God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi [Paperback]

Jamie S. Korngold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2008

Rabbi Jamie Korngold has always loved the outdoors, the place where humankind first met with God. Whether it’s mountaineering, running ultramarathons, or just sitting by a stream, she finds her spirituality and Judaism thrive most in the wilderness. In her work as the Adventure Rabbi, leading groups toward spiritual fulfillment in the outdoors, Korngold has uncovered the rich traditions and lessons God taught our ancestors in the wild. In God in the Wilderness Korngold uses rabbinic wisdom and witty insights to guide readers through the Bible, showing people of all faiths that, despite the hectic pace of life today, it is vital for us to reclaim these lessons, awaken our inner spirituality, and find meaning, tranquillity, and purpose in our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Rabbi Korngold revels in nature, and she seeks to share that joy as founder of the Adventure Rabbi program to help people reconnect to Judaism via the great outdoors. She has also discovered a way—call it a language, a spirit, an essence—with which to express the simplicity of a back-to-basics spirituality. Balancing an in-depth knowledge of scripture with a wry sense of humor and a compassion for nature, Korngold reminds us of the nooks and crannies of the natural world and says that we must seek them out, soak them in and care for them. The variety of personal stories, tales of travel with various Adventure Rabbi groups and contemporary alternative biblical outcomes—what if Moses had been too busy texting to notice the burning bush?—make for a book that is easily digestible but at the same time worth savoring. Purposely sized to fit easily into a backpack or pocket, the call to return to the wild—or at least your local city park—is ever present. While certainly aimed at adventuresome readers, the book's message, filled with depictions of fire, water, earth and sky, simultaneously encourages individual exploration and communal responsibility. (Apr. 8)
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Review

Advance Praise for God in the Wilderness:

“This book speaks to people of all faiths who have a hunger for reconnecting with the God of their own understandings and traditions.”
—Trudy Harris, R.N., author of Glimpses of Heaven

“A small book with powerful messages … Interpreting biblical passages and centuries of commentary, Rabbi Korngold shows how each of us can find the spiritual meaning we seek by slowing down, going outdoors, and exulting in the grandeur of nature.”
—Myra H. Strober, professor of education, Stanford University

“Weaving ancient teachings with personal and profound experiences in the wilderness, Rabbi Korngold provides a wonderful trail map for each of our journeys. She leads us to an appreciation of the joy that awaits us if we commit to walking in the natural world that is God’s gift.”
—Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein, Central Synagogue, New York City

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385520492
• ISBN-13: 978-0385520492
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.4 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rabbi Korngold is an ordained Reform rabbi and the founder and executive director of the Adventure Rabbi Program, based in Boulder, Colorado. She is nationally recognized for her innovative work combining religion and nature, as well as for her cutting-edge use of technology.

A favorite of the media, she has been featured by Good Morning America, National Geographic, NPR, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Ski as well as many other outlets.

Rabbi Korngold is an athlete and a scholar. She completed the Leadville Trail 100, a hundred-mile running race, in less than thirty hours and was ranked fourth in the nation for telemark mogul skiing. She is a graduate of Cornell University's natural resources program and received her masters and ordination from Hebrew Union College.

Rabbi Korngold is best known for her ability to make Judaism relevant, meaningful, and accessible and therefore opening the doors back to Judaism for thousands of disenfranchised Jews. Through her nature-based approach to religion, she is able to bridge the gap between scientific thought and religion, healing a fissure that often disrupts spiritual paths.

She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband, Jeff, and daughters, Sadie and Ori.

Find her at:
Adventure Rabbi: http://www.AdventureRabbi.org/
Facebook: http://www.AdventureRabbi.org/facebook/
Blog: http://blog.AdventureRabbi.org/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/adventurerabbi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spot On, April 8, 2008

By 

Michael D. Comins "Mike Comins" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi (Paperback)

Two people look at a redwood tree. One sees an incredible, living being; the other, a new backyard deck. The difference is found in the attitudes and virtues that inform our vision. Because they miss this basic point, most attempts to understand how wilderness can affect one's spiritual life fall short. Not so Rabbi Korngold, who clearly lives her subject matter. She organizes her book around the virtues of wilderness spirituality: mindfulness, awe, Sabbath rest and more. This book is excellent for people who know they feel something special in the natural world, but don't know why this is so, or what to do with it. It's small in the backpack, and big in the heart. Mike Comins, founder of TorahTrek, author of A Wild Faith: Jewish Ways into Wilderness, Wilderness Ways into Judaism

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big fan!, April 8, 2008

By 

B. Schwartz (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi (Paperback)

Rabbi Korngold's lessons are wonderful and so vital. After reading this, I felt an immediate desire to take a walk outside and reconnect with the world around me. We should all take her advice to find peace and meaning in our lives. Her personal stories and sense of humor makes this easy and fun reading. Anyone, regardless of his or her religion, can and should learn from Rabbi Korngold. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like unorthodox Bible camp for recreationists & outdoor lovers!, April 9, 2008

By 

A. Schultz "alster" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi (Paperback)

I grew up Catholic and went through the motions until I realized that so much in the Church didn't resonate with me, and I enjoyed hiking and camping and running/walking on my hometown's nature trails so much more. My outdoor pursuits, especially a pivotal camping trip in the Utah Backcountry left me with a connection to myself, to nature, to the universe even more so than any mass or ceremony behind stained glass windows had ever attempted. I found the divine spark in nature, and tried to reconcile the better texts and wisdoms from the church in light of what supported that. I also looked to other traditions, like Buddhism & Taoism, for a richer understanding of the holy wow. I never thought to look to Judaism for the same wisdoms & connection to the earth - even though the New Testament is chock full of natural revelations of the divine, of divine revelations in nature. Not to mention rituals and holidays/ceremonies that have been born of natural events, circumstances and phenomena. And who hasn't arrived at peace of mind (and bliss) after a walk or hike or zephyr-like run? The way that Rabbi Korngold meshes these two (at first) seemingly disparate traditions - that of Judaism and outdoor recreation - is a natural step back to a less disparate and separating understanding of ourselves in the world.