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This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation
There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis. These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back to our faith.
The Days of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our heart to God. In This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, Lew has marked out a journey of seven distinct stages, one that draws on these rituals to awaken our soul and wholly transform us. Weaving together Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables and stories from his own life, Lew lays bare the meanings of this ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the path from terror to acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to belief, and from complacency to awe.
In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared enables believers of all faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion and intimacy that will resonate throughout the year.
The Days of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our heart to God. In This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, Lew has marked out a journey of seven distinct stages, one that draws on these rituals to awaken our soul and wholly transform us. Weaving together Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables and stories from his own life, Lew lays bare the meanings of this ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the path from terror to acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to belief, and from complacency to awe.
In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared enables believers of all faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion and intimacy that will resonate throughout the year.
298 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2003
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August 16, 2019
This book was highly recommended by the new young rabbi at my synagogue whose special interests are Jewish spirituality and mysticism, and so a consensus to read it arose in my book study group. But for me it was like pulling teeth. I have a thing about self-help books, and anyway the recommendation was so high that I developed a resistance. He said it was the best single book on Jewish spirituality and even offered to refund the purchase price to any of us who didn't like it.
As it turned out, there are parts of the book that did grate on me--parts that took a negative or haranguing tack, such as description of a controlling mother said to be responsible for the ills of her family members, or the claim that "spiritual deadness is a habit." Does blame work as a method of change, or, rather, will one do the good--the right thing--if one can only see it? I'd say the latter; in that way, I'm Socratic. Think of Harry Potter at the train station trying to get to wizarding school. He has to go to Gate 9 3/4. But as far as he can see there is no Gate 9 3/4. How, then, to get to Hogwarts? People don't get on that train because, as far as they know, there is no such train.
The author redeems himself in my eyes when he acknowledges feeling anger instead of empathy toward two friends involved in a conflict, the reason being that he feels responsible for doing something about their situation.
The more he feels responsible, the more angry he is. That's how I take the parts of the book where he's scolding or blaming--that he's feeling over responsible for fixing people (or the reader). Those negative aspects faded for me as the book went on, outweighed by the positive. As my positive regard kicked in, I got a picture of the author as a dog working a herd, nipping at the heels of his charges whether they like it or not. The negative aspects became less aggravating as they merged into the overall positive texture.
The book's overriding emphasis is on radical self acceptance. We are not perfect but we can give up defensiveness and live our lives fearlessly.
In most areas we are in decline after early adulthood, but we don't have to give up, even in the face of death. The author gives us a picture of salmon who've made it upstream and spawned, but they don't accept that they are done. They keep leaping and leaping, life reaching upward. Similarly,
With its emphasis on fearlessness and on impediments as gifts that make us stronger, this book shows us the reverse of a philosophy in which triggers and microaggressions are the evils to be fought.
I already mentioned Gate 9 3/4; looking at impediments as making us stronger reminded me of Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue." The book was full of cultural touchstones for me. The author's summary of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha made me think of Kazantzakis' (and Martin Scorcese's) The Last Temptation of Christ. The parable of the prince who, believing he was a turkey, got naked and wouldn't come out from under the table reminded me of The Fifty-Minute Hour. Anybody remember that one? Published in 1955, it was a classic by the '60s. And Alan Lew looking lovingly at his congregation in a story from the end of the book was The Velveteen Rabbit all over again.
How do we change? Through suffering? Through confrontation? Through being loved? Responding to challenges? Encountering life--even tragedy--and rising to the occasion? Maybe all of the above, but don't disregard the power of ideas. In the same way as the author writes and thinks and makes connections, so must we. No one can do all our thinking for us, and we can't just go around emoting and experiencing catharsis in the absence of ideas. In fact it's probably we who draw the distinction between feeling and ideas, which could be two sides of the same coin. In the absence of an idea our emotions lack shape and direction. From experience and emotion arise to guide me my interpretation and understanding of what's happening. So read, study, think and talk.
Alan Lew, the author, takes the Jewish High Holidays and uses the sequence of events and liturgy as a lens through which to look at life and make the experience real and transforming. Therein lies the bitterness of the pill he wants us to swallow in the reading of this book. Often enough, life itself is confronting and challenging us, so if at any particular moment it's not doing so, we prefer to retain our equanimity. True, the Jewish High Holy Days are more confronting than, for example, Christian holidays. This isn't another biased comparison; the Christian woman of The Faith Club trio said as much. So if one is inclined to be unnerved, than the book could provide a helpful framework. The author, on the other hand, seems to think most people are overly-defended and in need of being shaken and stirred. If that's you, whatever your religion, or even if you aren't religious, taking the plunge could be worth it. He doesn't want the truth of our lives at their end to be that we failed to live them.
However difficult it may have been for me to dive in while at a point where life itself hadn't pushed me over the edge--to dive in, that is, on somebody else's initiative--I'd say that, once I'd done so, this book is good medicine.
Rabbi Lew is sometimes called the "Zen rabbi." He was a couple years older than me, but he died unexpectedly in 2009--the same year my mother died.
He first published this book (one of several he wrote) in 2003. It just came out in paperback earlier this year. Amazon apparently underestimated the demand and ran out, causing consternation for some of our book study group who had trouble getting it. Maybe lots of rabbis were recommending it all at the same time.
As it turned out, there are parts of the book that did grate on me--parts that took a negative or haranguing tack, such as description of a controlling mother said to be responsible for the ills of her family members, or the claim that "spiritual deadness is a habit." Does blame work as a method of change, or, rather, will one do the good--the right thing--if one can only see it? I'd say the latter; in that way, I'm Socratic. Think of Harry Potter at the train station trying to get to wizarding school. He has to go to Gate 9 3/4. But as far as he can see there is no Gate 9 3/4. How, then, to get to Hogwarts? People don't get on that train because, as far as they know, there is no such train.
The author redeems himself in my eyes when he acknowledges feeling anger instead of empathy toward two friends involved in a conflict, the reason being that he feels responsible for doing something about their situation.
The more he feels responsible, the more angry he is. That's how I take the parts of the book where he's scolding or blaming--that he's feeling over responsible for fixing people (or the reader). Those negative aspects faded for me as the book went on, outweighed by the positive. As my positive regard kicked in, I got a picture of the author as a dog working a herd, nipping at the heels of his charges whether they like it or not. The negative aspects became less aggravating as they merged into the overall positive texture.
