Gonzo Judaism: A Bold Path for Renewing an Ancient Faith »

Niles Elliot Goldstein is the founding rabbi of The New Shul in Manhattan. He lectures widely on religion and spirituality and has taught at New York University and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Goldstein is the National Jewish Chaplain for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and was the voice behind "Ask the Rabbi" on the Microsoft Network. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications, and he is the author or editor of six previous books. Goldstein has been featured in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, New York magazine, and Glamour, as well as on national and international television and radio. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson transformed his field with an audacity that did not always sit well with his publishers. Gonzo Judaism embraces that same spirit, challenging today's Jews to reclaim their rebel roots, even if the consequences of their actions are disquieting to the leaders of a largely complacent Jewish establishment.

Rabbi Niles Elliot Goldstein explores how this revolutionary drive can reshape and revitalize contemporary Judaism—a Judaism many find out of touch and irrelevant. His fresh, maverick approach urges us to take risks and think freely, but also to look back into the past in order to move forward into our future. Gonzo Judaism offers practical tools for creating a more accessible, meaningful, and celebratory Jewish life.

· Learn why the current nostalgia- and fear-based Judaism has utterly failed to resonate with the modern Jew.

· Discover how to gain inspiration both inside and outside the conventional synagogue setting.

· Become a "spiritual archaeologist" and recover powerful practices that have been lost over the centuries.

This isn't your run-of-the-mill Judaica book. It is a bold, no-holds-barred manifesto that meets us where we are, a much-needed and daring work that re-visions Jewish identity, community, holidays, and ritual, written with both the credibility of an insider toiling in the trenches and the piercing insight of an outsider observing from the margins. Gonzo Judaism is required reading for anyone in search of an adventurous but authentic path toward spiritual growth and religious wisdom.

Publishers Weekly

Though born out of the "world of gonzo," rife with indignation, agitation, cynicism and a "biting urge to revolt," this book delivers such a soulful commentary that it could just as easily be called "Judaism Unplugged." Like musicians who return to the roots of their profession and play without electronica, Rabbi Goldstein, founding rabbi of the New Shul in Manhattan, reminds readers-whether they are new seekers or lapsed practitioners of Judaism-to confirm their knowledge of the "nuts and bolts" of their tradition before wistfully seeking the mystical. "Judaism, when presented in its best and most authentic light, doesn't coddle-it confronts," he says. Similarly, the rabbi pulls no punches, but manages to do so with the easy style of a coffeehouse conversation. Using a combination of Jewish history and personal anecdotes, he offers a wide range of alternative ways to explore Judaism individually or in small groups, if large congregations are not appealing. The extensive resource list that includes congregations, organizations and recommended reading promises to serve readers of all ages. With this edgy, funny, wise book, Goldstein may just have found a way to ensure the survival of the religion for another 6,000 years. (Sept.) [See the July 12 issue of Religion BookLine for an interview with Rabbi Goldstein.] Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.