To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times [Paperback]

Naomi Levy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0345413830 | ISBN-13: 978-0345413833 | Edition: 1

"Words that come from the heart enter the heart, an ancient rabbinic proverb instructs us. The words in this book come from the heart--mine and the hearts of others. I pray that you will find within them a spark that will ignite the flame of hope and the passion for healing that lies within us all."

Naomi Levy was a spirited fifteen-year-old when her father was murdered in a senseless holdup that destroyed not only his life but her trust in a loving God. Healing took a long time, yet from her struggles with grief, anger, and depression, she forged the wisdom that made her, at twenty-six, a beloved rabbi--and now makes her book a miracle of honesty, recovery, and compassion.

Where do we find the strength to meet tragedy? Can we rekindle hope? Innocence? Faith? The answers, illustrated with many moving, true stories drawn from Rabbi Levy's experience and the lives of her congregants, provide sanity, peace, and a safe harbor where we can heal and grow. Remember: "Death is a great tragedy. But to die while we are still living, that is the greatest tragedy of all."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Then what good is God?" a rape victim asked Rabbi Naomi Levy after Levy said she didn't think preventing tragedies was in God's hands. Levy realizes that the question after a personal tragedy should not be, "Why did this happen?" but rather, "How can I go on?" To Begin Again is a book of comfort and faith to lead us through tragic times. Her advice is wise, gentle, and compassionate, dotted with stories of people Levy knows who have endured terrible pain--and healed. She teaches us to get comfort from asking others for help, letting ourselves cry, seeking a community of faith, studying something new, and keeping memories alive. She shows us how to rebuild our lives by facing the truth, loving and forgiving ourselves, repairing relationships with loved ones, teaching our hearts to remain open, holding onto our faith, and, finally, transforming ourselves.

Levy understands emotional agony firsthand: she lost her beloved father to a robber's gun when she was 15. Levy's message in this beautiful, moving book is, "Each of us possesses the power to overcome the unthinkable and be reborn, to live life not as survivors but as partakers, rejoicers, participants." --Joan Price --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Levy's debut offers a progressive Jewish approach to coping with life's darker moments. Having faced the murder of her father when she was 15, Levy joined the first class of women to study at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Drawing on her own suffering and her experience as a rabbi, she constructs a map for personal renewal in the tradition of Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Initially, Levy deals with misfortune and addresses what can be done in the aftermath of a loss. Learning to face sadness and to share one's pain are essential elements in the author's understanding of recovery. Further on, through stories about her family and members of her congregation, Levy details how adversity can be a positive force, leading people to open their hearts to God. She doesn't promise simple solutions, however. Her last chapters illustrate how pain can be a permanent part of life, and how coping is an ongoing process. Though Levy offers much constructive wisdom, some of the stories she presents seem stretched to fit her message. Characters cry at just the right cue and various prescriptions seem to work in just the right way in nearly every episode she describes. But even if pat at times, Levy's treatise offers helpful ideas in a neatly organized fashion, as her deep experience and knack for colorful storytelling bring life to a somber subject. 75,000 first printing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345413830
• ISBN-13: 978-0345413833
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

NAOMI LEVY, author of the national bestseller To Begin Again and Talking to God, is the founder and leader of NASHUVA, the Jewish spiritual outreach movement. Named one of the 50 top rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, she was in the first class of women to enter the Conservative rabbinical seminary. Naomi has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show and NPR. She lives in Venice, California, with her husband, Rob Eshman, and their children, Adi and Noa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Says there aren't always answers but there is always hope, February 20, 2001

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times (Paperback)

Going beyond books with glib answers and easy how-to formulas for handling life's deepest and most painful losses, the author of this book has the honesty to acknowledge that grief is often very personal, mysterious and not easily resolved. What's more, the author seems to be saying, sometimes there is value in simply listening to grief and learning from it. I don't mean to imply that Levy always has a "wait and see" approach to grief, however. As a former rabbi for a Conservative congregation on the West Coast, her advice is solidly grounded in Jewish values and each section ends with a heartfelt prayer, lending perspective to her words. She also gives numberous examples of how individuals handled the most difficult losses one can face, from seeing family perish in the Holocaust to losing a child or spouse. This is an inspirational, warm and very engaging book.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly compassionate and comforting, January 12, 2000

By 

Mary Wood (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times (Paperback)

When I puchased this book it was with a little trepidation that it would not live up to all its reviews and ratings. In my opinion it deserves them all. I have found it a gentle, comforting and understanding companion during my time of intense pain, loss and loneliness after the sudden and recent death of my father. I loved my dad beyond words as he did his family - he was always there for us. This book with its stories, prayers and compassionate words makes you feel that you are not going crazy or behaving oddly in your time of pain. It is written in such an understanding and empathetic way and addresses all the feelings one has after tradgedy strikes. It has been spiritually uplifting for me. You certainly do not have to be Jewish to appreciate the wonderful compassion and stories that are contained in the pages of this superb book. It does not promise quick fixes but helps you to understand the pain you are going through, shows you that you are human and gives you pathways to seek assistance and eventually the coming to terms with what has happened. Naomi Levy has written this book from the soul.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very uplifting and insightful..., April 8, 2000

By 

"mrswoogie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Begin Again: The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times (Paperback)

I first became interested in this book when I saw Rabbi Levy on the "Today" show - I was completely taken in by her beautiful and compassionate recounting of some of her experiences that became part of this book. Although I was not going through any kind of difficulty, I purchased her book the next day. I must say that, as one who sits the fence between Catholicism and Agnosticism, I was moved to rethink my views as well as my role in this world. The message is not necessarily one of religion, but one of kindness and compassion as a member of society-at-large. In addition, I was pleased to get a better look at Judaism - a religion with which I have very little experience but that I admire for its beauty and sense of community. This book is a great read - regardless if your life is happy or troubled - as I think all will come away with a better outlook on life.