My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen

Apr 20, 2009 Kevin rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 03, 2008 Kit rated it 1 of 5 stars

Interesting premise, but dull and obvious in its execution.

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Oct 26, 2008 Yitz rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is one of those ubiquitous "life journey" books. It describes the year in which an Orthodox rabbi visits the different worship places of various Christian denominations. (My favorite was United Christian Wrestling, although the black Jesus Easter pageant came in a close second.)

The author is somewhat vague on his spiritual/psychological background (although I now know more than I wanted to about Crohn's disease) and somehow remains an Orthodox Jew the entire time, making the whole thing see...more

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Dec 12, 2008 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, memoir, religion

An interesting idea, with semi-interesting execution.

The most interesting parts for me were his explanations of the odd Orthodox Jewish rituals. Hiding bread in Ziploc bags before Passover, who knew? The various trips to Christian churches and things were less poignant because the author seemed to consider himself an outsider throughout and never fully immerse himself in the experiences. I liked the comparisons he made to Judaism, and realizing the commonality of all religions, but his reiterati...more

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Jul 09, 2008 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in religion

This was well-written, funny, yet down to earth. I learned a lot about Christianity and Orthodox Judaism from this book.

Cohen, an Orthodox Jewish man, spends a year attending a variety of Christian services. His journalistic background helps make these experiences colorful and detailed. But the book is also part spiritual growth; throughout the chapters Cohen pauses to discuss how these experiences are helping his own faith suffer or blossom, often diplomatically comparing Christianity and Judai...more

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Dec 07, 2008 Gilly rated it 2 of 5 stars

I enjoy reading about other people's spiritual journeys, especially around Judaism. But as an observant Jew myself, it was very hard to get past the author's embarrassment about and apology for his Judaism. He doesn't seem to believe that anyone Jewish would read this book, or that anyone non-Jewish could respect the traditions that might be more alien to him. He claims to have back come to a closer connection with his own religion through his experiences visiting Christian churches, but sadly,...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars

A charming spiritual journey in which an Orthodox Jew discovers that "Hanging out with Jesus has made me a better Jew."

First off - this is not one of those stories of conversion.

Rather, Benyamin Cohen does not feel fulfilled by his experiences with the synagogue or the hundreds of rules that an Orthodox Jew must follow. He decides to go to the other side of the street and see if the grass is greener (he literally grew up across the street from a Methodist church that seemed so much more vibrant...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Summer rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was terrible, and to be honest, I had to stop halfway through because the writing was so bad. There is a smugness and insincerity in his writing that made me constantly feel as if he were looking condescendingly down on Christians rather than trying to learn about their faith. One thing that was extremely off-putting to me was his reference to one of the little people that he dated as one of this crazy ex-girlfriends, even though the only thing that apparently qualified her as "crazy"...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Elliot Ratzman rated it 3 of 5 stars

This shtick-lit, in short: ambivalent orthodox Jew travels around Churches in and around Atlanta to see what’s the haps with Christianity. I’d recommend this light reading to Jews who know nothing about Christians and want to get a sense of their practice. I’d also suggest it as a mild and funny intro to Judaism and how Jews see Christianity. Though a breezy read with lots of clever moments and observations, this is only a superficial treatment of Christian life. While we encounter all types fro...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Benyamin Cohen grew up in Georgia, an Orthodox Jew and the son of a Rabbi (at one point, they even had a synagogue attached to their house). He always had a curious attraction to Christianity, borne by being raised in a culture that kind of shoves it down your throat at times and growing up across the street from a church, and as an adult, he realizes that he's not finding the answers to his deep questions in Judaism, nor is he finding the satisfaction he craves. So he sets off to explore all fa...more Benyamin Cohen grew up in Georgia, an Orthodox Jew and the son of a Rabbi (at one point, they even had a synagogue attached to their house). He always had a curious attraction to Christianity, borne by being raised in a culture that kind of shoves it down your throat at times and growing up across the street from a church, and as an adult, he realizes that he's not finding the answers to his deep questions in Judaism, nor is he finding the satisfaction he craves. So he sets off to explore all facets of Christianity- not to convert, that's not at all his intention, but to explore another faith in the hopes of finding what connects him to his own.

