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  <title><![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]></description>
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        <name><![CDATA[Douglas Rushkoff]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
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  <average_rating>3.53</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun May 20 04:09:08 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 19:45:17 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[the book is most definitely &quot;disturbing&quot;. but i love it.<br/><br/>the point of view of the author seems to be rather keeping with the Reconstructionist mindset, and he presents his information in a clear and conversational manner.. he is very easy to follow and his research is exhaustive...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1320752">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1320752]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1320752]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1955130</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Haywire]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
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  <average_rating>3.54</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <date_added>Thu Jun 14 06:19:14 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 21:31:41 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[It's easy to make fun of Rushkoff for writing shit like Cyberia, but after hearing that this text was about deconstructing and radicalizing Jewish culture I figured I'd pick it up. Especially because Rushkoff is Jewish himself.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1955130]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>6587864</id>
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    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
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  <average_rating>3.54</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Sep 21 21:57:09 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Sep 21 22:47:15 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I thought it was a refreshing and honest portryal of what Judaism actually is and is not. Some members of the Jewish establishment won't like it, but I think a person who takes a close and honest look at Judaism will reach or will at least have to confront many of the same conclusions that he puts f...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6587864">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6587864]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>59696653</id>
    <user>
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    <name><![CDATA[Gabrielle]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.54</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>50</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <date_added>Sun Jun 14 22:47:40 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 14 22:49:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While much of this book was repetitive, I found the &quot;alternate&quot; Jewish history outlined absolutely fascinating.  A provocative look at the true meaning of Judaism, and perhaps of religion altogether.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59696653]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59696653]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>3496891</id>
    <user>
    <id>34213</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alyssa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
  </title>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 25 06:31:40 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 01:55:23 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book provides a scathing critique of the American Jewish Community and its organizations.  The critique is brilliantly written, but his solution to the problems he cites is absurd.  Nonetheless, read it, as he provides the most eloquent critique I've read yet.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3496891]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3496891]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Marianne]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[There is enough &quot;truth&quot; here, to make the lies sound believable.  I did not agree with many of Rushkoff's assertions, but liked most of his suggestions at the end of the book.  Also, he has a thourough list of references worth looking into.]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[this book, while quite critical of the way Judaism is being expressed in many if not most corners of the world, has paradoxically inspired me about what Judaism really stands - or could stand - for.]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[this is a good one to quote at parties.]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism]]>
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of<strong> Ecstasy Club</strong> and <strong>Coercion</strong>, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, <strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings.<br/><br/>Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again.<br/><br/>Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them.<br/><br/>If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome?<br/><br/><strong>Nothing Sacred </strong>is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
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