Freedom Journeys - by Arthur O Waskow & Phyllis O Berman (Paperback)

About the Book

Shares the enduring spiritual resonance of the Exodus journey, offering social justice, ecological and feminist perspectives and showing how the story has been adapted by African American, Christian and Muslim communities for insight and inspiration.

Book Synopsis

Shares the enduring spiritual resonance of the Exodus journey, offering social justice, ecological and feminist perspectives and showing how the story has been adapted by African American, Christian and Muslim communities for insight and inspiration.

Review Quotes

"It was the Exodus story that undergirded the civil rights movement; but as Arthur Waskow and Phyllis Berman demonstrate in this fascinating book, even Martin Luther King didn't plumb the entire story, which we need now more than ever."
-Bill McKibben, author, Eaarth; founder, 350.org

"A powerful retracing of the Exodus story that reminds us all of our obligation to move against oppression and toward freedom in our own lives and in our own time. Waskow and Berman bring the iconic Jewish journey into our time, making the fights against evil and the searches for food, for health, for justice and for peace a part of what it means to be a Jew in the twenty-first century. Study is important, the sages say, because it leads to action; this book tells us why and how to put the teachings of our Torah to work building community and creating greater democracy. Waskow and Berman remind us that we are all on our own Freedom Journey. They look into our history and use it as a mirror to reflect on the issues of our day, noting the work of many in the twentieth century who led fights for freedom and suggesting how we should be picking up the challenge."
-Ruth W. Messinger, president, American Jewish World Service

"Arthur Waskow and Phyllis Berman are among the most creative interpreters of Torah in the past forty years, and Freedom Journeys is one of the most exciting interpretations of Exodus in contemporary Jewish literature. Combining very personal takes on the text with a profound rereading of traditional commentaries, Waskow and Berman have created a book that should be used at every Seder and in every synagogue in America."
-Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun Magazine, www.tikkun.org

"The story of Moses, Pharaoh and the Exodus is familiar to Jews, Christians and Muslims, but the familiarity is often superficial. Freedom Journeys encourages us to consider the deeper meanings of this story, and challenges us to apply the understanding we gain to transform and heal our broken relationships with each other and with the rest of creation."
-Sheila Musaji, editor, The American Muslim

"Many of the Hasidim saw the world as God, wrapped in robes of God so as to seem material. Yet they knew that God's Own Self was fractured in the world we live in, and so both world and God need our acts of healing. Today, a new paradigm of a Judaism is emerging that is in harmony with tikkun olam and will help heal that brokenness for all humanity and all our planet. Freedom Journeys helps us to bring to birth a new world as God and our forebears did in the Exodus so long ago."
-Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, coauthor, Jewish with Feeling and A Heart Afire

"This collection is a lush tapestry of visionary, incisive and inspiring reflections on the Exodus and Wilderness stories. May Arthur's and Phyllis's inspired writing move many to work together for liberation from oppressive structures of our own day, both globally and locally."
-Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning; first woman ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary

"With fresh, bold, insightful interpretations on the well-known Exodus texts, Freedom Journeys, written by two of this generation's most compelling prophetic voices, eloquently invites us to remember and to rethink how our ancient mission addresses the most urgent crises humanity faces today."
-Rabbi David Saperstein, director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

"The stories of the Israelites' journey to freedom have inspired Jews, Christians and Muslims throughout the centuries. Waskow and Berman retell the tales yet again, weaving in the voices of fellow travellers, ancient and contemporary, from among the children of Abraham. The result testifies to the incredible enduring power of these narratives, the

About the Author

Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow is recognized as one of the leading thinkers of the Jewish renewal movement. He has been at the forefront of creating Jewish renewal theory, practice and institutions. He founded and directs The Shalom Center, and is a Pathfinder of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, an international network. He is founder and editor of the journal New Menorah, and helped found the Fabrangen Cheder and the National Havurah Committee. His previous books include Godwrestling; Godwrestling-Round 2: Ancient Wisdom, Future Paths, which was named "Best Religion Book of the Year"; The Freedom Seder; Seasons of Our Joy; Freedom Journeys: The Tale of Exodus and Wilderness across Millennia; Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4,000 Years of Ecology in Jewish Thought, Vol. 1: Biblical Israel and Rabbinic Judaism; Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4,000 Years of Ecology in Jewish Thought, Vol. 2: Zionism and Eco-Judaism and Down-to-Earth Judaism. He is the co-editor of Trees, Earth, Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology (Jewish Publication Society).

He and his wife, Phyllis Berman, who is also a leader of Jewish renewal, often join to speak, teach new forms of prayer and lead retreats and workshops in many Jewish and interreligious settings. Together they wrote Tales of Tikkun: New Jewish Stories to Heal the Wounded World.

Waskow lives in the Philadelphia area. He has two grown children of his own, is "associate parent" for two others and has one son-in-law and one daughter-in-law.

Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow is available to speak on the following topics:

• Freedom Journeys across Millennia
• Jewish Wisdom on the Earth and Human Earthlings
• Praying with Our Legs: Social Action Rooted in Spiritual Commitment
• Transformative Judaism
• The Flow of Jewish Time

Click here to contact the author.