The Chutzpah Imperative: Empowering Today's Jews for a Life That Matters
Reconnect with Judaism's most important contribution to humanity—and redeem our world.
"The gift of Judaism is an understanding of what it means to be a human being—what we can do, what we can hope for, how we can live with purpose, what is expected of us. It is a celebration of human freedom, human possibility and human responsibility. Judaism is a way to live a heroic life, to construct a life devoted to values that are eternal, values of ultimate significance. The reward of a Jewish life is walking the world with a profound faith that you matter, your life matters, your dreams matter. I call this chutzpah."
—from the Introduction
In this clarion call for a new way to "do Judaism," award-winning spiritual leader Rabbi Edward Feinstein urges us to recover this message of Jewish self-empowerment—or chutzpah—to reshape our world. He walks us through the history of chutzpah—from the early chapters of Genesis, Jewish biblical law and the Rabbis of the Talmud to the mystics of medieval Spain and the European Hasidic tradition, Zionism and post-Holocaust thought. By showing us the ever-presence of chutzpah in Judaism he reveals the inner story of the Jewish People's soul as well as the meaning that Judaism's deepest purpose and most precious treasure has for us today.
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Book details
- Author
- Edward Feinstein
- Imprint
- Jewish Lights, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Hardcover, Paperback
- Subjects
- Religion › Judaism
Religion › Judaism › Theology - Topics
- Judaism · Jewish identity · Jewish theology · human purpose · Jewish culture · faith and meaning · Jewish life
- ISBN-13
- 9781580237925 (Hardcover)9781683363521 (Paperback)
About the author
RABBI EDWARD FEINSTEIN has served as senior rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, since 2005, having joined the congregation in 1993. His books include Jews and Judaism in the 21st Century and Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult’s Guide to Building a Jewish Life.
Feinstein received his ordination and doctorate in education from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and holds degrees from the University of California at Santa Cruz and Columbia University Teachers College. Both of his Jewish Lights titles are National Jewish Book Award finalists; Tough Questions Jews Ask was also named an American Library Association Top Ten Books on Religion for Young Readers selection.
Feinstein serves on the faculty of the Ziegler Rabbinical School of American Jewish University and the Wexner Heritage Program.
Edward lives in the San Fernando Valley.