One God, Many Paths: Finding Meaning and Inspiration in Jewish Teachings -- Amy Hirshberg Lederman
	Quantity in Basket:none Price:$18.00
	Quantity:
One God, Many Paths: Finding Meaning and Inspiration in Jewish Teachings Amy Hirshberg Lederman Paperback, 5.5x8.5 in, 168 pages Wheatmark, April 2008 ISBN: 9781587367366 Endorsements “Amy Hirshberg Lederman has done it again! Her charming vignettes are filled with engaging tales and trenchant insights, utilizing the best of Jewish tradition and, most of all, a big heart and a special soul. This is a book to read again and again.” — Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul and The Wisdom of Judaism: An Introduction to the Values of the Talmud “Amy Lederman’s writing epitomizes the truth of the old Hebrew adage ‘Words from the heart enter the heart.’ Life experience and learning are woven together with passion, love and wisdom. Each vignette offers a poignant lesson in the art of living.” — Rabbi Byron Sherwin, professor of Jewish philosophy and mysticism at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies and author of Kabbalah: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism and Studies in Jewish Theology Description One God, Many Paths celebrates the joy and wisdom that the teachings of Judaism can bring to everyday life. Regardless of your age, religious background, or observance, Amy Lederman's heartwarming stories will inspire you as they provide new insights into love, family, work, relationships, tradition, and God. About the Author Amy Hirshberg Lederman is an award-winning, nationally syndicated columnist, author, Jewish educator, public speaker, and attorney who lives in Tucson, Arizona. She is available to teach workshops and lead retreats on any of the topics in this book. You can visit her website at www.amyhirshberglederman.com. Excerpt I have a confession to make. I am in love—seriously, passionately and unabashedly. Not just with my husband of 25 years, but with a culture, faith, and community that has enriched my life beyond measure. Yes, I am in love with being Jewish because, to borrow a line from Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets, “It makes me want to be a better person.” But I did not always feel this way. For many years I secretly harbored a fear that I was somehow Jewishly deficient, maybe even a “bad” Jew, because I was not brought up in a home with Jewish traditions and rituals. Like many first generation Americans, my parents were good people who understood culturally what it meant to be Jewish but had little interest in maintaining Judaism at home. So while they sent me to Hebrew school, and taught me Jewish values like the importance of family and education, I never lit candles on Friday night or knew the first thing about keeping kosher. The older I got, the more embarrassed I was to admit that I didn’t know half of what I thought a “good” Jewish adult should know. But I had the good fortune of finding wonderful teachers along the way who encouraged me to ask questions and seek answers from Judaism, without shame or regret. I became addicted to questioning and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. What I didn’t realize at the time was how very Jewish my approach was—that questioning for the purpose of true understanding is an act of faith in itself. And this is what I learned: that Judaism is an action-oriented faith that elevates what we do (deed) over what we believe (creed). We have been given a marvelous blueprint for living called the Torah which contains 613 commandments to help us choose wisely in all aspects of our life. Some believe that the Torah is the Divine Revelation of God; others believe it is the inspired authorship of man. In either case, at the heart of the Torah is the central idea that everything we do and say has the potential for holiness. It is up to us to make the choice, each day of our lives, as to how we want to live. I wrote One God, Many Paths: Finding Meaning and Inspiration in Jewish Teachings because I wanted to share my passion for Jewish wisdom with others who are curious, interested or may not be aware of the richness and relevancy that can be found in the treasury of sacred Jewish texts. It is my hope that anyone who reads these stories, regardless of age, religious background or degree of observance, will be inspired by the wisdom of the ages and sages, uplifted by the messages of hope and resilience and encouraged to explore the meaning that these texts may have in their life, family and world.