In addition to the worthy books Rabbis Grossman and Stern mentioned–and with particular appreciation for the selection of Etgar Keret’s The Nimrod Flipout, a fitting follow-up to the brilliant 2004 short-story collection The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God–I would add the recently published Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land by Rabbi Shefa Gold.

Rabbi Gold has been a long-time teacher and song-leader in the Jewish Renewal movement, and her recordings of Jewish chant have been a point of entry for many into the words of our sacred texts. Her first book, Torah Journeys, is an exploration of the weekly portion written from the perspective of spiritual growth and development, and contains some remarkable insights and practices that are both profound and accessible.

Also worth a mention is Rabbi Jill Hammer’s The Jewish Book of Days, a day-by-day exploration of the Jewish calendar with reflections based on traditional Jewish sources. Beautifully laid out, it can be a source of daily inspiration for Jews and non-Jews alike.

–Posted by Rabbi Joshua Waxman