The book's overriding emphasis is on radical self acceptance. We are not perfect but we can give up defensiveness and live our lives fearlessly.
It is your life's work to turn evil into good. It is your life's work to find the white dots buried within the blackness -- and the melody these dots make. This is the melody you were born to dance to. This is the background music for the real life you are living. Listen to it.
What was wrong with my father, for example, was that he couldn't play basketball. He was a poor working stiff, an immigrant without the American graces, and while this may not have been a sin of the magnitude of meanness or infidelity, it was a weakness, and my father did not forgive himself for weaknesses easily. But what was right with him was that he loved his son so much that he managed not to care about this one. He was even willing to forgive himself for his son's sake, and that is the most difficult thing a person can do. It's impossible, in fact, without the help of heaven. I can see him now, in the throes of self-forgiveness, pushing that ball toward the basket, eyes wild and shining, mouth like a fish's, arms akimbo, a foolish grin on his face, dancing with happy abandon between heaven and earth. (P. 136 in the paperback; my italics)
In most areas we are in decline after early adulthood, but we don't have to give up, even in the face of death. The author gives us a picture of salmon who've made it upstream and spawned, but they don't accept that they are done. They keep leaping and leaping, life reaching upward. Similarly,
...my children now have risen up in the world. What kind of world will they live in? I worry about these things, and meanwhile, I have already begun to fall away myself, although I still rage on, making long speeches and writing, writing, furiously writing (p. 187).
With its emphasis on fearlessness and on impediments as gifts that make us stronger, this book shows us the reverse of a philosophy in which triggers and microaggressions are the evils to be fought.
I already mentioned Gate 9 3/4; looking at impediments as making us stronger reminded me of Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue." The book was full of cultural touchstones for me. The author's summary of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha made me think of Kazantzakis' (and Martin Scorcese's) The Last Temptation of Christ. The parable of the prince who, believing he was a turkey, got naked and wouldn't come out from under the table reminded me of The Fifty-Minute Hour. Anybody remember that one? Published in 1955, it was a classic by the '60s. And Alan Lew looking lovingly at his congregation in a story from the end of the book was The Velveteen Rabbit all over again.
How do we change? Through suffering? Through confrontation? Through being loved? Responding to challenges? Encountering life--even tragedy--and rising to the occasion? Maybe all of the above, but don't disregard the power of ideas. In the same way as the author writes and thinks and makes connections, so must we. No one can do all our thinking for us, and we can't just go around emoting and experiencing catharsis in the absence of ideas. In fact it's probably we who draw the distinction between feeling and ideas, which could be two sides of the same coin. In the absence of an idea our emotions lack shape and direction. From experience and emotion arise to guide me my interpretation and understanding of what's happening. So read, study, think and talk.
Alan Lew, the author, takes the Jewish High Holidays and uses the sequence of events and liturgy as a lens through which to look at life and make the experience real and transforming. Therein lies the bitterness of the pill he wants us to swallow in the reading of this book. Often enough, life itself is confronting and challenging us, so if at any particular moment it's not doing so, we prefer to retain our equanimity. True, the Jewish High Holy Days are more confronting than, for example, Christian holidays. This isn't another biased comparison; the Christian woman of The Faith Club trio said as much. So if one is inclined to be unnerved, than the book could provide a helpful framework. The author, on the other hand, seems to think most people are overly-defended and in need of being shaken and stirred. If that's you, whatever your religion, or even if you aren't religious, taking the plunge could be worth it. He doesn't want the truth of our lives at their end to be that we failed to live them.
However difficult it may have been for me to dive in while at a point where life itself hadn't pushed me over the edge--to dive in, that is, on somebody else's initiative--I'd say that, once I'd done so, this book is good medicine.
Rabbi Lew is sometimes called the "Zen rabbi." He was a couple years older than me, but he died unexpectedly in 2009--the same year my mother died.
He first published this book (one of several he wrote) in 2003. It just came out in paperback earlier this year. Amazon apparently underestimated the demand and ran out, causing consternation for some of our book study group who had trouble getting it. Maybe lots of rabbis were recommending it all at the same time.
January 17, 2015
Jews always look at me funny when I say the high holidays are my favorite of all Jewish rituals. To be honest, it has something to do with the fact that it always falls around my birthday when my thoughts naturally turn again to the fact that I continue to survive my long dead twin sister, whose life recedes further and further into the past with each passing year.
This book explains why the high holidays are, or should be an incredible time of reckoning. It probably took a rabbi steeped in Buddhism like Alan Lew to get to the heart of why the "Days of Awe" should take an entire community through the most intense process of coming to grip with their lives. A process so huge, that as Lew admits, you can't possibly do it all in the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. You can't even do it in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah. The high holidays serve as a reminder to continue the process of coming to grips with your own mortality and learning to be aware and present in your life throughout the year.
Anyhow, yes this is one of those self-help type spiritual books that I usually can't stand reading. But this particular book was right on target at a time when I was really thinking about which book we were all going to get inscribed in for this coming year. Now, if I could only find a rabbi steeped in Buddhism, I might start going to schule...
This book explains why the high holidays are, or should be an incredible time of reckoning. It probably took a rabbi steeped in Buddhism like Alan Lew to get to the heart of why the "Days of Awe" should take an entire community through the most intense process of coming to grip with their lives. A process so huge, that as Lew admits, you can't possibly do it all in the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. You can't even do it in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah. The high holidays serve as a reminder to continue the process of coming to grips with your own mortality and learning to be aware and present in your life throughout the year.
Anyhow, yes this is one of those self-help type spiritual books that I usually can't stand reading. But this particular book was right on target at a time when I was really thinking about which book we were all going to get inscribed in for this coming year. Now, if I could only find a rabbi steeped in Buddhism, I might start going to schule...
October 5, 2017
I read this book every year in the run up to the high holidays. I think people will be reading Rabbi Lew's book in 1000 years. It is the kind of book where every sentence has something to teach.
August 28, 2009
Let me preface this review by saying that I am Christian. Not only am I Christian, but I honestly had no idea about Judaism except what you learn from a historical standpoint.
