Read With Me

Joy is a good book. 

Here are some of the books I have enjoyed recently. I would love if some of you picked one up while I am on sabbatical. If you read one (or have already done so), let’s talk about it when I get back.

Basic Judaism

Sarah Hurwitz, Here All Along – I appreciate how Sarah Hurwitz paints a picture of how meaningful Jewish practice can be. Coming from a non-observant background, she infuses Judaism with richness.

Jonathan Sacks, A Letter in the Scroll – I love Rabbi Sacks. He sees things most of us miss and expresses Judaism’s meaning and depth in profound ways.

Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Wisdom, or Jewish Literacy – These are fantastic books which pulls together compelling chapters on a variety of Jewish topics. He weaves in stories and texts

Bible

Avivah Zornberg, Moses: A Human Life – Avivah Zornberg blows my mind. I often find that I need to re-read pages. Her ideas are dense and sophisticated – and always compelling.  This book develops Moses’ inner world, struggles, growth, values, character and lasting impact

She has also written books on different books of the Torah that are amazing: The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis, The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus, The Hidden Order of Intimacy: Reflections on the Book of Leviticus, Bewilderments: Reflections on Numbers

Micha Goodman, The Last Words of Moses – As I have taught Deuteronomy for Shabbat morning Torah study, I have relied on Micha Goodman. He lifts up the key themes – such as the danger of political power and the ethical lessons of Deuteronomy that ring true for this moment.

Periodicals/Blogs

Hadar, Pardes, Rabbi Sacks, My Jewish Learning, JTS are all inspiring sites full of interesting ideas.

If you have not had the opportunity, look at Sefaria.  Sefaria has revolutionized Jewish study, making classic and modern commentary on each Bible verse and rabbinic source accessible.

Jewish Philosophy/Theology

Irving Greenberg, The Triumph of Life – I recently read this magnificent book where Greenberg develops concepts of covenant, responsibility, love, and repair. His honest struggles are compelling to me.

Shai Held, God is About Love – Held argues that we have lost this essential teaching of Judaism and re-roots us in these essential Jewish teachings.

Donniel Hartman, Putting God Second: How to Save Religion for Itself – Donniel Hartman always makes me think and rethink. He challenges us to look at how religion has been misused and gives a paradigm defining human dignity as the core of faith.

David Wolpe, Healer of Shattered Hearts – This is a book I constantly re-read. Wolpe develops a ways to understand God that speaks to my heart. He writes beautifully – there is a poetic sense to each page.

Lifecycle

Delphine Horvilleur, Living with Our Dead – I loved this book. Through stories and anecdotes, Horvilleur helps us confront mortality and its lessons – one of the most important things we can do. I found it particularly moving as I mourn the loss of my father.

Harold Schulweis, Finding Each Other in Judaism: Meditations on the Rites of Passage from Birth to Immortality – While this is an older book (2001) than most on the list, it remains that book I go to when it comes to thoughtful explanation of rituals around life-cycle. There are beautiful poems Rabbi Schulweis has written at the end of each section.

Israel/History

Daniel Gordis, Israel: A Concise History - As the difficult times since Oct. 7, 2023 have progressed, I find that very few people engaged in intense discussion have a deep knowledge of history. Daniel Gordis’ book provides this.

I also read his blog, Israel from the Inside, which comes out several times a week. I emerge with insights into Israeli society, culture, ideas, politics that I do not find in other places.

Colum McCann, Apeirogon – Amidst a conflict that seems as if it will never end, McCann provides glimmers of hope as he shares the stories of Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian and Rami Elhanan, an Israeli; who have both lost their young daughters in the ongoing conflict. He weaves in history, nature and politics and tells how these men have allowed their pain to bring them together and imagine a different future.

Micha Goodman, The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity – Goodman’s book helps me understand Zionism as a movement that began full of contradictions which have played out in current fragmenting, while also envisioning a Zionism that might be. He explores many of the deeper issues that reflect Israeli society.

I have found the blogs, podcasts and essays from The Hartman Institute to be invaluable in understanding modern Jewish identity, developments in Israel and the relationship between Israel and Diaspora. These include: For Heaven’s Sake with Yossi Klein HaLevi and Donniel Hartman in dialogue; Identity/Crisis hosted by Yehuda Kertzer.

The Hartman Institute has also been a rich source of Jewish learning about prayer with the podcast Thoughts and Prayers and the source of new rituals from the Ritual Center – Rituals for commemorating October 7, Yom HaShoah, Chanukkah, etc. have all been inspiring.

Simon Schama, The Story of the Jews – Schama makes history come alive. He has written 2 volumes exploring Jewish life over the generations. He lifts up character and values – topics like resilience, joy amidst grief, affirmation of life, as he teaches history.

Understanding Life

Malcolm Gladwell, Revenge of the Tipping Point – I appreciate how Gladwell examines important modern topics – How did COVID 19 spread? How did the Holocaust become part of American knowledge? I appreciate how he thinks and analyzes.

I have always been pulled to Gladwell’s rigorous research and exploration of why things occur. He finds patterns and dynamics that make sense – that I never could have imagined! I have enjoyed each of his books – they make me re-think all I thought I knew – and he is a master story-teller.

Brene Brown – Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit – I appreciate this exploration of leadership at this moment.

I have read most of her books and appreciate her message of the power of vulnerability and the need to overcome shame as we build genuine connections.

Anne Lamott, Somehow –I read this book right after my mother died and each page spoke to my soul. She understands and writes about love in beautiful ways. One sentence: “Love is our only hope. It is not always the easiest choice, but it is always the right one, the noble path, the way home to safety, no matter how bleak the future looks.”

I have enjoyed every book of hers that I have read. I particularly recommend: Help Thanks Wow, Dusk Night Dawn and Almost Everything. She writes a lot about hope and explores truths in life with wisdom and humor.

David Brooks, How To Know A Person – Brooks brings to life a topic close to my heart – how to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen. The book is practical and thoughtful and a great guide to grow in this topic

Fiction

This is a hard category to narrow down to just a couple. Here are several I recently read.

James McBride, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store – I love a good mystery that develops the characters as the story develops. It is set in the backdrop of Jewish and African American connection the grows from respect and care.

Lihi Lapid, On Her Own – Lihi Lapid is an Israeli author who weaves in so many real issues: dementia, Israelis living in America, being a stranger, growing up, generational relationships. It is woven together by a story of deception that you wonder how it will play out.

Marsha Lee Berkman, The Girls of Jerusalem and Other Stories – I will conclude my list with a book of short stories by our congregant Marsha Lee Berkman. Marsha Lee delves into Jewish history and how it informs the present in this collection of stories. I found myself reacting strongly to the characters and stories as they revealed pieces of the human experience woven into the historic period Marsha Lee was exploring.