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Alan Lew
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This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation Hardcover – September 1, 2003

by Alan Lew (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 558 ratings
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In this “journey of spiritual transformation” (Publishers Weekly) award winning author Rabbi Alan Lew follows the practices and rituals of the Jewish High Holy Days and guides readers through heartbreak, contemplation, and re-birth.

There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis. These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back to our faith.

The Days of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our heart to God.

In This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, Lew has marked out a journey of seven distinct stages, one that draws on these rituals to awaken our soul and wholly transform us. Weaving together Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables and stories from his own life, Lew lays bare the meanings of this ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the path from terror to acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to belief, and from complacency to awe.

In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared enables believers of all faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion and intimacy that will resonate throughout the year.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little, Brown and Company
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2003
  5. Dimensions
    5.7 x 0.92 x 8.92 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0316739081
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316739085
  8. See all details
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  1. Forgiveness, it has been said, means giving up our hopes for a better past.
    Highlighted by 687 Kindle readers
  2. Judaism came into the world to bring the news that the invisible is more important than the visible.
    Highlighted by 528 Kindle readers
  3. What is the recurring disaster in our life? What is the unresolved element that keeps bringing us back to this same moment over and over again? What is it that we keep getting wrong? What is it that we persistently refuse to look at, fail to see?
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lew's exploration of the Days of Awe begins not with Rosh Hashanah-which is not featured until chapter six-but with Tisha B'Av and the month of Elul. These observances, Lew feels, set a tone of rigorous introspection in the Jewish calendar. He follows the story through Yom Kippur and Sukkot, drawing on Jewish tradition, his own experiences and a few Buddhist stories (Lew is a self-described "Zen rabbi") to take the reader on a journey of spiritual transformation-"from birth to death and back to renewal again." Lew is far more concerned with inner motivations and awareness than with external rituals, a refreshing and sometimes startling perspective. He is a perceptive thinker and a highly skilled writer, making this book a hard-hitting yet compassionate cry for spiritual renewal during the High Holy Days as well as the rest of the year.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Days of Awe, the Jewish rituals observed each year between roughly mid-August and mid-October, include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the 10 days between the two High Holy days. Citing the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Kabbalah, and other sources, Lew offers advice on how we can live our lives in a meaningful and joyful way through prayer and meditation. Author of One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi (1999), he writes of the importance of introspection and self-evaluation in this period of repentance and contemplation. His insights into how we can make the most of our time are astute and profound and should be of interest to readers of all faiths. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (September 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316739081
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316739085
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 0.92 x 8.92 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 558 ratings

About the author

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Alan Lew

Alan Lew

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Rabbi Alan Lew was the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco for over a decade and was the founder of Makor Or, the first meditation center connected to a synagogue. He was also the author of Be Still and Get Going: A Jewish Meditation Practice for Real Life; One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi, which won the PEN Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence; and numerous works of poetry.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
558 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sue I
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written book preparing for the Jewish High Holy Daus
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023
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Apparently this book had become somewhat of a modern classic like Rabbi Kushner’s “When bad things happen to good people”it is a deep dive into the true message of The High Holy Days and how to prepare yourself.
A book to Ideally begin reading a month before the holidays to fully grasp the intention of these Days of awe. Inspiring and life affirming!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awake
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023
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A must-read for anyone striving toward an awakened life, Jewish or not. Rabbi Lew infuses his book with love and light amidst the suffering of everyday life. He also shares personal stories that are both deeply real and inspiring. Sadly, Rabbi Lew is no longer with us, though his spirit lives on.
Richard Nager
2 people found this helpful
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Caroline
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to read.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2023
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This book was received quickly and in good condition. I found it difficult to read due to the small print and the way it was written it was difficult to get started. But overall the content is good, and I did enjoy the read.
4 people found this helpful
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Andrew Lappin
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly insightful and compellingly significant!
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2023
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A major and importance presence has been lost with the passing of Rabbi Alan Lew
One person found this helpful
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S.J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Unparalleled Inner Guide from Tisha B'av to Sukkhot
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2023
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The late Rabbi Alan Lew, who had 10 years of serious Zen training AND was a graduate of the Iowa writing program, uses poetic language and great wisdom to light the way "in this ancient journey of transformation . . . this map of the soul." And he's right there in the turmoil and shambles of life with us, not dictating instructions from a bima. He was unlike any other rabbi and this book is also unlike any other. Highly recommended.
6 people found this helpful
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Tzion
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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Excellent!
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Maria S. Miranda
5.0 out of 5 stars highly recommend it
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2022
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I read this book before the high holidays. It was inspiring and wonderful. It helped me during the darkness of the soul.
4 people found this helpful
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TRT1372
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read in preparation for the Jewish high holiday season
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2021
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A moving and emotionally charged distillation of a life well lived, perceived through the lense of the Jewish high holiday season. Rabbi Lew embodied a special soul, sensitive to the rhythm of life many take for granted. You will be forever enriched and broadened by reading his thoughts and taking them to heart.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jill Segal
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Canada on September 26, 2023
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Book was delivered on time. Is an excellent book
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Silvana Zehnpfennig
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful
Reviewed in Germany on September 3, 2022
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This book is a treasure to give you a great awareness of your only human being, full of deep impressions, to make you feel, who you are.
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lynne g.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2017
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Amazing book, bought it out of interest and found it very interesting and poetic at times.
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danielle touati
5.0 out of 5 stars High holidays and more
Reviewed in France on October 8, 2015
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One of the most inspiring book I have ever read, good preparation for High Holidays for lay people as well as rabbis !
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A. Bölker
5.0 out of 5 stars top
Reviewed in Germany on April 4, 2020
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sehr interessant und spirituell
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