My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith

by Benyamin Cohen

One day a Georgia-born son of an Orthodox rabbi discovers that his enthusiasm for Judaism is flagging. He observes the Sabbath, he goes to synagogue, and he even flies to New York on weekends for a series of "speed dates" with nice, eligible Jewish girls. But, something is missing. Looking out of his window and across the street at one of the hundreds of churches in Atlanta, he asks, "What would it be like to be a Christian?"

So begins Benyamin Cohen's hilarious journey that is My Jesus Year—part memoir, part spiritual quest, and part anthropologist's mission. Among Cohen's many adventures (and misadventures), he finds himself in some rather unlikely jumping into the mosh-pit at a Christian rock concert, seeing his face projected on the giant JumboTron of an African-American megachurch, visiting a potential convert with two young Mormon missionaries, attending a Christian "professional wrestling" match, and waking up early for a sunrise Easter service on top of Stone Mountain—a Confederate memorial and former base of operations for the KKK.

During his year-long exploration, Cohen sees the best and the worst of Christianity— #8212;from megachurches to storefront churches; from crass commercialization of religion to the simple, moving faith of the humble believer; from the profound to the profane to the just plain laughable. Throughout, he keeps an open heart and mind, a good sense of humor, and takes what he learns from Christianity to reflect on his own faith and relationship to God. By year's end, to Cohen's surprise, his search for universal answers and truths in the Bible Belt actually make him a better Jew.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Memoir, Judaism, Christianity, Biography, Jewish

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not generally give bad reviews about books. The worst I’ve ever written or said about a piece of literature can be summed up in that infuriatingly smug syllable “meh.” Wasn’t good enough to stick in my mind, don’t you know. Wasn’t good enough to keep its feet amongst the gods of English literature. Meh.

I’m changing that now. I’m about to give a bad review.

It became clear to me from the first few pages of My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen that this was going to be a chore. It wasn’t necessarily the subject matter. I’m a Jew and I like Jews. Check. I get a look into the world of megachurches and revival tents. Check. Enlightenment by the last page. Check. These are great things for a book to take my mind off of other pressing matters, right? Well, as any museum-goer will know, the artifacts can be gorgeous and heart-stirring, but they completely lose their charm when they’re displayed on top of an over-turned cardboard box and lit by a homeless man holding a flashlight.

What I’m trying to say is that Cohen’s writing style and personality made me want to wring his neck. Where there should be humor, there are nudge-nudge-wink-wink pop culture references. Where there should be actual insight into his spiritual journey, there is whining. And, oh G-d, the whining.

Mr. Cohen, listen, that skinny asthmatic Jew thing is all played out. It died once Israel got an army, Lenny Krayzelburg won gold, and the Hebrew Hammer kicked some ass. You’re not Woody Allen—you’re barely a Woody Allen wannabe. Sure, you didn’t choose to become an Orthodox Jew, but last time I checked, none of us had a sign up sheet in the womb. I’m sorry that your mother died when you were young, but you should be thanking your lucky stars that you had a family that loved you, clothed you, and fed you. You know how many people have less than that?

What kills me here is that I agree with many of his assessments of his time in the Christian world. Of course it’s disturbing as all hell when you find Christians wearing the Star of David. Yes, a Sunday mass can be an incredibly uplifting experience. And, absolutely, gospel can elevate a service in any religion. There is so much to be gathered from gentiles, so much to learn that can give us a perspective on our own faith. However, calling someone the Michael Jordon of faith or constantly harping on your own spindly little body is tiresome.

People, if you want to read a humorous book about religion, read A.J. Jacobs’ The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (why are these titles always so long?). If you want a fish out of water book, pick up Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson. The Jesus Year, as much as I wanted to like it, is a sad waste of cellulose.

[Yitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those ubiquitous "life journey" books. It describes the year in which an Orthodox rabbi visits the different worship places of various Christian denominations. (My favorite was United Christian Wrestling, although the black Jesus Easter pageant came in a close second.)

The author is somewhat vague on his spiritual/psychological background (although I now know more than I wanted to about Crohn's disease) and somehow remains an Orthodox Jew the entire time, making the whole thing seem more "let's see what this is like" rather than an idealistic search for the truth. His unnamed rabbi who matired the whole thing in the first place also made him wear his kippa and press badge (surprise!, the guy is a writer evidently looking for new material), thus mitigating (to me) the intellectually honest aspect of it all.

