The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith

by Judy Gruen

Overview

As Judy Gruen walked down the aisle and into her Orthodox Jewish future, her bouquet quivered in her shaky hand. Having grown up in the zeitgeist that proclaimed, “If it feels good, do it,” was she really ready to live the life of “rituals, rules, and restraints” that the Torah prescribed? The Skeptic and the Rabbi is a rare memoir with historical depth, spirituality, and intelligent humor. Gruen speaks with refreshing honesty about what it means to remain authentic to yourself while charting a new yet ancient spiritual path at odds with the surrounding culture, and writes touchingly about her family, including her two sets of grandparents, who influenced her in wildly opposite ways. As she navigates her new life with the man she loves and the faith she also loves—surviving several awkward moments, including when the rabbi calls to tell her that she accidentally served unkosher food to her Shabbat guests—Gruen brings the reader right along for the ride. Reading this wry, bold and compelling memoir, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and when you’re finished, you may also have a sudden craving for chicken matzo ball soup—kosher, of course.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631523021
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	09/05/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Judy Gruen is the author of several award-winning humor books and coauthor of a book on MBA admissions. She has written for the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Saturday Evening Post, American Thinker, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Los Angeles Times, Northwestern, Woman’s Day, and many other media outlets. She has been quoted in The New York Times and Better Homes & Gardens, and has been a guest on many radio programs. Her writings on Jewish interest and spirituality have been featured on the websites Aish.com and ReadtheSpirit.com, as well as the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles and Jewish Action. She has also contributed to ten anthologies.

Table of Contents

Foreword Michael Medved ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Wedding Day 4

Chapter 2 The Grandparents I Have to Thank 11

Chapter 3 Seven Circles 25

Chapter 4 "Every Family in the World…" 32

Chapter 5 Journeys Near and Far 41

Chapter 6 Back in the USSR 54

Chapter 7 The Gallery of Regrettable Dates 66

Chapter 8 Growing Conflict 77

Chapter 9 Meeting Rabbi Lapin 88

Chapter 10 Friendships Lost and Found 103

Chapter 11 Decision Time 115

Chapter 12 The Plunge 122

Chapter 13 The Talking Donkey 134

Chapter 14 Dinner with Charlie 140

Chapter 15 The Ritual Bath 150

Chapter 16 Can I Still Say That? 158

Chapter 17 Hi, My Name Is Judy and I'm a Religious Fanatic 163

Chapter 18 Hair Today, Hidden Tomorrow 171

Chapter 19 Through a Child's Eyes 184

Chapter 20 Out in the World 194

Chapter 21 Grandpa's Little Girl 202

Chapter 22 Seven Circles 208

Acknowledgments 213

About the Author 215

Reader's Guide 217

Editorial Reviews

"Readers will appreciate learning some of the reasons behind Jewish practice as well as understanding the differences between the three major branches of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. This is a rewarding book for both general readers and book groups.”
—Booklist

“This marvelous book should connect with the widest possible readership – ferociously religious or fervently secular; Jewish, Christian or humanist; baby boomer, Gen X’er or millennial . . . Judy’s relationship with Judaism comes across as a serious romance, but one that raises as many new life questions as it settles. The call to ‘rules, rituals and restraint’ that she associates with Rabbi Daniel Lapin, her teacher (and mine), don’t bring an end to thinking and choosing but provide a means to think more deeply and choose more richly.”
— Michael Medved, author of The American Miracle: Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic

“Laugh-out-loud funny, narrated by a character you quickly come to love. I always wondered if a well-written ba’al teshuva memoir could be done. Judy Gruen has shown me how.”
—Allison Josephs, founder and director of Jew in the City

“Judy Gruen writes with down-to-earth warmth and humor about her personal spiritual journey. As she navigates family, friendship, love, loss, parenting, and community, you will root for her like you would cheer on a new best friend—someone who you just know somehow cares for and understands you, too.”
—Lori Palatnik, founding director of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project

“Judy Gruen shares a message of sanity so vital today: you can be spiritual, sane and yourself in the modern world. She writes with delightful humor and depth about her unexpected path to a life of Jewish commitment.” — Rabbi David Aaron, author of The God Powered Life and Living a Joyous Life

“The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith, manages to be light and heavy, profound and amusing, uplifting and serious. . . . These contradictions mirror an upbringing of contradictions as well as the main conflict of the author’s life— to become Orthodox or not.”
— Devorah Talia Gordon, L.A. Jewish Home "In a fractured world, Judy Gruen makes us whole. A tour de force." — Ruchama King Feuerman, author of In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist

“The Skeptic and the Rabbi is two powerful love stories in one. As Judy recounts her courtship and marriage to her religiously observant husband Jeff, she also writes with warmth and humor falling in love with Judaism itself.”
—Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, author of Angels at the Table

"Gruen's ebullient positivity is a counterweight to religion-as-abuse memoirs. . . an uplifting spin on an often-misunderstood life choice."
—Library Journal

"A thoughtful guide for people—young and old, individuals and couples—seeking greater connection and meaning in Judaism. Recommended for synagogue libraries."
—Association of Jewish Libraries

"Honesty shines throughout the book, as Gruen refuses to sugarcoat her narrative. The memoir is a terrific read for anyone curious about the Torah lifestyle."
—Leah Aharoni, Jewish Action Magazine

From the Publisher

10/15/2017
As the introduction affirms, religious conversion is the start of a journey, not the happy-ever-after. Memoirist Gruen (Carpool Tunnel Syndrome: Motherhood as Shuttle Diplomacy), at the remove of 20 years, reflects upon her passage from ardent, liberal, Jewish feminist to embracing her role as a modern Orthodox Jewish wife and mother. Her folksy approach mimics a girlfriend relating the story of how she came to be who she is today, replete with plenty of anecdotes and asides as well as an abundance of exclamation points but less interiority or transition between events. For example, in Moscow, she goes from acknowledging outrage at Joseph Stalin's eradication of his own people to walking in the cool evening air, lightly asking, "How do people live in such an oppressive society?" While Gruen's ebullient positivity is a counterweight to religion-as-abuse memoirs, such as Deborah Feldman's Unorthodox, some additional editorial attention might have been paid to the prose to make it seem a little less overworked. VERDICT An uplifting spin on an often misunderstood life choice.—SC

Library Journal