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What your rabbi probably has never told you, but could—if you'd only ask.
"Every day I wonder if God is real, if the Torah is true. Every day I wonder why I’m a Jew. But that’s part of being Jewish. In the Torah, we’re called Yisrael—the ones who wrestle with God. Wrestling, asking, wondering, searching is just what God wants us to do! God loves good questions. Now tell me, what are your questions?"
—from Chapter 1
In Judaism we’re allowed to ask questions. We are invited to ask them. But for young people, it often feels as if no one is willing to take tough questions about religion, ourselves, and the world seriously.
This updated and expanded new edition of Tough Questions Jews Ask turns that all around. With honesty, humor and respect, Rabbi Edward Feinstein tackles topics as diverse as:
- Why Does God Let Terrible Things Happen?
- What Is God Anyway?
- If I Pray for Something, Will I get It?
- What’s the meaning of life? Is that a dumb question?
- Why Does Religion Need So Many Rules?
- Why Be Jewish?
With insight and wisdom—and without pretending to have all the answers—Rabbi Feinstein encourages young people to make sense of the Jewish tradition by wrestling with what we don’t understand.
"I wish I had this book when I was young. I'm grateful that the b’nei mitzvah and their parents in my congregation have it now. Rabbi Feinstein responds to the tough questions thoughtful Jewish teenagers ask with wisdom, humor, gentleness and insight. "
—Rabbi Laura Geller, senior rabbi, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, California
“In this remarkable book Rabbi Feinstein asks all the tough questions, and gives them thoughtful, important and often surprising answers. I will keep it by my desk; every Jewish parent seeking answers should do the same.”
—Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, California; author,
Teaching Your Children About God
“A masterpiece in Jewish education by a master educator. A gift for teenagers and adults alike. ”
—Rabbi Donniel Hartman, co-director, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem
“Takes us through those 'keep-you-up-at-night’ questions—and does so with wit and depth. This is the best theology book for young people that I have read in a long time. It will be must-reading for confirmation classes and Hebrew high school. What a treasure! ”
—Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, author, Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah and For Kids—Putting God on Your Guest List: How to Claim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah
Preface to the Second Edition vii
How to Read This Book ix
Acknowledgments xi
1. Am I Allowed to Ask? 1
Does It Make God Mad If We Ask Questions? 1
2. Who Believes in God Anymore? 6
Why Should I Believe in God? Why Should Anyone? 6
3. Do I Have to Go to Services? What Good Is Praying? 12
Does God Listen? Does God Answer? 12
If I Pray for Something, Will I Get It? 16
Do I Have to Go to a Synagogue to Pray? 19
4. Talking Snakes and Splitting Seas … Is Any of That Stuff in the Bible True? 22
If God Talked to Everyone in the Bible, Why Doesn't God Talk to Anyone Today? 26
5. Why Does God Let Terrible Things Happen? 30
How Can Anyone Believe in God after the Holocaust? 34
6. What Is God Anyway? 39
What's That about God Being a Shepherd … Are We Supposed to Be Sheep? 44
7. What's the Meaning of Life? Is That a Dumb Question? 49
8. No Cheeseburgers? No Going to the Mall on Saturday? Why Does Religion Need So Many Rules? 55
9. 2 T*Xt Or Not 2 T*Xt? 64
What’s Wrong with Texting? What Harm Can It Do? 64
10. What Do You See When You Look at Me? 71
Can I Get a Tattoo or a Piercing and Still Be Jewish? 75
11. Why Are There So Many Different Religions? Aren’t They All the Same? 79
What Is Christian Religion About? Is It Really
That Different from Our Religion? 82
Can a Person Be Half-Jewish, Half-Christian? 87
Why Won’t Mom Let Us Have a Christmas Tree? 88
What about Islam? Can I Be Friends with Muslims? 90
12. Why Do People Hate Jews? 94
13. If We Live Here, Why Is Israel So Important? 99
14. Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform—Why Can’t I Just Be Jewish? 104
15. What Happens to Us After We Die? 111
Do Jews Believe in Heaven and Hell? 111
16. What’s the Messiah? 117
17. What’s a Bar Mitzvah? What’s a Bat Mitzvah?
Can’t I Just Have a Birthday Party? 121
Why Do We Have to Keep Going to Hebrew School Even After We’re Bar Mitzvah? 124
18. Why Is It So Important to Marry Someone Jewish? 128
Why Can’t I Just Marry Someone I Love? 128
What If I Fall in Love with a Person Who Isn’t Jewish but Wants to Be? Can Someone Join Up? 132
19. Why Be Jewish? 134
One More Thing 137
Suggestions for Further Reading 138