The skeptic and the rabbi
Subtitle: falling in love with faith : a memoir
By: Judy Gruen
Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 219
ISBN-13: 9781631523021
Subjects: Social life and customs; Jews; American Women authors; Jewish converts; Orthodox Judaism; Spiritual biography; Biography
Description: "As Judy Gruen walked down the aisle and into her Orthodox Jewish future, her bouquet quivered in her shaky hand. Having grown up in the zeitgeist that proclaimed, "If it feels good, do it," was she really ready to live the life of "rituals, rules, and restraints" that the Torah prescribed? Skeptic and the Rabbi is a rare memoir with historical depth, spirituality, and intelligent humor. Gruen speaks with refreshing honesty about what it means to remain authentic to yourself while charting a new yet ancient spiritual path at odds with the surrounding culture, and writes touchingly about her family, including her two sets of grandparents, who influenced her in wildly opposite ways. As she navigates her new life with the man she loves and the faith she also loves--surviving several awkward moments, including when the rabbi calls to tell her that she accidentally served unkosher food to her Shabbat guests--Gruen brings the reader right along for the ride. Reading this wry, bold and compelling memoir, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and when you're finished, you may also have a sudden craving for chicken matzo ball soup--kosher, of course."--Amazon.com.
Notes: "A memoir"--Cover.

Includes a Reader's Guide with discussion questions (pages 217-219).
Table of contents: title: Foreword / by Michael Medved; title: Introduction; title: Wedding day; title: The grandparents I have to thank; title: Seven circles; title: "Every family in the world ..."; title: Journeys near and far; title: Back in the USSR; title: The gallery of regrettable dates; title: Growing conflict; title: Meeting Rabbi Lapin; title: Friendships lost and found; title: Decision time; title: The plunge; title: The talking donkey; title: Dinner with Charlie; title: The ritual bath; title: Can I still say that?; title: Hi, my name is Judy and I'm a religious fanatic; title: Hair today, hidden tomorrow; title: Through a child's eyes; title: Out in the world; title: Grandpa's little girl; title: Seven circles.