Cohen takes an entire year and participates in Christianity as an outsider on the inside. He attends evangelical churches, churches with full-out gospel choirs, Catholic churches, Christian wrestling matches (yes, really); he speaks with Mormons, he visits churches on Christmas and Easter (all while still fully participating in the often-demanding daily rituals and holidays of Orthodox Judaism). And along the way, he finds that Judaism could learn a thing or two about enthusiasm, but that it does indeed have the answers he wanted. He just had to find a new way to look for them.

If you enjoyed AJ Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically, this is right up your alley. Cohen is funny, and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Fascinating stuff, and I think it would appeal to both religious and non-religious readers. You don't have to be a believer in order to enjoy Cohen's search.

My favorite quote came from page 126, and it's something that rings true for any religion:

Faith and fear may go hand in hand, but that can't be the standard way to get kids excited about their religion. Children raised that way will never be religious because they want to, but only because they have to. Scare tactics may work initially, but they will only foster the development of religiously dysfunctional adults who are too crippled to cope with the many shades of gray that accompany true faith. Is that what God desires?
A quote like that should be in full view at all times in every house of worship, religious education center, and every religious school.(less)

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Feb 10, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book to be a delightful read, one that can be enjoyed by everyone. It will be especially enjoyable to those in the Atlanta area.

Benyamin Cohen is the son of an Orthodox Rabbi, who finds that he is less than enthusiastic about his Jewish faith. He decides, with a Rabbi's permission, to take a year and explore Christian religions.

His first sojorn into Christianity is the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. The services are held in the Georgia Dome and he is the o...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Kate rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: cannonball-read

I do not generally give bad reviews about books. The worst I’ve ever written or said about a piece of literature can be summed up in that infuriatingly smug syllable “meh.” Wasn’t good enough to stick in my mind, don’t you know. Wasn’t good enough to keep its feet amongst the gods of English literature. Meh.

I’m changing that now. I’m about to give a bad review.

It became clear to me from the first few pages of My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Be...more I do not generally give bad reviews about books. The worst I’ve ever written or said about a piece of literature can be summed up in that infuriatingly smug syllable “meh.” Wasn’t good enough to stick in my mind, don’t you know. Wasn’t good enough to keep its feet amongst the gods of English literature. Meh.

I’m changing that now. I’m about to give a bad review.

It became clear to me from the first few pages of My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen that this was going to be a chore. It wasn’t necessarily the subject matter. I’m a Jew and I like Jews. Check. I get a look into the world of megachurches and revival tents. Check. Enlightenment by the last page. Check. These are great things for a book to take my mind off of other pressing matters, right? Well, as any museum-goer will know, the artifacts can be gorgeous and heart-stirring, but they completely lose their charm when they’re displayed on top of an over-turned cardboard box and lit by a homeless man holding a flashlight.

What I’m trying to say is that Cohen’s writing style and personality made me want to wring his neck. Where there should be humor, there are nudge-nudge-wink-wink pop culture references. Where there should be actual insight into his spiritual journey, there is whining. And, oh G-d, the whining.

Mr. Cohen, listen, that skinny asthmatic Jew thing is all played out. It died once Israel got an army, Lenny Krayzelburg won gold, and the Hebrew Hammer kicked some ass. You’re not Woody Allen—you’re barely a Woody Allen wannabe. Sure, you didn’t choose to become an Orthodox Jew, but last time I checked, none of us had a sign up sheet in the womb. I’m sorry that your mother died when you were young, but you should be thanking your lucky stars that you had a family that loved you, clothed you, and fed you. You know how many people have less than that?

What kills me here is that I agree with many of his assessments of his time in the Christian world. Of course it’s disturbing as all hell when you find Christians wearing the Star of David. Yes, a Sunday mass can be an incredibly uplifting experience. And, absolutely, gospel can elevate a service in any religion. There is so much to be gathered from gentiles, so much to learn that can give us a perspective on our own faith. However, calling someone the Michael Jordon of faith or constantly harping on your own spindly little body is tiresome.

