Judaism for Everyone

In Judaism for Everyone Shmuley Boteach imagines a future in which his religion provides “a locus of spirituality for men and women of all faiths.” This sounds like a pretty good future. “In some religions the purpose of life is to perfect oneself,” Shmuley begins. “For Judaism the purpose of life is the healing of the world.” So, in the same way that Buddhist and Hindu traditions have spawned global interest in Eastern meditation and yoga, Judaism’s broad concern for the holiness of this world may catch on with gentiles. Particular traditions of observance such as the Sabbath, for instance, may help gentiles to heal the alienation and lower the noise level of modern life. Throughout the book, Shmuley describes Judaism in terms that are both startlingly fresh and strangely commonsensical, a balanced perspective that will appeal to many readers.