Customer Reviews

New Age Judaism: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World

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

 

 

With the growing popularity of Kabbalah over the last few years, many people have eagerly sought after authentic voices that can reveal this ancient wisdom. People are longing for deeper meaning in their lives. They are looking for connection-connection with themselves, with each other and with God.
The path that leads to Jewish spirituality can have many false steps. But if you begin your journey with Mindy Ribner's splendid book, New Age Judaism-Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World, your feet will be firmly planted in the rich soil of divine wisdom.
From the first page to the last, New Age Judaism has something to teach. More importantly, it is an inspirational treatise that transports the reader beyond time and space with a gentle landing at the doorstep of enlightened awareness.
Ms. Ribner, who received a nonrabbinical ordination to teach meditation from the legendary Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, skillfully leads the reader to the deepest realm of Jewish meditative practice and Kabbalistic thought. From an illuminating discussion on how and why God created the universe to a thoroughly engaging examination of the tree of life, Ms. Ribner demonstrates her true genius by making the inner wisdom of Judaism thoroughly accessible. At the core of New Age Judaism, the reader is treated to an abundant array of meditative tools that make a direct experience with one's own soul obtainable. The shear variety of meditations offers the reader nothing short of experiencing Divine inspiration over and over again and in so many different ways.
New Age Judaism simply put is spiritual nourishment that emanates straight from the heart. It is a sweet and tender love song to God, one in which Ms. Ribner invites you to raise your voice and join in the chorus. New Age Judaism is an invaluable source for anyone who is interested in deepening his or her spiritual experience. I whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone.

Mindy Ribner's book, "New Age Judaism" is a tonic for the soul. The message is soothing and spiritually uplifting. By sharing examples of the meditation exercises that she practices and teaches, you are given a rare opportunity to become more connected to your inner self. Through her extensive knowledge and wisdom of such subjects as reincarnation, kabbalah and angels, you will learn just how vibrant and relevant Judaism is in the 21st Century - the "New Age". Mindy is the rare author that combines scholarship with first hand experience. She not only knows of what she writes, but will inspire you with all that living a faith based life can be. Suddenly, your own concept of a Jewish life has a beautiful, expansive new way to be expressed. She is truly a spiritual guide, and as you travel with her in this wonderful book, you will most certainly feel God's presence leading the way.

On the surface, Judaism and the New Age movement would seem totally contradictory: Judaism is all about "tradition," right? (At least, that's what the play "Fiddler On the Roof" said...)

Actually, Melinda Gibson's (2000) book points out that the TRADITION of Judaism also includes a substantial MYSTICAL tradition; in particular, the Kabbalah, and its most famous book, the Zohar, that actually taught vegetarianism, holistic healing, and reincarnation in places, not to mention belief in angels. There are also more "experiential" branches of Judaism such as Hasidism. So the two religious traditions may not be as far apart as one would think.

Melinda was authorized to teach meditation by the famous late rabbi, Schlomo Carlebach, and she has taught it for many years in the "Jewish Meditation Circle." Her book covers Kabbalistic concepts such as the "Tree of Life," and also includes chapters on the "Divine Blueprint," and even sexuality. The book also includes a series of guided meditations.

There are other Jewish teachers who write books with a similar focus (e.g., David Cooper, God Is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism, who with his wife Shoshana directs the Heart of Stillness Hermitage in the mountains in Colorado; Rabbi David Zeller The Soul of the Story: Meetings With Remarkable People--a psychologist and musician who studied with Schlomo Carlebach from the mid-1960s; Joseph Gelberman, Zen Judaism: Teaching Tales by a Kabbalistic Rabbi, as well as Tirzah Firestone With Roots in Heaven: One Woman's Passionate Journey into the Heart of her Faith).

The only reason I gave this book 2 stars was because the meditations were good. However, for the author to start drawing moral and philosophical conclusions based on circular questions is ridiculous. For the most part the book is filled with the same nonsense you may find in any book on Judaism. If you believe it, great, if not, reading this book will certainly subject you to it. It is a poor attempt of legitimacy for various biblical phrases and 'ancient texts' (that were by most scholarly accounts written 1,000 years ago) through bad proofs, and decent meditative experiences - although whether the origin of some is judaic or not is questionable. This book is comparable to any other occidental religion trying to 'adjust' to a new paradigm, regardless of how many times the author cries otherwise.