In the end, he gives a shpiel on the truth to be found in all types of worship. I saw that coming a mile away. Sigh/yawn.

I gave it two stars because I found the (sometimes humorous) situations he places himself in so fascinating, as I come from the (inherently?) insular world of Orthodox Judaism myself.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was well-written, funny, yet down to earth. I learned a lot about Christianity and Orthodox Judaism from this book.

Cohen, an Orthodox Jewish man, spends a year attending a variety of Christian services. His journalistic background helps make these experiences colorful and detailed. But the book is also part spiritual growth; throughout the chapters Cohen pauses to discuss how these experiences are helping his own faith suffer or blossom, often diplomatically comparing Christianity and Judaism and what each has to offer the seeking soul.

Highly recommended, especially to a Gen Z audience.

[Kayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many times have you started reading a book with a preconceived idea of how you would like it? I certainly did so with this book. The premise sounds eerily similar to that of The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs, which to this day remains my all time favorite book. And because Jacobs offers a cover quote for My Jesus Year, it was easy to assume this memoir was going to be very similar.

But talk about being pleasantly surprised! Done from an anthropological perspective, Cohen does something I’ve talked about doing for years! I’ve often wondered and considered exploring different churches every weekend just to see how different people worship. My motives have never been to rethink my religion as I’m confident in my beliefs and where I am with them. But for pure interest sake, it has always appealed to me to visit neighborhood and local churches of different denominations. That is exactly what Cohen does for an entire year. (Well, sort of. He kind of leans toward the other extreme visiting a Christian wrestling match, a Christian rock concert, megachurches, as well as a monastery; so on and so forth…)

Born Jewish and the son of a Rabbi, Cohen’s quest is more profound in the sense that he is exploring his religion and seeking knowledge and thirsting for that closeness to God. In a rut with Judaism he dives into Christianity, in a new location every single weekend for one year. While still observing Sabbath on Saturday, Cohen went to Christian churches on Sundays as well. Again, for an entire year. That seems overwhelming to experience that much that often.

While reading laugh out loud funny (once I got past my predetermined judgments of how the book would read), this is one of the wittiest memoirs I’ve ever come across. The depth to his conclusions after visiting a new church or Christian body are astounding and surprising. Cohen writes with a sincerity that will appeal to every reader no matter your religion or lack thereof.

His humor is engaging, his story is intriguing and his memoir is both revealing and enjoyable. I’m happy to share this book (which I had purchased a few years ago) with over 30 swappers on the wish list on PaperBackSwap. This is a story that should be shared and I’m glad I finally picked it up to read.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a delightful read, one that can be enjoyed by everyone. It will be especially enjoyable to those in the Atlanta area.

Benyamin Cohen is the son of an Orthodox Rabbi, who finds that he is less than enthusiastic about his Jewish faith. He decides, with a Rabbi's permission, to take a year and explore Christian religions.

His first sojorn into Christianity is the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. The services are held in the Georgia Dome and he is the only white person in a sea of fifteen thousand African Americans. The camera focuses on him and he sees himself on two screens, twenty feet tall.

He finds himself at Megafest, again at the Georgia Dome, that is highlighted by T.D. Jakes. He discovers the merchandising of Christianity and wonders why this is not done in the Jewish faith.

He finds himself feeling uncomfortable at the Milestone Church in Norcross, Georgia.

If he felt uncomfortable in Norcross, imagine how he felt going to a church in the backwoods of Athens, Georgia. Here he is treated to a wrestling program performed by "Ultimate Christian Wrestling". In between wrestling matches, the word of God is preached to the audience.

He spends time with the monks at the Monastey of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Geoprgia. Here he finds what it is like to be a Trappist monk. He also goes to confession at Sacred Heart Church in downtown Atlanta.

What makes this book so wonderful, besides the stories, is the insightfullness that the author brings to the different religious sects. The reader could easily find themselves, as the author discovered, looking at his faith and other faiths in a different light. You may also find yourself being renewed in your own faith, as was the author.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who just wants a good read, a different readd, and those who might like a fun filled trip to Atanta churches.

