Foreword by Brian L. Weiss, MD
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Telepathy: A Window on the Soul's Survival
2. Near-Death Experiences (NDEs): The Literature
3. What Is Soul?
4. Survival of the Soul: Judaism's Views
5. What Happens After I Die?
6. Traditional Judaism on Resurrection of the Dead
7. Past-Life Regression: An Introduction
8. Training with Dr. Brian Weiss
9. Reincarnation: Judaism's Views
10. Tales of Reincarnation: The Role of the Rebbe
11. Mediums: Judaism’s Position
12. Psychic Gifts of a Medium: James Van Praagh
13. Weighing the Evidence Discrepancies in Afterlife and
Reincarnation Accounts
14. The Impact of Affirming the Soul’s Survival
15. Cultivating the Soul
Conclusion: Live Now Gratefully and Responsibly
Appendix: Torah and Immortality of the Soul: A Hot Debate
Notes
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index
Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz is the author of Healing from Despair:
Choosing Wholeness in a Broken World and Does the Soul Survive? A
Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife, Past Lives & Living with
Purpose (both Jewish Lights). A spiritual leader and scholar
specializing in topics of spirituality and Judaism, he teaches,
writes and speaks to a wide range of audiences. He has served as
the rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel in Tustin, California, for
more than a decade and is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly
Committee of Law and Standards.
Brian L. Weiss, MD, the nation's foremost expert on past-life
regression therapy, is chairman emeritus of psychiatry at the Mount
Sinai Medical Center in Miami.
"Very worthwhile … people do not know enough about the Jewish point
of view on death and dying, and people need to know that
reincarnation and afterlife is a fact. It's about time and the time
is now. This is a brilliant book that keeps you fascinated."
—Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
"A wise, moving, carefully thought out and provocative first-person
exploration into the immortality of the soul. Indispensable for
anyone who has ever wondered about the mysteries of life before and
after this one. A beautiful book."
—Lawrence Kushner, rabbi-in-residence, Hebrew Union College;
author, Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the
Ordinary
“Rabbi Spitz has taken our most profound human question and given
us an exciting journey into religious, historical, and present-day
answers…. This inspirational book shows us just how important
living our purpose is.”
—Carol Adrienne, PhD, author, The Purpose of Your Life
“His initial reticence to believe people's stories about life after
death and past incarnations … gives this book credibility even for
skeptical philosophers like me…. Rabbi Spitz has me wondering!”
—Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD, rector and professor of philosophy,
University of Judaism
Spitz, a Conservative rabbi, sets out to convince readers that it's kosher to be Jewish and believe in reincarnation and the afterlife. He details his personal journey from skepticism to belief in the reality of the soul, distilling along the way the work of pioneering mediums like Brian Weiss and James van Draagh. Spitz discusses one seminar he attended in which he found himself revealing images of a previous life as a Native American, and another in which his wife's deceased grandparents "communicated" with her. Spitz employs an array of Jewish sourcesÄparticularly mystical textsÄthat affirm a faith in the survival of the soul, although the concept remains controversial in traditional Judaism. He claims that this faith can provide comfort to those struggling with death. "Letting go is easier when one believes death is not final," he says. He offers the personal example of coping with his mother's death, followed by dramatic instances of how he has used guided imagery to ease congregants into accepting death. While we are alive, our "homework assignment" is to nurture our souls through good deeds and to express gratitude to God, "rooting us more deeply in living this life each day as a precious gift." Spitz's compelling arguments may cement the beliefs of Jewish readers already receptive to the existence of the supernatural and open a doorway for doubters to reconceptualize life and death. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
"Very worthwhile ... people do not know enough about the Jewish point of view on death and dying, and people need to know that reincarnation and afterlife is a fact. It's about time and the time is now. This is a brilliant book that keeps you fascinated." -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross "A wise, moving, carefully thought out and provocative first-person exploration into the immortality of the soul. Indispensable for anyone who has ever wondered about the mysteries of life before and after this one. A beautiful book." -Lawrence Kushner, rabbi-in-residence, Hebrew Union College; author, Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary "Rabbi Spitz has taken our most profound human question and given us an exciting journey into religious, historical, and present-day answers.... This inspirational book shows us just how important living our purpose is." -Carol Adrienne, PhD, author, The Purpose of Your Life "His initial reticence to believe people's stories about life after death and past incarnations ... gives this book credibility even for skeptical philosophers like me.... Rabbi Spitz has me wondering!" -Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD, rector and professor of philosophy, University of Judaism
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