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This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation [Hardcover]

Alan Lew
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 2003
There are moments in life when one is caught utterly unprepared. Drawing on both his rabbinical training and his scholarship in Buddhism, Lew leads readers on a journey from confusion to clarity, from doubt to belief, as he opens a path to self-discovery that is accessible to readers of all faiths.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lew's exploration of the Days of Awe begins not with Rosh Hashanah-which is not featured until chapter six-but with Tisha B'Av and the month of Elul. These observances, Lew feels, set a tone of rigorous introspection in the Jewish calendar. He follows the story through Yom Kippur and Sukkot, drawing on Jewish tradition, his own experiences and a few Buddhist stories (Lew is a self-described "Zen rabbi") to take the reader on a journey of spiritual transformation-"from birth to death and back to renewal again." Lew is far more concerned with inner motivations and awareness than with external rituals, a refreshing and sometimes startling perspective. He is a perceptive thinker and a highly skilled writer, making this book a hard-hitting yet compassionate cry for spiritual renewal during the High Holy Days as well as the rest of the year.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Days of Awe, the Jewish rituals observed each year between roughly mid-August and mid-October, include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the 10 days between the two High Holy days. Citing the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Kabbalah, and other sources, Lew offers advice on how we can live our lives in a meaningful and joyful way through prayer and meditation. Author of One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi (1999), he writes of the importance of introspection and self-evaluation in this period of repentance and contemplation. His insights into how we can make the most of our time are astute and profound and should be of interest to readers of all faiths. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316739081
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316739085
  • Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
(10)
4.8 out of 5 stars
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I am thoroughly enjoying it and highly recommend. Jeff Greenapple  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
As I read each section I get lost in contemplation and in thinking about the content. Chris Converse  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book September 5, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful book, the kind I have been looking for. It is an easy read and yet has a lot of deep concepts that makes one think. This combination is rare. This books takes the reader on journey through the High Holy Days in ways that anyone can relate to and helps the reader get prepared for the Holidays themselves. I have not been able to get through any one chapter in one reading. As I read each section I get lost in contemplation and in thinking about the content. This is a must have for every Jewish library including both the novice and yeshivah educated and all in between.
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a powerful book about opening your heart. Rabbi Lew combines Eastern philosophy with Jewish wisdom so that the reader enjoys the best of both worlds. The basic approach is that the Jewish High Holy Days provide us with an annual opportunity to acknowledge the dark shadows in our soul, accept our inevitable flaws, failings and transgressions, and emerge from the process fresh, whole and reinvigorated. Rabbi Lew writes beautifully and the message hits home. Highly recommended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is an invaluable book for preparation for the High Holidays; I think non-Jews would also benefit from Rabbi Lew's ideas. We go through life trying to shield ourselves from the inevitabilities of disappointment, death, and decay, at the same time insulating ourselves from joy and from the needs of others. Rabbi Lew focuses on the time from Tisha B'Av, the fast day commemorating the destruction of the Second Temple and other tragedies, to Sukkot, the harvest holiday where we acknowledge our vulnerabilities and celebrate joyfully in roofless shacks, having examined our lives, admitted our brokenness, forgiven slights against us and also forgiving ourselves. With additional Buddhist perspective that never falls into Buddhism Lite, this is a profound book that should be read over and over again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Ready for the Real Deal
This book is a wonderful amalgam of esoteric citations and real world experience. You can benefit from this book whether you are preparing for the High Holidays or want to know... Read more
Published 7 months ago by frankiefuchs
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking book for the Jewish New Year
Rabbi Lew has a particular approach that I happen to think is applicable to most thoughtful Jews who are considering their lives, and how to make them more meaningful, especially... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Shalomy'all
4.0 out of 5 stars This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a...
I purchased the book for a book club/class I joined to discuss for the up-coming holiday.
The book brings up lots of meaningful discussion and I have made some good... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jeff Greenapple
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful book
This is a must read for High Holiday preparations. No one writes as movingly on the topic as Alan Lew. Read more
Published 9 months ago by josephina
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing
This book fell into my hands at the very moment that I needed. The deailed composition, the vibrant style and the ascending rythm are breathtaking from beginning to end. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Spaniard
4.0 out of 5 stars Growth and Depth During the High Holidays
Rabbi Alan Lew, z"l was a pulpit rabbi (conservative) and a long time practitioner of mediation. For a decade before he became a rabbi, he practiced Zen type mediation. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Eric Maroney
5.0 out of 5 stars This Is Real and You Are Completely Umprepared
Thoroughly worthwhile read before and during the High Holidays and after. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a fuller understanding of what's possible for the mind and heart... Read more
Published on October 3, 2008 by Judith D. Cohen
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