The Book of Miracles: A Young Person's Guide to Jewish Spiritual Awareness brings Lawrence Kushner's funny, warm, smart perspective on Judaism to young readers. (This book will be most popular among kids ages 9 to 13.) Kushner's chapters on "Seeing," "Hearing," and "Doing" tell stories based on the Hebrew Scriptures in a style that is perfect for bedtime reading. "To be a Jew means to wake up and to keep your eyes open to the many beautiful, mysterious, and holy things that happen all around us every day," Kushner writes. "Many of them are like little miracles: when we wake up and see the morning light, when we taste food and grow strong, when we learn from others and grow wise, when we hug the people we love and feel warm." Kushner's goal in The Book of Miracles is to help children learn to ask good questions about spirituality by speaking directly to their concrete way of thinking and their voracious curiosity. The spiritual goal that Kushner guides children to assume is one that many adults will take for themselves as well. "The goal of spirituality is the bringing together of seeing, hearing, and doing into one whole person," he writes. "It is to see yourself mirrored in the heavens above and to realize that the Holy One created you personally to help complete the work of repairing the world." --Michael Joseph Gross
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of God's Paintbrush, God in Between and other titles.
"Many religion books give our young people facts to learn; here is a book which gives them wisdom to remember."
Dr. Ronald J. Valenti, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Baltimore
"The beauty of The Book of Miracles is its universality. Its message, although coming from a Jewish tradition, speaks to the souls of all."
Kimberly Kirberger, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
"A well-written, easy-to-understand, very lovely guide to Jewish spirituality. I recommend it to all teens as a good read."
Dr. Ron Wolfson, Whizin Institute for Jewish Family Life, University of Judaism; author of The Art of Jewish Living Series
"A wonderful introduction to Jewish spirituality for children but just as importantly, for their parents; it belongs in every Jewish home."
NAPRA Review, November/December 1998
"The beauty of this book is that its message, though it comes from the Jewish faith, reaches far beyond any cultural definitions and helps to develop appreciation of life's daily miracles as well as those that anchor religious tradition."
Values & Visions
"Enables young and old alike to savor the mysteries and the meanings of spiritual life."
Book Description
The special 10th Anniversary Edition of a spiritual guide-for children.From one of today's most innovative and creative theologians, a book to introduce children ages 9-12 to a way of spiritual thinking to last a lifetime.Kushner, whose award-winning books have brought Jewish spirituality to life for countless adults, here introduces the spiritual richness of Jewish tradition to children. This easy-to-read, beautifully illustrated book encourages kids' awareness of their own spirituality.Revealing the essence of Judaism in a language they can understand and enjoy, The Book of Miracles combines Talmud, midrash, mystical and biblical stories to help readers make-and treasure-the connections between traditional sources and modern living.This intriguing guide challenges and inspires children to find the sacred in the mysterious and beautiful occurrences of their everyday lives. For parents to read to their children, for children to read to their parents-The Book of Miracles shows young people how to use Judaism as a foundation on which to build their lives.
Card catalog description
A collection of essays which present the elements of Jewish spiritual thinking.
About the Author
Lawrence Kushner, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth El in Sudbury, Mass., is widely regarded as one of the most creative Jewish theologians in America. He has lectured extensively on the themes of personal and institutional spiritual renewal. A guest commentator on National Public Radio, he is the author of Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary and other books.
The Book of Miracles: A Young Person's Guide to Jewish Spiritual Awareness ANNOTATION
A collection of essays which present the elements of Jewish spiritual thinking.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
From one of today's most innovative and creative theologians, a book to introduce children ages 9-13 to a way of spiritual thinking to last a lifetime.
Kushner, whose award-winning books have brought Jewish spirituality to life for countless adults, here introduces the spiritual richness of Jewish tradition to children. This easy-to-read, imaginatively illustrated book encourages kids' awareness of their own spirituality.
The Book of Miracles reveals the essence of Judaism in a language they can understand and enjoy. Kushner combines Talmud, midrash, mystical and biblical stories to help kids make-and treasure-the connections between
religion, spirituality, and modern living.
"Innocence, candor, spontaneity, wonder, amazement, trust, honesty; these are characteristics of children (and the children within adults) and they are the sources of spiritual thinking for every human being of any age....So, if you're a kid, go easy on the grown-ups; be patient with them; remind them of what it is like to experience life like a youngster. And if you're an adult, wonder again about who made the world." -From the 10th Anniversary Introduction
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Judy Silverman
Answering children's questions about God is often very difficult. How do we know what questions our children are really asking? How can we rephrase their questions so that any answer we give can be relevant to their lives, and ours? In this guide to Jewish spirituality for young people, Lawrence Kushner combines Bible, Talmud, Midrash, and mystical and Biblical stories to "help us make-and treasure- the connections between religion, spirituality, and everyday life." He does a wonderful job. Parents will read this to and with their children, children will read it on their own and with their parents, and people who have no children, or none at home, can use it to enrich their own spirituality. Highly recommended.
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