times, and extending hospitality to family, friends, and community. Evening Combining study and prayer with relaxation and leisure. Night Confronting pain, loss, and death with rituals for healing and renewal for the future. Includes special sections dealing with the sacred aspects of relationships, love and sexuality, mourning and loss, Kabbalah, and more. By transforming our days, Stepping Stones shows us how we can transform our lives to practice mindfulness all day, every day—and transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
How does the story of the Exodus echo in our own generation and in our own lives? "For us to hear the Oneness of God, we must grow into a place where the cosmic and the political are deeply the same truth." —from Part V The story Jews retell on Passover is about rising up against tyranny, about the triumph of the God who sides with the despised against a resplendent emperor. Exploring how this tale applies to our own time enriches the ancient account—and it expands and transforms the community for which Exodus is a collective family story. Exodus is not only the saga of the escape from slavery, but also a story of courage, celebration, rebirth and community from which people of all faith traditions have learned and can continue to learn. Calling us to relearn and rethink the Passover story, Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow and Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman share: The enduring spiritual resonance of the Hebrews' journey for our own time Social justice, ecological and feminist perspectives on the Exodus How the Passover story has been adapted and used by African American as well as Christian and Muslim communities to provide insight and inspiration. With contributions by Dr. Vincent Harding: “Exodus in African America: A Great Camp Meeting” Dr. S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana: “Exodus in the Qur’an: Mercy, Compassion, and Forgiveness” Ched Myers and Russell Powell: “Exodus in the Life and Death of Jesus”
The question isn¿t whether grace¿ God¿s love freely given¿is there for you in Judaism. The question is, do you have the courage to accept it? Ask almost any Jew whether grace is a central concept in Judaism and an essential element in living Jewishly, and, chances are, their answer will be ¿no.¿ But that¿s the wrong answer. This fascinating foray into God¿s love freely given offers the reader a way to answer that question in the affirmative. Drawing from ancient and contemporary, traditional and non-traditional Jewish wisdom, this book reclaims the idea of grace in Judaism in three ways: ¿ It offers a view of God that helps the reader understand what grace is, why grace is, and how grace manifests in the world. ¿ It sets forth a reading of Judaism that is grace-filled: an understanding of creation, Shabbat and other Jewish practices from a grace-filled perspective. ¿ It challenges the reader to be embraced and transformed by grace, and to live life as a vehicle for God¿s grace, thereby fulfilling the promise of being created in God¿s image and likeness.
Fully revised with a new author's preface, epilogue, and over a dozen new guided exercises, Anne Brener brings us an innovative integration of Jewish tradition and modern professional resources in this 25th anniversary edition of a modern classic. Mourning & Mitzvah gives spiritual insight and healing wisdom to those who mourn a death, to those who would help them, and to those who face a loss of any kind Mourning & Mitzvah teaches you the power and strength available to you in the fully experienced mourning process. When the temple stood in the ancient city of Jerusalem, mourners walked through the gates and into the courtyard along a specifically designated mourner’s path. As they walked, they came face to face with all the other members of the community, who greeted them with the ancestor of the blessing, “May God comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.” In this way, the community embraced those suffering bereavement, yet allowed for unique experiences of grief.
Where Judaism and health intersect, healing may begin. Essential reading for people interested in the Jewish healing, spirituality and spiritual direction movements, this groundbreaking volume explores the Jewish tradition for comfort in times of illness and Judaism’s perspectives on the inevitable suffering with which we live. Pushing the boundaries of Jewish knowledge, scholars, teachers, artists and activists examine the aspects of our mortality and the important distinctions between curing and healing. Topics discussed include: The Importance of the Individual Health and Healing among the Mystics Hope and the Hebrew Bible From Disability to Enablement Overcoming Stigma Jewish Bioethics Drawing from literature, personal experience, and the foundational texts of Judaism, these celebrated thinkers show us that healing is an idea that can both soften us so that we are open to inspiration as well as toughen us—like good scar tissue—in order to live with the consequences of being human.
