Orthodox Judaism, General & Miscellaneous Judaism

Through the Unknown, Remembered Gate : A Spiritual Journey

Name: Through the Unknown, Remembered Gate : A Spiritual Journey
Author: Emily Benedek
ISBN: 9780805241389

by Emily Benedek

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Overview

Emily Benedek, the author of two highly regarded books on the traditions and conflicts of Native Americans of the Southwest, suddenly found herself in the mid-1990s grappling with certain traditions and conflicts of her own. Stricken with a case of temporary blindness, she had an experience— unprecedented in her life—which she was able to understand only as an apprehension of the divine.

Stirred and confused, Benedek took herself to a humble storefront synagogue in Dallas, where she was then living. Among the welcoming congregants she began a spiritual journey that gradually led her back to Jewish practice and belief.

As we accompany Benedek on her journey, we come to know the wise and imaginative psychoanalyst who served as one of her guides... an Orthodox family in Rockland County whose lives are devoted entirely to Torah yet who are open to Benedek's questioning and probing, particularly on the subject of the differing roles of men and women in Orthodoxy... Texans, Israelis, and Brooklynites, teachers and students, and the vibrant Conservative Congregation B'nai Jeshurun on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where Benedek eventually finds her most comfortable spiritual home.

And ultimately, of course, we come to know Emily Benedek, an independent and principled modern woman who has found a path through T. S. Eliot's "unknown, remembered gate" in the Jewish life and identity that connect her to her rich and powerful heritage. Curious, sensitive, perceptive, and questing, she gives us in this compelling memoir a beautiful story, beautifully told.

About the Author, Emily Benedek

Emily Benedek is the author of The Wind Won't Know Me: A History of the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute and Beyond the Four Corners of the World: A Navajo Woman's Journey. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

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Editorials

Booklist

A work of extraordinary depth.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

When Benedek (Beyond the Four Corners of the World), a New York Jew living in Dallas, awakened one day to find that she'd lost her ability to see clearly, she interpreted it as a manifestation of spiritual crisis a sign that she'd literally lost sight of what was important. Although her vision returned, Benedek decided to immerse herself in the world of traditional Orthodox Judaism, a world she hoped would set her back on the right course. Since Benedek been long alienated from her Jewish heritage, this immersion created some conflicts in her life, particularly discomfort with Judaism's sometimes limited roles for women, as well as a strange sense of being a visitor to the Jewish community. The intriguing premise of a contemporaneous loss of sight and acquisition of insight enlivens the early chapters of the book, in which Benedek undergoes various medical tests and diagnoses her own spiritual emptiness. But for the most part she simply lists and explains the rituals of her newfound community, making her story seem more like a tour-bus ride than a spiritual journey. Along with Benedek, one learns about keeping Sabbath, why Orthodox women wear wigs and the details of the Passover Seder. Though well wrought from Benedek's simultaneous insider/outsider perspective, these observations may be too basic for a target audience of readers drawn to books about Jewish life and culture. Agent, Kris Dahl, ICM. (Apr. 17) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Benedek (Beyond the Four Corners of the World) relates how temporarily losing clear physical vision allowed her to see spiritual truths and return to Judaism. Opening with the dramatic tale of developing double vision, the author gradually introduces family members and childhood experiences. Two Jewish Community Center classes lead to participation in a synagogue and relationships with many Jews, particularly Orthodox Jews. The author skillfully uses dialog to re-create scenes and reveal such people as the psychoanalyst whose knowledge of literature and respect for Judaism encourage her. Discussions with rabbis and encounters with family members are also vividly presented. Readers will appreciate Benedek's honest presentation of questions and doubts, although some readers may struggle with the transliterated Hebrew terms she uses. Susan Jacoby relates a similar dual trek into family past and Judaism in Half Jew (LJ 3/15/00), while Barbara Kessel offers an equally personal presentation of adults encountering Judaism in Suddenly Jewish: Jews Raised as Gentiles Discover Their Jewish Roots (LJ 5/15/00). Recommended for religion collections and large public libraries. Marianne Orme, West Lafayette, IN Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-The author relates how she moved to Texas with high hopes for her new job and live-in boyfriend. Once there, however, her world started to fall apart. Bouts of temporary blindness descended upon her, her boyfriend called it quits, and her promising job went awry. In the midst of all this mess, she found moments of clarity and peace. Past discussions she had had with Navajo and Hopi people played through her mind. Recalling their struggle to find balance between cherished traditions and the modern world, Benedek realized that her personal healing depended on finding her own spiritual traditions and melding them with a modern life. She found an excellent psychoanalyst who helped her. As their sessions came to a close, he showed her a page from T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets that captured the essence of the journey she was beginning and provided inspiration for her book's title. A Jewish woman brought up in a largely secular household, Benedek began to examine elements of Orthodox life that attracted and repulsed her. Concurrent explorations of her family tree and a journey to Israel yielded interesting memories and pleasant surprises. As she put all the pieces of her inner life together, she found her outer life following suit. Written in a frank yet thoughtful manner, this book illustrates one person's successful struggle to find inner peace. Readers will find solace in seeing that even in the midst of personal hardship it is possible to find the way to one's own spiritual home.-Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.