Gates of Prayer

There are a few touchpoints that I can say were truly essential to the trajectory of my life. One of them was going to college with one of Reb Zalman's sons. I didn't know who he was (or R'Zalman) at the time, and I'd never heard of Renewal Judaism. I already considered myself observant, with a deeply intellectualized Judaism. And here was this other religiosity, basically sideswipping me, encouraging me to instead enter religion through emotions. It shaped how I think of myself as a Jew, how I show up to services. I was talking to a friend about it a few years ago and he suggested I actually read some of R' Zalman's writings.

This was everything I might imagined it would be -- an honest, vulnerable, thoughtful approach to what we literally do when we pray and how we can make it feel real, meaningful, emotional and worthwhile. R'Zalman helps prayer feel real and living and applicable to daily life with both concrete tips on how to approach prayer with intention and stay present as well as bigger philosophical musings on the ways that spirituality can feel distant from us. This is really a must read for all Jews, but especially those who feel like religion has nothing to offer them