The spiritual tools you can use to infuse Jewish life cycle ceremonies with meaning, integrity and joy. Discover the spiritual meaning in Judaism’s major life cycle moments. Understand, create and enter wholeheartedly into Jewish life cycle ceremonies, preparatory practice, and celebrations. More than just how-to, Rabbi Goldie Milgram guides you in making your Jewish rites come alive with meaning, beauty and with lasting impact on you, your friends and family. She takes you beyond rote rites—beyond just surviving—and directly into accessing Jewish rites of passage as a force for thriving. With careful attention to both traditional and emerging practices across the full spectrum of Jewish life, Rabbi Milgram examines: Jewish Weddings, Traditional and Inclusive Rites Welcoming a New Baby and Raising a Healthy Jewish Child Meaningful, Memorable Adolescent and Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ritual Support for Many Stages of Adulthood Jewish Rituals for When Relationships End Jewish Approaches to Dying, Death, Burial, Mourning and Remembering
Who are the ancient role models for the sacred relationship between Jews and non-Jews today? Now more than ever, gentiles are an integral part of the Jewish community. But they are not new to the Jewish story. In fact, righteous gentiles go back to Abraham. The story of the Jewish people can’t be told without them. Noted author and educator Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin provides an informative and inspiring look at the sympathetic non-Israelite characters of the Hebrew Bible and the redemptive relationships they had with the Jewish people. Relying on biblical and extra-biblical sources, he introduces each character, drawing lessons from the life of each that will be relevant to you, whatever your faith tradition. They include the ... First gentile to bless a Jew First woman to hear the Divine voice and save a Jewish baby First teacher of morality to the Jews First gentile mother of Jewish children Gentile midwives who invented civil disobedience Mother of Moses and nurturer of the Jewish people Father-in-law and teacher of Moses First “gentile Zionist” Gentile warrior who fought for the Israelites Gentile contractor for Solomon’s Temple Gentiles who acknowledged God and repented Creator of the Second Jewish Commonwealth
54 practical ways you, and your congregation or organization, can make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with illness. What do you need to know before you visit? What should you expect? How can you help without actually visiting someone living with illness? This book has the practical answers to these and many other questions.
The first state-of-the-art, comprehensive resource to encompass the wide breadth of the rapidly growing field of Judaism and health. "For Jews, religion and medicine (and science) are not inherently in conflict, even within the Torah-observant community, but rather can be friendly partners in the pursuit of wholesome ends, such as truth, healing and the advancement of humankind." —from the Introduction This authoritative volume—part professional handbook, part scholarly resource and part source of practical information for laypeople—melds the seemingly disparate elements of Judaism and health into a truly multidisciplinary collective, enhancing the work within each area and creating new possibilities for synergy across disciplines. It is ideal for medical and healthcare providers, rabbis, educators, academic scholars, healthcare researchers and caregivers, congregational leaders and laypeople with an interest in the most recent and most exciting developments in this new, important field. CONTRIBUTORS: Rabbi Rachel Adler, PhD • Rabbi Richard Address, DMin • Ronald M. Andiman, MD • Barbara Breitman, DMin • Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW • Shelly Thomas Christensen, MA • Rabbi William Cutter, PhD • Rabbi Stephanie Dickstein, LMSW • Rabbi Nancy Epstein, MPH, MAHL • Elizabeth Feldman, MD • Rabbi Naomi Kalish, BCC • Rabbi Lynne F. Landsberg • Jeff Levin, PhD, MPH • Judith Margolis, MFA • Adina Newberg, PhD • Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD • David Pelcovitz, PhD • Steven Pirutinsky, MS • Michele F. Prince, LCSW, MAJCS • Rabbi Stephen B. Roberts, MBA, BCC • David H. Rosmarin, PhD • Fred Rosner, MD, MACP • Rabbi Julie Schwartz • Devora Greer Shabtai • Rabbi Mychal B. Springer • Rabbi Shira Stern, DMin, BCC • Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD • Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, MD • Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, LCSW • Rabbi Nancy Wiener, DMin
Take a delectable journey through the religious history of chocolate—a real treat! In this new and updated second edition, explore the surprising Jewish and other religious connections to chocolate in this gastronomic and historical adventure through cultures, countries, centuries and convictions. Rabbi Deborah Prinz draws from her world travels on the trail of chocolate to enchant chocolate lovers of all backgrounds as she unravels religious connections in the early chocolate trade and shows how Jewish and other religious values infuse chocolate today. With mouth-watering recipes, a glossary of chocolaty terms, tips for buying luscious, ethically produced chocolate, a list of sweet chocolate museums around the world and more, this book unwraps tasty facts such as: Some people—including French (Bayonne) chocolate makers—believe that Jews brought chocolate making to France. The bishop of Chiapas, Mexico, was poisoned because he prohibited local women from drinking chocolate during Mass. Although Quakers do not observe Easter, it was a Quaker-owned chocolate company—Fry's—that claimed to have created the first chocolate Easter egg in the United Kingdom. A born-again Christian businessman in the Midwest marketed his caramel chocolate bar as a "Noshie," after the Yiddish word for "snack." Chocolate Chanukah gelt may have developed from St. Nicholas customs. The Mayan “Book of Counsel” taught that gods created humans from chocolate and maize.
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