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An Orthodox rabbi and his dying Christian mother discuss ultimate faith.
“A moving, tender interfaith consideration of sacred poetry. . . . An Ivy League–educated rabbi whose writings have appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic, Yanklowitz balances a deep academic understanding of the Psalms with an affectingly personal reflection on their applicability to his own life.” —Kirkus Reviews
This is a personal, interfaith journey through all 150 Psalms, framed by an Orthodox rabbi’s conversations with his Christian mother as they study scripture together during her final illness. It is a warm book about the love between mother and son as well as conversations between two historically competing faiths. Rabbi Shmuly blends textual commentary with memoir, grief, healing, and the shared spiritual language that brought him closer to his mother as she approached the end of her life. The book weaves traditional Jewish exegesis with a deep respect for Christian theology, offering interfaith reflections rooted in lived experience rather than academic comparison. Each psalm becomes a portal into moments from her illness, insights about love and loss, and the grounding power of ancient poetry in modern grief. It is a work for Jews, Christians, interfaith families, clergy, chaplains, caregivers, and seekers looking for honest spiritual grounding.
“Rav Shmuly leaves no stone unturned halachically, socially, politically, and religiously.” —Mayim Bialik, PhD, Emmy-nominated actress
“I deeply appreciate the Rabbi’s deep faith journey with his beloved mother.” —Pete Buttigieg
“A remarkable story about faith, love, and kindness.” —U.S. Senator Cory Booker
“What a privilege for us to be part of a dialog between Rav Shmuly—one of the amazing faith leaders of our time—and his devout Christian activist mom as they look at each psalm from their unique perspectives trying to determine who God is, how our traditions teach and where we can find guidance in times of stress.” —Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador, American Jewish World Service
“A Christian mother and her Jewish son forge an interfaith connection through reading the Psalms in this hybrid of memoir and spiritual commentary. ‘I’m an Orthodox rabbi. Mom was a devout Evangelical Christian,’ writes Yanklowitz, who emphasizes that, theologically and ritually, the two faiths ‘were so different.’ Though the author converted to the Judaism of his father, he notes that he and his mother shared a mutual love of the biblical Book of Psalms. For many Christians and Jews, this deeply personal and emotionally expressive collection of songs and poetry serves as a model of prayer, as it covers the range of human experiences from triumph and jubilation to pain, loss, and doubt. While his mother was battling cancer, the two began reading, praying, and reflecting on all 150 Psalms together. ‘Whatever we were going through at that moment,’ Yanklowitz notes, ‘it filtered through the Psalms.’ Each of the volume’s chapters covers a Psalm; the author supplements spiritual reflections on each text with personal stories about his mother’s declining health, her faith journey from Catholicism to evangelical Christianity, and his family’s interfaith dynamics. The dichotomy between the duo’s perspectives provides a unique lens through which readers can consider the biblical poetry—discussing Psalm 27, Yanklowitz describes how his mother’s visualization of the person of Jesus meant that her understanding of the plea to ‘seek God’s face’ did not have the same mystical ambiguity experienced by Jewish scholars. The author offers erudite commentary backed by more than 260 endnotes, and he deftly connects each Psalm to his relationship with his mother. Poignantly, Yanklowitz reports that his mother died before they completed their read-through, and the author uses the remaining Psalms to process his grief, anger, and loneliness. An Ivy League–educated rabbi whose writings have appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic, Yanklowitz balances a deep academic understanding of the Psalms with an affectingly personal reflection on their applicability to his own life. A moving, tender interfaith consideration of sacred poetry.” —Kirkus Reviews
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash, founder and CEO of Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy, and president of YATOM: The Jewish Foster and Adoption Network. Rabbi Yanklowitz’s writings have appeared in outlets as diverse as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic among many other secular and religious publications. He is a sought-after educator, social justice activist, and motivational speaker as well as the author of thirty books on Jewish spirituality, social justice, and ethics.
He earned a Masters degree from Harvard University in Leadership and Psychology, another Masters from Yeshiva University in Jewish Philosophy, and a doctorate from Columbia University in Moral Development and Epistemology. He obtained rabbinical ordination from the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School and two additional, private ordinations in Israel. He has twice been named one of “America’s Top Rabbis” by Newsweek.
He lives in Scottsdale, AZ.