In saying that, I was astounded by this book, so much so in fact, that I have asked for permission to observe the High Holidays at a local Synagogue. This book spoke so profoundly to me and solidified my own faith, that I simply must experience this at least once. I think that the author certainly achieved his intentions with this book, and then perhaps more. I highly recommend it.
In saying that, I was astounded by this book, so much so in fact, that I have asked for permission to observe the High Holidays at a local Synagogue. This book spoke so profoundly to me and solidified my own faith, that I simply must experience this at least once. I think that the author certainly achieved his intentions with this book, and then perhaps more. I highly recommend it.
October 1, 2014
This book took me so long to read...not because it was long or hard, but because it was magnificent. It was such a wonderful addition to my high holiday experience. I will have to come back to this every year. I could not recommend it more highly for anyone who wants to reinvigorate Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur with meaning.
August 26, 2013
What a wonderful book. As a prickly, non-Hebrew-reading or speaking, atheist, sentimental Jew, it's often difficult for me to find texts about Jewish ritual and practice that speak to me. This fits that bill, and I think it has so much to offer anyone who is thinking through personal transformation, spiritual meaning, honest self-judgment, and how to be honest with yourself. It discusses the High Holidays in detail, from Tisha B'Av through Sukkot, offering traditional readings of each and reinterpretations based on the author's experience as a Rabbi and a meditator. This is the kind of book to make use of every year, and I'm grateful to have been suggested it this year as I know it will enhance my practice.
November 29, 2017
Some of the teachings were very helpful, but it was also a very repetitive book and hard for me to read for long stretches of time.
October 8, 2025
From the first pages of Rabbi Lew’s meditation the days of awe, you know you are reading an instant classic.
YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH THE WORLD HALF ASLEEP. It isn’t just that you don’t know who you are and that you don’t know how or why you got here. It’s worse than that; these questions never even arise. It is as if you are in a dream. (p. 3).
R. Lew sees the High Holy Days (HHDs) as literally with your house falling (Tisha B’Av) to ending with living in a fragile house (Sukkot). The practical and spiritual journey R. Lew outlines between these two posts are compelling, moving, and challenging. Describing the HHDs as a process of living through your death is standard. But R. Lew is the first author that conveyed the sense that he goes through the process with the intellectual and emotional force of someone who is in there last days. Everyone one else sounds like they are just trying to be profound.
The book contains much wisdom regardless of your relation to Jewdiasm or even god. I read many passages to my non-Jewish atheist wife, and she was equally moved as me.
There is also a profound sadness that emanates from the work as if R. Lew could never really come out of the drama of facing his life as it is. Perhaps he sees two essential truths that he cannot reconcile. As a Buddhist monk, he understands that traditions harsh truth - that life is suffering and the reason for our suffering is our attachments. Jewish practice, while having much in common with Buddhism, sees the attachments to and deep engagement with one’s community as essential.
Below are many quotes and musings.
But Rabbi Lew told the story differently. In his version the treasure was not buried underneath the floorboards. It was hidden almost in plain sight, in the oven. Digging was not required. His approach to Jewish spirituality did not propose a quest for lost or neglected mystical knowledge. Instead he sought the rediscovery of what Jews already had but did not appreciate: the unseen depths of ordinary Jewish observance.
Transformation does not have a beginning , a middle , or an end . We never reach the end of Teshuvah .p. 154).
Sees the High Holy Days beginning literally with you house falling down (Tisha B’Av) to ending with living in a fragile house (Sukkot)
But Judaism came to say that beneath this appearance of conflict, multiplicity, and caprice there was a oneness, a singularity, all-powerful and endlessly compassionate, endlessly just.(p. 7).
The purpose of ritual is to render the invisible visible , then what is the profound , universal , unseen , and unspoken reality that all of this ritual reflects. (p. 8).
The liturgy , however , makes a very different claim , namely that prayer , righteousness , and Teshuvah will not change what happens to us ; rather , they will change us . We will understand what happens differently . …Spiritual practice won’t change what happens . Rather , it will help us to experience (p. 14).
We spend most of our lives , I think , in this strange dance — pushing forward to get back home . Teshuvah — turning , return , repentance — is the central gesture of the High Holidays (p. 24).
Tisha B’v coincides with he beginning of Deuteronomy - the sense that things happen over and over. R. Lew sees the holiday not of one of descrtruction, but of reminding us that catastrophes will keep recurring in our lives until we get things right. Tisha B’Av is the day on which we are reminded of the calamity that keeps repeating itself in the life of our people. (p. 46).
How our stories blind us to others suffering and make it impossible to change. I wonder how many of us are stuck in a similar snare . I wonder how many of us are holding on very hard to some piece of personal history that is preventing us from moving on with our lives. (p. 50).
On Tisha B’Av it is as if this emptiness has broken loose from its bounds and swallowed everything up.(p. 55). We are the only species that knows we’ll die and we are terrified of this emptiness, which we try to fill our lives with stuff. (Referring to Becker’s Denial of Death)
Prayer - a form of judging oneself. During Elul, just pick one simple aspect of yourself and be committed to be conscious and honest.
This is real . This is extremely powerful , and whatever preparation you might have made now seems utterly foolish , utterly inadequate. (p. 102). Relates the “spiritul” experience he thought he’d have at the birth of his daughter was an illusion.
We realize that we have greatly overestimated our cleverness and our potency ; we have overestimated the efficacy of our conscious behavior , and we have underestimated the persistence and the depth of our destructive tendencies . We realize that our attempts to do good are very small next to the unconscious havoc we constantly wreak to our right and to our left . (p. 107).
Don’t run from your imperfections. Inhabit them.
Watching the full tape of your life.
YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH THE WORLD HALF ASLEEP. It isn’t just that you don’t know who you are and that you don’t know how or why you got here. It’s worse than that; these questions never even arise. It is as if you are in a dream. (p. 3).
R. Lew sees the High Holy Days (HHDs) as literally with your house falling (Tisha B’Av) to ending with living in a fragile house (Sukkot). The practical and spiritual journey R. Lew outlines between these two posts are compelling, moving, and challenging. Describing the HHDs as a process of living through your death is standard. But R. Lew is the first author that conveyed the sense that he goes through the process with the intellectual and emotional force of someone who is in there last days. Everyone one else sounds like they are just trying to be profound.
