Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice: Holy Days and Shabbat

Rating:
Summary: Recipes for Living Jewishly
Review: Everyone loves a new recipe to try out on themselves and their family. I learned to appreciate the things that nourished me from my grandmother, my baubbie, who would wake up early in the morning to cook and to bake for her children and grandchildren. As a teenager, I watched her as she prepared several dishes of delight, copying down the recipes as she baked. Some of those recipes from my childhood lost something in the translation. Who remembered that a cup of flour was measured in a yahrzeit glass rather than a measuring cup! In "Reclaiming Judaism As a Spiritual Practice" the recipes that Rabbi Goldie Milgram dishes up, have that same wonderful feelings that were a part of my upbringing. Her recipes for spicing up the Shabbat and the other holidays of the Jewish calendar have added a new dimension to what I claim from my past. I am indebted to Rabbi Milgram for sharing with us a path to see these holy days in a new and vibrant way that does not depart from what we have been accustomed to in our past. I plan to share some of her recipes with my congregation during this coming year, beginning with the Sephardi Blessing Feast to feed our bodies and then onto the Teshuvah Forgiveness Walks to nourish our souls. I hope that you will enjoy the spiritual practices in this book, as much as I have enjoyed my baubbie's recipes for a spiritual life through her cooking rituals.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and Important
Review: Inspiring, lively, relevant and offering a Judaism that is meaningful, this book taught me so much that is important and heart-opening about Judaism. Why didn't they explain it this way in religious school? In the introduction Rabbi Milgram asks: "Do you wish for a life that is physically grounded, emotionally satisfying, intellectually expansive, and profoundly connected?" Yes, actually, I do. And she does go on to offer profound ways to do this as a Jew. Her approach is one of deeply respectful pluralism - the teachings are relevant to every denomination and will also resonate with agnostics, atheists and non-Jewish partners. This Judaism is about our real, everyday lives and each page raised my awareness about how Judaism is filled with practices that can enhance the quality of our lives and relationships.