Kindle
$14.49
Available instantly
Kindle Price: $14.49

Save $4.50 (24%)

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Why Judaism Matters: Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation Kindle Edition

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

Presented in the form of letters from a rabbi to his sons, Why Judaism Matters is common sense guidance and a road map for a new generation of young men and women who find Jewish orthodoxy, tradition, issues, and beliefs impenetrable in 21st Century society. By intimately illustrating how the tenets of Judaism still apply in our modern world, Rabbi John Rosove gives heartfelt direction to the sons and daughters of reform Jews everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“John Rosove does what so many of us have struggled to do, and does it brilliantly: He makes the case for liberal Judaism to his children. As Rosove shows, liberal Judaism is choice-driven, messy, and always evolving, “traditional” in some ways and “radical” in others. It is also optimistic, spiritual, and progressive in both personal and political ethics. Without avoiding the hard stuff, such as intermarriage and Israel, Rabbi Rosove weaves all of these strands together to show the deep satisfactions of living and believing as a liberal Jew. All serious Jews, liberal or otherwise, should read this book.”―Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie is President Emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism and a regular columnist for the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz.

“Rabbi John Rosove has written a book of the utmost importance for our time. It is an imperative read for all those who struggle with the changing and evolving attitudes towards belonging, behavior, and belief. His analysis, stemming from deeply personal contemplation and decades of rabbinic experience, offers clear yet sophisticated approaches to tackling the challenges facing this generation and those to come. This book offers a treasure of wisdom through the lens of Jewish texts―both ancient and modern―which help to frame life’s major issues, taking the reader from the particular to the universal. Israel is one of the most complicated of issues tackled in this volume and his chapter on Israel bridges the divide between Israel’s critics and staunch supporters, offering a comforting approach to those who are deeply at odds with Israel and offers an important opportunity for a shift in our basic narrative. Moving beyond the conversation of crisis is critical for the millennial generation.”―Rabbi Josh Weinberg is President of the Association of Reform Zionists of America and is a leading young voice in world-wide Zionist politics and affairs.

“Rabbi John Rosove gets it. Here is a religious leader not afraid to tell it like it is, encapsulating for his audience the profound disaffection so many young Jews feel toward their heritage. But instead of letting them walk away, he makes a powerful case for the relevance of tradition in creating meaningful lives. In our technology-saturated, attention-absorbing age, Rosove offers religion-as-reprieve, his fresh vision of a thoroughly modern, politically-engaged and inclusive Judaism.”―Danielle Berrin is a columnist and cover-story journalist for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. She is known for her Hollywood Jew blog, has appeared as a commentator on CNN and MSNBC, and published work for The Guardian, British Esquire, and The Atlantic.

“Rabbi Rosove’s letters to his sons are full of Talmudic tales and practical parables, ancient wisdom with modern relevance, spiritual comfort, and intellectual provocation. Whether his subject is faith, love, intermarriage, success, Jewish continuity, or the creation of a meaningful legacy, you’ll find yourself quoting lines from this beautiful book long after you’ve reached its final blessing.”―Letty Cottin Pogrebin is a writer, speaker, social justice activist, and author of eleven books including Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female & Jewish in America and Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate. She is also a founding editor of Ms. Magazine, is a regular columnist for Moment Magazine, and has written op-eds in The New York Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, L.A. Times, Toronto Star, The Nation, Harpers Bazaar, Travel & Leisure, Family Circle, and Good Housekeeping.

“If you’re a fellow Reform millennial, give yourself the gift of John’s insights. This book is written in a breezy, gentle, readable style that is welcoming without losing sharp insight. It makes an even better case for Judaism than challah. It was so enjoyable and refreshing to read and persuasive without ever being pushy. Rosove managed to do what only a truly worthy slice of kugel or chance viewing of Fiddler has done for me: reactivate my sense of wonder and gratitude about being Jewish. I am a huge WJM fan.”―Jen Spyra is a staff comedy writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) and formerly was a senior writer for The Onion. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, and The Daily Beast, and she has been featured by The Laugh Factory, Chicago’s Best Standup Show Case.

“Rabbi John Rosove has given a gift to all of us who care about engaging the next generation in Jewish life. The letters to his sons are really love-letters from countless voices of Jewish wisdom across history to all those young people who are seeking purpose in their lives. From wrestling with God to advocating for peace and justice in Israel and at home and living a life of purpose, this book is a compelling case for the joy of being Jewish.”―Rabbi Jonah Pesner, is the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., and is Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism. Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, he is an inspirational leader, creative entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for social justice.

“Rabbi Rosove has written a wonderful book, a love letter to his children, and through them, to all our children. Prodigiously knowledgeable, exceedingly wise, and refreshingly honest, Rabbi Rosove has described why Judaism matters. It should serve as a touching testament of faith, spanning the generations for generations to come.”―Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is Senior Rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City, and is the co-author of One People, Two Worlds: A Reform rabbi and an Orthodox rabbi explore the issues that divide them with Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

“John Rosove’s letters to his sons based on his life, philosophy, and rabbinic work address what it means to be a liberal and ethical Jew and a lover of Israel in an era when none are automatic. He writes in an unassuming personal style steeped in traditional texts as he confronts conflicts of faith and objectivity, Zionist pride and loving criticism of the Jewish state, traditional observance, and religious innovation. He is never gratuitous and invites his readers into his family conversation because what he says is applicable to us all.”―Susan Freudenheim is the Executive Director of Jewish World Watch, was formerly the Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal and an editor at the Los Angeles Times.