The book contains much wisdom regardless of your relation to Jewdiasm or even god. I read many passages to my non-Jewish atheist wife, and she was equally moved as me.
There is also a profound sadness that emanates from the work as if R. Lew could never really come out of the drama of facing his life as it is. Perhaps he sees two essential truths that he cannot reconcile. As a Buddhist monk, he understands that traditions harsh truth - that life is suffering and the reason for our suffering is our attachments. Jewish practice, while having much in common with Buddhism, sees the attachments to and deep engagement with one’s community as essential.
Below are many quotes and musings.
But Rabbi Lew told the story differently. In his version the treasure was not buried underneath the floorboards. It was hidden almost in plain sight, in the oven. Digging was not required. His approach to Jewish spirituality did not propose a quest for lost or neglected mystical knowledge. Instead he sought the rediscovery of what Jews already had but did not appreciate: the unseen depths of ordinary Jewish observance.
Transformation does not have a beginning , a middle , or an end . We never reach the end of Teshuvah .p. 154).
Sees the High Holy Days beginning literally with you house falling down (Tisha B’Av) to ending with living in a fragile house (Sukkot)
But Judaism came to say that beneath this appearance of conflict, multiplicity, and caprice there was a oneness, a singularity, all-powerful and endlessly compassionate, endlessly just.(p. 7).
The purpose of ritual is to render the invisible visible , then what is the profound , universal , unseen , and unspoken reality that all of this ritual reflects. (p. 8).
The liturgy , however , makes a very different claim , namely that prayer , righteousness , and Teshuvah will not change what happens to us ; rather , they will change us . We will understand what happens differently . …Spiritual practice won’t change what happens . Rather , it will help us to experience (p. 14).
We spend most of our lives , I think , in this strange dance — pushing forward to get back home . Teshuvah — turning , return , repentance — is the central gesture of the High Holidays (p. 24).
Tisha B’v coincides with he beginning of Deuteronomy - the sense that things happen over and over. R. Lew sees the holiday not of one of descrtruction, but of reminding us that catastrophes will keep recurring in our lives until we get things right. Tisha B’Av is the day on which we are reminded of the calamity that keeps repeating itself in the life of our people. (p. 46).
How our stories blind us to others suffering and make it impossible to change. I wonder how many of us are stuck in a similar snare . I wonder how many of us are holding on very hard to some piece of personal history that is preventing us from moving on with our lives. (p. 50).
On Tisha B’Av it is as if this emptiness has broken loose from its bounds and swallowed everything up.(p. 55). We are the only species that knows we’ll die and we are terrified of this emptiness, which we try to fill our lives with stuff. (Referring to Becker’s Denial of Death)
Prayer - a form of judging oneself. During Elul, just pick one simple aspect of yourself and be committed to be conscious and honest.
This is real . This is extremely powerful , and whatever preparation you might have made now seems utterly foolish , utterly inadequate. (p. 102). Relates the “spiritul” experience he thought he’d have at the birth of his daughter was an illusion.
We realize that we have greatly overestimated our cleverness and our potency ; we have overestimated the efficacy of our conscious behavior , and we have underestimated the persistence and the depth of our destructive tendencies . We realize that our attempts to do good are very small next to the unconscious havoc we constantly wreak to our right and to our left . (p. 107).
Don’t run from your imperfections. Inhabit them.
Watching the full tape of your life.
November 23, 2013
The late Rabbi Alan Lew, who I once had the pleasure of meeting, wrote this book as an entrance into the Jewish High Holy Days. The Hebrew calendar month of Elul precedes the month of the High Holy Days, and is a time of reflection and looking inward as Jews prepare to reconcile the many ways in which they missed the mark or lost sight of God in the past year. I often read it during that month, and I am always reminded to try to live a better life. In many ways, it is a guide to just, moral, and ethical behavior. While it is written by a rabbi, with a particular purpose, I think it could be read by anyone, regardless of faith, as a moral compass to right living.
October 16, 2016
I first read this about six years ago, and picked it up again this year the day before Yom Kippur. It's very Bay Area Californian - and I say that as someone born in Marin County - often more earnest than I feel comfortable with, but it makes me think I should maybe be more comfortable being more earnest. It blew through me like a clear wind and I don't think that was just because of the fasting.
September 26, 2012
A beautiful, bracing, poetic, loveing, and ruthlss look at the high holy days in Judaism and the ways in which they invite us to confront what are making of our lives and our world.
It's that time of year again. Time to re-read...
It's that time of year again. Time to re-read...
August 21, 2025
I recommend this book to anyone looking to make the high holidays more meaningful. It gets a bit repetitive, but I found this book a nice companion to the high holidays and a good jumping off point for reflection.
October 7, 2025
My reading of this book started out a little rocky, but ultimately it really enhanced my Yom Kippur.
First of all, I thought this was about the Yamim Noraim proper, so I planned to read a chapter a day starting on Rosh Hashanah. Turns out the book takes you through a much broader journey starting on Tisha B’Av and moving through Elul, slichot, Rosh Hashanah, the yamim noraim, kol nidre/YK day/Neilah, and finally an epilogue about Sukkot. So if you’re gonna pick it up, start earlier.
The first two overview chapters really made me feel the Yom Kippur mindset but I was finding them a little trite and self-helpy. But after that, I started to really enjoy it. Rabbi Lew strikes a really nice balance between acknowledging our responsibility for wrongdoing but also having deep self-compassion that gave me a mental/spiritual breakthrough and really carried my YK. My favorite chapter was the one about RH, discussing how Hashem wants to forgive and the power of seeing ourselves in the full truth of who we are without denying or justifying our flaws. It really took me by surprise because I have been so focused on not falling into the self-help trap of justifying all my bad behaviors to avoid anything close to self-hatred that I guess I took it too far.
There were, however, a few weird and annoying recurring issues that you can kind of expect from a 2003 Jewish-Buddhist fusion book.
There were a couple of mischaracterizations of Biblical stories– one example is his claim that Joseph forgot his brothers and then remembered them, which is kind of the opposite of what happened. I’m not sure if he genuinely got this wrong or was intentionally changing it to match the message he was trying to give but it really bothered me.
