And They Shall Be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation

Jay Rosenbaum is for some people just an ordinary conservative rabbi doing his job. A year spent with him by the author reveals another aspect of the man who struggles with trying to get his congregation to live an observant life and enjoy the full spiritual richness of Judaism. We get the opportunity to witness the day by day ups and downs in the life of Rabbi Rosenbaum's family as well as congregation. Rabbi Rosenbaum has his own hopes and dreams for his congregation but will they follow along with him? Or will they resist any changes and insist on staying at their comfort level? The Rabbi has a great challenge ahead of him which I found most intriguing in this book. Rabbi Rosenbaum's story is the story of the current crisis in American Judaism. Through the tracking of his one year we see the intrigues and infighting going on with the congregation. The issue of declining membership and inter-marriage permeates through the story. Another great issue is that of clergy burnout. The Rabbi puts far more into his commitment than the congregation's leadership is willing to compensate him. Yet through it all, Rabbi Rosenbaum maintains his hope and desire for his people to become a true community of Jewish faith. His struggle with faith becomes your struggle.A congregational trip to Israel confronts him and them with their true sense of spirituality. I enjoyed the tension of the Rabbi and the members who had to make a stand as to what they wanted for their lives. While reading this book you will gain a deeper appreciation of the work of the Rabbi, the need for Judaism to serve the needs of its new generation without compromises and the need to find ways for Jews to survive in an enticing American secular culture. Rabbi Rosenbaum shows us a little light in which these issues must be confronted and resolved if Judaism is to be a relevant force in the 21st century.

I grew up in a Conservative Jewish congregation very similar to the one Wilkes described, and I always wondered about the "priestly" status of the typical Conservative rabbi. In the Conservative movement, rabbis are generally observant of traditional Jewish law while their congregants are often not even aware of it. I've always figured that was a lonely and frustrating life. Wilkes did a great job of showing me exactly how lonely and frustrating it can be.Now, that may not be true for every Conservative rabbi, and Wilkes does a good job of pointing out the occasional rewards that go with the job, but in general, I'm amazed anyone would choose that kind of a vocation.While other religions sometimes differentiate between clergy and laypeople (most notably Catholicism), Judaism has always taught that anything the rabbi is expected to do, his congregants are as well. But when those congregants are otherwise committed to a busy American lifestyle, the rabbi often lands the thankless task pointing out their Jewish responsibilities.In one of the most touching threads running through this intricate book, Wilkes describes the rabbi's struggle to organize a congregational trip to Israel. The congregation has many families who are willing to come along but only -- it seems -- if their rabbi doesn't accompany them. The rabbi, to his great dismay, discovers that the families don't want the rabbi along to enforce standards of Jewish observance like the Sabbath or kosher laws. They want spirituality, sure, but on their own terms, not "his."This book describes with eerie precision the "observance gap" between clergy and laypeople in the Conservative movement that has led me -- and many other Jews -- to look for spirituality within other movements of Judaism. I can't even begin to imagine the extent of the research Wilkes must have done, but he's managed to get every detail of this book exactly right... you find yourself forgetting it's not written by a Jew. There are many touching moments in this book, particularly when Wilkes focuses on the rabbi's chaotic family life and the sacrifices which, he fears, will all amount to nothing. Yet it ends on an optimistic note, leaving the reader with the possibility that it will be alright after all, for the rabbi, his family, and for all Jews, wherever they may find themselves.Disturbing, yes, but eminently worthwhile for its unique insight.

Paul Wilkes' report of a year spent with Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum in Worcester, Mass is compelling and gritty. The book is honest and gritty and displays both the good and the bad aspect of the Rabbi's life. The book is easy to read, honest and really makes you think.