People, if you want to read a humorous book about religion, read A.J. Jacobs’ The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (why are these titles always so long?). If you want a fish out of water book, pick up Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson. The Jesus Year, as much as I wanted to like it, is a sad waste of cellulose.
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Jul 24, 2009 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cohen is, from all appearances, a very devout and conservative Jew. On the inside, however, he feels his spiritual life is empty. He longs to experience genuine spirituality. In addition, he has always had a secret envy of Christians.

Somehow this leads Cohen to embark on a year-long adventure exploring Bible Belt Christianity.

One more thing you should know about Cohen: He is a funny guy. That explains a lot. For example, it explains why Cohen spends his year visiting rock Christians and wrestli...more

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Apr 14, 2009 Kami rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I have to admit that I didn't actually read this book cover to cover. I just browsed through it, so my opinions may not be well founded. That being said, overall, the author seemed to browse through many Christian churches noting their own idiosyncrasies and/or hypocrisy (without judging of course) and ending each chapter with a chipper lesson he learned from each. It annoyed me a bit because he made such a big deal on not judging and seemed to sacrifice any opinion he may have formed to t...more Okay, I have to admit that I didn't actually read this book cover to cover. I just browsed through it, so my opinions may not be well founded. That being said, overall, the author seemed to browse through many Christian churches noting their own idiosyncrasies and/or hypocrisy (without judging of course) and ending each chapter with a chipper lesson he learned from each. It annoyed me a bit because he made such a big deal on not judging and seemed to sacrifice any opinion he may have formed to that ideal which led to him basically coming across as sounding sanctimoniousness and too politically correct to be honest. His constant peppering of pop culture references also did little to make his study of Christian faiths seem serious.

One of the only chapters I read all the way through was the one where he spent a day with two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Alright, I'm Mormon, and I was curious to see what he would say.) Basically, he listed a few myths and facts that he had previously known about Mormons and then went on to explain that Orthodox Jews (which the author is) and Mormons have a lot in common, including: both have bad PR problems since both are seen as being fanatical, spending two years proselyting vs yeshiva students, both used to have polygamy, garments vs tzitzit, 40 yrs in the desert vs crossing the plains, and persecution. Briefly he mentioned a little of church organization and that was it, ending the chapter with the campy sentence, "I guess sometimes we just need a little Mormon to show us the way." Anyway, nothing insulting, nothing really informative either. Just the same blandness that I browsed through in the rest of his book.

He ended by describing his journey through Christianity made him realize that the same problems of lack of faith and disenchantment of his own religion plagued members of many religions and a lot of it is just going through the motions in between spiritual highs. Apparently that lesson helped him to decide to recommit to being a fully practicing Orthodox Jew.

All in all, I just didn't think this book was worth my time to read it all because I just wasn't learning that much. (less)

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Jun 23, 2009 Jenny Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cohen is the son of an Orthodox rabbi, living in Atlanta. Cohen is feeling disillusioned and unfulfilled by Judaism, so he decides to investigate Christianity, to see if there are any meanings he can take that will help him rediscover his own faith. To that end, every Sunday he visits churches, faith rallies, and meets Christian evangelicals.

My biggest complaint with this book is that it floats too much on the surface. I felt it was unclear that this entire time, Cohen is actually still a very o...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: inspirational

I read this for my church bookclub and thoroughly enjoyed it! Cohen is a journalist to start with so his writing is much better than other the-year-I-did-this-or-that genre of books. As a matter of fact he is hilarious! The basic premise of the book is that Cohen, a thirty-something Orthodox Jew, is observant but passionless about his religion. He wants to rediscover it and, in a twist, decides to do so by spending a year attending services and events at a wide variety of Christian denominations...more

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Jun 16, 2010 KDNH rated it 5 of 5 stars

How many times have you started reading a book with a preconceived idea of how you would like it? I certainly did so with this book. The premise sounds eerily similar to that of The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs, which to this day remains my all time favorite book. And because Jacobs offers a cover quote for My Jesus Year, it was easy to assume this memoir was going to be very similar.

But talk about being pleasantly surprised! Done from an anthropological perspective, Cohen does somet...more How many times have you started reading a book with a preconceived idea of how you would like it? I certainly did so with this book. The premise sounds eerily similar to that of The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs, which to this day remains my all time favorite book. And because Jacobs offers a cover quote for My Jesus Year, it was easy to assume this memoir was going to be very similar.