[Christia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was by far one of the best books I've read all year, and when I finished I wanted to tell all of my friends to read it immediately. Cohen is a somewhat disillusioned Orthodox Jew who, seeing the enthusiasm of the Christians in his neighborhood as they attend church every week, wonders about their motivation, and decides to explore Christianity for one year in the hopes that it will give him a better appreciation for his own faith. And, living in the Bible belt (Atlanta, GA), and getting permission from a rabbi, wow, does he experience it! Along the way he visits New Birth Missionary Church (where he compares the service to the Broadway show The Lion King), goes to Megafest (an annual event at the GA Done featuring TD Jakes), attends an Easter sunrise service at Stone Mountain, visits a pentecostal healing service with his wife's grandmother, attends a Faith Day baseball game at Turner field, participates in Catholic confession, and even goes to a Christian wrestling match. Along the way, he also visits more mainstream churches each week, although he only mentions 3 by name. With each experience he questions bits and pieces but also manages to find common ground between his faith and that of the worshippers he visits. For example after commenting on some of less understood, stranger traditions of the Mormon church, he also points out that some components of Jewish worship are no doubt just as strange to those not familiar with it. He doesn’t exactly poke fun and never judges other faiths, but at the same time he questions without being disrespectful.

I actually learned quite a bit while reading this – not only about the customs and traditions of Orthodox Judaism but also about my own Christian faith. It was extremely interesting to read about the perspective of an outsider who is not familiar with it. The author does a great job of explaining the tenets of Judaism (primarily the significance of prayer, explaining that “giving thanks to everything to God before every act we do is a ‘constant and unrelenting’ reminder that we are put on this earth for one reason and one reason only – to sanctify God through everything we do.” Ironically, Cohen’s wife converted to Orthodox Judaism from Christianity (her father was a minister), and needless to say, although supportive of her husband, she was not thrilled at Cohen’s plan. The author is very excited that he can actually experience Christmas for the first time in his life in the context of his year-long project and even tries to convince his wife to put up a Christmas tree (she says no.)

Cohen is very insightful and also very funny. There were several passages where I laughed out loud at his commentary. At one point, Cohen summarizes Judaism in 3 phrases – “someone tried to kill us, God intervened, now let’s eat.” And of course, part of the reason I enjoyed this so much is because the author and I live in the same city, so I was very familiar with most of the events and churches he visited. At times, his reflections are very poignant as he discusses his personal struggles. He ends his year-long project by visiting the “mysterious” and elusive church across the street from where he grew up, only to be extremely disappointed by his anticlimactic visit. I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with their faith, regardless of what specifically it is, and who has ever wondered about other faiths. As he writes, “it felt comforting to realize that frustration with faith is not religion-specific. We all lapse at some point to some degree. What I’ve found out this year, though, is it’s how we rebound that will ultimately define us.” This is not a new realization for me, but I deeply appreciated his perspective on his own personal struggle. He concludes by saying, “I learned that God can be found in the unlikeliest of places. I learned not to judge others. I learned that people of faith have more similarities than differences. I learned that the first step is always the hardest. And when my faith occasionally wanes, as it does for all of us, I can draw on these experiences to bolster me.”

[Gilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about other people's spiritual journeys, especially around Judaism. But as an observant Jew myself, it was very hard to get past the author's embarrassment about and apology for his Judaism. He doesn't seem to believe that anyone Jewish would read this book, or that anyone non-Jewish could respect the traditions that might be more alien to him. He claims to have back come to a closer connection with his own religion through his experiences visiting Christian churches, but sadly, that does not come across through his writing.

[Kit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but dull and obvious in its execution.

[Jim Lavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful memoir. I have had similar experiences to some of his, so I have a real appreciation for this man’s plight in life. I loved the conclusion he came up with that states “that all these different religions have more in common than they do have differences.”

I thought he did a great job with the introduction of this story, but I must admit that I was a bit turned off with his understanding and appreciation of the Christian sects that worship God or should I say Jesus with loud preaching and loud music like Jimmy Swaggart. I think Benyamin got caught up in all the excitement those kinds of services create, and he saw that part of this could be used at his Synagogues, as a marketing tool, to promote more attendance.

Many parts of his story were hilarious. Benyamin was specially puzzled by all the rituals and rules his Jewish faith had to follow and here’s a few examples he shared:
“Make them tie their left shoelace before their right one. Make them wash their hands twice on the right and twice on the left anytime they eat a piece of bread. But not cookies. Or fruit. Just bread. Oh, and make them recite a specific blessing—in a foreign language—before they eat anything. And also when they’re finished eating. And speaking of blessings, let’s make them say one every time they see lightning. Hear thunder. Glimpse a rainbow. See a dwarf. Put on new clothing. Smell a spice. Cross a river. Yeah, and make them say a blessing every time they go to the bathroom. How about for one day each week they can’t shower. Or use any hot water. And for nine consecutive days each summer they can’t do laundry. And one day a year they can’t sit on a chair. They can’t use cars on their Sabbath. And if it’s raining, they can’t carry umbrellas. Forget umbrellas. They can’t carry anything. No umbrellas, no purses, no books, no strollers, nothing. Not even a key to their house. Prayers can’t be in English.”
So, you can imagine his frustration with all these rules, and this is just a few.