Some of the advice was a little useless– in one of the later chapters he said that when he feels like his life has lost its spark, he just turns inside his soul and he always finds God in there.
A tiny bit of (unintentionally) racist phrases. Also a small section of commentary on Israel/Palestine that was pretty racist and condescending in its attempt to present a humanizing Palestinian POV.
Sometimes the way he tried to address systemic issues both in Judaism and the world fell a little flat.
Definitely worth the read, I just wish I had picked it up earlier and gotten to experience the right mindset and emotions before Yom Kippur itself.
First of all, I thought this was about the Yamim Noraim proper, so I planned to read a chapter a day starting on Rosh Hashanah. Turns out the book takes you through a much broader journey starting on Tisha B’Av and moving through Elul, slichot, Rosh Hashanah, the yamim noraim, kol nidre/YK day/Neilah, and finally an epilogue about Sukkot. So if you’re gonna pick it up, start earlier.
The first two overview chapters really made me feel the Yom Kippur mindset but I was finding them a little trite and self-helpy. But after that, I started to really enjoy it. Rabbi Lew strikes a really nice balance between acknowledging our responsibility for wrongdoing but also having deep self-compassion that gave me a mental/spiritual breakthrough and really carried my YK. My favorite chapter was the one about RH, discussing how Hashem wants to forgive and the power of seeing ourselves in the full truth of who we are without denying or justifying our flaws. It really took me by surprise because I have been so focused on not falling into the self-help trap of justifying all my bad behaviors to avoid anything close to self-hatred that I guess I took it too far.
There were, however, a few weird and annoying recurring issues that you can kind of expect from a 2003 Jewish-Buddhist fusion book.
There were a couple of mischaracterizations of Biblical stories– one example is his claim that Joseph forgot his brothers and then remembered them, which is kind of the opposite of what happened. I’m not sure if he genuinely got this wrong or was intentionally changing it to match the message he was trying to give but it really bothered me.
Some of the advice was a little useless– in one of the later chapters he said that when he feels like his life has lost its spark, he just turns inside his soul and he always finds God in there.
A tiny bit of (unintentionally) racist phrases. Also a small section of commentary on Israel/Palestine that was pretty racist and condescending in its attempt to present a humanizing Palestinian POV.
Sometimes the way he tried to address systemic issues both in Judaism and the world fell a little flat.
Definitely worth the read, I just wish I had picked it up earlier and gotten to experience the right mindset and emotions before Yom Kippur itself.
August 11, 2020
This has been the most productive Jewish Days of Awe season I've experienced. I owe this to my Maharat/friend with whom I study. For two reasons. First, she's taught me the indispensable value of spiritual preparation and effort. I never took things frivolously; but I certainly never started preparing for holidays or lifecycle events weeks ahead of time. Not COOKING. Not chometz dusting. I mean spirit dusting. For weeks. Emptying out. Becoming a mind. I saw how amazing this value was at my son's Bar Mitzvah. He and I learned and learned and planned and laughed and went to the mikveh. And on the big day? We were as ready as we could be---which is to say that you prep and then you have to be open to what happens.
Second, while learning something unrelated about five weeks ago, she looked over to her bookcase and saw Lew's book: "oh my! Do you know this book?" I hadn't. Though the cover looked very cool. She told me she rereads it EVERY year before the High Holidays and starting around Tisha b'Av. Of course I ordered it immediately. Thanks Amazon Prime.
Lew's background is in meditation and Jewish/Buddhist connections. I don't know much about his personal life; from the things he says in this text, he seems observant, though he's certainly not frum in the way some people mean that when they say it.
Lee makes several revelatory insights (though it's important to note that he cites many Hasidic masters as being the origin for these ideas): first, he talks about the time from Tisha b'Av through Sukkot as a spiritual unit. Obviously, I've always thought of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as bookends, but Lew weaves a beautiful portrait of how all of these holy days fit together to form a slice of space time with which/in which to work on ourselves.
Second, a theme that arises repeatedly is that these holidays are a dressed rehearsal for death. This is not, as it sounds, depressing. Lew's essay on death and meaning is one of the best in the book. I won't ruin it.
If you are someone seeking more meaningful Jewish holiday experiences, read this book. You don't have to wait until next year. Lew's ideas are relevant tomorrow and the day after.
But most important, if you are someone who thrives on complexity, on negative capability, on the importance of a broken heart, on the courage to face yourself without looking away, this is your book.
Second, while learning something unrelated about five weeks ago, she looked over to her bookcase and saw Lew's book: "oh my! Do you know this book?" I hadn't. Though the cover looked very cool. She told me she rereads it EVERY year before the High Holidays and starting around Tisha b'Av. Of course I ordered it immediately. Thanks Amazon Prime.
Lew's background is in meditation and Jewish/Buddhist connections. I don't know much about his personal life; from the things he says in this text, he seems observant, though he's certainly not frum in the way some people mean that when they say it.
Lee makes several revelatory insights (though it's important to note that he cites many Hasidic masters as being the origin for these ideas): first, he talks about the time from Tisha b'Av through Sukkot as a spiritual unit. Obviously, I've always thought of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as bookends, but Lew weaves a beautiful portrait of how all of these holy days fit together to form a slice of space time with which/in which to work on ourselves.
Second, a theme that arises repeatedly is that these holidays are a dressed rehearsal for death. This is not, as it sounds, depressing. Lew's essay on death and meaning is one of the best in the book. I won't ruin it.
If you are someone seeking more meaningful Jewish holiday experiences, read this book. You don't have to wait until next year. Lew's ideas are relevant tomorrow and the day after.
But most important, if you are someone who thrives on complexity, on negative capability, on the importance of a broken heart, on the courage to face yourself without looking away, this is your book.
September 17, 2023
I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time. It was part of the Melton program curriculum for a class that my wife took. The conversations it elicited in the class sounded interesting.
That was a few years ago, and ever since then, the book would be mentioned routinely by people within the Jewish community every time the High Holidays neared. Some would even brag that they read it every year around this time. It got to the point that I felt that I was missing out on something transcendent and uniquely Jewish. I wanted in.
