Customer Reviews

The Committed Life: Principles for Good Living from Our Timeless Past

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

An amazing book by a wisdom-filled elder of our people! I absolutely loved it!

All too often, the only stories we ever hear about Holocaust survivors are those who lost their faith in God because he supposedly was "not there" and failed to rescue the Jews. Why be religious, the skeptics always say, if it doesn't help you to physically survive?

But for Rebbitzin Jungreis, descendant of an illustrious rabbinic dynasty and a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, there is more to life than mere survival. God is always there, even under the most horrible conditions that life can throw at us. The question is not how we die, but how we live. As her father taught her -- and she quotes him in the book -- "A long life is not good enough, but a good life is long enough."

To Rebbitzin Jungreis, the "good life" is not one filled with material possessions, but rather, a life devoted to God, Torah, and mitzvahs -- a life filled with hope, forgiveness, joy and love. Short or long, such a life is always a good life.

After surviving Bergen-Belsen, her father, who had been Chief Rabbi of Szeged, Hungary, before the Nazis came, charged her with a sacred mission: to help renew the faith in God among Jews, which the Nazis had tried to destroy. Rebbitzin Jungreis has devoted her life to doing just that. Her deep spirituality radiates from every page of this book -- not the wishy-washy, self-centered form of "spirituality" so often preached by New Agers nowadays, but the real thing -- the kind of spirituality that takes hard work -- and which manifests itself in a life committed to God and service to one's fellow human beings under any and all circumstances.

I especially liked the parts where she talks about about doing tikkun olam (repairing the world) and forgiveness, saying: "To respond to hatred with hated can only beget further hatred and reduce the world to chaos. Whenever possible, we have to try to communicate by using the formual of our father Abraham by attempting to awaken the Divine spark even in the darkest of souls." (p. 38) Remember, this is from a Holocaust survivor, who personally experienced the darkest chapter in Jewish history. But, unlike many Jews who became embittered and still say "Never forgive," Rebbitzin Jungreis does not allow hatred to fester and poison her soul. Instead, she lights a candle in the darkness, working to heal broken hearts and rescue wounded souls from the abyss.

This is a book you will want to read over and over. Whatever your own level of religious observance might be, her personal stories and heartwarming, down-to-earth advice will help you to lead a more meaningful life.

This is one of those books that opens your heart and helps your faith in G-d to grow. Just reading the stories reaffirmed my faith in G-d, in prayer, in life. Quite frankly, I frequently found myself in tears when reading the stories--what kind of tears? I'm not sure... sort of the tears that makes one happy to know that G-d exists still. Rebbetzin Jungreis writes in a gifted manner. As a non-Jew (but Monotheist), I was amazed at the wealth of wisdom that can be found in the Torah. Raised as a Christian, it was commonplace to perhaps read through Genesis and Exodus and then skip on over to the New Testament. What a mistake. For me, this book helped me in many ways... it made me even more committed to the act of charity... it made me more committed to exploring the Jewish roots of the monotheistic faiths. I think this would make an excellent book for teachers to use in helping to make their students more aware of Judaism... to give their students a healthier respect for Judaism. I also think it would be a good book for families to read together and then discuss.

I highly encourage you to buy this book. It's a treasure that has the potential to change your life and your faith.

Jungreis, a pioneer in the field of Jewish outreach, shows us that it is possible to be Orthodox and capable or relating to ordinary folks. She is very sure of herself and her values, but never preachy. But what really "makes" this book are the anecdotes--story after story, sensitively and non-judgementally told, about those whose lives Jungreis has touched and the lessons that they--and she--have learned. Jungreis is an Orthodox Jewish woman from a very distinguished rabbinic family, but her words and her work speak to all sensitive souls and her concern extends to everyone. All the warmth of the Orthodox world with none of the clannishness. All the specific references are translated, not just linguistically, but culturally. Jungreis never excludes. A Jewish book you can give not only to religiously committed Jews of all varieties, but to assimilated ones. Non-Jews will find Jungreis's values speak to them as well. I would recommend The Committed Life to potential converts to Judaism, but then, I'd recommend it to sensitive, searching souls of all stripes; to anyone seeking the beauty, dignity, and warmth of the committed life.

This book seemed to lift itself from the shelf in the library where I was browsing the new book section a few months ago. I couldn't put it down once I started to read it. I am not Jewish, but the book spoke volumes to me. It touched me as nothing religious has in a long time. Thank you Rabbitzin Jungreis for sharing your life, dreams and values with us. I'll never forget your beautiful, inspiring book.

For me there are no suprlatives that adequately hit the mark for the knowledge, wisdom and personal insights provided by Rebbetzin Jungreis in this wonderfully written book.