I love the fact that he spent time with Mormons, Catholics, and even visited a Trappist monastery in Conyers Georgia. I too have done the same and reading this book brought back all kinds of memories and also added many new perceptions to my understanding of these faiths. I can’t say enough good things about this story. It was thought provoking and enlightening as well. I’ll give this one 5 stars and hope that Benyamin writes and shares more of his life with us. It’s a must read.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems like my review will be like others I have read since finishing this book, not quite what I expected. I think this is Cohen's first book and he really has not developed a style yet. While there is some mildly amusing quips, nothing in this book really made me laugh out loud. I had a tough time finishing it as it just was more and more of the same and ended without much learned from the experience or no real revelation.

Here is what I personally found most disappointing: Cohen was an invited guest in all of these other churches and services and he really jabbed all of them after going. I think he did go under false pretenses a bit (although he did attend as a journalist to several) he really wasn't looking for a spiritual experience, rather something peculiar to write about. He mainly points out the absurd or strange to him happenings but does not get into what good these places are doing for their members and the community. It felt to me to be backhanded the way he did that. At the end he mentions most of the churches and organizations in his acknowledgments but I wonder how they feel about him now?

All of that being said, I didn't hate this book. I did learn much about the Jewish faith and the memoir style writing could have been fun with different intentions. Like others have said, he is not A.J. Jacobs but I think Benyamin Cohen can write when he finds his own voice and topics and does not try to ride someone else's.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part memoir, part faith experiment. Both parts are funny, intelligent and well edited. One can't help but notice good editing in this day and age of memoirs either not being edited well, or being edited by those who apparently have the same emotional problems as the memoirists. Benyamin Cohen doesn't come across as someone who has a lot of emotional problems, even though his mother died suddenly when he was thirteen. He is having a bit of a faith problem in his book, however.

After being raised an Orthodox Jew, the son of a rabbi, no less, he wants to see how the other side believes and practices their religion. The other side is Christianity. Some of the Christian services he attends throughout his year of research are a bit on the wild side, but Mr. Cohen sees something good every place he visits. He's not condescending, he's not cloying, he's not counterfeit. He comes across as being very real, very smart and very amusing. By the end of the book, he is all Christianed-out, but not in a bad way. He has seen the other side, he has celebrated Christmas, he is ready to return heart and soul back to Judaism . . . not that he ever left it or ever intended to. . . with some beneficial observations from his religious travels.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my church bookclub and thoroughly enjoyed it! Cohen is a journalist to start with so his writing is much better than other the-year-I-did-this-or-that genre of books. As a matter of fact he is hilarious! The basic premise of the book is that Cohen, a thirty-something Orthodox Jew, is observant but passionless about his religion. He wants to rediscover it and, in a twist, decides to do so by spending a year attending services and events at a wide variety of Christian denominations. They seemed to him growing up to always be having so much more fun than him with their trees and Easter Eggs and fun youth retreats! So now he can find out what it's all about. There's nothing like the perspective of someone from the outside to shine the light on the foibles, inconsistencies, and plain wackiness of something in your own culture (Christianity in it's many forms in this case). Along the way Benyamin also gives us glimpses into the various practices of his own religion (like having to tied ones left shoe before the right and say a prayer after every time you go to the bathroom!) Facinating and funny---our book club had a lively discussion!

