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Summer11b_Layout 1 5/27/11 12:33 PM Page 77 ReviewsinBrief By Gil Student All Hashem’s Children: God of Our Understanding: Jewish prayer in a form appropriate for Inspiring Stories About Children with Jewish Spirituality and Recovery a synagogue class. His methodologies Challenges from Addiction are scholarly but his language and style By Leah Grangewood are popular. The resulting book is a By Rabbi Shais Taub /Zeisel Blumenfeld deep yet readable study of common el- Ktav Targum Press ements of Jewish prayer, their initial Southfield, Michigan, 2009 New Jersey, 2011 forms and purposes and their develop- 251 pages 185 pages ment over time into our prayers of today. Rabbi Freundel selects six topics Reviewed by an a Jew utilize a to explore—Shema, Nishmat, Birkat Baila Weinberg Christian religious C HaChodesh, Anim Zemirot, Aleinu and service to heal his life- o truly understand a Kaddish. His studies are sufficiently threatening addiction? special child, one must complex to have been dizzying jour- T According to Rabbi Shais Taub, we do seek to understand the per- neys but are rendered unintimidating not need to answer this question be- spective of the child himself, as well as that by this experienced teacher’s touch. cause Alcoholics Anonymous’ famous of his parents, siblings, neighbors and edu- twelve-step program is not specific to cators. All Hashem’s Children, compiled by The Oxford Handbook any religion. With historical insight to Leah Grangewood and Zeisel Blumenfeld, of Judaism and Economics the mother of a developmentally delayed the program’s founding and spiritual Edited by Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine child, helps the reader do just that. While sensitivity to an addict’s many chal- Oxford University Press writing styles vary from essay to essay and lenges, Rabbi Taub describes the New York, 2010 the quality of the writing is somewhat un- twelve steps in Jewish terms and 690 pages even, the book is essentially an anthology of shows how they were intentionally for- short stories about the ups and the downs, mulated in generic terms to accommo- ew people can take the impossibly challenging days and the moments of pure joy that accompany rais- date anyone willing to change. the intellectual step F ing such a child. Additionally, Rabbi Taub describes the from Talmudic cases of twelve steps as a template for spiritual A mother living overseas, far from fam- oxen goring each other ily, describes how she overcame depression growth. As a Lubavitcher chassid, he to their application in presents a mystical Judaism that fits in and learned to stay afloat while caring for modern torts. This un- five children with Fragile-X Syndrome (a with contemporary spiritual terminol- fortunate disconnect genetic condition which causes a range of ogy. Yet it seems that any stream of between yeshivah developmental problems including learning Jewish thought can easily incorporate studies and board- disabilities and cognitive impairment). the twelve steps as a means for increas- room dealings is understandable be- Another essay tells of the complex and ing spiritual health and connection cause financial transactions have heartrending decision a couple made to with God. changed dramatically over the 1,500 move their son Nachman to a special living facility. Diagnosed with Pediatric Disability years since the Talmud’s completion. Disorder (PDD), Nachman often experi- Why We Pray What We Pray: This detachment, however, is lamenta- The Remarkable History enced fits of destructive behavior. As Nach- ble for a number of reasons, among man’s symptoms worsened, his behavior of Jewish Prayer them that a businessman under pres- By Rabbi Dr. Barry Freundel began to affect the family’s stability. “One sure more easily sets aside abstract reli- day my then eight year old daughter an- Urim Publications gious concepts than specific, relevant nounced that she wasn’t coming home Israel, 2010 rulings. Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine, a”h, from school anymore. She was going to 313 pages was part of a small group of scholars move in with a friend,” writes Nachman’s who mastered the complexities of Jew- mother. Nevertheless, the pain in making cademic literature ish economic law and methodically ex- such a decision is apparent: when the deci- Aon Jewish prayer is plained the proper applications to sion was finally made to move Nachman to a group home, these same children reacted highly technical, as is contemporary society. In this book, re- with a measure of indignation, “You don’t most academic writing. leased shortly before he passed away, Rabbi Barry Freundel love Nachman anymore . ’cause you sent he published thirty-three essays from a him away.” While the book depicts the uses his experience as a pulpit rabbi variety of experts dealing with a num- when presenting his own academic ex- strong and complex emotions that accom- ber of economic theories, policies, pany raising a special child, it is inspiring plorations of the source and meaning of practices and histories. The result is and upbeat. comprehensive, authoritative and, al- Rabbi Gil Student is the managing editor of though a little overwhelming, Ms. Weinberg is a writer living in Lakewood, OU Press and blogs at TorahMusings.com. very welcome. New Jersey. Summer 5771/2011 JEWISH ACTION I 77.