So this year, as Tisha B'Av was approaching, I decided to mark the occasion by starting and committing to finishing this book. (This is significant because Tisha B'Av marks the first chapter of the book and the start to the two-month long saga of transformation that is covered in the book and spanning from Tisha B'Av to Sukkot.)
Ultimately, I was not a fan. The prose was too repetitive. The analogies went on for too long. The stories did not illustrate the intention that Rabbi Alan Lew meant for them to convey. To me it missed the mark.
There are some moments of excellence, such as the first half of the chapter about Yom Kippur, but most of the book felt dull. I found it difficult to get through the whole thing.
In principle, I agree with Rabbi Alan Lew's approach and thoughtfulness towards the High Holidays. If this book is viewed solely as a catalyst for deeper engagement and discussion, then I suppose it achieves some level of success. As a guide and as a tool for learning, it falls short.
That was a few years ago, and ever since then, the book would be mentioned routinely by people within the Jewish community every time the High Holidays neared. Some would even brag that they read it every year around this time. It got to the point that I felt that I was missing out on something transcendent and uniquely Jewish. I wanted in.
So this year, as Tisha B'Av was approaching, I decided to mark the occasion by starting and committing to finishing this book. (This is significant because Tisha B'Av marks the first chapter of the book and the start to the two-month long saga of transformation that is covered in the book and spanning from Tisha B'Av to Sukkot.)
Ultimately, I was not a fan. The prose was too repetitive. The analogies went on for too long. The stories did not illustrate the intention that Rabbi Alan Lew meant for them to convey. To me it missed the mark.
There are some moments of excellence, such as the first half of the chapter about Yom Kippur, but most of the book felt dull. I found it difficult to get through the whole thing.
In principle, I agree with Rabbi Alan Lew's approach and thoughtfulness towards the High Holidays. If this book is viewed solely as a catalyst for deeper engagement and discussion, then I suppose it achieves some level of success. As a guide and as a tool for learning, it falls short.
September 2, 2017
I'm very pleased I read this book today.
So as some of you may know, the high holidays are indeed approaching. It's already Alul now. All of this means that this book was perfect to read today, especially on a Shabbat. I knew I couldn't read it at any other time of the year.
I'm becoming more conscious of religion, of my religion. I realize there is so much to learn and I hope book by book I'll know more. There's so much depth to everything.
This book does a good job. I appreciate that the author uses his own life as well as plenty of examples from classical Jewish thought and poetry. He is an eloquent writer.
That said, this book isn't quite compelling to read. You need to be in a very specific mood in order to enjoy it and reap the benefits.
All in all, if you want a nice summary of this period of the Jewish year, this book is for you.
what I'm taking with me:
• Yom Kippur is like a rehearsal of death, it's a time to plan out our life and look for meaning.
• Being a rabbi sounds like a weird job.
• Hebrew is such a beautiful language, I totally don't respect it enough. Like, yishuv daat- your mind sitting down, settling down.
So as some of you may know, the high holidays are indeed approaching. It's already Alul now. All of this means that this book was perfect to read today, especially on a Shabbat. I knew I couldn't read it at any other time of the year.
I'm becoming more conscious of religion, of my religion. I realize there is so much to learn and I hope book by book I'll know more. There's so much depth to everything.
This book does a good job. I appreciate that the author uses his own life as well as plenty of examples from classical Jewish thought and poetry. He is an eloquent writer.
That said, this book isn't quite compelling to read. You need to be in a very specific mood in order to enjoy it and reap the benefits.
All in all, if you want a nice summary of this period of the Jewish year, this book is for you.
what I'm taking with me:
• Yom Kippur is like a rehearsal of death, it's a time to plan out our life and look for meaning.
• Being a rabbi sounds like a weird job.
• Hebrew is such a beautiful language, I totally don't respect it enough. Like, yishuv daat- your mind sitting down, settling down.
August 7, 2017
I really liked the idea that without Freud, there could have been no Einstein, because Freud showed us that the invisible is more important than the invisible, thus paving the way for quantum physics. Interesting idea.
And I was shocked at the fact that WWI began in the Pale, thus displacing many Jews who then became far easier prey in WWII. Why do our history books not mention this?
Also inverting the famous 'those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it" by saying that one must in fact repeat one's history, acknowledge it, in order to let it go.
Otherwise this book mostly strikes me as a memoir with the rituals and weekly Parshiot between Tisha B'Av and Sukkot described woven together with the author's family history.
And I was shocked at the fact that WWI began in the Pale, thus displacing many Jews who then became far easier prey in WWII. Why do our history books not mention this?
Also inverting the famous 'those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it" by saying that one must in fact repeat one's history, acknowledge it, in order to let it go.
Otherwise this book mostly strikes me as a memoir with the rituals and weekly Parshiot between Tisha B'Av and Sukkot described woven together with the author's family history.
November 25, 2013
Life changing read. That I read every year.
September 9, 2025
Last year, I took this book out around the Jewish High Holy Days thinking I was ready to delve deep into the meaning and wisdom of these Days of Awe. I returned it within a week, unread. I don't think I was in the head space last year to ponder the days in the Jewish calendar set aside to rehearse our own deaths.
This year, bring it on.
This was a beautiful, soulful read by a wise yet imperfect rabbi who waxes poetic in this companion reader to the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the mystical days of urgent repair and mending between that day and Yom Kippur, and what happens after, when we are finally assured that we have done all we could to be inscribed in the next chapter in the books of our lives. Through contemplative passages, liturgy and life anecdotes, Lew prepares readers for the richer, layered meanings of these days of awe, with insights and explanations about why we read certain prayers or think about the fragility of life, harm done to others, and the importance of seeking forgiveness from those with whom we have somehow missed the mark.
The book almost works like a workbook with tons of questions for self-inquiry throughout. "What is the recurring disaster of your life? What is the unresolved element that keeps bringing us back to the same moment over and over again? What is it that we keep getting wrong? What is it that we persistently refuse to look at, fail to see, that becomes patterned in our relationships until we finally "see" it bare, raw and real.
The holiday requires us to pause, and really examine our suffering, and notice our own complicity in it. Which is often the hardest thing to do. What transition point are we standing at? What is causing a sharp feeling in us, disturbing us, knocking us a little off balance? Where is our suffering located? What is making us feel bad? What is making us feel at all? How long will we keep our walls up? How long will we furiously defend against what we know deep down to be the truth of our lives? Will we move from a state of siege to a state of openness, a state of truthfulness, especially with ourselves.