But talk about being pleasantly surprised! Done from an anthropological perspective, Cohen does something I’ve talked about doing for years! I’ve often wondered and considered exploring different churches every weekend just to see how different people worship. My motives have never been to rethink my religion as I’m confident in my beliefs and where I am with them. But for pure interest sake, it has always appealed to me to visit neighborhood and local churches of different denominations. That is exactly what Cohen does for an entire year. (Well, sort of. He kind of leans toward the other extreme visiting a Christian wrestling match, a Christian rock concert, megachurches, as well as a monastery; so on and so forth…)

Born Jewish and the son of a Rabbi, Cohen’s quest is more profound in the sense that he is exploring his religion and seeking knowledge and thirsting for that closeness to God. In a rut with Judaism he dives into Christianity, in a new location every single weekend for one year. While still observing Sabbath on Saturday, Cohen went to Christian churches on Sundays as well. Again, for an entire year. That seems overwhelming to experience that much that often.

While reading laugh out loud funny (once I got past my predetermined judgments of how the book would read), this is one of the wittiest memoirs I’ve ever come across. The depth to his conclusions after visiting a new church or Christian body are astounding and surprising. Cohen writes with a sincerity that will appeal to every reader no matter your religion or lack thereof.

His humor is engaging, his story is intriguing and his memoir is both revealing and enjoyable. I’m happy to share this book (which I had purchased a few years ago) with over 30 swappers on the wish list on PaperBackSwap. This is a story that should be shared and I’m glad I finally picked it up to read.(less)

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Feb 10, 2012 Chrissy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The son of a Rabbi grows up and feels his religion was forced upon him, devoid of any real spirituality and laden with rules and regulations. His response? Go to churches for one year to find out why Christians seem to enjoy themselves more. Ridiculous concept, I supposed but it made for an interesting read.

What I liked: The first several chapters are hilarious. His descriptions of his visit to church give you a good idea of what it must be like for non-churched people to come in and see folks w...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Staci rated it 1 of 5 stars

I thought I had already put this book on my feed but apparently I didn't...

I read this after reading The Unlikely Disciple...by Kevin Roose, which was SO well-written, respectful, interesting and engaging. You could tell he really wanted to learn and it was a great read.

This read much more like some guy who is disenchanted with his religion...yet the only church services he "liked" were the ones that were most similar to the Jewish services he claimed to dislike. He mocked the less formal, more...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Myev rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't have high hopes for this one, but the premise was intriguing enough to earn it an afternoon of my time. Living in southern rural Ohio, I have a lot of experience with Christian ignorance of Judaism, so in a sadistic way, it was fun to read about a Jew who simply could not processing a mega-church worship experience.

Over all, it was fluffy and overly "we're all one people"-ish. I could come up with some serious reasons why the impetus behind the book is highly problematic on many levels,...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Kathy jenkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is some random Book that called to me from the library shelves. In keeping with my unintended reading about Jews I picked it up to find e the story of a Jewish man who looks to Christianity to help him find meaning in his religious life. I was impressed that he did this with permission from a rabbi which helped him overcome a couple of the many guilt trips he's been trained to take. While I would not follow his path, some of the churches he chose were too different for me, it did achieve th...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I was interested in his chapter about going out with the LDS sister missionaries. It was more thoughtful than I expected, and turned out to be perhaps the turning point in his quest.

He found what he was looking for--a reconnection with his own religion. It would have been revolutionary if he had actually been open to the main claim of Christianity--that Jesus is the Christ and the Messiah we all need. It felt a little formulaic and insincere at times, but by the end I be...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Shelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: misc

This was kind of interesting but sooooo long. I think it was mostly his style that got grating after awhile - annoying pop culture asides because he's soooo smart, tense shifts, glib patter, etc. I liked the first half and then was totally ready to be done. It was interesting to see the glimpses of all the types of Christian churches, though, and the many differences. It was also interesting to learn more about Jewish Orthodoxy, which was fascinating to me. But I think this would have been a bet...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone interested in seeing Jesus' followers through Jewish eyes

