Journeys to a Jewish Life: Inspiring Stories from the Spiritual Journeys of American Jews »

What draws Jews back to their religious roots? What drives them away? What obstacles must they overcome to find their way home? Paula Amann candidly probes these questions and more as she explores how secular and nominal Jews are blazing their own trails toward a vibrant, twenty-first-century Judaism. With the ear of a journalist and the heart of a seeker, Amann weaves a tapestry of human stories-of alienation, connection, spiritual detours, and unexpected portals into a life of faith. The people you meet in this engaging book will throw a fresh light on Jewish thought and practice. And their tales of personal transformation might just renew your relationship with Judaism-or send you off on your own Jewish journey. Topics include: Swerving In and Out of Other Faiths, Traditions That Chafe, The Arts as a Portal, Healing Body and Soul, Making a Jewish Life That Works, ...And Many Others.

Publishers Weekly

The return of nonreligious Jews to Orthodox Judaism has sparked a number of books, but the quieter yet equally committed journeys back to all streams of liberal Judaism have taken place "largely out of the limelight," says journalist Amann. To sample their distinctive and roundabout paths, Amann interviewed close to 70 people who have "come home" to their own heritage. The book's three sections mirror the stages of the subjects' spiritual journeys: "Homeward" chronicles stories of inspiration, alienation and finding community; "Doors to the House" explores portals into Judaism-family, the arts, social justice, illness and loss; and "Dwelling Places" offers tales of encounters with God and new personal rituals, as well as lessons for fellow seekers. Despite Amann's clear, engaging writing, each chapter is presented in a stand-alone, news story style, leaving the disjointed feeling of reading through a string of interviews. Driven by her own winding road home beginning with a secular childhood, through Eastern religions and Quakerism to a women's Passover seder that reawakened her Jewish spirit, Amann is an apt representative of the meandering spiritual seekers she calls "pilgrims," and the book will be a beacon to others who may be on a Jewish quest. (Dec.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Acknowledgments     vii
Introduction     ix
Homeward
Kindling Flames: Coming Full Circle     3
Lost on the Way to Sinai: Wandering Off a Jewish Path     13
Detours and Switchbacks: Swerving In and Out of Other Faiths     23
Dipping a Toe in the Mikvah: First Steps to a Jewish Life     35
Scouts in the Wilderness: Mentors Point the Way     44
Scrolling Down: Encountering Hebrew and Torah     55
The Open Tent: Finding a Spiritual Community     63
Wrestling with Angels: Traditions That Chafe     71
Doors to the House
Generation to Generation: When Family Leads the Way     83
Fiddler at the Door: The Arts as a Portal     92
Justice, Justice: Fixing a Broken World     102
Communal Callings: Serving the Jewish People     113
Pathless in the Promised Land: Blazing Jewish Trails     123
Valley of the Shadow: Healing Body and Soul     132
Dwelling Places
The Burning Bush: Glimpses of the Divine     143
A Tallit That Fits: Making a Jewish Life That Works     153
Circle at Sinai: Community Questions     162
Kissing the Mezuzah: Lessons of the Journey     172
Glossary     178
Suggestions for Further Reading     182