Judaism for Everyone

With the publication of his runaway best seller Kosher Sex (1999), Rabbi Shmuley Boteach gained instant fame as a sage and savvy commentator on public and private life. Now he turns his outspoken energy and vast erudition to the core teachings of Judaism itself. During his eleven years as Rabbi of Oxford University and founder of the university’s Jewish outreach organization, the L’Chaim Society, Boteach began to realize how well-matched the foundational beliefs of Judaism are to the broad human needs of the modern world. Unlike the dualist credo of other religions — in which the material and spiritual are always in conflict — the Jewish faith, argues Boteach, uniquely represents a spiritual philosophy concerned about life in this world, rather than in the hereafter. In Judaism for Everyone this most unorthodox of orthodox rabbis explores the Jewish and Biblical origins of civilization’s seminal moral ideas and presents Judaism as a program of action for people of all faiths. Boteach’s interpretations and commentary are a vibrant celebration of the dynamism that is Judaism. Whether he’s peppering his points with stories from his childhood, promoting feminism and decrying boredom, or extolling the virtues of leisure and solitude, Shmuley Boteach never fails to inform, inspire — and surprise. Judaism for Everyone is for everyone seeking a universal moral creed to maximize human goodness and inner potential.