{"product_id":"the-new-rabbi-paperback","title":"The New Rabbi - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eStephen Fried\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom award-winning journalist Stephen Fried comes a vividly intimate portrait of American Judaism today in which faith, family, and community are explored through the dramatic life of a landmark congregation as it seeks to replace its legendary retiring rabbi--and reinvent itself for the next generation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe New Rabbi \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe center of this compelling chronicle is Har Zion Temple on Philadelphia's Main Line, which for the last seventy-five years has been one of the largest and most influential congregations in America. For thirty years Rabbi Gerald Wolpe has been its spiritual leader, a brilliant sermonizer of wide renown--but now he has announced his retirement. It is the start of a remarkable nationwide search process largely unknown to the lay world--and of much more. For at this dramatic moment Wolpe agrees to give extraordinary access to Fried, inviting him--and the reader--into the intense personal and professional life of the clergy and the complex behind-the-scenes life of a major Conservative congregation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese riveting pages bring us a unique view of Judaism in practice: from Har Zion's strong-willed leaders and influential families to the young bar and bat mitzvahs just beginning their Jewish lives; from the three-days-a-year synagogue goers to the hard core of devout attendees. We are touched by their times of joy and times of grief, intrigued by congregational politics, moved by the search for faith. We witness the conflicts between generations about issues of belief, observance, and the pressures of secular life. We meet Wolpe's vigorous-minded ailing wife and his sons, one of whom has become a celebrity rabbi in Los Angeles. And we follow the author's own moving search for meaning as he reconnects with the religion of his youth. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe also have a front-row seat at the usually clandestine process of choosing a new rabbi, as what was expected to be a simple one-year search for Rabbi Wolpe's successor extends to two years and then three. Dozens of r sum s are rejected, a parade of prospects come to interview, the chosen successor changes his mind at the last minute, and a confrontation erupts between the synagogue and the New York-based Conservative rabbis' \"union\" that governs the process. As the time comes for Wolpe to depart, a venerated house of worship is being torn apart. And thrust onto the pulpit is Wolpe's young assistant, Rabbi Jacob Herber, in his first job out of rabbinical school, facing the nearly impossible situation of taking over despite being technically ineligible for the position--and finding himself on trial with the congregation and at odds with his mentor. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRich in anecdote and scenes of wonderful immediacy, this is a riveting book about the search for personal faith, about the tension between secular concerns and ancient tradition in affluent America, and about what Wolpe himself has called \"the retail business of religion.\" Stephen Fried brings all these elements to vivid life with the passion and energy of a superbly gifted storyteller.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom award-winning journalist Stephen Fried comes a vividly intimate portrait of American Judaism today in which faith, family, and community are explored through the dramatic life of a landmark congregation as it seeks to replace its legendary retiring rabbi--and reinvent itself for the next generation. \u003cbr\u003eThe New Rabbi \u003cbr\u003eThe center of this compelling chronicle is Har Zion Temple on Philadelphia's Main Line, which for the last seventy-five years has been one of the largest and most influential congregations in America. For thirty years Rabbi Gerald Wolpe has been its spiritual leader, a brilliant sermonizer of wide renown--but now he has announced his retirement. It is the start of a remarkable nationwide search process largely unknown to the lay world--and of much more. For at this dramatic moment Wolpe agrees to give extraordinary access to Fried, inviting him--and the reader--into the intense personal and professional life of the clergy and the complex behind-the-scenes life of a major Conservative congregation. \u003cbr\u003eThese riveting pages bring us a unique view of Judaism in practice: from Har Zion's strong-willed leaders and influential families to the young bar and bat mitzvahs just beginning their Jewish lives; from the three-days-a-year synagogue goers to the hard core of devout attendees. We are touched by their times of joy and times of grief, intrigued by congregational politics, moved by the search for faith. We witness the conflicts between generations about issues of belief, observance, and the pressures of secular life. We meet Wolpe's vigorous-minded ailing wife and his sons, one of whom has become a celebrity rabbi in Los Angeles. And we follow the author's own movingsearch for meaning as he reconnects with the religion of his youth. \u003cbr\u003eWe also have a front-row seat at the usually clandestine process of choosing a new rabbi, as what was expected to be a simple one-year search for Rabbi Wolpe's successor extends to two years and then three. Dozens of resumes are rejected, a parade of prospects come to interview, the chosen successor changes his mind at the last minute, and a confrontation erupts between the synagogue and the New York-based Conservative rabbis' \"union\" that governs the process. As the time comes for Wolpe to depart, a venerated house of worship is being torn apart. And thrust onto the pulpit is Wolpe's young assistant, Rabbi Jacob Herber, in his first job out of rabbinical school, facing the nearly impossible situation of taking over despite being technically ineligible for the position--and finding himself on trial with the congregation and at odds with his mentor. \u003cbr\u003eRich in anecdote and scenes of wonderful immediacy, this is a riveting book about the search for personal faith, about the tension between secular concerns and ancient tradition in affluent America, and about what Wolpe himself has called \"the retail business of religion.\" Stephen Fried brings all these elements to vivid life with the passion and energy of a superbly gifted storyteller. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"From the Hardcover edition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStephen Fried\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia\u003c\/i\u003e (the inspiration for the Emmy-winning film \u003ci\u003eGia\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eAppetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a Time\u003c\/i\u003e (a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller featured in the PBS documentary \u003ci\u003eThe Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eBitter Pills: Inside the Hazardous World of Legal Drugs, The New Rabbi, \u003c\/i\u003e and the essay collection \u003ci\u003eHusbandry\u003c\/i\u003e. He is also co-author, with Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, of \u003ci\u003eA Common Struggle: A Personal Journey through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction\u003c\/i\u003e. A two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, Fried has written frequently for \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair, GQ, The Washington Post Magazine, Rolling Stone, Glamour, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Philadelphia\u003c\/i\u003e magazine. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 384\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.85 x 9.07 x 6.06 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 26, 2003\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43155088179263,"sku":"9780553380750","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/t5Yd6qfH1S9780553380750.webp?v=1776962088","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/the-new-rabbi-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}