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Table of Contents Contents Foreword Rabbi Steven A. Fox ix Introduction: Not in the Heavens, Not Beyond the Sea, but Close to Us Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, PhD xi PART ONE • Knowing God 1 1. Critical Thoughts on a Reform Jewish Theology MICHAEL A. MEYER, PHD 7 2. An Experiential Approach to God RABBI RACHEL TIMONER 13 3. My Fragmented Theology as a Reform Rabbi and Daughter of a Holocaust Survivor RABBI SUZANNE SINGER 21 4. Where God Meets Gender RABBI ELYSE GOLDSTEIN 31 5. Speaking Truthfully about God RABBI MICHAEL MARMUR, PHD 39 6. The Persistence of Life after Life RABBI PAUL GOLOMB 47 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission. iv • A L IFE O F M EANING 7. Science and Faith RABBI GEOFFREY A. MITELMAN 57 8. The God Thing RABBI DAVID W. NELSON, PHD 67 PART TWO • Choosing Covenant 77 9. Chosen for Torah RABBI AMMIEL HIRSCH 81 10. Refining the Covenant RABBI RACHEL SABATH BEIT-HALACHMI, PHD 89 11. Is Reform Judaism Authentic Judaism? RABBI KARI HOFMAISTER TULING, PHD 103 12. Jewish Religious Pluralism RABBI JOAN S. FRIEDMAN, PHD 111 13. Freedom within Limits RABBI JAN KATZEW, PHD 123 14. Let Every Blade of Grass Sing a Song of Praise RABBI SHOSHANAH CONOVER 135 15. What Is Modern about Reform Judaism? ROBERT M. SELTZER, PHD 149 16. A Zionism of the Soul RABBI STANLEY M. DAVIDS 165 17. The Role of Reform Judaism in Israel RABBI GILAD KARIV 175 PART THREE • Connecting to the Divine 179 18. The Power and Pitfalls of Personal Religious Autonomy RABBI BEN ZEIDMAN 183 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission. Contents • v 19. The Jewish Path RABBI MARK WASHOFSKY, PHD 191 20. Mitzvah/Mitzvot RABBI CAROLE B. BALIN, PHD 199 21. Eating Our Values RABBI MARY L. ZAMORE 207 22. Shabbat as a Spiritual Practice RABBI LISA L. GOLDSTEIN 217 23. Take Back Your Time RABBI MARK DOV SHAPIRO 227 24. Ceremony versus Ritual RABBI STEPHANIE M. ALEXANDER 237 25. Seeking a Wild Heart in Wilderness RABBI MIKE COMINS 241 26. Toward a Reform Jewish Mysticism RABBI TED FALCON, PHD 255 PART FOUR • Living the Texts 267 27. Four Exiles and Four Spiritual Revolutions JOEL M. HOFFMAN, PHD 271 28. Our Tree of Life RABBI AMY SCHEINERMAN 289 29. Reform Approaches to Our Sacred Texts RABBI GEOFFREY W. DENNIS 299 30. Hebrew in the Reform Movement RABBI HILLEL GAMORAN 311 31. Why Reform Jews Should Study Talmud RABBI DVORA E. WEISBERG, PHD 319 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission. vi • A L IFE O F M EANING 32. Reflections on Prayer RABBI PETER S. KNOBEL, PHD 329 33. Worship and the Prayer Book RABBI RICHARD S. SARASON, PHD 335 34. Reform Liturgy: Then and Now RABBI DALIA MARX, PHD 349 35. Music and Worship CANTOR ROSALIE BOXT 369 PART FIVE • Building Community 377 36. Community: The Vehicle for Fulfilling the Jewish Dream RABBI CHARLES A. KROLOFF 381 37. Finding Meaning in Our Connectedness across the Generations JOSHUA HOLO, PHD 389 38. Tradition! Transition! RABBI LISA EDWARDS, PHD 395 39. Family RABBI SUE LEVI ELWELL, PHD 403 40. Contemporary Jewish Sex Ethics RABBI DAVID A. TEUTSCH, PHD 413 41. Converting to Judaism RABBI DANA EVAN KAPLAN, PHD 423 42. A Personal Comment by a Reform Rabbi on Conversion RABBI DAVID ELLENSON, PHD 435 43. Interfaith Families RABBI RACHEL GUREVITZ, PHD 439 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission. Contents • vii 44. Millennials: Building the Future of Reform Judaism EVAN TRAYLOR 451 45. Creating a Life of Meaning by Caring for Others RABBI NEAL GOLD 463 46. Sacred Aging RABBI RICHARD F. ADDRESS, DMIN 471 PART SIX • Dignity of the Other 477 47. Sacred Relationships WILLIAM BERKSON, PHD 481 48. Mussar and the Development of Spiritual Practices ALAN MORINIS, DPHIL, AND RABBI BARRY BLOCK 493 49. The Centrality of Social Justice in Reform Judaism RABBI JONAH DOV PESNER AND RABBI DAVID N. SAPERSTEIN 503 50. Integrating Our Stories: LGBTQ Folks in the Jewish Community RABBI NIKKI LYN DEBLOSI, PHD 515 51. Jews and Race RABBI RACHEL S. MIKVA, PHD 525 52. A Reform Jewish Response to Poverty RABBI AMY SCHWARTZMAN 541 53. Tending to the Sick RABBI SHIRA STERN, DMIN, BCC 549 54. Reform Judaism’s Healing Tent RABBI PEARL BARLEV, MAHL, BCC 557 55. The Mission of Israel among Humanity RABBI LANCE J. SUSSMAN, PHD 569 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission. viii • A L IFE O F M EANING 56. The Importance of Reform Judaism RABBI ERIC H. YOFFIE 579 Acknowledgments 591 About the Authors 595 Classsical Sources Cited 611 Index 617 From A Life of Meaning: Embracing Reform Judaism's Sacred Path. Copyright © 2018 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Used by permission of Central Conference of American Rabbis. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed, sold or copied without express written permission..
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