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 I Beautifully styled bedrooms from Durham, Pennsylvania House, Harden, Stanley, Hooker, Knob Creek... Now On Sale At Exceptional Savings. 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