I mean, if these are not heavy-weight championship questions, I don't know. If only we stopped to ponder these questions in a more ritualized way. But here we are, in the days of awe, hoping to carve out time with the divine to deep dive into these cosmic realms of nothingness and being — a wake up call through the piercing sound of the shofar to return us to ourselves. It all starts by acknowledging one's estrangement from the divine and set off on that journey to return.
The title of the book refers to that feeling of no matter how much we prepare for the great mystery of life and death, nothing can prepare us, so the invitation is to do all you can and are ready for, which basically means take that first step inward to climb the soul's mountain. In doing so, each of us "joins in that great stream of spiritual consciousness from which we have all been struggling to know God for thousands of years."
I especially love his discussion about how "every moment of life is the inevitable consequence of everything that has ever happened since the universe exploded into being." And at the same time, we are absolutely free to respond to this inevitably (for which we are completely unprepared) and our response will also become part of the inevitable flow of the universe. That's such a liberating way to understand "mistakes" or regrets, "sins" or moments when we know we could have acted better -- different — more lovingly, with more compassion.
I'm so glad I read this book during this sacred period of heightened awareness and highly recommend it to all seekers or those with a Jewish background who want a jolt of mysticism with their already confirmed understandings of high holiday rituals and prayers. There are many passages in here about Lew's experience as a rabbi in hospice settings and his encounters with death and dying, and so it gave me pause and respect to read that he too died, at the age of 65, from a sudden heart attack. I can't help but feel that his continued spiritual presence in his words. Yea, there were a few passages that made me cringe a bit -- notably his praise of Giuliani when he was mayor of NYC, but I give him a pass because Rabbi Lew was not alive to see how insane that guy got during the Trump years. And the overall messaging here is one of restoration, tikun olam, repair that centers love in every realm.
This year, bring it on.
This was a beautiful, soulful read by a wise yet imperfect rabbi who waxes poetic in this companion reader to the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the mystical days of urgent repair and mending between that day and Yom Kippur, and what happens after, when we are finally assured that we have done all we could to be inscribed in the next chapter in the books of our lives. Through contemplative passages, liturgy and life anecdotes, Lew prepares readers for the richer, layered meanings of these days of awe, with insights and explanations about why we read certain prayers or think about the fragility of life, harm done to others, and the importance of seeking forgiveness from those with whom we have somehow missed the mark.
The book almost works like a workbook with tons of questions for self-inquiry throughout. "What is the recurring disaster of your life? What is the unresolved element that keeps bringing us back to the same moment over and over again? What is it that we keep getting wrong? What is it that we persistently refuse to look at, fail to see, that becomes patterned in our relationships until we finally "see" it bare, raw and real.
The holiday requires us to pause, and really examine our suffering, and notice our own complicity in it. Which is often the hardest thing to do. What transition point are we standing at? What is causing a sharp feeling in us, disturbing us, knocking us a little off balance? Where is our suffering located? What is making us feel bad? What is making us feel at all? How long will we keep our walls up? How long will we furiously defend against what we know deep down to be the truth of our lives? Will we move from a state of siege to a state of openness, a state of truthfulness, especially with ourselves.
I mean, if these are not heavy-weight championship questions, I don't know. If only we stopped to ponder these questions in a more ritualized way. But here we are, in the days of awe, hoping to carve out time with the divine to deep dive into these cosmic realms of nothingness and being — a wake up call through the piercing sound of the shofar to return us to ourselves. It all starts by acknowledging one's estrangement from the divine and set off on that journey to return.
The title of the book refers to that feeling of no matter how much we prepare for the great mystery of life and death, nothing can prepare us, so the invitation is to do all you can and are ready for, which basically means take that first step inward to climb the soul's mountain. In doing so, each of us "joins in that great stream of spiritual consciousness from which we have all been struggling to know God for thousands of years."
I especially love his discussion about how "every moment of life is the inevitable consequence of everything that has ever happened since the universe exploded into being." And at the same time, we are absolutely free to respond to this inevitably (for which we are completely unprepared) and our response will also become part of the inevitable flow of the universe. That's such a liberating way to understand "mistakes" or regrets, "sins" or moments when we know we could have acted better -- different — more lovingly, with more compassion.
I'm so glad I read this book during this sacred period of heightened awareness and highly recommend it to all seekers or those with a Jewish background who want a jolt of mysticism with their already confirmed understandings of high holiday rituals and prayers. There are many passages in here about Lew's experience as a rabbi in hospice settings and his encounters with death and dying, and so it gave me pause and respect to read that he too died, at the age of 65, from a sudden heart attack. I can't help but feel that his continued spiritual presence in his words. Yea, there were a few passages that made me cringe a bit -- notably his praise of Giuliani when he was mayor of NYC, but I give him a pass because Rabbi Lew was not alive to see how insane that guy got during the Trump years. And the overall messaging here is one of restoration, tikun olam, repair that centers love in every realm.
September 28, 2015
Wow. This book floored me. It is rich, compelling, and astounding in its purity. The late Rabbi Lew addresses the beautiful transformation and soul searching ritual that takes place each year during the Jewish holidays of Tisha B'Av and Sukkot. He writes that we are constantly redefining ourselves, that we must become conscious of our blunders, and that the healing and repentance that we undergo at this time of year can heal us. Inner healing requires self-acceptance, forgiveness, and a willingness to let go of mistaken beliefs.
Lew likens the holiday rituals and meaning to the journey each person makes from birth to death and back again, as if life were a circle and traveling it teaches us what is most important. "It takes the living of a whole life—a life and a death, the complete journey—to learn that. We are all making that journey, and the High Holidays are a dress rehearsal for it, a time when we are all stripped down—a time that gives us an intimation of what this long, strange journey home is all about."
"So we can pray, we can meditate, and we can set aside a moment every day for reflection. Or we can simply choose one thing in our life and live that one small aspect in truth, and then watch in amazement as the larger truth of our life begins to emerge. The truth is, every moment of our life carries with it the possibility of a great blessing and a great curse, a blessing if we live in truth, a curse if we do not. All that’s required of you is to see what’s in front of your face and to choose the blessing in it."
