The editor of Tikkun magazine and the co-author (with Cornel West) of Blacks and Jews presents this concrete and empathetic guide to building a spiritually rich Jewish life. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly For Lerner, editor of the liberal Jewish magazine Tikkun, Jews' fundamental task is the healing, repair and transformation of the world. In this impassioned, profound manifesto, he taps the roots of Jewish tradition through a close reading of the Torah, Talmud and Old Testament, seeking to reclaim the progressive impulse in Judaism which holds that nothing is inevitable about evil or social injustice. He then outlines a plan for Jewish renewal that combines commitment to family, community and tradition with a "revolutionary conception" of a compassionate God who makes freedom possible and who can assist in the task. Lerner's conviction that Jews should be involved in the fight against racism, national chauvinism, ecological destruction, women's inequality and all forms of oppression informs this spirited volume, which also includes his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Holocaust and neoconservatives. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Lerner, the editor of the journal Tikkun, posits that Judaism is a framework for the transformation of the self and the world. His interpretation of the classic texts, leaning heavily on the ideology of the "Jewish Renewal" movement, is much influenced by both the Kabala and New Age thinking. For example, he ingeniously explains why the male image of the deity in the Bible is grounded in an inaccurate perception of the text. And he deduces that the biblical injunctions that conflict with his own theological stance reflect a misunderstanding of God's true will. There is a lengthy polemic offering his vision of the State of Israel. While creative, his thinking is not cohesive, and he remarks that the "Jewish Renewal movement is in its toddler stage." Intended for Jewish readers of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge, this book will have primary appeal to those who already hold left-wing social and political views. Carol R. Glatt, VA Medical Ctr. Lib., Philadelphia Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.