To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times - Softcover

Levy, Naomi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345413830 ISBN 13: 9780345413833

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1999

Synopsis

"Words that come from the heart enter the heart, an ancient rabbinic proverb instructs us. The words in this book come from the heart--mine and the hearts of others. I pray that you will find within them a spark that will ignite the flame of hope and the passion for healing that lies within us all."

Naomi Levy was a spirited fifteen-year-old when her father was murdered in a senseless holdup that destroyed not only his life but her trust in a loving God. Healing took a long time, yet from her struggles with grief, anger, and depression, she forged the wisdom that made her, at twenty-six, a beloved rabbi--and now makes her book a miracle of honesty, recovery, and compassion.

Where do we find the strength to meet tragedy? Can we rekindle hope? Innocence? Faith? The answers, illustrated with many moving, true stories drawn from Rabbi Levy's experience and the lives of her congregants, provide sanity, peace, and a safe harbor where we can heal and grow. Remember: "Death is a great tragedy. But to die while we are still living, that is the greatest tragedy of all."

About this title

Review:

"Then what good is God?" a rape victim asked Rabbi Naomi Levy after Levy said she didn't think preventing tragedies was in God's hands. Levy realizes that the question after a personal tragedy should not be, "Why did this happen?" but rather, "How can I go on?" To Begin Again is a book of comfort and faith to lead us through tragic times. Her advice is wise, gentle, and compassionate, dotted with stories of people Levy knows who have endured terrible pain--and healed. She teaches us to get comfort from asking others for help, letting ourselves cry, seeking a community of faith, studying something new, and keeping memories alive. She shows us how to rebuild our lives by facing the truth, loving and forgiving ourselves, repairing relationships with loved ones, teaching our hearts to remain open, holding onto our faith, and, finally, transforming ourselves.

Levy understands emotional agony firsthand: she lost her beloved father to a robber's gun when she was 15. Levy's message in this beautiful, moving book is, "Each of us possesses the power to overcome the unthinkable and be reborn, to live life not as survivors but as partakers, rejoicers, participants." --Joan Price

From the Publisher:

"For anyone who has ever lost or suffered, Rabbi Levy's words will shine in the dark like a night-light."
--Rachel Naomi Remem, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal

"Her voice is a voice of clarity, comfort & compassion."
--Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

"A source of great comfort when dealing with the truly big stuff."
--Richard Carlson, author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and It's All Small Stuff

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0345413830
• ISBN 13: 9780345413833
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288