
The Heart of Loneliness: How Jewish Wisdom Can Help You Cope and Find Comfort and Community
Using the wisdom of the Jewish tradition to better understand and deal with the pain of loneliness in our lives and in the lives of those we love. Long description: Loneliness is pervasive in our society but is rarely addressed. It comes in many forms, from the loneliness of loss to that of sickness; from single life to marriage to divorce. In fact, even the most successful among us are not immune. Even achievement can be an avenue to loneliness. Through sensitivity, compassion and insight, this book provides the stories and tools we need to begin addressing loneliness in our lives and the lives of those we love.
With masterful storytelling, Rabbi Marc Katz uses the pains of our ancestors to show us the unique ways loneliness appears in our lives. Drawing on the stories of Isaac and Rachel, King Uzziah and Tamar, Jeremiah and Honi, Hagar and Aaron, Rabbi Katz helps readers understand the nuances of loneliness in their own lives. He helps them understand that although their pain may feel like an island, others have walked there before them. Thoughtful insights on loneliness also help family and friends have a better sense of how and why their friends, children, parents and co-workers suffer. Then, using the tools of the Jewish tradition, Rabbi Katz looks at concrete ways as individuals and as community members we may help those who are lonely in our midst. This book is for anyone who is or has suffered from the pain of loneliness as well as those loved ones who stand on the sideline feeling ill equipped to address the alienation they see.
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Book details
- Author
- Marc Katz
- Imprint
- Jewish Lights, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Paperback, Hardcover
- Subjects
- Religion › Judaism
- Topics
- coping with loneliness · Jewish spirituality · finding community · grief and loss · spiritual self-help
- ISBN-13
- 9781580238717 (Paperback)9781683366560 (Hardcover)
About the author
RABBI MARC KATZ is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey, a position he has held since 2018. His recent books include Yochanan’s Gamble: Judaism’s Pragmatic Approach to Life and The Heart of Loneliness: How Jewish Wisdom Can Help You Cope and Find Comfort.
The Heart of Loneliness was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Katz has written for Tablet Magazine and the CCAR Journal, and serves as a judge for the National Jewish Book Awards.
When he’s not writing, Katz draws on ten years of congregational experience, including service as Associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, Brooklyn. That grounding in pastoral work shapes his focus on loneliness, comfort and Jewish wisdom.
Marc lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
