Customer Reviews

Through the Unknown, Remembered Gate : A Spiritual Journey

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Benedek's journey more deeply into Judaism is well-written and interesting. Especially fascinating were her observations and participation in the Orthodox community as part of a journey that ultimately leads her to a Conservative Jewish congregation. There were times that the book dragged and became redundant. For example, Benedek goes on and on and on about her therapy sessions. This part could have been condensed so that the reader understood that therapy was important to her journey without having to read every detail of every therapy session she ever attended. She also wasn't completely clear about the kinds of Orthodox communities she was hanging out with -- she does not fully embrace ultra-orthodox lifestyles, but had she ever considered modern Orthodoxy? This was never addressed, she just went from ultra-Orthodox to Conservative, but modern-Orthodox is a category between the two. Even with these criticisms, however, the book is a compelling read and Benedek portrays an honest, thoroughly questioning journey into faith.

When she lived in and wrote of the intensely spiritual Navajo world, Benedek felt herself turn introspective. A horrific brush with loss of vision precipitated what became a search for her place in relationship to the divine. The beginning of this book thrusts the reader with lightspeed into the center of her search, through psychoanalysis and religious education, for the life of devotion and spirituality she ultimately crafts. Benedek's slick, smart writing, her longing to reorient herself after a bad relationship and a life she deemed soulless and her lucky, lucky life ever since are fascinating. (She found her husband through a writing assignment on hackers). Benedek is enviable and inspirational. And she can write!

The best thing about this deeply felt memoir is the way the author combines several searches that normally don't go together. Her highly successful psychoanalysis dovetails with a quest for spiritual awakening and rebirth, and we can understand why Freud and Judaism go together. The book also has a lot to say about the conflict felt by a highly educated, secular, intellectual woman between her need to be in the world and her desire to participate in Orthodox Jewish practices that still relegate women to a separate sphere. Benedek's negotiation of this strait is fascinating.

One can't help feeling awe at ms. Benedek's struggle to create a life that is truly modern and truly religious. Her book compelled me from cover to cover. She is an entertaining, gifted writer who uses her intelligence compassionately.

Psychoanalysis has been under withering fire for the past decade. But anyone who reads of Emily Benedek's analysis in this book will have to fight the urge to run out and look up the telephone number of her analyst. You are brought into the rarified air of a very deep and meaningful friendship and are reminded of the supreme gift of good listening.

This book, deep,thought-provoking,absorbing and inspiring,is recommended for anyone on a spiritual journey. Although I am not Jewish, I found many touchstones for my own life and spiritual journey.