What I learned from this book is that some Orthodox Jews follow a welter of trivial rules that, growing up in an Orthodox home, I never heard the likes of. Cohen dwells on "rules" like you should tie your left shoelace before you tie your right one (why I have no clue), and both complains about their absurdity and the lack of spirituality in his Orthodox upbringing. To be fair, I must say I do know Orthodox Jews who do find spirituality in their practises, but I don't know if they tie their left...more What I learned from this book is that some Orthodox Jews follow a welter of trivial rules that, growing up in an Orthodox home, I never heard the likes of. Cohen dwells on "rules" like you should tie your left shoelace before you tie your right one (why I have no clue), and both complains about their absurdity and the lack of spirituality in his Orthodox upbringing. To be fair, I must say I do know Orthodox Jews who do find spirituality in their practises, but I don't know if they tie their left shoe before the right one.

In any event, Cohen decides to go on a quest for a year to seek out Christian churches, not to change his religion, as one might think, but to find out why Christians go to church and seem to enjoy it. His Jesus year is spent going to megachurches, Fundamentalist churches, Catholic churches, even a monastery. Guess what? In the end, he decides to stick to Orthodox Judaism because he has figured out how to connect with God spiritually as a Jew.

His writing is sprightly and engaging. He gives an outsider's view to listening to people speak in tongues and praising God jubilantly. He even wonders why Jews don't have megachurches. Since he's already said Jews comprise only 2% of the US's population, I think that would have occurred to him as the answer, but it doesn't.

Instead, he says that when he asked other Jews this, they said that Jews couldn't afford it. Cohen, the son of an Orthodox rabbi, a profession not known for yielding wealth, pooh poohs this, saying that studies have shown that Jews have better incomes than any other ethnic group. Hold on. That isn't what studies show, although popular myth is that all Jews are rich. What studies really show is that a larger perecentage of Jews are in the middle and upper middle class income brackets, and fewer are in the lower middle class and welfare brackets. As for mega-rich Jews, there are far fewer of them than of Christian megarich. However, since there are so few Jews, this doesn't mean that Jews as a whole can command the millions that megachurch preachers can.

He might also have considered that the megachurches take credit cards in the offering baskets and some even have ATM's in the churches, not to mention all kinds of goods and services to by. Preachers also are on TV asking viewers to send in donations and telling them if they do, they will get rich. Well, Judaism doesn't promise wealth to believers or any worldly benefits. Nor do they punctuate religious services with displaying 800 numbers for people to call in their donations.

There is no way that Judaism can do those things. You cannot handle money on the Sabbath or on holy days! There are no baskets sent around during religious services. Synagogues and temples get their incomes from families paying annual dues, usually around $1000 -$5000 a year, according to their incomes. And, if people can't afford dues, then they just go to services for nothing.

The scads of money that Cohen saw preachers rake in during their services can't be emulated in a Jewish service. Since the preachers have their congregations in an aroused state when they start passing the money trays, their congregants are stimulated to give even more. In at last one instance he observed, the choir itself urged people to give. Jews just get a bill in the mail. It is not too stimulating to just open a bill for your annual dues and all too easy to be pissed if they've gone up.

It is most strange to me that Cohen misses the biggest reason that Jews have fallen away from their religion. When the immigrants from Eastern Europe came here in the early 20th century, they came from places where, as Jews, they were humiliated and scorned overtly. Here, they just had to don ordinary American clothing and presto! they were treated like everyone else. Since the Jewish Sabbath doesn't coincide with the Christian retailing or work calendars nor with the many Jewish holidays like Purim, Shavuot, T'isha Ba'av, Passover, The Fast of Esther, The Fast of the First Born, etc. assimilating meant giving up all but the holiest holidays. Saturday was a regular work day in the early 20th century, and many of the Eastern European Jews who immigrated then were skilled workers in factories. Those who were in retail had to keep their stores open on the Sabbath.

Without the reinforcement of being able to go to worship services on a weekly basis, of course commitment to Judaism lessened. Add to that what Cohen himself admits at the start of his book, Jews wanted to be able to do what Christians do, like eat pizza or have a cheeseburger. There went the Kosher laws, which also were a powerful binder to Judaism. It's not that there's anything more wrong with Judaism than there is with Christianity. It's just that we are a Christian nation. Christian holidays are national holidays. Jewish ones are not. Christians are the norm whom Jews emulated and became assimilated to. When I was in elementary school, we made Easter murals and read stories about the Easter bunny, but there was no mention of Passover. In music class, we learned Christmas carols, not Adon Olom.