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible, and to be honest, I had to stop halfway through because the writing was so bad. There is a smugness and insincerity in his writing that made me constantly feel as if he were looking condescendingly down on Christians rather than trying to learn about their faith. One thing that was extremely off-putting to me was his reference to one of the little people that he dated as one of this crazy ex-girlfriends, even though the only thing that apparently qualified her as "crazy" was being a "midget." He even acknowledged that his use of the word "midget" was politically incorrect, but he shrugged off the offense that may have been taken and continued to use it anyway. I suppose its not for me to be offended for little people, but I feel that someone who constantly reminds us that being an Orthodox Jew makes him superior to those both inside and outside his own faith should be a little more sensitive. He also desperately tries to be funny, and fails miserably. Probably among the worst books I've ever read, if not the worst.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I learned from this book is that some Orthodox Jews follow a welter of trivial rules that, growing up in an Orthodox home, I never heard the likes of. Cohen dwells on "rules" like you should tie your left shoelace before you tie your right one (why I have no clue), and both complains about their absurdity and the lack of spirituality in his Orthodox upbringing. To be fair, I must say I do know Orthodox Jews who do find spirituality in their practises, but I don't know if they tie their left shoe before the right one.

In any event, Cohen decides to go on a quest for a year to seek out Christian churches, not to change his religion, as one might think, but to find out why Christians go to church and seem to enjoy it. His Jesus year is spent going to megachurches, Fundamentalist churches, Catholic churches, even a monastery. Guess what? In the end, he decides to stick to Orthodox Judaism because he has figured out how to connect with God spiritually as a Jew.

His writing is sprightly and engaging. He gives an outsider's view to listening to people speak in tongues and praising God jubilantly. He even wonders why Jews don't have megachurches. Since he's already said Jews comprise only 2% of the US's population, I think that would have occurred to him as the answer, but it doesn't.

Instead, he says that when he asked other Jews this, they said that Jews couldn't afford it. Cohen, the son of an Orthodox rabbi, a profession not known for yielding wealth, pooh poohs this, saying that studies have shown that Jews have better incomes than any other ethnic group. Hold on. That isn't what studies show, although popular myth is that all Jews are rich. What studies really show is that a larger perecentage of Jews are in the middle and upper middle class income brackets, and fewer are in the lower middle class and welfare brackets. As for mega-rich Jews, there are far fewer of them than of Christian megarich. However, since there are so few Jews, this doesn't mean that Jews as a whole can command the millions that megachurch preachers can.

He might also have considered that the megachurches take credit cards in the offering baskets and some even have ATM's in the churches, not to mention all kinds of goods and services to by. Preachers also are on TV asking viewers to send in donations and telling them if they do, they will get rich. Well, Judaism doesn't promise wealth to believers or any worldly benefits. Nor do they punctuate religious services with displaying 800 numbers for people to call in their donations.

There is no way that Judaism can do those things. You cannot handle money on the Sabbath or on holy days! There are no baskets sent around during religious services. Synagogues and temples get their incomes from families paying annual dues, usually around $1000 -$5000 a year, according to their incomes. And, if people can't afford dues, then they just go to services for nothing.

The scads of money that Cohen saw preachers rake in during their services can't be emulated in a Jewish service. Since the preachers have their congregations in an aroused state when they start passing the money trays, their congregants are stimulated to give even more. In at last one instance he observed, the choir itself urged people to give. Jews just get a bill in the mail. It is not too stimulating to just open a bill for your annual dues and all too easy to be pissed if they've gone up.

It is most strange to me that Cohen misses the biggest reason that Jews have fallen away from their religion. When the immigrants from Eastern Europe came here in the early 20th century, they came from places where, as Jews, they were humiliated and scorned overtly. Here, they just had to don ordinary American clothing and presto! they were treated like everyone else. Since the Jewish Sabbath doesn't coincide with the Christian retailing or work calendars nor with the many Jewish holidays like Purim, Shavuot, T'isha Ba'av, Passover, The Fast of Esther, The Fast of the First Born, etc. assimilating meant giving up all but the holiest holidays. Saturday was a regular work day in the early 20th century, and many of the Eastern European Jews who immigrated then were skilled workers in factories. Those who were in retail had to keep their stores open on the Sabbath.

Without the reinforcement of being able to go to worship services on a weekly basis, of course commitment to Judaism lessened. Add to that what Cohen himself admits at the start of his book, Jews wanted to be able to do what Christians do, like eat pizza or have a cheeseburger. There went the Kosher laws, which also were a powerful binder to Judaism. It's not that there's anything more wrong with Judaism than there is with Christianity. It's just that we are a Christian nation. Christian holidays are national holidays. Jewish ones are not. Christians are the norm whom Jews emulated and became assimilated to. When I was in elementary school, we made Easter murals and read stories about the Easter bunny, but there was no mention of Passover. In music class, we learned Christmas carols, not Adon Olom.

