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The God Upgrade: Finding Your 21st-Century Spirituality in Judaism's 5,000-Year-Old Tradition
The biggest stumbling block when it comes to religion is God, even for an ordained rabbi who admits her rational mind "just can't buy into a God in the sky who writes down our deeds and rewards and punishes us accordingly."
But not being sold on an intervening God shouldn't bar you from living a vibrant and fulfilling Jewish life. The God concept has seen many upgrades over the centuries and it is these reinterpretations that have kept Judaism relevant
In this provocative look at the many faces of God, Adventure Rabbi Jamie Korngold examines how our concept of God has changed over the centuries, and how these changes have shaped every aspect of Judaism. She shows that by upgrading our God concept to one that is aligned with our modern sensibilities, the result is a Judaism that is both meaningful and accessible.
In an exploration energized with enthusiasm and humor, Rabbi Korngold looks at God concepts ranging from the earliest perspectives to some of the most influential modern theologies. Ultimately she introduces a concept of God that speaks to the issues of the twenty-first century.
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But not being sold on an intervening God shouldn't bar you from living a vibrant and fulfilling Jewish life. The God concept has seen many upgrades over the centuries and it is these reinterpretations that have kept Judaism relevant
In this provocative look at the many faces of God, Adventure Rabbi Jamie Korngold examines how our concept of God has changed over the centuries, and how these changes have shaped every aspect of Judaism. She shows that by upgrading our God concept to one that is aligned with our modern sensibilities, the result is a Judaism that is both meaningful and accessible.
In an exploration energized with enthusiasm and humor, Rabbi Korngold looks at God concepts ranging from the earliest perspectives to some of the most influential modern theologies. Ultimately she introduces a concept of God that speaks to the issues of the twenty-first century.
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176 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 12, 2011
An incredible eye-opening read that has given me a lot to think about. This book is perfect no matter what your religion or even if you don't believe in god at all. rabbi Korngold's writing is relevant and funny - so get ready for a few laughs and a lot of thought provoking ideas.
August 19, 2018
I must start this review with a disclaimer. I read this book only because it will be discussed in a book club I attend. I have, as a rule, given up reading books that attempt to answer religious enigmas. Religion, to me at least, is an enigma and no one will explain it.
My single star is given because this is a book that poses questions and gives absolutely no answers. Why do we pray for healing? What happens after life? Why are we Jewish? These are extremely personal questions and no one can really answer them for us. IMHO, answers come from within. Frankly, Rabbi Korngold poses these and other questions, and leaves the end of the conversation flapping in the wind.
The one thing that can be said for sure is that the Rabbi is excellent at self-promotion. Rabbi Korngold has created a program of Jewish led "Adventures." This means going into the high country (she is based in Boulder, CO), or traveling to other hiking and outdoor sites and conducting services for what, I expect, is a well heeled crowd who can afford her program. She herself finds Gd and spirituality in nature and downhill skiing. When she says that she starts one service with a three minute speech about her "Adventure Rabbi" program, I find myself rolling my eyes and thinking, "No wonder she isn't a congregational rabbi. Most congregations want a rabbi more grounded in tradition.""
Of course, Boulder is and always has be "45 square miles surrounded by reality" (I lived in Colorado for thirty years and Boulder is the pentulimate expression of what Colorado was become since it's "songs around the campfire" era). The Rabbi chose a good home for herself.
The Rabbi's writing style is conversational but she can't seem to decide on which generation she is addressing. In reaching out for people to find their own form of spirituality, to become more inclusive in their practice, to worship without a concept of a deity, she should be addressing younger Jews, and yet she falls back on old Yiddish jokes and unfortunate stereotypes. When she talks about non-Jews as "goyim", a word that literally means "nations" but which has taken on unpleasant connotations of otherness through the years, she loses me who scrubbed the negative Yiddish terms of my parents' generation long ago. When she talks about Jews as a family connected mostly by common DNA and family experiences, she effectively does what the most tradition bound do, i.e., she leaves Jews by choice standing outside the gate of membership in the tribe. Although it is religiously forbidden to ever even refer to a convert as other than Jewish, and midrashim (stories) tell us that converts possess Jewish souls that were looking for the opportunity to return "home" to their true religion, she effectively says if your are not "blood", you are not of us.
Her discussions refer to noted sages and philosophers, yet never delved beyond the surface of their philosophy. Her advocacy of changing long held traditions (such as lighting Havdalah candles) to fit your personal schedule, makes sense but somehow dilutes the actual meaning of the ritual. Her direction to find meaning in small acts of Judaism is perhaps the most relatable suggestion I found in her book.
If you are traditional in your practice, you will be deeply offended by this book. If you are Reform, Reconstructionist, of Humanist, you will understand her viewpoint but may, as I do, doubt her motives.
I'm very surprised that the book (which I read on Kindle so perhaps a hard copy actually does have this feature) didn't include links and brochures to her Adventure Rabbi site because the most meaning I could find in the book was her relentless self-promotion of her venture.
My single star is given because this is a book that poses questions and gives absolutely no answers. Why do we pray for healing? What happens after life? Why are we Jewish? These are extremely personal questions and no one can really answer them for us. IMHO, answers come from within. Frankly, Rabbi Korngold poses these and other questions, and leaves the end of the conversation flapping in the wind.