In short, being Jewish may be cool for comics, but abiding by Jewish practises is not cool at all. In the 1950's, coming from an immigrant Orthodox family, I had to give it all up, become as un-Jewish as I could, in order to be accepted by the Jewish kids in my high school. And that was not unusual exept, perhaps in New York City which housed such a large number of Jews. In other places in America, there were either no Jews at all, or very few. Mr. Cohen, there's your answer, not megachurches supported by supposedly wealthy Jews.(less)

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Feb 13, 2010 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

This is why I should either not write reviews four months later, or read exclusively things that I think are so mind-blowingly amazing that I am sure I'll remember the mind-blow for at least a semester. So my review of this book, other than that it's surprisingly unmemorable for the story of an Orthodox Jew going to church a lot, is as follows:
I think I learned about a group of black Jews that is led by someone who calls himself a Prince and drives something blingy. They speak Hebrew and worship...more

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Jun 05, 2009 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, spirituality

Really only deserves 2.5 stars. I was expecting a lot more humor and hoping to learn something about the different faiths Cohen "explores", but instead I found his tone more whiny than funny and his explorations shallow. After reading the comparatively well-researched and heavily-footnoted "The Year of Living Biblically" I was particularly disappointed in how little prior thought and planning Cohen seemed to give the whole enterprise. He seemed woefully uninformed about Christianity in general a...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Judith rated it 1 of 5 stars

i had some major issues with this book...and im just going to get right into them.

1. it was beyond repetitive. the author expressed his feelings about judaism, feelings about the church across the street from himself, feelings about his father, feelings about being in church etc etc etc over and over and over. this would be fine, if each time there was something new and insightful. but there wasn't. it was just the same thing paraphrased.

2. this was a memoir, not a book of essays. and yet, each...more i had some major issues with this book...and im just going to get right into them.

1. it was beyond repetitive. the author expressed his feelings about judaism, feelings about the church across the street from himself, feelings about his father, feelings about being in church etc etc etc over and over and over. this would be fine, if each time there was something new and insightful. but there wasn't. it was just the same thing paraphrased.

2. this was a memoir, not a book of essays. and yet, each chapter read like an essay. in fact, i'd venture to say that it was actually one very long essay given that prior to reading this book, i did read an essay by the author on The Daily Beast - and found it interesting. then that same essay showed up as part of a chapter in the actual book. because the book was written like one giant essay, and was so repetitive, it was a slow and draggy read.

3. there were many times when the author tried a bit too hard to find parallels between his experience in church and judaism, or the time of year it was and the church/shul he was at. in fact, some of these parallels were such stretches of truth, that gumby would have snapped.

4. the modern orthodoxy that the author grew up with, and the judaism he grew up with, is not representative of all of judaism, or all of modern orthodoxy. it certainly was not representative of how i was raised (in a modern orthodox home). these blanket statements make the weight of what the author is saying less credible. i would have preferred that he used the term "some jews" or something like that.

5. the way this book was written, the journey ended way before the book did. its wonderful for the author if his journey took less than a year, but then he should have written a book about the time it actually took. forcing the issue caused the repetitive problems and made the book boring. it also gives many reasons little incentive to continue reading. after all, if you see that the author has already come to the end of his journey, why continue reading?

6. aside from the essay dragging, and repetitiveness the author went off on annoying tangents - for example, i do not need the history of the mountain where he went to celebrate easter. i don't care about it. its irrelevant to the topic at hand. in fact, it was just annoying.

so ends my rant about this book...but i would like to say that hidden between the annoying "bookends" there were chapters with glimmers of wonderful storytelling and writing. for example, i really enjoyed the author's description of the christian wrestling church/match.

