Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging

(Hardback)

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From the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, a stirring account of one woman's journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world From the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, a stirring account of one woman's journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world Angela Buchdahl was born in Korea and grew up in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and Jewish American father. Profoundly spiritual from a young age, she felt a connection to God when only a child and felt the first stirrings to become a rabbi at age sixteen. Despite the naysayers and periods of self-doubt-would a mixed-race woman ever be seen as authentically Jewish and entitled to lead a congregation-she stayed the course, which took her first to Yale, then to rabbinical school, cantorial school, and finally to the pulpit of one of the largest, most influential congregations in the world. Today, Angela Buchdahl is revered by Jews and non-Jews alike for her invigorating, joyful approach to worship, and her belief in the power of faith, gratitude, and responsibility for each other, regardless of religion. She does not shy away from challenging topics, be it racism within the Jewish community to sexism she confronted when she aspired to the top job. Buchdahl has also been a sought-after leader and voice through some of the most challenging moments in recent history, from the murder of George Floyd to the hostage standoff in Colleyville, Texas to the horrors of October 7th. Buchdahl's consistent message is that it is up to us to strive for a world of more humanity, especially in today's challenging times. Angela Buchdahl has gone from outsider to officiant, from feeling estranged to feeling embraced-and she's emerged with a deep feeling of being bound to a larger whole and mission. Here, she has written a book that is both a memoir and a spiritual guide for everyday living, which is exactly what so many of us crave right now.

Reviews

Praise for Heart of a Stranger:

Love and light live in Angela Buchdahls extraordinary memoir. It comes at a time when the world needs reminding that all our hearts must remain open to the oneness of humanityand, not least, to the outsiders among us. . . Crossing over is at the heart of the Jewish experience, and in exploring the arc between home and promised lands, memory and meaning, Buchdahl has given us a memoir of profound insight and hope.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University

Rabbi Angela Buchdahls Heart of a Stranger is the perfect book for our times. It brings a highly personal vision of tolerance, kindness, hope, and wisdom to a world in desperate need of them. Buchdahls account of her life-journey richly illuminates contemporary Judaism and addresses with unfailing grace and courage highly sensitive, bitterly contested issues of race, gender, and ethnic identity.
Stephen Greenblatt, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

A beautifully told story about the call to spiritual leadership In our fractured world, it's so important to think beyond easy categories of religious and cultural identity. Rabbi Buchdhal's book explores many threads of Jewish life and teaches us to celebrate
complexity.
Allegra Goodman, New York Times-bestselling author of Isola

Reading this book is a powerful and moving experience. Buchdahl's journey is fascinating, but what comes through is the real meaning of leadership: the humility, curiosity, vision and integrity it takes to carry a community through water and fire.
Dara Horn, award-winning novelist and literary scholar

Author Bio

Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, the first woman to lead this flagship congregation in its 185 year history. Under her leadership, Central Synagogue has grown to become one of the largest synagogues in the world, including congregants attending via livestream in more than one hundred countries. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, she is the first Asian-American to be ordained as a rabbi in North America. Rabbi Buchdahl was invited by President Barack Obama in 2014 and President Joe Biden in 2023 to share blessings for the White House Hanukah Party. She has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the Today Show, NPR, Wall Street Journal, PBS and Newsweek's Most Influential Rabbis. Rabbi Buchdahl and her husband, Jacob Buchdahl, live in New York City and have three children.