In short, being Jewish may be cool for comics, but abiding by Jewish practises is not cool at all. In the 1950's, coming from an immigrant Orthodox family, I had to give it all up, become as un-Jewish as I could, in order to be accepted by the Jewish kids in my high school. And that was not unusual exept, perhaps in New York City which housed such a large number of Jews. In other places in America, there were either no Jews at all, or very few. Mr. Cohen, there's your answer, not megachurches supported by supposedly wealthy Jews.

[Sarah Duggan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and "buddy Christ" cover art are a bit misleading. The author, saddled with religious malaise and annoyance with the rules of Orthodox Judaism, decides to investigate Bible-Belt churches for a year. He doesn't embark on a study of the Gospels or even consider the person of Jesus that much. Instead, he produces a collection of "Niche Christian congregations do the darndest things!" essays. Each one wraps up in a tidy platitude bow reminiscent of a Carrie Bradshaw monologue: "I couldn't help but wonder, maybe we're all just hoping for salvation."

There's not much discussion of Christian theological debates or the evolution of America's religious history. One of the few redeeming and original features is Cohen's recurring chagrin at evangelical cultural appropriation of Jewish culture and language; something his Christian readers should note.

This book was written at the height of the "year-long stunt memoir" trend, and it feels dated. There's a lot of joking asides about doing something so crazy. There's even a reference to "the Web" that made my eyes roll out of my head. Cohen is good at journalistic descriptions, but he hasn't produced a satisfying spiritual classic here.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really only deserves 2.5 stars. I was expecting a lot more humor and hoping to learn something about the different faiths Cohen "explores", but instead I found his tone more whiny than funny and his explorations shallow. After reading the comparatively well-researched and heavily-footnoted "The Year of Living Biblically" I was particularly disappointed in how little prior thought and planning Cohen seemed to give the whole enterprise. He seemed woefully uninformed about Christianity in general and never showed any desire to dig deeper to learn about it. And I was surprised that he didn't delve into the various Jewish "denominations" as alternatives to his ultra-strict Orthodox faith. The repetitive nature of some of his narrative gave me the sense that the "book" was more of a series of essays strung together for publication. All that said, I did enjoy learning about UCW and some of the less-mainstream practices he writes about. It's not that this book was bad, it's just that it could have been so much better.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This shtick-lit, in short: ambivalent orthodox Jew travels around Churches in and around Atlanta to see what’s the haps with Christianity. I’d recommend this light reading to Jews who know nothing about Christians and want to get a sense of their practice. I’d also suggest it as a mild and funny intro to Judaism and how Jews see Christianity. Though a breezy read with lots of clever moments and observations, this is only a superficial treatment of Christian life. While we encounter all types from megachurches to monasteries, Cohen never penetrates below the surface to the theological claims of Christians, the content of the Gospels and the importance of Jesus. The rich Catholic tradition of law, philosophy and ritual is breezed over, but we do get a fun look at Christian wrestling, baseball and an informative look at Mormons and, oddly, the Black Hebrew Israelites. I might assign this as a warm-up for a Jewish-Christian relations course; Kudos to Cohen for a valiant, if flawed effort.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. The author's experiences we're somewhat neat, checking out various churches/house of worships.

Yet, the book was interesting almost in spite of itself-From the title, I would have thought it was about a deeply unsettled Jew looking at the life of Jesus. But the author was still proudly Jewish, so he wasn't that unsatisfied (many Jews have questions about their religion-as do people of other faiths). Plus, the author's look at various church's/faiths was almost superficial. He didn't seem to explore Jesus at all. He even went to a Black Israelite compound, (which considering they follow Jewish laws, doesn't classify as "Jesus" at all.

Not to mention the condecending way he approaches some of the congregations/Religious gatherings he visited.

All in all, it reads like a college student going to different religious experiences for a research paper (and not a very good one).

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was predictable, but witty, insightful, honest, and well written. There were chapters I loved, like the early one about his dedicated dating, and others I could have done without, like the one about the Christian wrestlers. But I loved the motivation he had to truly become converted to his birth-given faith, even if it was a little unconventional, especially for an orthodox Jew. I loved that he never spoke ill of any of the faiths he observed, but instead found the similarities and the good in all of them. I loved the little nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from his writing, particularly, "No one group holds the copyright on a connection with God," as well as, "You don't need the sun to stand still in order to know God; God is in every sunrise, in each waterfall, in the wind and the rain. You just have to care enough to see Him there." So so true. While I can't see myself reading it again, I'm so glad I did!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting idea, with semi-interesting execution.

