Greetings, chaverim: A quick note to let you know about an ongoing giveaway for THE GOING: A MEDITATION ON JEWISH LAW by Leon Wiener Dow (Palgrave Macmillan, December 2017). (Disclosure: I am helping the author, who is a research fellow and a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, as well as Rabbi and Educational Director of the Hevruta Gap-Year program there, to promote this book.)
Part-spiritual memoir, part-learned reflection on halakha (Jewish law), *The Going* casts philosophical and theological considerations against a backdrop of personal experience. Written with a sharp mind and a generous heart, *The Going* illustrates how one seeker is crafting a life of morals and meaning—and guides us through the challenges that can ensue in that endeavor. To readers who live amidst the rigor of halakha, this book bestows an insightful glance at the law’s orienting ethos and higher aspirations that sometimes remain opaque. In short, *The Going* invites all comers to an essential conversation. As you'll see from the praise that I'll paste below, this book would be a fine addition to any Jewish library. But, again, an opportunity is currently available to win a complimentary copy (U.S. addresses only, I'm afraid). Details about this giveaway, which runs through January 10, may be found at http://bit.ly/2o41BKw. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy 2018. Warmly, Erika “At once lyrical, lucid, and moving, *The Going* has much to teach both those interested in what it might mean to live an observant, committed Jewish life as well as anyone concerned with the question of how to live today in a world seemingly replete with endless choices.” —Leora Batnitzky, Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and Chair, Department of Religion, Princeton University; author of *How Judaism Became a Religion* “In this beautiful new book that cuts across genres, Leon Wiener Dow brings together a keen philosophical sensibility, a phenomenological eye, and a manifest love of traditional Jewish sources. Weaving these strands together, he produces something both rare and precious: a book informed by academic Jewish studies whose beating religious heart can be felt on every page.” — Rabbi Dr. Shai Held, President and Dean, Mechon Hadar; author of *The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion* “In this powerful, haunting, exhilarating volume, Leon Wiener Dow bravely explores the halakha from the inside out, and the outside in. He brings into the halakhic conversation arresting new readings of what this ever-changing and so often vexed system can and perhaps must be. Like the halakha, his book challenges us to think hard about our lives and to and act with conviction.” —Yehudah Mirsky, Associate Professor of the Practice of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University; author of *Rav Kook: Mystic in a Time of Revolution* “*The Going* takes us on a powerful journey from the inner depths of Wiener Dow’s soul to the outer worlds of Jewish law, actions, and words, and to the Divine. Following in the footsteps of his great teacher David Hartman, Wiener Dow brings together into shared conversation the dominant voices in modern Jewish philosophy, rabbinic thinkers, and today’s Jew, whose intimate struggles negotiate the tensions between tradition and the contemporary world. The Going is a passionate, personal statement, in which Wiener Dow bridges the gaps between commandedness and freedom, the ineffable name of God and relationship with God, and observance of halakha (Jewish law) and willingness to resist it in the context of creating a Jewish community.” —Rabbi Asher Lopatin, President, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School “In this remarkably intimate account of his own religious journey, Wiener Dow draws on his vast reservoir of philosophical and rabbinic knowledge to offer a novel and compelling approach to Torah. Wiener Dow addresses the mind while also touching the soul of those who seek the Divine.” —David Ellenson, Director, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University; Chancellor Emeritus and former President, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion About the author: Leon Wiener Dow is a research fellow and a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute, as well as Rabbi and Educational Director of the Hevruta Gap-Year program there. He received his BA from Princeton University, his MA in Jewish thought from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, private rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Professor David Hartman, and a PhD in philosophy from Bar-Ilan University. His other writings include a book, *U’vlekhtekha Va’derekh* (Hebrew, Bar Ilan University Press, 2017), which constructs an approach to halakha based on the thought of Franz Rosenzweig; articles in *Hebraic Political Studies* and *Jewish Law Association Studies*; and essays with *Haaretz*, *Jewish Journal*, and *The Times of Israel*. Raised in Houston, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and their five children. -- *Erika Dreifus* | Reader. Writer. Resource Maven. (w) http://www.erikadreifus.com (t) http://twitter.com/erikadreifus (f) http://facebook.com/erikadreifusauthor <http://facebook.com/erikadreifusauthor>
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.osu.edu https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
