Rekindling the Flame: The Many Paths to a Vibrant Judaism

Why are there so many assimilated, unaffiliated, and disaffected American Jews? As psychologist Samuel Osherson argues in Rekindling the Flame, they may still call themselves Jewish, but they also think they are "not good enough Jews." In response to this widespread alienation, Osherson asks, "How can we be vibrant, engaged Jews without becoming more traditionally observant?" Then he breaks that question in three parts: "[C]an you be a good Jew and participate in other religions? Is intermarriage a betrayal of our Jewish heritage? How does Judaism fit with our work lives?" Osherson's answers to each question counsel readers to consider Judaism not only as a religious tradition, but also as a "family and life experience." His psychological discussion of Judaism, based on five years of extensive research and interviews, shows how religion helps people to "find ways to make peace with our parents or confront our own shame or anger, and in so doing open up new possibilities for ourselves." --Michael Joseph Gross