Each practice guide herein is an opportunity.

Judaism is not meant to function as a cult.

No one can lock you into any particular denomination.

There's no one right way.

Jewish culture offers many variations on practices.

Different niches, even several niches, within Judaism may serve your soul at different points in your life.

It's holy and healthy to experiment and explore.

Meaning & Mitzvah provides a framework for understanding the powerful and often unexplained intellectual, emotional and spiritual tools that are essential for a lively, relevant and fulfilling Jewish spiritual practice. Whether new to Judaism, deeply engaged, or returning with curiosity and hope after a long absence, you will learn how to reconnect with prayer, God, Torah, Hebrew, mitzvot, and the Jewish People.

This fresh and delightful guide to contemporary Judaism resonates with today's way of living. Rabbi Milgram, a well-known pioneer in Jewish education and innovation, solidly grounds her teachings in a context of religious pluralism with careful attention to both tradition and cutting-edge developments across the full spectrum of Jewish life. You will be richly empowered to create more sacred and meaningful relationships with these aspects of Judaism.

Rabbi Goldie Milgram is founder and executive director of ReclaimingJudaism.org, offering seminars and Web-based resources on the application of Jewish spiritual practice for spiritual seekers and teachers. Passionate about bringing spirituality back into Jewish life, she is well known for over thirty years of innovations in Jewish life―in contexts as diverse as Esalen, Elat Chayyim, Princeton University and Bard College, the United Jewish Communities, Hadassah Foundation, and in the training of rabbis and cantors for almost seven years as dean at the Academy for Jewish Religion in New York City. She is also author of Living Jewish Life Cycle: How to Create Meaningful Jewish Rites of Passage at Every Stage of Life; Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice: Holy Days and Shabbat; Meaning and Mitzvah: Daily Practices for Reclaiming Judaism through Prayer, God, Torah, Hebrew, Mitzvot and Peoplehood (both Jewish Lights); and Make Your Own Bar/Bat Mitzvah: A Personal Approach to Creating a Meaningful Rite of Passage.