Daniel B. Syme

I read this in my shul's library and I had no idea what to expect when I picked it up. While my shul is Reform, and I myself converted Reform, I identified myself as being much more traditional than my conversion or my shul would imply... and then I read this book. This is a rabbi's tale about why he himself is not only a Reform Jew but also why he became a Reform rabbi. This was an incredibly powerful tale that brought me to tears on a few occasions. Quite an interesting book. I guess I am show more a Reform Jew after all. show less

Overwhelmingly a five-star, and would love an update. The book is basically the story of Reform Judaism through the eyes of a prominent Rabbi. Rabbi Daniel Syme came of age at roughly the same time as Reform Judaism matured into a major theological source.

The book skillfully and eloquently outlines Reform Judaism's role both as a sense of support, comfort and as a cudgel to action. Some parts of the book moved me to tears.

While I thought the book would primarily focus on a rabbi justifying show more himself, the book really demonstrated the role of the youth movement and organizational Reform Judaism.

I highly recommend it. show less