After having read this book I was fortunate to have been able to attend a lecture given by the Rebbetzin and I am convinced that she is blessed by God and is indeed a special person. Her knowledge of the Torah is encyclopedic and her spirituality is of the level of the Matriarchs. Anything done by the Rebbetzin, whether it be a book, a lecture, or a video broadcast is not to be missed; she can change your life.

After spending a Shabbos reading this book and skimming through the online reviews, I found myself agreeing with both the positive and negative reviews: this was a goodhearted, innocuous, somewhat worthwhile, but ultimately not totally satisfying little book. You will certainly not hurt yourself reading it, but I would consider it more a snack than a meal.

This book is very similar to Rabbi Telushkin's book, The Book of Jewish Values, in that it applies timeless Jewish wisdom to the equally timeless day-to-day problems of anger, gossip, etc. that have no doubt afflicted humanity since its origin. But Telushkin's book is meatier, more intellectual, more willing to grapple with the close calls -- so if you've read and liked Telushkin's book, it won't kill you to skip this one.

If you haven't read either book, which should you read (or better yet read first?) I personally liked Telushkin's book MUCH better, but I think the answer to this question is a matter of taste. A few thoughts:

1) Jungreis's book is shorter (a fast 330 or so pages), maybe a little less complex -- I think it would be a better book for children and teenagers.
2) Although both Jungreis and Telushkin are Orthodox Jews, Jungreis is clearly writing much more for an audience of people who are Orthodox (or at least on the way to becoming Orthodox). By which I mean: Jungreis assumes that the voice of tradition is the voice of G-d, and understandably wants you to agree with her on that ground alone. Telushkin tends to softpedal such broad theological issues.
3) Jungreis' book is much more personal and autobiographical (and she certainly has an amazing life story), Telushkin's much more abstract.
4) Jungreis's book is a little more gooey and sentimental, Telushkin's a bit less so.

A MOST BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING BOOK. FROM THE MOMENT I BEGAN TO READ IT,I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. IN A TIME SO THIRSTY FOR MORALS AND DIRECTION, THIS BOOK SHINES WITH SPIRITUALITY AND SENSITIVITY. THIS IS NOT A BOOK THAT SIMPLY READS, THIS BOOK SPEAKS TO YOU. RIGHT TO THE HEART!! I HAVE GIVEN THIS BOOK AS GIFTS TO MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. I PLAN TO BUY MORE COPIES FOR HANUKAH GIFTS. THIS BOOK IS THE GREATEST REMEDY FOR ALL THAT AILS US. I LOVED IT, AND AM GRATEFUL REBBITZIN JUNGREIS TOOK THE TIME TO SHARE HER WONDERFUL KNOWLEDGE AND STORIE S WITH US.

Here is a book that encompasses a no nonsense, tried and true formula for living a fulfilling and successful life. No, it is not the world according to Tony Robbins or any superhyped new idea of the milennium. It is the tried and true formula written by G-d in the Torah (the Old Testament.) Yes, I am jewish, but trust me, you don't have to be to read and use the concepts in this book. In practical language, and beautiful stories Esther Jungreis will fill you with inspiration and you will not leave the world of this book without becoming a better person. Please read this book...It will change your life.

This book is beautiful. It describes a profoundly meaningful life, and offers suggestions to the reader for making her life more meaningful as well. There are passages so beautifully written that I had to read them over and over again, to bask in the moving prose. The lovely prose is all the more impressive when you realize English is not this author's native language.

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis lives tikkun olam (repair of the world) in a way that few of us can emulate. There are wonderful, inspiring stories of real people grabbing ahold of their lives and making fundamental changes in the way they face the world. This book should be completely inspiring -- and to some degree, it is. The author offers a clear view of a better world, and makes concrete suggestions about how to achieve it, one day and one life at a time.

So why am I frustrated? Because the book's solutions, which seem so profound at first, often turn out to be glib. The author reports conversations which always seem to work to change someone's life. There's depth in the stories, in the changes people make in their lives, and hope. But it's all laid out so easily, as if just a conversation is always enough. Perhaps she only told the stories with the greatest impact. Reading one or two at a time is truly inspirational. Taken together, they offer a too-easy solution -- listen to the Rebbetzin and everything will be okay.

More realistically, this book will offer you inspiration and comfort if you want to try to move your life to a better place. What it won't offer is an idea of how hard that is when you have to live it every day.

In a time when most authors encourage readers to concentrate on themselves in the quest for happiness and fulfillment, Rebbetzin Jungreis pulls timeless truths from the Torah and from the writings of Rabbis and other wise people. This pithy and positive life view from a woman who spent much of her tender years in a concentration camp brims over with the true joy and true contentment of putting others' needs first, out of obedience and love for the Almighty. In addition, Rebbetzin Jungreis quotes accurately and in full from her sources--she has too much respect and love for both sources and readers to do otherwise.

Depressed? Broken-hearted? Afraid? Feeling as if nothing matters? Get a life! A committed life, that is.

Highly recommended.