Greetings!
Thank you for joining us for this, our second e-letter. We are pleased and proud to announce that Sheila Weinberg's first book, Surprisingly Happy: An Atypical Religious Memoir, is now available for purchase from the IJS website for $14.
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An Atypical Religious Memoir
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NEW YORK, NY..."Are you happy because you are getting older
or because you've found spiritual peace?"
Rabbi Sheila Weinberg, Institute for Jewish Spirituality's co-founder and Director of Outreach and
Community Development, offers intriguing answers to that question in her new
memoir, Surprisingly Happy: An Atypical
Religious Memoir (White River Press).
Snapshots of
Rabbi Weinberg's life, as told through poetry, prayers, and accounts of this
Jewish Baby Boomer's experiences, offer clues about her search to find God, and
carves a path for others to learn from her journey. It addresses her spiritual
quests through yoga and meditation, and provides a candid look at her struggle
with addiction, her philosophy of feminism, and her life as a wife, mother and
grandmother.
The book incorporates the author's eye witness accounts
of many iconic events of her generation: the 1968 student protests at Columbia
University; the challenges of the Peace Corps in Chile in the late 60s; the
outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War; the influence of Eastern practice on
Western religion; the breakthrough of women into religious leadership; and the
Feb. 15th, 2003 massive movement to stop the war in Iraq.
Rabbi Weinberg
also relates equally engaging anecdotes of less dramatic, yet impactful,
rituals of everyday life: Senior prom, family, holidays, and a complex
relationship with her mother.
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About Surprisingly Happy
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This book is about getting older and getting happier. It is the story of looking for God as I understand God, the God of a Jewish baby boomer, spiritual seeker, recovering alcoholic; a feminist grandma who loves yoga and is a rabbi.
Surprisingly Happy is inspiring not because it tells a person how to do their life but because, by telling about one particular faith- filled life, dogged in its search for truth and happiness, it can inspire anyone, regardless of the particulars of their spiritual or religious life, to keep on in the journey. Sheila Peltz Weinberg is a rabbi who teaches Torah through meditation and yoga. A life-long advocate for peace and justice, she is active in Rabbis for Human Rights, an international
organization that gives voice to the Jewish search for justice. She is a co-founder and Outreach Director of the Institute
for Jewish Spirituality (www.ijs-online.org), and leads workshops and retreats for
Jewish professionals and social justice activists.
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Order Now Online
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To order Sheila's new book, please visit our website at http://www.ijs-online.org/resources_cdstudy.php
Please note that review copies are available for book reviews; to obtain a copy journalists should write info@ijs-online.org.
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Upcoming Readings/Teachings
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The following readings are currently scheduled:
Boston, MA - Temple Beth Zion, February 21 Philadelphia, PA - Mishkan Shalom, April 25 New York, NY - JCC, date tba Malibu Jewish Community, CA - June 1 San Raphael, CA - Rodeph Sholom, June 2 If you would like to invite Sheila to visit your community, please write sheila@ijs-online.org.
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Thank you!  Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to be with us; we look forward to seeing you next month. L'shalom, Rachel. | |
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Listen to Sheila Online
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Listen to Sheila's newest teaching, In the Divine Image, as well as her growing collection of teachings on our podcast page.
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