THROUGH THE UNKNOWN, REMEMBERED GATE: A Spiritual Journey
Emily Benedek, THROUGH THE UNKNOWN, REMEMBERED GATE: A Spiritual Journey
When Benedek (Beyond the Four Corners of the World ), a New York Jew living in Dallas, awakened one day to find that she'd lost her ability to see clearly, she interpreted it as a manifestation of spiritual crisis—a sign that she'd literally lost sight of what was important. Although her vision returned, Benedek decided to immerse herself in the world of traditional Orthodox Judaism, a world she hoped would set her back on the right course. Since Benedek been long alienated from her Jewish heritage, this immersion created some conflicts in her life, particularly discomfort with Judaism's sometimes limited roles for women, as well as a strange sense of being a visitor to the Jewish community. The intriguing premise of a contemporaneous loss of sight and acquisition of insight enlivens the early chapters of the book, in which Benedek undergoes various medical tests and diagnoses her own spiritual emptiness. But for the most part she simply lists and explains the rituals of her newfound community, making her story seem more like a tour-bus ride than a spiritual journey. Along with Benedek, one learns about keeping Sabbath, why Orthodox women wear wigs and the details of the Passover Seder. Though well wrought from Benedek's simultaneous insider/outsider perspective, these observations may be too basic for a target audience of readers drawn to books about Jewish life and culture. Agent, Kris Dahl, ICM. (Apr. 17)
closeDetailsReviewed on: 02/26/2001
Genre: Religion
When Benedek (
Reviewed on: 02/26/2001
Genre: Religion