The one thing that can be said for sure is that the Rabbi is excellent at self-promotion. Rabbi Korngold has created a program of Jewish led "Adventures." This means going into the high country (she is based in Boulder, CO), or traveling to other hiking and outdoor sites and conducting services for what, I expect, is a well heeled crowd who can afford her program. She herself finds Gd and spirituality in nature and downhill skiing. When she says that she starts one service with a three minute speech about her "Adventure Rabbi" program, I find myself rolling my eyes and thinking, "No wonder she isn't a congregational rabbi. Most congregations want a rabbi more grounded in tradition.""
Of course, Boulder is and always has be "45 square miles surrounded by reality" (I lived in Colorado for thirty years and Boulder is the pentulimate expression of what Colorado was become since it's "songs around the campfire" era). The Rabbi chose a good home for herself.
The Rabbi's writing style is conversational but she can't seem to decide on which generation she is addressing. In reaching out for people to find their own form of spirituality, to become more inclusive in their practice, to worship without a concept of a deity, she should be addressing younger Jews, and yet she falls back on old Yiddish jokes and unfortunate stereotypes. When she talks about non-Jews as "goyim", a word that literally means "nations" but which has taken on unpleasant connotations of otherness through the years, she loses me who scrubbed the negative Yiddish terms of my parents' generation long ago. When she talks about Jews as a family connected mostly by common DNA and family experiences, she effectively does what the most tradition bound do, i.e., she leaves Jews by choice standing outside the gate of membership in the tribe. Although it is religiously forbidden to ever even refer to a convert as other than Jewish, and midrashim (stories) tell us that converts possess Jewish souls that were looking for the opportunity to return "home" to their true religion, she effectively says if your are not "blood", you are not of us.
Her discussions refer to noted sages and philosophers, yet never delved beyond the surface of their philosophy. Her advocacy of changing long held traditions (such as lighting Havdalah candles) to fit your personal schedule, makes sense but somehow dilutes the actual meaning of the ritual. Her direction to find meaning in small acts of Judaism is perhaps the most relatable suggestion I found in her book.
If you are traditional in your practice, you will be deeply offended by this book. If you are Reform, Reconstructionist, of Humanist, you will understand her viewpoint but may, as I do, doubt her motives.
I'm very surprised that the book (which I read on Kindle so perhaps a hard copy actually does have this feature) didn't include links and brochures to her Adventure Rabbi site because the most meaning I could find in the book was her relentless self-promotion of her venture.
April 4, 2024
I appreciate the historical context that Rabbi Korngold brings up in this book and how she takes the context of the people in the bible to explain different writings about GD - I hadn't thought about that before and she did a good job providing examples to better explain that. She brings in various theologians and Rabbi's to offer a spread of viewpoints about GD and how those varying beliefs can show up in practicing Judaism and everyday living.
I wish she spent more time giving examples about how her understanding of GD aligns with traditional prayers, she gave a few but more would have been great. I also wish she talked a little bit less about GD in nature and the other book she wrote about (her adventure rabbi one?), she brings it up a lot which felt self-promotional.
I wish she spent more time giving examples about how her understanding of GD aligns with traditional prayers, she gave a few but more would have been great. I also wish she talked a little bit less about GD in nature and the other book she wrote about (her adventure rabbi one?), she brings it up a lot which felt self-promotional.
August 6, 2017
Great information in easy to digest pieces about the different traditional as well as the non-traditional beliefs about G0D in Judaism...and the author's way of thinking based on her spiritual forays into nature as "The Adventure Rabbi." A bibliography at the book's end as well as suggested reading and an appendix regarding how one can incorporate some of the rituals in a meaningful way in little bites as well as the author's website where she has some videos about the "Havdalah" service as well as others are also included. Definitely recommend to my fellow Jews who are questioning the traditional belief about the G0D of Torah.
June 2, 2023
LOVED all the philosophy presented in this book. really vibe with it and put a lot of my feelings into words. Felt kinda bummed out when the author randomly dropped a sentence on the second to last page that perpetuates the myth of “COMMUNISM KILLS 100 MILLION” lol but… good book overall.
June 4, 2019
An accessible, practical, but not simplistic view of modern theology.
March 19, 2023
Love her books
September 6, 2011
This is definitely not your mother's Judaism. I really dug the message about finding spirituality in nature and other non-traditional sources. The only thing missing was some sort of "getting started" section that gave some suggestions about how to apply what I'd learned. To be fair, Rabbi Korngold specifically said she wasn't writing the book to promote a spiritual system. But having some sort of getting started guide would've made the book a more satisfying read.
September 22, 2013
I'd been passively looking for a survey primer to Jewish philosophy for a while. Although this certainly doesn't fit the bill exactly, it's a nice introduction to how the concept of God and certain Jewish values evolved over time. She explains these philosophies in a really accessible language, interspersed with a lot of humorous and poignant anecdotes that made it both educational and entertaining.
October 16, 2012
Disagree with most everything she says, but the female rabbi author of this book has a terrific sense of humor, and the book reads like a breeze. Makes complicated Jewish philosophy (Spinoza, Buber, etc.) easy to understand. For all your agnostics and atheists in Jewish day schools--grades 8 and up.
July 18, 2012
I don't even no where to start. Rabbi Korngold states what I haven't be able to articulate about Judaism. I'm ready to head to Boulder Colorado to have a Shabbat service with her and her congregation.
July 5, 2012
Excellent view of contemporary religion and how ancient traditions can still have value. I've heard the author speak ... and had heard most of what was in the book before I read it.
June 18, 2015
This is an excellent book --- to the point with lots of information about Judaism, good quotes, and meaningful reflections by the author.
August 7, 2014
A stellar book that explores the concept of God.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews