A spiritual companion for those grieving infertility, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth, bringing solace from Jewish tradition.Many people who endure the emotional suffering of infertility, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth bear this sorrow alone. Pregnancies that end too early are hidden; failed attempts at conception are barely mentioned. Many women and men long to find solace in religious ritual and tradition to ease the emptiness felt from a loss that is without a face, a name, or a grave. At last, there is a source that acknowledges and encourages expressions of their grief, and offers comfort in the moments of their pain. Providing companionship and strength for healing from others who also have grieved, Tears of Sorrow, Seeds of Hope is a spiritual companion that enables the reader to mourn within the words and ways of Judaism. Drawing deeply on the wellspring of comfort found in traditional Jewish texts and prayer, it also offers readings and rituals created especially for parents struggling with the uncertainty and sorrow of pregnancy loss and infertility?providing a source of compassion, healing, and hope.

A spiritual companion for those grieving infertility, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth, bringing solace from Jewish tradition. "This book begins where the others leave off. While the doctors do what they must do, when it is time for us to wait, or hope, or cry, or sleep, or pray, it is time for this book. The passages found within are drawn from the rich pool of spiritual responses that Judaism possesses. They reach out to us and embolden us to join our voices to the ancient prayers designed to get us through the night."—from the Introduction Enables those frustrated and pained in their attempts at parenthood to mourn the loss of a pregnancy or infertility through the prayers, rituals, and meditations of the Jewish tradition. This new edition—updated and expanded—includes guided questions and pages on which to add personal reflections of your own emotions and experiences along the path toward parenting.

Delve deeper into spiritual practice to find the power and meaning waiting there for you. “Spiritual practice reveals that the Garden of Eden is right where you are standing and helps you to be here, now. Therefore, Jewish spiritual practices cultivate joy, hope, resilience and understanding so that you can undertake your soul’s work in this lifetime with vision, passion and integrity.” from the Introduction This innovative guidebook makes accessible Judaism’s spiritual pathways, principles and applications, and empowers you to test their value within your own life. Each chapter provides step-by-step, recipe-like guides to a particular Jewish practice or group of practices, gives examples of how they might unfold inside your life, and shows how each can help refuel your spirit throughout the day. You’ll discover: Prayer practices for embracing the body and creation with awe, limbering up your mind, and preparing for compassionate action How to draw sustenance from the Great Mystery, the inexplicable and unknowable Source of Life How to mine the Torah’s stories, commentaries, symbols and metaphors for meaning Ways to develop your Hebrew vocabulary so you can formulate your own interpretations of sacred text How to explore and practice mitzvot as meaningful, compelling parts of your spiritual life How to view the Jewish people as a precious human resource and as a model for resilience ... and much, much more.

This book is a practical and inspirational companion to the conversion process for Jews-by-Choice and their families. Written primarily for the person considering the choice of Judaism, it provides highly personal insights from over 50 people who have made this life-changing decision. But it also will speak to their families—the non-Jewish family that provided his or her spiritual beginnings and the Jewish "family" which receives the convert—and help them understand why the decision was made.

The first comprehensive resource for spiritual direction in the Jewish tradition— a vital resource for people involved in spiritual leadership. The essential reference for people who are called to help others listen for God’s voice—not only through prayer and sacred texts, but also through dance, art and interactions with other people—this groundbreaking volume draws on both Jewish tradition and the classical foundations of spiritual direction to provide invaluable guidance. Offering insight into all aspects of spiritual direction, including theology, practice, companionship, group work and embodied spirituality, the contributors to this guide are innovators in their fields and represent all four contemporary Jewish movements. Topics explored include: Jewish Theologies and Jewish Spiritual Direction • The Vocabulary of Jewish Spiritual Direction • Spiritual Direction as a Contemplative Practice • Contemplation and Social Action • Cultivating a Hearing Heart • Spiritual Types • Community for Spiritual Direction • Spiritual Direction and the Cycle of Holy Time • Spiritual Companionship and the Passages of Life • Jewish Spiritual Direction and the Sacred Body • Integrating Spiritual Direction and Visual Creativity • and many more ... An exciting and practical addition to an emerging field, this is the definitive guide for all who accompany Jewish seekers on their spiritual journeys.

Throughout our history, Jews have traditionally responded to our trials with hope, psychologist David Arnow says, because we have had ready access to Judaism’s abundant reservoir of hope. The first book to plumb the depths of this reservoir, Choosing Hope journeys from biblical times to our day to explore nine fundamental sources of hope in Judaism: Teshuvah—the method to fulfill our hope to become better human beings Tikkun Olam—the hope that we can repair the world by working together Abraham and Sarah—models of persisting in hope amid trials Exodus—the archetype of redemptive hope Covenant—the hope for a durable relationship with the One of Being Job—the “hard-fought hope” that brings a grief-stricken man back to life World to Come—the sustaining hope that death is not the end Israel—high hope activists work to build a just and inclusive society for all Israelis Jewish Humor—“hope’s last weapon” in our darkest days Grounded in a contemporary theology that situates the responsibility for creating a better world in human hands, with God acting through us, Choosing Hope can help us both affirm hope in times of trial and transmit our deepest hopes to the next generation.

Share in the wisdom of the model of leadership—tap into your own potential for greatness Leaders are not simply born; they are molded through life's victories and failures, triumphs and defeats. No one exemplifies this process better than Moses, the most important and celebrated character in the Hebrew Bible. Faced with great internal and external challenges, he was sculpted into a great leader not only by circumstance, but also by his own determination and devotion to his people. In this powerful and probing examination of the enduring texts in the biblical tradition, scholar and popular teacher Dr. Norman Cohen examines Moses’s journey to leadership and what he can teach you about the vision, action and skills you need to be a successful leader. Cohen relives Moses’s development from lonely shepherd to founder of a nation, emphasizing the salient points you can use to enrich the different leadership roles you are called on to play in your daily life, whether it be in business, religion, politics, education or other arenas. Drawing from Moses’s life, you will learn to: Articulate your expectations of others, as a group and as individuals Empower those around you to lead more responsible, ethical lives Support your co-workers and family even when they fail Challenge others to reach their highest potential

Women rabbis are changing the face of Judaism. Discover how their interpretations of the Torah can enrich your perspective. "Rich and engaging...makes available to a wide readership the collective wisdom of women who have changed the face of Judaism." —Judith Plaskow, author, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective; Professor of Religious Studies, Manhattan College Here, for the first time, women's unique experiences and perspectives are applied to the entire Five Books of Moses, offering all of us the first comprehensive commentary by women. In this groundbreaking book, more than 50 women rabbis come together to offer us inspiring insights on the Torah, in a week-by-week format. Included are commentaries by the first women ever ordained in the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements, and by many other women across these denominations who serve in the rabbinate in a variety of ways. This rich resource offers new perspectives to inspire all of us to gain deeper meaning from the Torah and a heightened appreciation of Judaism. A major contribution to modern biblical commentary. The gift of choice for every young woman’s bat mitzvah, and for anyone wanting a new, exciting view of Torah. Contributing Rabbis: Rebecca T. Alpert • Lia Bass • Miriam Carey Berkowitz • Elizabeth Bolton • Analia Bortz • Sharon Brous • Judith Gary Brown • Nina Beth Cardin • Diane Aronson Cohen • Sandra J. Cohen • Cynthia A. Culpeper • Lucy H.F. Dinner • Lisa A. Edwards • Amy Eilberg • Sue Levi Elwell • Rachel Esserman • Helaine Ettinger • Susan Fendrick • Lori Forman • Dayle A. Friedman • Elyse D. Frishman • Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer • Shoshana Gelfand • Laura Geller • Elyse M. Goldstein • Julie K. Gordon • Claire Magidovitch Green • Rosette Barron Haim • Jill Hammer • Karyn D. Kedar • Sarra Levine • Valerie Lieber • Ellen Lippmann • Sheryl Nosan • Stacy K. Offner • Sara Paasche-Orlow • Barbara Rosman Penzner • Hara E. Person • Audrey S. Pollack • Sally J. Priesand • Geela-Rayzel Raphael • Laura M. Rappaport • Debra Judith Robbins • Rochelle Robins • Gila Colman Ruskin • Sandy Eisenberg Sasso • Ilene Schneider • Rona Shapiro • Michal Shekel • Beth J. Singer • Sharon L. Sobel • Ruth H. Sohn • Julie Ringold Spitzer z”l • Shira Stern • Pamela Wax • Nancy Wechsler-Azen • Nancy H. Wiener • Elana Zaiman

Extraordinary wisdom to help you understand yourself, lead your life, and deal with other people. As human beings, we have instincts for both good and evil, conscious and unconscious. To rectify ourselvesto live spiritually and properlyinvolves getting a handle on these impulses. from the Introduction In this special book of practical wisdom, Dr. Abraham J. Twerski draws from his extensive professional experience as a psychiatrist and spiritual counselor, a life-long student of Jewish wisdom texts, and his personal experience as a son of a wise Chassidic rabbi to give us practical lessons for life that we can put to day-to-day use in dealing with ourselves and others. In a presentation as warm and witty as it is profound, Dr. Twerski combines lively anecdotes, personal musings, and insights and wisdom from sources ranging from Freud to the great Talmudic and Torah scholars throughout the ages. And with deep compassion and refreshing candor, he shows how these wisdom teachings can guide us in all moments of our lives, whatever our faith tradition.

The Glory and Grief, Humor and Pride of the Human Experience— Inspiration from a Jewish Perspective From exile to rebirth, from degradation to renaissance, the Jewish People has undergone every human experience and emotion that God created. In this inspiring collection of stories, award-winning anthologist Dov Peretz Elkins captures the best and worst of Jewish experience in these spine-tingling tales of courage, devotion, passion and extraordinary achievement. Elkins taps the famous and the not-so-famous, world-renowned figures and the little-known “person next door,” for stories that illustrate the wonder, meaning, and purpose of life as viewed through the lens of Judaism’s core values. Though drawn from the Jewish tradition, these universal stories of kindness, hope, faith and discovery will intrigue the minds and warm the hearts of people from all walks of life.