Saying No And Letting Go: Jewish Wisdom on Making Room for What Matters Most - Softcover

"A lovely book! Skillfully weaves Jewish concepts, contemporary stories and heartfelt insights into a highly readable charge to reduce the burdens in our lives in order to realize our full potential as human beings. A must read for those seeking a path to unclutter the heart and liberate the mind."
―Dr. Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University; author, Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community

“Is your life frenetic and full?... Do your kids go to bed before you get home from work? Do you chat regularly on Facebook but seldom have time to meet friends for coffee? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this book is for you. Rabbi Goldberg introduces us to centuries of time-tested Jewish wisdom in order to help us rediscover our personal missions and realign our lives with our core values. PS: If you don't have time to read this book, know that he wrote it for you.”
―Rabbi Jamie Korngold, author, The God Upgrade: Finding Your 21st-Century Spirituality in Judaism’s 5,000-Year-Old Tradition

“Provides a thoughtful, well-reasoned and Jewishly grounded approach on how to remain true to one’s deepest values while easing the overwhelming and ever-present pressures of everyday life. It’s a practical guide to help you to be genuinely yourself while navigating the emotional challenges of twenty-first-century living. Nesia Tova!”
―Dr. Misha Galperin, CEO and president, Jewish Agency International Development; author, Reimagining Leadership in Jewish Organizations: Ten Practical Lessons to Help You Implement Change and Achieve Your Goals

“When we let go of distractions that make us busy, activities that make us inattentive and resentments that cause us pain, we create space within our psyches and souls for a life with more meaning.... [This] book teaches us that when we let go of things, thoughts and time wasted, we make room for a life of beauty and goodness.”
―Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar, author, God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart and The Bridge to Forgiveness: Stories and Prayers for Finding God and Restoring Wholeness

“Rabbi Goldberg makes it crystal clear that 'making room for what matters most’ requires abundant wisdom and insight, but also equal amounts of willingness and humor. His own wisdom and insights reflected in excellent choices of sacred and secular stories and vivid examples prepare us to struggle less and live more. Highly recommended.”
―Rabbi David Lyon, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Houston, Texas; author, God of Me: Imagining God throughout Your Lifetime

“If you wish you had more time―for that matter, if you wish you had any time―to stop and think about what you really want your life to be, please read this wise, insightful and often funny book. It won’t take you long. It will help you figure out what truly matters to you and―more important―what doesn’t.”
―Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, columnist and humorist

“In the midst of our increasingly harried technological world, Rabbi Goldberg provides a moving and inspiring meditation on how to stay focused on what’s actually important.”
―Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director, Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; author, Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community

“Rabbi Goldberg makes it crystal clear that ‘making room for what matters most’ requires abundant wisdom and insight, but also equal amounts of willingness and humor. His own wisdom and insights reflected in excellent choices of sacred and secular stories and vivid examples prepare us to struggle less and live more. I highly recommend [this] book for anyone ready to do more with less.”
―Rabbi David Lyon, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Houston, Texas; author, God of Me: Imagining God throughout Your Lifetime

“In our American culture, ‘no’ is felt to be a denial of freedom and an assault on our autonomy. Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, drawing on Jewish teachings and tradition, suggests that ‘saying no’ frees up space, opens potential and liberates time so that we can grow into the people we truly want to be, and ought to be. Self-limitation is an invitation to expansive possibility, ease of spirit and joy. This is a practice we can all use―today.”
―Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, co-director of programs, Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, DHL, noted lecturer, is coordinator of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) editorial committee on the forthcoming High Holy Days prayer book. He is the incoming senior rabbi at Temple Sholom in Chicago and the former spiritual leader at Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida. He has a doctorate in Hebrew literature from Hebrew Union College. He is author of Saying No and Letting Go: Jewish Wisdom on Making Room for What Matters Most (Jewish Lights). He contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism―Yizkor; We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism―Ashamnu and Al Chet; All the World: Universalism, Particularism and the High Holy Days and Naming God: Avinu Malkeinu―Our Father, Our King (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, DHL, is available to speak on the following topics:

• Can Swords Become Plowshares? Jewish Views on War and Peace
• Short, Short Stories from the Talmud and How They Can Change Our Lives
• Mindfulness and the Rebbes: Why Liberal Jews Should Learn about Chasidism
• A Brief but Vital History of Modern Israel
• Saying No and Letting Go: Jewish Wisdom and Texts on Doing Much More with Less

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Rabbi Naomi Levy, the best-selling author of To Begin Again and Talking to God, is spiritual leader of Nashuva, a groundbreaking Jewish outreach organization based in Los Angeles.