Down-to-Earth Judaism: ting shiva") and to write ("What
Food, Money, Sex and the would you write if you were go-
Rest of Life (William Morrow ing to compose a prayer for
and Co. Inc.).
mourners?") as well as exercis-
Each topic considers ways in es to help grandchildren learn
which Jews can incorporate new, more of their lost loves ones
what can only be called political- (questions to ask shiva visitors,
ly correct practices into their re- such as, "How did you know my
ligious behavior. Mr. Waskow grandparent?" and "How would
suggests that since food is "sacred you describe my grandma or
and central" in Jewish life, one grandpa as a friend?").
must consider: "Do I want to be
The book begins with shiva
able to track how food comes from and continues throughout the en-
the earth to my mouth, and what tire year of mourning. Other ac-
my body is doing with the food af- tivities include, "How I Am Like
ter it leaves my mouth?"
My Grandparent," recalling a
And in his chapters on sex, he grandparent's favorite foods on
suggests Jews ask themselves the holidays, remembering a
whether their love is "helping to grandfather or grandmother dur-
create wider circles of love and ing yahrtzeit and ways to honor
justice, peace and ecological bal- the memory of a loved one
ance" and if "their bodies (are) through tzedakah.
helping to birth or heal other bod-
Dr. Liss-Levinson, who lives in
ies — through begetting, Long Island, is a psychologist and
birthing, or adopting children, psychoanalyst in private practice.
through hands-on healing of the
sick, bringing food directly
to the hungry, seeding one
specific piece of earth."
Mr. Waskow's previous
books include Seasons of
Our Joy and Godwrestling.
Also new in the spiritual
department is Beyond Be-
lief (Plum Street Publish-
ers) by Herbert Monheit.
Working with the philos-
ophy "it's not how much we
know but how deeply we
feel," Mr. Monheit has writ-
ten a work that guides read-
ers through such weighty
subjects as "Concepts of
God," "State of Mind Ten-
sions" and "Worship."
He says the impetus for
his book came in 1978
when, after a mid-life crisis,
he began attending services Faye Kellerman won't bore readers to death
at Rodeph Shalom Syna- with her new mystery.
gogue in Philadelphia. He
has continued going to services
he's a killer of an author.
ever since, and wishes more Jews
For the past several years,
— specifically Reform Jews —
Faye Kellerman has been
would do the same.
tingling the spines of read-
"The Reform movement has ers with her novels featuring Det.
not seriously addressed the mat- Peter Decker and his sidekick
ter of spirituality," he says. "...No (and now wife) Rena Lazarus.
one would deny that our religion Her latest mystery featuring this
and spirituality should require dashing duo is Justice (William
at least the effort and scrutiny we Morrow and Co.) and tells the sto-
give to other valuable endeavors, ry of the murder of a high-school
such as those concerning our fam- prom queen.
ily and business. Only with care-
As interesting as the book,
ful analysis followed by whose heroes are observant Jews,
pondering, Weighing and search- is the story of the author herself.
ing can we fully understand the
She started out as a dentist;
problem of the failed relationship inspired by her husband, author
with God."
Jonathan Kellerman, she decid-
Mr. Monheit is an attorney in ed to take a stab at mystery writ-
Philadelphia and member of the ing. Her first work, The Ritual
board of trustees at Rodeph Bath, brought together a detec-
Shalom.
tive who thought he was gentile
n When a Grandparent (but who later discovers his moth-
Dies (Jewish Lights), Ne- er was Jewish) with an observant
hama Liss-Levinson helps Jewish woman named Rena. The
children through what is often Ritual Bath was published in
their first encounter with death. 1986 and has been followed by
But this is not the typical tool, eight more novels.
like a series of essays. Instead it
Ms. Kellerman is the mother
is a notebook, designed to be used of four children, aged 17 to 3. Her
by children aged 7-11. There are eldest daughter, Elana, also as-
places to draw ("My family sit- pires to be a writer. 112
S
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