The most interesting parts for me were his explanations of the odd Orthodox Jewish rituals. Hiding bread in Ziploc bags before Passover, who knew? The various trips to Christian churches and things were less poignant because the author seemed to consider himself an outsider throughout and never fully immerse himself in the experiences. I liked the comparisons he made to Judaism, and realizing the commonality of all religions, but his reiterating how guilty he felt just attending other churches was grating. Also, the fact that he was doing it all not just for a renewal in his Jewish faith, but also to write a book (a little faith, a little profit) was a little disconcerting. Overall it was good. Enjoyably. I would recommend it.

[Alyce-Kay Ruckelshaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, Benyamin Cohen is a wonderful writer who's entertaining, even when talking about his struggles. He manages to help the reader relate to the depths of his experiences while showing us a good time, which is an admirable feat. As a Christian, I appreciated seeing what church looks like to a Jew. Although he says that Christianity is marketed well, his representations made me very aware of how poorly we represent our "brand." But then, as soon as I'd think that, he'd grasp an insightful lesson that I'd missed all along. I would have to say that his Jewishness helped me experience my Christianity more deeply. Thank you, Benyamin!

[Diane Yonchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tormentor of my past has become the mentor of my present.

The above quote is profound summation of this book. We are ALL spiritual seekers. We ALL have doubts. We ALL look to come home, and sometimes we must look outside ourselves and our world to find not only where home is, but to make that journey, no matter how uncomfortable , in order to find our way there.

This is a wonderfully written description of Beyamin's journey to rediscover his Jewish faith. It is lighthearted, often funny, but oh so profound in its truth.

I recommend it highly!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enlightening!

It helps that Mr. Cohen is a such a gifted writer with a delightful sense of humor, but I found his experience fascinating and had a hard time putting the book down. I hated to see it end, I came away from it with a new perspective, which was what I was hoping for when I downloaded it. Thanks for having the courage to take this journey and share it. I feel my own faith has been reaffirmed with yours!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and pithy. Funny, but not a knee-slapper. An unusual perspective on the evangelical south. Respectful and sympathetic, as one would expect from a man of faith. A tiny hint of the diversity we enjoy in the U.S.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son of a rabbi decides to see how other types of people believe and spends a year infiltrating various Christian establishments such as LDS, Catholic, Evangelical, Christian Wrestling, and more. he compares and contrast beliefs with occasional humor. Insightful.

[Liz Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book! I learned a lot about Judaism and Christianity and what each mean to Cohen. The book has a lot of information and mild humor. What I liked best was the exploration of Cohen’s faith and how exploring Jesus as a Jew was important to him.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe the fact that I gave this book four stars proves that I am a geek. Or perhaps, my own journey in which I learned to question my religious upbringing, helped me to understand Benyamin's search outside his own faith, a search which ultimately brought him back home. (I would insert here that neither I or the author abandoned their faith but rather questioned religious practices. There is a distinct difference.) Mr. Cohen's sense of humor helped to make what could have been a boring read, enjoyable instead. And, while I know this is but one man's opinion, it was interesting for me to read how many of the things taken for granted in Christian assemblies and churches can be perceived by people of other religious backgrounds (or people with no religious background). If individuals within the Christian church could read this with an open mind, I think there is much wisdom to glean from Benyamin Cohen's experience.

On a side note, it took me much longer to finish this book because my daughter, who is a college professor, picked it up while she was visiting and took it home to finish it before bringing it back to me. Now that I am finished with it, she wants to share it with a friend.

[Judith · Rating 1 out of 5]

i had some major issues with this book...and im just going to get right into them.

1. it was beyond repetitive. the author expressed his feelings about judaism, feelings about the church across the street from himself, feelings about his father, feelings about being in church etc etc etc over and over and over. this would be fine, if each time there was something new and insightful. but there wasn't. it was just the same thing paraphrased.

2. this was a memoir, not a book of essays. and yet, each chapter read like an essay. in fact, i'd venture to say that it was actually one very long essay given that prior to reading this book, i did read an essay by the author on The Daily Beast - and found it interesting. then that same essay showed up as part of a chapter in the actual book. because the book was written like one giant essay, and was so repetitive, it was a slow and draggy read.

3. there were many times when the author tried a bit too hard to find parallels between his experience in church and judaism, or the time of year it was and the church/shul he was at. in fact, some of these parallels were such stretches of truth, that gumby would have snapped.