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Dec 29, 2008 Christia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was by far one of the best books I've read all year, and when I finished I wanted to tell all of my friends to read it immediately. Cohen is a somewhat disillusioned Orthodox Jew who, seeing the enthusiasm of the Christians in his neighborhood as they attend church every week, wonders about their motivation, and decides to explore Christianity for one year in the hopes that it will give him a better appreciation for his own faith. And, living in the Bible belt (Atlanta, GA), and getting pe...more This was by far one of the best books I've read all year, and when I finished I wanted to tell all of my friends to read it immediately. Cohen is a somewhat disillusioned Orthodox Jew who, seeing the enthusiasm of the Christians in his neighborhood as they attend church every week, wonders about their motivation, and decides to explore Christianity for one year in the hopes that it will give him a better appreciation for his own faith. And, living in the Bible belt (Atlanta, GA), and getting permission from a rabbi, wow, does he experience it! Along the way he visits New Birth Missionary Church (where he compares the service to the Broadway show The Lion King), goes to Megafest (an annual event at the GA Done featuring TD Jakes), attends an Easter sunrise service at Stone Mountain, visits a pentecostal healing service with his wife's grandmother, attends a Faith Day baseball game at Turner field, participates in Catholic confession, and even goes to a Christian wrestling match. Along the way, he also visits more mainstream churches each week, although he only mentions 3 by name. With each experience he questions bits and pieces but also manages to find common ground between his faith and that of the worshippers he visits. For example after commenting on some of less understood, stranger traditions of the Mormon church, he also points out that some components of Jewish worship are no doubt just as strange to those not familiar with it. He doesn’t exactly poke fun and never judges other faiths, but at the same time he questions without being disrespectful.

I actually learned quite a bit while reading this – not only about the customs and traditions of Orthodox Judaism but also about my own Christian faith. It was extremely interesting to read about the perspective of an outsider who is not familiar with it. The author does a great job of explaining the tenets of Judaism (primarily the significance of prayer, explaining that “giving thanks to everything to God before every act we do is a ‘constant and unrelenting’ reminder that we are put on this earth for one reason and one reason only – to sanctify God through everything we do.” Ironically, Cohen’s wife converted to Orthodox Judaism from Christianity (her father was a minister), and needless to say, although supportive of her husband, she was not thrilled at Cohen’s plan. The author is very excited that he can actually experience Christmas for the first time in his life in the context of his year-long project and even tries to convince his wife to put up a Christmas tree (she says no.)

Cohen is very insightful and also very funny. There were several passages where I laughed out loud at his commentary. At one point, Cohen summarizes Judaism in 3 phrases – “someone tried to kill us, God intervened, now let’s eat.” And of course, part of the reason I enjoyed this so much is because the author and I live in the same city, so I was very familiar with most of the events and churches he visited. At times, his reflections are very poignant as he discusses his personal struggles. He ends his year-long project by visiting the “mysterious” and elusive church across the street from where he grew up, only to be extremely disappointed by his anticlimactic visit. I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with their faith, regardless of what specifically it is, and who has ever wondered about other faiths. As he writes, “it felt comforting to realize that frustration with faith is not religion-specific. We all lapse at some point to some degree. What I’ve found out this year, though, is it’s how we rebound that will ultimately define us.” This is not a new realization for me, but I deeply appreciated his perspective on his own personal struggle. He concludes by saying, “I learned that God can be found in the unlikeliest of places. I learned not to judge others. I learned that people of faith have more similarities than differences. I learned that the first step is always the hardest. And when my faith occasionally wanes, as it does for all of us, I can draw on these experiences to bolster me.”
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Jun 24, 2011 Emma R rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was really disappointed in this. It sounds from the title like a book about a man trying to figure out what he believes, but it's really about culture and not at all about actual beliefs. Cohen makes no attempt at determining the validity of Christianity or Jesus, he just visits a bunch of different churches and envies how happy people are. He comes off as a whiny, religiously shallow person who just wants to fit in. I don't mean to be harsh, but I was very disappointed.

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Jan 04, 2010 Jim Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book had me at Shalom. Cohen is a whipsmart writer reporting with an unflinching eye on the myriad odd ways Christians worship God. His own Jewish faith is subject to this same scrutiny, but throughout his year-long journey amongst the Gentiles, he writes with much humor -- you can almost hear the rimshots on every other page -- compassion, intelligence, and grace. In the end, he realizes we're all pretty much the same in our quest for God or spirituality, or simply just the best way to do...more

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title link	preview: My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith
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