Hineni My Walk Into Beautiful Life

Every so often, our practical, science-dominated world is gifted with a mystic; a spirit-based, spirit-directed person. The world doesn't know how to deal with these people. They are disrespected at the very least, often bullied, sometimes drugged into submission and even institutionalized. Without recognition and support, the mystic believes there is something wrong with them. Unhealed, these individuals may abuse themselves. . . to the point that they might even consider killing themselves. . . and do so. This book chronicles the author's 40-year journey of healing and personal growth; learning to accept himself as a gifted, hypersensitive, gay mystic. Mismatched to the norms and demands of his family, home religion, peers, and society, the author was a depressed, immature, and fearful recluse for 26 years of his life. Contemplating suicide at age 21, he heard a Voice. Learning to listen and follow that Voice, the author employed a range of traditional—and untraditional—religious and spiritual thought systems. The span of "technologies" include western and eastern religions, Quakerism, Twelve Step programs, the Course in Miracles, Men's work, past life regression, and channeling (automatic writing). In a Vision, this nontheist, birthright Jew realized to his surprise that The Voice guiding him on his journey was Jesus. Hineni is an intensely personal and frank autobiography; an ethical will of how the author became a whole, human being, and what he learned and is still learning on his journey. This book can start a reader thinking about places s/he have been spiritually, as well as the places s/he might go. Hineni clearly shows that life is a journey; not a destination. That the tools and guides on that journey are personal integrity and inner guidance. And that any time or effort spent learning in any community or spiritual discipline is never a waste, because any and all efforts and understanding get incorporated in who that person is becoming. . . and we are all "becoming" until we leave the planet. The reader is encouraged—and challenged—to ask what s/he knows and believes on the basic questions of being human. . . being a spiritual being having a human experience.

With the seemingly insurmountable pressures placed on families today, many parents lack the spiritual foundation and practical knowledge to chart a clear-cut course in child-rearing. Parents question whether nurturing their children's souls is even possible in the fast-paced materialistic culture in which we live. Utilizing the insight that springs from her knowledge of Torah wisdom, her personal experiences and the experiences of those she has counseled, Slovie Jungreis-Wolff, a longtime parenting coach and advisor to young couples and families teaches in detail how to approach the entire gamut of issues, with a special emphasis on strengthening the child's morality and character. Parents will learn how to: • Instill simchas hachayim, "true joy," in their children • Value chessed, kindness, in a self-absorbed world • Create a mikdash me'at, a home filled with calm and reflection • Teach children gratitude and appreciation • And much more... From discipline to sibling rivalry to effective communication skills, Raising a Child with Soul offers unique concepts and pragmatic ideas that can be understood and applied to both Jewish and non-Jewish households.

At a hundred years old, Holocaust survivor Wolf Gruca turned to his grandson, Rabbi Aaron Starr, and asked, “Where was God?” Don’t Forget to Call Home is a grandson’s attempt to respond to a weeping grandfather, and it’s a clergyman’s effort to help the modern person deepen a relationship with the Divine. With warmth and wisdom, Rabbi Starr sets out to answer the question, “Where is God, and what does God want of us?” Perhaps God is no longer the Law Giver or Judge, the Warrior or even the Miracle Maker. Perhaps God is an Empty-Nester Parent, expecting us to live with gratitude, obligation, joy, and hope. Perhaps, like a loving parent whose children are now grown-up, God desires us to act like adults by emulating our Heavenly Parent. Perhaps, too, God and Grandpa are reminding us: “Don’t forget to call home.”

Peninnah’s World is the biography-in-stories of the iconic Jewish storyteller and folkloristPeninnah Schram. In vivid scenes, it dramatizes Schram’s trajectory from brilliant daughter of Orthodox immigrant parents in New London, Connecticut, to acclaimed performer, teacher, scholar and colleague of luminaries including Elie Wiesel, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Molly Picon.

THE ORTHODOX JEWISH TANAKH TORAH NEVI’IM KETUVIM BOTH TESTAMENTS The Orthodox Jewish Bible is an English language version that applies Yiddish and Hasidic cultural expressions to the Messianic Bible.

LGBTQ people are a gift to the Church and have the potential to revitalize Christianity. As an openly lesbian Episcopal priest and professional advocate for LGBTQ justice, the Reverend Elizabeth Edman has spent her career grappling with the core tenets of her faith. After deep reflection on her tradition, Edman is struck by the realization that her queer identity has taught her more about how to be a good Christian than the church. In Queer Virtue, Edman posits that Christianity, at its scriptural core, incessantly challenges its adherents to rupture false binaries, to “queer” lines that pit people against one another. Thus, Edman asserts that Christianity, far from being hostile to queer people, is itself inherently queer. Arguing from the heart of scripture, she reveals how queering Christianity—that is, disrupting simplistic ways of thinking about self and other—can illuminate contemporary Christian faith. Pushing well past the notion that “Christian love = tolerance,” Edman offers a bold alternative: the recognition that queer people can help Christians better understand their fundamental calling and the creation of sacred space where LGBTQ Christians are seen as gifts to the church. By bringing queer ethics and Christian theology into conversation, Edman also shows how the realities of queer life demand a lived response of high moral caliber—one that resonates with the ethical path laid down by Christianity. Lively and impassioned, Edman proposes that queer experience be celebrated as inherently valuable, ethically virtuous, and illuminating the sacred. A rich and nuanced exploration, Queer Virtue mines the depths of Christianity’s history, mission, and core theological premises to call all Christians to a more authentic and robust understanding of their faith.

For those seeking a fresh, contemporary approach to the stories and themes of Genesis, this book offers an inspiring gateway into the heart of the ancient text. Both newcomers and seasoned readers will benefit from Rabbi Leila Gal Berner’s invitation to personal contemplation. Basing her work on a Christian method of reading Scripture—lectio divina (reading the holy)—Rabbi Berner’s adaptation for Jews as kriat ha-kodesh (reading the sacred) is welcoming and accessible to readers of all faiths. After retelling each story from a very human perspective, Rabbi Berner advances rabbinic perspectives that have illuminated each biblical saga over the centuries. In addition, she brings the text to life with contemporary stories of real people whose experiences echo the biblical stories. A final section to each chapter suggests probing questions for personal contemplation and meditation, which can be used both by individual readers as part of a spiritual practice and also by groups of spiritual seekers. Group leaders will find a helpful facilitator’s guide to structure their sessions. Beginning with Rabbi Berner’s own classes, groups have formed throughout North America using her method.

A compelling companion to Rosh Hashanah that connects the words of our ancestors and the central ideas of modern spiritual life. Through readings and prayers from ancient, medieval and modern sources, offers powerful, personal ways to begin the new year.