The Rabbi Finds Her Way: A Pearl Ross-Levy Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

This rabbi gig. People have no idea what it's all about.

The Rabbi Finds Her Way follows Pearl Ross-Levy's first two years as associate rabbi at a large Reform congregation in California.

This compelling, inspiring, and often funny narrative weaves the experiences and insights that shape the young rabbi as she finds her way through the challenges of her profession.

We see Pearl's lifelong friendship with a high school classmatethe victim of a serious car accidentevolve as it opens her eyes to the world of religion.

And whether she's discussing women's rights in the Bible with a bat mitzvah student, meeting the man she'll soon marry, encouraging a congregant with Alzheimer's to tell a joke whose punch line he's forgotten, or struggling with the anguish of a man who believes he's unwittingly committed a murder, Pearl reveals her intelligence, empathy, grit, and humor.

The Rabbi's strength and faith grow as she continues to see that God does, indeed, work in strange ways.

Reviews

"The book was so funny, warm, and enticing. I couldn't put it down!"
Cantor Ilene Keys
Temple Sinai, Oakland, California

"The Rabbi Finds Her Way very quickly into our hearts. Authors Robert Schoen and Catherine deCuir introduce a cast of memorable original characters and create a wonderful role model, Pearl Ross-Levy, for female and male rabbis alike."
Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs, D.Min, DD
Bat Yam Temple of the Islands, Sanibel, Florida
Former President, World Union for Progressive Judaism
Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth Israel, West Hartford, Connecticut

"With endearing characters and touching scenarios, The Rabbi Finds Her Way is a delightful slice of congregational life."
Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin
Senior Rabbi, Temple Sinai, Oakland, California

"The Rabbi Finds Her Way is a captivating glimpse into the world of a young female rabbi and her congregation. Robert Schoen and Catherine deCuir give Judaism a funny, poignant, illuminating voice through their protagonist, Rabbi Pearl Ross-Levy, who will steal your heart. A must-read for readers of any faith!"
Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Samurai's Garden

Author Bio

Robert Schoen is the author of the award-winning book, What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism. He is a musician and has served as Composer-in-Residence at Temple Sinai in Oakland, California. Schoen's book On God's RadarMy Walk Across America chronicles his 2018 coast-to-coast walk in photos, daily blog entries, and essays. He lives in Oakland with his wife, Sharon.

Catherine deCuir is a cantorial soloist, jazz vocalist, and fiction writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications including Seventeen and The Bellingham Review. She is currently working on a historical novel based on the lives of her Creole ancestors. She and her husband live in Albany, California.