4. the modern orthodoxy that the author grew up with, and the judaism he grew up with, is not representative of all of judaism, or all of modern orthodoxy. it certainly was not representative of how i was raised (in a modern orthodox home). these blanket statements make the weight of what the author is saying less credible. i would have preferred that he used the term "some jews" or something like that.

5. the way this book was written, the journey ended way before the book did. its wonderful for the author if his journey took less than a year, but then he should have written a book about the time it actually took. forcing the issue caused the repetitive problems and made the book boring. it also gives many reasons little incentive to continue reading. after all, if you see that the author has already come to the end of his journey, why continue reading?

6. aside from the essay dragging, and repetitiveness the author went off on annoying tangents - for example, i do not need the history of the mountain where he went to celebrate easter. i don't care about it. its irrelevant to the topic at hand. in fact, it was just annoying.

so ends my rant about this book...but i would like to say that hidden between the annoying "bookends" there were chapters with glimmers of wonderful storytelling and writing. for example, i really enjoyed the author's description of the christian wrestling church/match.

[Kami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I have to admit that I didn't actually read this book cover to cover. I just browsed through it, so my opinions may not be well founded. That being said, overall, the author seemed to browse through many Christian churches noting their own idiosyncrasies and/or hypocrisy (without judging of course) and ending each chapter with a chipper lesson he learned from each. It annoyed me a bit because he made such a big deal on not judging and seemed to sacrifice any opinion he may have formed to that ideal which led to him basically coming across as sounding sanctimoniousness and too politically correct to be honest. His constant peppering of pop culture references also did little to make his study of Christian faiths seem serious.

One of the only chapters I read all the way through was the one where he spent a day with two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Alright, I'm Mormon, and I was curious to see what he would say.) Basically, he listed a few myths and facts that he had previously known about Mormons and then went on to explain that Orthodox Jews (which the author is) and Mormons have a lot in common, including: both have bad PR problems since both are seen as being fanatical, spending two years proselyting vs yeshiva students, both used to have polygamy, garments vs tzitzit, 40 yrs in the desert vs crossing the plains, and persecution. Briefly he mentioned a little of church organization and that was it, ending the chapter with the campy sentence, "I guess sometimes we just need a little Mormon to show us the way." Anyway, nothing insulting, nothing really informative either. Just the same blandness that I browsed through in the rest of his book.

He ended by describing his journey through Christianity made him realize that the same problems of lack of faith and disenchantment of his own religion plagued members of many religions and a lot of it is just going through the motions in between spiritual highs. Apparently that lesson helped him to decide to recommit to being a fully practicing Orthodox Jew.

All in all, I just didn't think this book was worth my time to read it all because I just wasn't learning that much.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benyamin Cohen grew up in Georgia, an Orthodox Jew and the son of a Rabbi (at one point, they even had a synagogue attached to their house). He always had a curious attraction to Christianity, borne by being raised in a culture that kind of shoves it down your throat at times and growing up across the street from a church, and as an adult, he realizes that he's not finding the answers to his deep questions in Judaism, nor is he finding the satisfaction he craves. So he sets off to explore all facets of Christianity- not to convert, that's not at all his intention, but to explore another faith in the hopes of finding what connects him to his own.

Cohen takes an entire year and participates in Christianity as an outsider on the inside. He attends evangelical churches, churches with full-out gospel choirs, Catholic churches, Christian wrestling matches (yes, really); he speaks with Mormons, he visits churches on Christmas and Easter (all while still fully participating in the often-demanding daily rituals and holidays of Orthodox Judaism). And along the way, he finds that Judaism could learn a thing or two about enthusiasm, but that it does indeed have the answers he wanted. He just had to find a new way to look for them.

If you enjoyed AJ Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically, this is right up your alley. Cohen is funny, and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Fascinating stuff, and I think it would appeal to both religious and non-religious readers. You don't have to be a believer in order to enjoy Cohen's search.

My favorite quote came from page 126, and it's something that rings true for any religion:

Faith and fear may go hand in hand, but that can't be the standard way to get kids excited about their religion. Children raised that way will never be religious because they want to, but only because they have to. Scare tactics may work initially, but they will only foster the development of religiously dysfunctional adults who are too crippled to cope with the many shades of gray that accompany true faith. Is that what God desires?
A quote like that should be in full view at all times in every house of worship, religious education center, and every religious school.