Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is probably the best non-fiction book I have ever read. I bought it during a "difficult time" and it was the best medicine I could have received. Levy manages to tell stories that anyone can connect with. It is poignent and heartwarming and I would recommend this book to anyone. I am not a religious person but the prayers at the end of the chapters really touched me, spiritually and emotionally.

This book bowled me over. I have been going through a very tough time lately, and have gravitated toward the self-help section-- something I don't ordinarily do. I checked out a lot of titles, and went through the pap and hooey of two other best sellers. Then I came to Rabbi Levy's book. It touched me immediately. She is a pitch-perfect story teller, who also has the ability to draw deep, mature and meaningful lessons from the stories. This is not a book of easy answers, but of deep and lasting insights. I have since bought several copies for friends and loved ones, and it has moved them and helped them as well. Thank you for this book.

In this very personal book Rabbi Levy takes us through her own very personal story of loss so that we may ourselves recover from the death of a loved one. As a young teenager she lost her father and in this work of nonfiction she takes us through her struggle with G-d (HaShem), with helping her mother, and with living the rest of her life without her dad. We are able, as readers, to bond with the author as she takes us through her life from teenager to young adult and then through college. We experience the transformation of Rabbi Levy through rabbinical school to her obtaining a pulpit of her own in a congregation full of daily and weekly worshipers. Each chapter of this inspiring book finishes itself with a wonderful peaceful serene meditation that leaves the reader feeling just wonderfully at peace and without grief. This book was recommended to me by my therapist. I was hesitant to read it at first because it was written by a female Rabbi. I did not feel that I would have anything to gain from the female perspective. Then I had to stop and think. I am grieving over the loss of my dear beloved wife who died too young at the age of 47 from brain cancer. She is up there in heaven whacking me on the side of the head if I don't change my "Archie Bunker" ideas and read the book. Well, I did. It proved to be a defining decision in my road to recovery from grief. This book is one of two that I read and, along with individual and group therapy that helped me overcome the 2.5 year nursing home ordeal of brain cancer, that finally culminated in death. It does not matter whether you are Jewish or not, whether you are male or female, buy this book if someone you love has died, it will help you.

If I had a wish it would be to talk to Rabbi Levy. What a wonderful source of wisdom she is. I usually speed read books but this one I purchased after the prayer book and it has been rabbit eared, underlined, and had many tears spilled on it's pages. My story is a series of bad things over the last ten years and I've turned to many books and people for guidance. Now I realize God is there and he is there in this book. This book helped me believe again. She also said something that helped me explain myself to my family. I read all the time. Especially spiritual books; She talks about how studying and reading can be God's way of talking to you. This book is an example of that through Rabbi Levy. I admire her for her strength to become a Rabbi. I always wish my church would let women be Priests so I understand her prayers to be able to become a Rabbi. Anyone going through any kind of difficult time could benefit from this book. Her own experience, when you look at her smiling picture in the back of the book, you cannot believe her father was murdered. I guess it is true that great sorrow often gives way to great wisdom. This one will stay by my bed with my rosary.

What a wonderful book. Rabbi Levy's thoughts and words are insightful and uplifting, and her strength and courage are incredibly contagious.

By inviting her readers to share in her own pain and struggles, Rabbi Levy shows each of us, first hand, that it is possible to overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles and tragedies in one's life. She shows us that, no matter how painful it may be to confront the torments of our pasts, this confrontation is a necessary step on the road to healing. I have yet to read an author who has touched me on so many levels.

By inviting her readers to glimpse into the lives of her congregants, Rabbi Levy shows us that, no matter how alone we may feel in our day-to-day struggles, there is always someone else who can understand or empathize with our pain.

I recommend this remarkable book to everyone whose spirit and soul could use a lift. This book offers so much to so many. Thank you.

I'm a Mormon, but I found this book a tremendous resource when my mother passed away over a year ago. Rabbi Naomi's theodicy is very close in crucial ways to my own tradition, so I found myself continually nodding my head as I read. God bless her and this book!

My husband is Romanian Orthodox who is dealing with Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow plasma. I am Jewish and dealing with his disease and other issues. But we both have found enormous comfort and wisdom in this book. He has read many spiritual books since his diagnosis but this is the book he continually goes back to. Because of Rabbi Levy's style of talking about her own experience and that of her congregants, she offers a spirituality that is not abstract but very authentic. Because of her humility, I read her books and feel like we are comrades in facing the tribulations of life. I feel less alone. This is definitely the best book I have ever read about practical spirituality and one that I recommend whenever I can.