Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)

This wasn't quite what I was expecting--I was expecting (and would have preferred) more of a personal narrative and not just a summary of Jewish beliefs (which I already knew). But it was nice to read a book that articulated reasons for Judaism, and why traditional, albeit modified, practice is still relevant and meaningful in an age of "pick what appeals to you."

This is the book that made me start looking seriously at Judaism.

There are not a lot of book for people looking to explore Judaism and see if it's a good fit for them. I was not the target audience- I'm an atheist, raised Christian, and this book seems more intended for Jews who have struggled to connect with their religion- but I have been curious about Judaism for some time now, and the author's experiences really resonated with me.

While I'm not ready to go convert this minute, it's made me think about taking some classes (once the mess that is the Coronavirus pandemic is done with), and certainly given me some perspective.

"After a decade as a political speechwriter for leaders like Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, and as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, Sarah Hurwitz decided to apply her skills as a communicator to writing a book...about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is. Hurwitz was the quintessential lapsed Jew - until, at age thirty-six, after a tough break-up, she happened upon an advertisement for a beginner's class on Judaism. She attended on a whim, but was blown-away by what she found: beautiful rituals, helpful guidance on living an ethical life, conceptions of God beyond the judgy bearded man in the sky - none of which she had learned in Hebrew school or during the two synagogue services she grudgingly show more attended each year. That class led to a challenging, moving - and ultimately life-transforming - journey. Hurwitz visited the offices of rabbis, attended Jewish meditation retreats, sat at the Shabbat tables of Orthodox families, and read hundreds of books about Judaism--all in dogged pursuit of answers to her biggest life questions"-- show less

Things I liked:

-The author is a liberal ba'al tshuva, which I thought was interesting and a story worth telling. Most stories about folks who return to Judaism or to great observance are about folks who turn to Orthodoxy. I like that Hurwitz finds a meaningful life in liberal Judaism, and she talks about how she has integrated Judaism into a very modern life.
-I learned some stuff about Jewish meditation/mindfulness/spirituality that I didn't know before.

Things I didn't like:

-There was a lot of Judaism 101 in this book, which I didn't need and didn't want. Really, the book could have been a New Yorker feature in length, talking about the author's personal experience of finding meaning in a liberal, Jewish life and it would have had a lot show more more impact. The last half of the book was weighed down by this.
-I don't know how much I can trust the information in the book - the author is obviously well-researched, but she is very much a lay person.
-A lot of the content was literally summarizing other writers - felt like a book review at times.
-The author talks an awful lot about her important job as an Obama administration speechwriter. That's a cool job, and some personal background is obviously very important, but it was too much.
-Please never use the word "seminal" to modify the word "feminist." show less