Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah [Paperback]

Jeffrey K. Salkin (Author), William H. LeBeau (Introduction), Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1996

The expanded, updated, revised edition of today s most influential book (over 35,000 copies of the first edition in print) about finding core spiritual values in American Jewrys most misunderstood ceremony. Joining explanation, instruction, and inspiration to help parent and child, it offers new insights into bar and bat mitzvah s origins, new ways for non-Jewish parents to participate in their childs barmitzvah ceremony, new resources, and much more. How did bar and bat mitzvah originate? What are the ethics of celebration? How to make the event more spiritually meaningful! An important update to the winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the Best Religion Book published in the United States. A portion of all sales of Putting God on the Guest List is donated by the publisher to MAZON, a Jewish Response to Hunger

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book is destined to enjoy great popularity, for it addresses an important Jewish life cycle occasion in an exciting, contemporary style. The catchy title reflects the tone of the book. In illuminating the meaning of the bar mitzvah ritual, Salkin covers all bases: history, sociology, and religion. Recognizing that the bar mitzvah is an emotional event, particularly in families that are not observant, he explains its significance as a link in the unbroken chain of Jewish tradition as well as a rite of passage. The chapter on the highlights of the Sabbath prayers is useful. Throughout, Salkin offers instant answers to the perplexing questions of faith and belief. In our age of instant gratification, this approach has great merit and appeal. For most Judaica collections.
- Carol R. Glatt, VA Medical Ctr. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A journey of self-discovery, personal growth, Jewish commitment and understanding. A book that brings us closer to holiness." -- Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, President, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

"I hope every family planning a bar mitzvah celebration reads Rabbi Salkin's book." -- Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, Conservative, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

"In a gentle style....shares both practical and spiritual suggestions for bringing God and significance back to each stage of the bar or bat mitzvah." -- Booklist, American Library Association

"Raises the questions that most need to be asked at every bar and bat mitzvah." -- Rabbi Laura Geller, Reform

"Show's the way to restore spirituality and depth to every young Jew's most important rite of passage." -- Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Orthodox, author of Jewish Literacy

Destined to enjoy great popularity, for it addresses an important Jewish life cycle occasion in an exciting, contemporary style....has great merit and appeal. -- Library Journal, August 1992

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; 2nd edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879045591
• ISBN-13: 978-1879045590
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,721,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book-shows the true significance of bar/bat mitzva, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah (Paperback)

This book should be read by every parent whose child is approaching bar/bat mitzvah. Too often, the significance of the occasion is lost in the "big party". This book focuses on what is important about the bar/bat mitzvah-about accepting responsibilities such as study and performing mitzvot, about the service and about keeping the celebration in perspective. It focuses on the spiritual as it should and helps pull away from the social aspects that often overwhelm the true meaning of bar/bat mitzvah.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeking true values, not just an opportunity to party, February 17, 2001

By 

David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah (Hardcover)

There are any number of books which are designed to help you plan the logistics of a bar/bat mitzvah. This book's main purpose, however, is not to be a party planning guide. Instead, this book reaffirms the important commitment a bar/bat mitzvah makes to Judism. A party is fine but truly connecting with God, our people and our ancestors is what the experience is all about. The bar/bat mitzvah experience is explored in a very spiritual, meanful way but not necessarily from the orthodox standpoint. Indeed, the authors are non orthodox. I recommend this book to all who wish to make the bar/bat mitzvah a meaningful means to grow as a Jew rather than as an end in itself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for keeping things in perspective, July 15, 2011

By 

MaryBeth Dawson (Maplewood, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Putting God on the Guest List, 3rd Edition: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah (Paperback)

I got this book in preparation for my son's Bar Mitzvah, back in 2002. We had an interfaith family and crowd, and this was a great resource for highlighting the important points, and bringing everybody together to celebrate. It also helped me resist the pressure to have a huge, ostentatious shindig. We had a personal, warm, intimate affair, with a focus on the gravity of the event. My son got to experience the other style of celebration with his NY cousins, and while it was certainly fun, it was a little overwhelming. There are a few things in this book that have stuck with me to this day, which is why I was out here looking for the title, and decided to add my review.