Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde

(Paperback)

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"For a generation of women who grew up watching Sex and the City, Manhattan is the Promised Land-or as Rebecca Dana puts it in her hilarious, self-deprecating new memoir, it's 'my Jerusalem-the shining city off in the distance, the only place to go'... An insightful tale of two fish out of water."-O Magazine Rebecca Dana worshipped at the altar of Truman Capote and Nora Ephron, dreaming of moving to New York. After college, life in the city turned out just as she'd planned- glamorous parties; beautiful people; the perfect job, apartment and man. But when it all comes crashing down, she is catapulted into another world. She moves into Brooklyn's Lubavitch community, and lives with Cosmo, a young Russian rabbi and jujitsu enthusiast. While Cosmo faces his disenchantment with Orthodoxy, Rebecca finds that her religion-the books and films that made New York seem like salvation-has also failed her. Shuttling between the worlds of religious extremism and secular excess, faith and fashion, Rebecca goes on a search for meaning. A mix of Shalom Auslander and The Odd Couple, Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde is a thought-provoking tale for the twenty-first century. Includes a Readers Guide

Reviews

[A] charming, frequently hilarious memoir.The New York Observer

[Danas] take on being young and smart and emotionally adrift in the city is odd and charming enough to be that elusive thing: a true original.Entertainment Weekly

Dana is able to write hilariously about her temporary ignominy and the vicissitudes of her job as a fashion journalist because through it all she maintains an acute sensitivity for the absurd...And there are larger issues, such as which kinds of lives are worth pursuing, packed in along with the ground-level concerns of getting along with a crazy roommate.The Daily Beast

Rebecca Danas funny, juicy memoir of her Brooklyn year with a most original housemate goes down like a terrific New York cocktailwith some sweetness, a snappy twist of sublime and plenty of heart.Julie Metz, New York Times bestselling author of Perfection

A fantastic read. Will make you want to take your life by the horns.Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker

A laugh-out-loud tour of heartbreak, fashion and the search for community in unexpected places.Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[A] canny, buzz-inducing memoirFunny, wily, audacious and captivating. Dana asserts her passion for glitz and high heels; vividly recounts her crazy adventures, profane and sacred; and saucily ponders lifes big questions.Booklist

Author Bio

Rebecca Dana is an author and journalist. She has been a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Daily Beast and The New York Observer. She lives in Manhattan with her husband.