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To Life! : A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking

To Life! : A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking

List Price: $12.00
Your Price: $12.00
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Invigorating
Review: Kushner delivers a work true to its title. To Life is an energetic, meaningful primer to the Jewish religion. Kushner provides an outstanding commentary of the Jewish faith which will positively impact any Jew's decision to return to observance, as well as act as a welcoming introduction for any potential convert. (Like myself.)

The one major flaw in Kushner's book has already been noted by other reviewers. Intentionally or otherwise, Kushner does slam the Christian religion a few times during the course of the text. However, overall this remains an inspiring work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beautiful and Wise
Review: kushner is, in my opinion, one of the wisest and most compassionate writers we (the human race) have. when it comes to judaism he is also one of our most eloquent. this is the perfect introduction to those who not only want to explore the essence of judaism, but understand the beauty behind it. highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book lead to my conversion to Judaism!
Review: Kushner made me want to be a Jew so badly. I was left with a feeling of awe for the Jewish world that I was never exposed to as a young child. Jews will feel proud when they read this wonderful book of basic understanding of the beautiful world of Judaism. If you were born a Jew, this book will recharge you spiritually. This book was the main motivator in my conversion to Judaism, as was the warm support and teachings of my wonderful Rabbi(R. Eitan Weiner-Kaplow).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: Kushner, along with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, is probably the foremost voice of "pop" Judaism today, and "To Life!" does an excellent job of pointing out why. Light-hearted and serious by turns, but always educational, Kushner has written what is probably the most user friendly introduction to Judaism one is likely to find.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Educational but biased
Review: Rabbi Kushner provides an excellent book on the Conservative Jewish perspective. His opinions are strong and well-written, but highly biased. This is not an objective presentation of the Jewish religion, and even less so, of other religions. I'd prefer a more open-minded and inclusive approach. Some examples of his opinions:

"The child of Christian parents is born a pagan and must be baptized in order to become a Christian."

"Jews are religiously obligated to marry and have children... God has given us reproductive organs to be used." People who don't marry or have children are considered "victims of circumstance".

"...the question of whether one chooses to be a Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox Jew depends less on what theory of Revelation you accept, and more on how much you want to participate in the life and lifestyle of the non-Jewish world around you." "The Reform movement flourished when American Jews felt strongly they wanted to be like everybody else."

"...the whole world will be brought to recognize that the God worshipped by the Jews is the only true God, and that to follow his ways is to live as human beings were meant to live."

The Jews are considered "God's chosen people". "God has a special love for the Jewish people... The Jews were the first community to know God and to make God known in the world. Therefore He retains a special affection for them and has special hopes for them..."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Terrific Introduction to Judaism
Review: This book is great for anyone who is looking for a primer on Judaism. I found it to be very well written. My rabbi even recommends it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For a certain audience ...Great
Review: This book is written for "the person who grew up Jewish but never learned what it was about, and for the person who never grew up with a Jewish identity but now has a serious interest in Judaism". So, with that it mind and that the Rabbi's sect is conservative, this book is an excellent encapsulation of Jewish being and thought. Otherwise, I would consider the book a bit light and its Jewish/Christian dialogue section a bit too offensive.

Why does one group have to be so defensive and deny the other groups beliefs in... whatever? The Rabbi's remarks in this section are very UNjewish!!! Considering since both the Jewish and Christian sects are morally based, and if I am truly considering conversion, aren't I not just a "Christian without Christ"? Both religions need to stress their common beliefs than their differences for true Peace on Earth. That is one thing I've always heard in synagogue. The author's stance on this is suprising since his first book was so inclusive. Again this is my only negative comment on his book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: To Life!
Review: This is an excellent book! Kushner is my favorite rabbi and this book demonstrates why!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: To Life!
Review: This is an excellent book! Kushner is my favorite rabbi and this book demonstrates why!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stellar
Review: This is an outstanding work of devotion, wisdom and compassion. A must read for anyone interested in Judaism, especially Jewish people interested in their own faith and practices. As an entry level primer for people with no knowledge of the Jewish religion or for Jewish people looking for insight into their pasts and present, this is a great place to start. Enlightening and insightful, this is one of the few books on this subject not written by a Rabbi or the Reform movement. Thus it is more traditional and certainly more educational for those serious about grasping the essence of Judaism. There are a few pages where the text is more or less placating the non-Jewish world, but not to the point it is belabored and it undeniably does not detract from the beauty and compassion espoused by the author. If you want to lean about the Jewish faith and perception of life, this is where to start your journey. If you are Jewish and struggling with the forces that pull you away from the practice of your religion, read this book. If you are not Jewish and want insight into the world of Judaism, read this book. It's a winner. Included is a brief historical account of the Jews, traditions and customs and a good deal of solid Jewish philosophy.


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