Eyes Remade for Wonder: The Lawrence Kushner Reader

For the past 25 years, Kushner (The Book of Letters) has been helping readers understand the connection between the sacred and the ordinary. This collection contains samples from each of Kushner's books along with a generous amount of new and previously unpublished material. Some samples are deeply academic, some are written for children and some reflect Kushner's mysticism. While a portion of the pieces are aimed primarily at a Jewish audience, the message of others will appeal to people of all faiths. For example, Kushner tells an old Hasidic story of the disciples who had gathered to learn from their rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov. After evening prayers, the rebbe would speak late into the night. One evening, as the students left, one after another apologized for monopolizing so much of Baal Shem Tov's attention. Each had felt as if the teacher had spoken personally to him. So it is when we read Scripture, says Kushner; the text speaks intimately and demands an intensely personal response. Kushner's blend of scholarship, imagination, psychology, mysticism and humor will make readers feel that he is speaking personally to them. (Nov.)