Taking Judaism Personally : Creating a Meaningful Spiritual Life - Hardcover

Petsonk, Judy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068482809X ISBN 13: 9780684828091

Publisher: Free Pr, 1996

Synopsis

Taking Judaism Personally is an intimate look not only at the inner meaning of being Jewish, but also at the way Americans construct a faith out of the spiritual chaos of contemporary society. Judy Petsonk, a writer and teacher in the vanguard of the Jewish renewal movement, shows how she and many others have rediscovered comfort, joy, and wonder in Judaism. They are the creators of the Havurah movement: circles of close friends who study, pray, and celebrate important events together. They are Jewish feminists struggling to redefine their role within traditional Judaism. They are young families looking for new approaches to religious education and childrearing. Searching their souls and the traditional sources, they have achieved a meaningful and satisfying form of spirituality.
Rich with stories (including the author's) of twenty years of Jewish renewal, Taking Judaism Personally provides examples and inspiration for Jews seeking to create their own connection to Jewish tradition and community.

About this title

About the Author

Judy Petsonk is a prize-winning journalist and the co-author of The Intermarriage Handbook: A Guide for Jews and Christians. She conducts workshops on spirituality throughout the U.S.

Reviews

Judaism has not proved immune to the holistic, inward-looking spiritualism of much contemporary religious practice. Petsonk articulately describes the resulting innovations. Yet in presenting how prayer, meditation, mysticism, and rituals can be adapted to suit contemporary perspectives, she steers refreshingly clear of New Age rhetoric. Drawing primarily on her own and friends' experiences, she discusses the communitarian havurah movement that began in the 1960s and how it came to incorporate the social and political causes of the ensuing decades. Her book is most valuable for the chapters describing the different ways that Jewish gays and feminists--groups traditionally scorned by many doctrinaire congregations--are able to explore and take pride in their religious identity. The appended comprehensive directory of Jewish social action networks, archives, educational institutions, and publications will greatly help those who want to follow through with the changes Petsonk chronicles. Aaron Cohen

Petsonk has written an account of her spiritual odessey through the uniquely American "Havurah" Judaism that originated in the 1960s. Raised in a tepid Jewish reform environment, Petsonk sensed a deep spiritual pull while working as a young rookie reporter in Dayton, Ohio, and began her life-long association with experiential Judaism. Over the years, she became acquainted with most of the founders of the Havurah movement?Max Tichtin and Michael Waskow, among others?and provides exceptional insight into their charismatic leadership. She captures the fervor, passion, and sense of community of Havurah, as well as its ambiguities and lack of direction. The Havurah may be fading, since a new generation has not replaced the original leaders. Petsonk succeeds in encapsulating the spirit and style of a fascinating aspect of American Judaism.?Carol R. Glatt, VA Medical Ctr. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Free Pr
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068482809X
• ISBN 13: 9780684828091
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 338