Down-To-Earth Judaism: Food, Money, Sex, and the Rest of Life

by Arthur Waskow

A spiritual guide to modern Judaism traces the history of Judaism while offering prayers, ceremonies, and celebrations that take the present-day world into account, from women's equality to changing religious boundaries. 15,000 first printing. Tour.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Religion

402 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow (born Arthur I. Waskow, 1933).

Reviews

[Daniel Burstyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A central text for learning about earth based Judaism.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard review to write. I *wanted* to like this book. But, in the end, I couldn't. Waskow admits throughout the book that his foe-yet-dancing-partner is post-modernism, that universal acid that destroys everything. In his words, Jews are at a time of crisis as or more intense than any time before. He never states it in such philosophical terms, but it is an existential crisis brought on my epistemological uncertainty. "Who are we? What should we do? Why should I believe you?" In other words, what could have the authority to tell me what to do?

I myself do not have Jewish roots, but I have tried going to synagogue off-and-on for several years now. I go to grad school with many people who are Jewish (by the "mother" rule). Whether they were raised Jewish or not, whether their parents intermarried or not, they have no sense of themselves as Jews and do not feel conflicted about it. The enemy of Jews today is not Christianity or anything like: it is eclectic, relativistic, anti-authoritarian modernity.

And this book does nothing about that. Waskow is really with *HOW* to be a Jew, and he comes up with one of the most relevant, accessible, up-to-date, and thoughtful answers to the question ever. He knows Judaism of yester-year and the Bible, and what convoluted, complete re-imagining of that identity would be most endearing today. He even presents it in a compassionate, clear way. But very, VERY few people are asking the questions that he is answering.

Most difficult for me is the way he talks about God. God is part of the mythos, just a Jewish version of Hermes or Odin. Why would I orient my life around the mythology of someone whose existence I doubt? Waskow's god may or may not exist, and it would change nothing for him. This is not the kind of motivation people need to maintain culture and language in the face of hedonistic nihilism. This is a well-written book, but it's just excellent whistling in the dark.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get through all of it, I do need to buy mine own copy so I can read and reread on my own time.

[Ginger]

I am definitely a renewalist.

[Brandi Larsen]

I didn't make it past Chapter 2. I'm sure this is probably a great book, but I didn't have the patience for it.