So many eloquent passages. Reading this book adds such a richness to this time of year. I will definitely read it again. For readers of ALL faiths, this book will change the way you look at life. Highly recommend.
Lew likens the holiday rituals and meaning to the journey each person makes from birth to death and back again, as if life were a circle and traveling it teaches us what is most important. "It takes the living of a whole life—a life and a death, the complete journey—to learn that. We are all making that journey, and the High Holidays are a dress rehearsal for it, a time when we are all stripped down—a time that gives us an intimation of what this long, strange journey home is all about."
"So we can pray, we can meditate, and we can set aside a moment every day for reflection. Or we can simply choose one thing in our life and live that one small aspect in truth, and then watch in amazement as the larger truth of our life begins to emerge. The truth is, every moment of our life carries with it the possibility of a great blessing and a great curse, a blessing if we live in truth, a curse if we do not. All that’s required of you is to see what’s in front of your face and to choose the blessing in it."
So many eloquent passages. Reading this book adds such a richness to this time of year. I will definitely read it again. For readers of ALL faiths, this book will change the way you look at life. Highly recommend.
July 6, 2022
If you had any Jewish upbringing to speak of, you were aware of the high holy days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Perhaps you even feared them a bit. But you probably didn't know where they fit into your life, and therefore, you may have avoided them (as I did). Perhaps you still don't know. If not, this book will provide meaning and context.
Rabbi Lew explains the high holy days as part of a larger season, and that season constitutes the Journey of Transformation of the title. If you have developed 'mindfulness' through psychotherapy, or have worked your way through the steps of a 12-step program, you will find yourself on familiar ground here. This is largely a Jewish approach to the preparation, development of humility, self examination, repentance, and oneness with humanity that you may already know in part. And it is nice to know how these concepts fit in with, and are expressed, in the cultural / religious background in which you grew up.
It took me a while to get going with this book. Perhaps I was too disrupted by events of my life. But about midway, this book started banging on all cylinders. Every few pages brought a new 'Aha' moment. It became fun, and I started reading faster.
Having read this book, I expect and hope that my journey through this year's "Season of Turning" will be more rewarding than before. At least it will if I work it. I have this book to guide my path.
Rabbi Lew explains the high holy days as part of a larger season, and that season constitutes the Journey of Transformation of the title. If you have developed 'mindfulness' through psychotherapy, or have worked your way through the steps of a 12-step program, you will find yourself on familiar ground here. This is largely a Jewish approach to the preparation, development of humility, self examination, repentance, and oneness with humanity that you may already know in part. And it is nice to know how these concepts fit in with, and are expressed, in the cultural / religious background in which you grew up.
It took me a while to get going with this book. Perhaps I was too disrupted by events of my life. But about midway, this book started banging on all cylinders. Every few pages brought a new 'Aha' moment. It became fun, and I started reading faster.
Having read this book, I expect and hope that my journey through this year's "Season of Turning" will be more rewarding than before. At least it will if I work it. I have this book to guide my path.
December 25, 2018
I will be rereading this book for the rest of my life.
I'm so grateful that that is the second time this year I've been able to say that. The moment I first stumbled across the title of this book on goodreads I knew that I needed it. Last year, the high holy days were the first services I attended in Edinburgh - not only was I on unfamiliar geographic ground, but I was still on very unfamiliar, anxiety inducing spiritual ground. This book put me right, and will keep putting me right forever. I literally read the epilogue and began the introduction again in one breath - there is so much I learned reading this book that had already fallen away under the onslaught of new insights. I'll just have to keep reading. It's a timely finish as well - Tisha B'Av, where Lew begins, is this weekend.
I'm so grateful that that is the second time this year I've been able to say that. The moment I first stumbled across the title of this book on goodreads I knew that I needed it. Last year, the high holy days were the first services I attended in Edinburgh - not only was I on unfamiliar geographic ground, but I was still on very unfamiliar, anxiety inducing spiritual ground. This book put me right, and will keep putting me right forever. I literally read the epilogue and began the introduction again in one breath - there is so much I learned reading this book that had already fallen away under the onslaught of new insights. I'll just have to keep reading. It's a timely finish as well - Tisha B'Av, where Lew begins, is this weekend.
October 15, 2022
This is a passionate exploration of the High Holidays from a heavily Buddhist-inspired rabbi who weaves together Jewish tradition and personal experience (with numerous baseball references) to explore some deeply existential themes concerning the cycle of life, especially in regards to the contemplation of death. These are timeless issues for any age in history, but the book, which was penned nearly twenty years ago, still reads as fresh for the contemporary moment. The fact that the author died only a few years after having writing it seemed quite poignant while reading his especially personal ruminations.
October 7, 2014
There are very few books that really change the way you look at things: this is one of them. The combination of Jewish sources and Alan Lew's personal stories, with a little Buddhism on the side, made my holiday season so much more meaningful. It will also make my life more meaningful, as he delves into the differences between happiness and joy, how to embrace suffering as a part of the total human experience, and realizing the beauty of the Jewish calendar as a schedule for improving your life.
Love, love, love this book - highest recommendation possible.
Love, love, love this book - highest recommendation possible.
July 20, 2021
I just finished rereading this book and will likely reread it again the next time The High Holidays roll around. Lew draws upon both Jewish traditions and Zen Buddhism to trace the soul's journey during the months leading up to and immediately following Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The High Holidays are about returning and renewal, about the journey inward to self and outward to community and G-d.
July 11, 2025
Lew’s writing style is interminable. He manages to make each sentence feel totally detached from the previous one while also being incredibly repetitive. I felt like I was wrestling the meaning out of this book. The meaning, when it was wrestled out, had a great deal of depth and insight, which is why I give this 2.5 stars, and will likely try to re-read the book in the future.
August 24, 2017
For the fourth year in a row I am reading this to get ready for the jewish High Holy Days.And each time I get more out of it.
Getting ready once again ...
It's that time of year aagain.
Getting ready once again ...
It's that time of year aagain.
March 1, 2015
This book was given to me by a friend. I make a point of reading it through the holiday season. Great book to open your eyes to possibilities in the holiday cucle
November 8, 2015
life-changing book
October 10, 2016
an unbelievable piece of spiritual work
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