Customer Reviews

How to Get More Out of Being Jewish Even If: A. You Are Not Sure You Believe in God, B. You Think Going to Synagogue Is a Waste of Time, C. You Think Keeping Kosher Is Stupid, D. You Hated hebrew

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I am the president of a small synagogue and this book really hit home for me. It put into words things I have been wrestling with all my adult life. All serious Jews would benefit from reading it, in fact, you might not know you are a serious Jew until you do read it. Thanks to Gil Mann, the author.

Gil Mann has successfully taken several hot topics and presented them in a manner that is reader friendly, insightful and intriguing.

Reader friendliness is evident from the start; the book is written in interview format. Each chapter highlights a different person discussing a specific topic from the title. I read it in two days, and enjoyed the reading.

I also enjoyed it because it was insightful. After reading several of Mann's interpretations of Judaism, I spent time reflecting on his words. His comments lead me to both forgive myself and to rethink the way I'd been thinking about religion, community and spiritualism.

And that, to me, is very intriguing. He presented his insights in a clear and simplistic manner. While I don't agree with everything he said, I do feel that he inspired the participants of the book into questioning themselves, and me into doing the same.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they're a BAD Jew for not believing in God, not wanting to waste time in synagogue, and for hating talmud torture. (His words, not mine, although I agree!)

I read this book one year ago, and I still remember it as a perfect introduction to judaism. As a non religious jew, I always felt aside the society but also aside the jews. This book helped me to put religion and everyday life together, and more important, motivated me to read more about my religion. I would also recommend after this book the excellent "The Nine Questions People Ask about Judaism" by Dennis Prager.

The author, Gil Mann, does not call Jews who are not committed "bad Jews." Instead he looks at whether someone is a "serious Jew." There are three interlocking circles (kind of like the interlocking Olympic circles) which represent different aspects of Judaism. The three are "ethics, spirituality and peoplehood" (remember the acronym ESP). Becoming more involved in any of the three will make someone a more serious Jew and, such involvement in that one sphere may lead to becoming more serious in either, or both, of the others.

Mann did interviews with individuals and with focus groups. Most of the chapters in this book are done as a dialogue between himself and an individual who is a composite. I bought this book for a teenager who thinks Judaism, or more specifically, religion in general, is a lot of nonsense. I hope this book will help this young person to see the richness in Judaism and the value of being a "serious Jew."

Interestingly, the author is trying to push the US born jewish people in a sort of a JEWISH MAFIA.
Let's be modest and treat all other religions and people as equal.
Otherwise bad things will happen to us.
The world and its people are not stupid to notice how disciminating and radical a lot of the Orthodox Jews have been towards others.
There is a difference between Isreali Jews and US born ones like me.
I do not feel that I should promote my Jewish brother, just becouse he is Jewish. I would promote the best person for the task. America has given us so much more than Isreal and I believe that we shall be gratefull and supportive of its people.
May all religions and people trive and be equal!!!