About the Author

RabbiJohn L. Rosove is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Israel of Hollywood where he servedas Senior Rabbi from 1988 to 2019.

He served as the national chairperson of theAssociation of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) (2016-2018) and is nationalco-chair of the Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet of J Street from 2012-2016 andagain from 2019. He received the World Union for Progressive JudaismInternational Humanitarian Award (2002) and special commendation from the Stateof Israel Bonds. In 2013 he was honored by J Street at its Fifth AnniversaryCelebration in Los Angeles.

John is the author of
"Why Judaism Matters - Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to His Children andthe Millennial Generation" published by Jewish Lights Publishers, adivision of Turner Publishing (October, 2017) and of "Why Israel [and its Future] Matters - Letters of  Liberal Rabbi to his Children and theMillennial Generation" to be published in 2019 by Ben Yehuda Press.

Johnwrites a regular blog that appears on the Times of Israel Blog - blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/john-l-rosove/ and his ownblog at rabbijohnrosove.wordpress.com/
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XJ71XFB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jewish Lights; 1st edition (October 10, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 10, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 753 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 138 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
36 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2018
The Jewish Community is deeply concerned about the future of our youth. Our colleague John Rosove has written a truly superb book that addresses this challenge: "Why Judaism Matters —Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation". In a series of letters to his sons, Daniel and David, he takes on some of the most difficult questions confronting our Jewish future: Belief in God, the Value of Religion, Love and Marriage, Redefining Success, and many more. The chapter, “Why Your Generation Should Care about Israel’s Future,” is an invaluable resource. If I were still an active congregational rabbi, I would want to give this book as a gift to my synagogue’s high school graduates and college students. I would also provide it to the young couples at whose weddings I was officiating. I would even consider arranging some discussion groups among empty nesters who are constantly struggling to provide guidance to their adult children and grandchildren. John is open to speaking at congregations for expenses. I hope many of you will order a copy and find it helpful for your community.
2 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2017
I am very grateful to Rabbi Rosove for having written this book. My wife died suddenly and unexpectedly on October 28, 2017 at our home in Los Angeles while I was in New York. On my difficult plane ride home, I’m glad I had Rabbi Rosove’s new book as my companion. It gave me great comfort to read the letters Rabbi Rosove had written to his two sons. The book is full of inspiring, wise and meaningful advice from personal to global and covers important topics like creating your legacy, forgiveness, metrics to measure your life, ethics, morality, love and marriage.
5 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2018
For many of us worried about the future of Judaism, this book is a needed road map to explain Why Judaism Matters. It encourages and inspires our children and grandchildren to learn about their history, culture and religion. With wisdom, joy and eloquence, John Rosove addresses the biggest questions Jews pose today and his sons' response to their father's teachings, in a wonderful Twitter exchange at the end of the book, creates an inter-generational dialogue that many of us can use with our own families and friends. A perfect gift no matter what the age!
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017
If I had to pick just one quality of the book it would be how the optimism of the author permeates much of the book. It is wise optimism tempered by life realities and common sense. It reflects the thoughts of an author who has learned much about life. It certainly is for a much wider audience than the millennium generation. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Love and Marriage and the one about Forgiveness. They are the ones that I would choose to share with my children and grandchildren on a first priority basis.
5 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018
This is an absolutely outstanding book. I read it in just about one sitting. It is written in a clear, friendly manner. When I finished reading it my first thought was "Gee, I wish I had written that." Rabbi Rosove's view and mine are quite similar. His children are lucky to have such a thoughtful dad. Though written for his sons it should be read by lots of peoples sons and daughters. It gives a sensible approach to modern Judaism, Israel and the world. Rabbi Rosove has earned the appreciation of all.
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2020
A little basic for my taste. I would NOT recommend this to someone who is trying to learn about Judaism from scratch.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022
Terrible. 30 pages, 27 to 58 are totally missing due to publisher error.
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2017
How many sons do you know who can have the kind of conversations with their father that Daniel and David shared with him via Google Hangouts? Those exchanges at the end of the book are all the reason you need to read it. Here is a rabbi who found a way to imbue his children with his knowledge, passion and love for his people, his religion, his G-d and his beloved nation of Israel. Reading the book will show you how and why.
2 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Dimitar Zahariev
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice and positive book
Reviewed in Italy on February 26, 2018
It gives you a lot of food for thoughts.Great insight of the Progressive Judaism ideas and philosophy.I really enjoyed it
monica
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding modern vision of Judaism
Reviewed in Australia on February 5, 2018
I chose 5 stars because of it's clarity, non biased vision. I'd recommend this book to the disappointed Jew, the confused person and any prospective Convert.
Great scholarship coupled with a compassionate, open and golden heart. Beautifully written too

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?