Positive Judaism: For a Life of Happiness and Well-Being

Learn how to increase happiness and well-being for yourself, for your family, for the world--Jewishly.

May transform the way you experience Judaism.  

--Ryan M. Niemiec, Psy.D. VIA Institute on Character

Drawing on three thousand years of ancient wisdom and the modern science of well-being, Rabbi Levine challenges us with new ways to approach relationships, careers, health, and money to increase lifelong happiness. At the same time, Positive Judaism offers practical ways to cope with real life challneges like divorce, illness, loneliness, and job loss.

 Virtues like hope, resilience, and optimism that are proven to support well-being are deeply rooted in Jewish holidays, prayers, and traditions. The principles of Positive Judaism provide access to these virtues and practices, providing a profoundly new vision for thriving in today's world.

CONTENTS

Preface: How Positive Judaism Was Born

Introduction: A New Vision for Jewish Life in the Twnety-First Century

PART ONE: ANCIENT WISDOM, MODERN SCIENCE

1 The Science of Well-Being and Happiness

2 Positive Judaism: Principles, Practices,a nd Virtues

PART TWO: JEWISH WELL-BEING IN THE FIVE AREAS OF LIFE

3 Relationships: Marriage, Family, and Parenting

4 Health: Physical and Mental Well-Being

5 Community: Bringing People Together

6  Work: Make Your Calling Your Career

7 Money: Earn It Well, Spend It Wisely

PART THREE: ACTIVATING POSITIVE JUDAISM WHEN LIVING HURTS

8 When Relationships Fall Apart: Broken Bonds, Separation, and Divorce

9 When Illness Comes: Coping with Pain and Sickness

10 Alone in the World: Facing Loneliness and Isolation

11 When the Work is Not Working: Job Loss and Forced Career Change

12 Upside Down: Dealing with Financial Trouble

PART FOUR: THE JOURNEY FORWARD: THE FUTURE OF POSITIVE JUDAISM

13 A Letter to Readers and Friends: Adopting Positive Judaism in Your Life

14 A Letter to Colleagues: Adopting Positive Judaism in Your Community

15 A Letter to Religious Leaders of All Faiths: Adopting Positive Religion for the Well-Being of Humanity

Positive Judaism also includes an adapted PERMA Well-Being Profiler so you can assess your level of well-being;  a Signature Strengths Survey so you can get a sense of your particular character strengths, and instructions for a Positive Judaism Passover seder that incorporates themes of gratitude, resilience, wisdom, courage, forgiveness and Justice.

Also available for Kindle and other digital readers, and as an audio book. 

"Unique and insightful, Positive Judaism will speak to the souls of its readers and enhance their lives in meaningful ways." --Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor emeritus, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

"A book for all those who at some time have wrestled with their connection to religion and their own life journey or who are teaching those that struggle and seek. In other words, all of us." -- Dr. Bill Robinson, dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education of the Jewish Theological Seminary

"Holding beauty and goodness alongside pain, (Rabbi Levine) combines stories, case studies, and Jewish traditions to suggest how modern Jews can thrive and find meaning in the face of suffering." --Rabbi Deborah Waxman, president, Reconstructing Judaism

"Rabbi Levine invites us to join him on his exploration of what positive psychology, as seen through Judaism, has to offer the modern condition. . . This book is a gift to Jews looking to reconnect to a redemptive and positive practice of Judaism." --Rabbi Ave Katz Orlow, vice president of innovation and Jewish education, Foundation for Jewish Camp

"The first book of its kind to seamlessly marry the science of well-being with the wisdom of Judaism. Whether you're familiar with Jewish philosophy and new to positive psychology, or vice versa, this book will empower and inspire you with a deep connection to both. . . A roadmap for helping youself and other flourish." -- Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, founder of the Flourishing Center

"A masterful application of the growing discipline of positive psychology to contemporary Jewish living. Rabbi Levine's own contagious optimism leaps off the pages." --Rabbi Ken Chasen, Leo Baeck Temple, Los Angeles, CA

"Darren Levine offers us a simutaneously scientific and spiritual antidote to the woes of our day. His writing is accessible, practical, and uplifting. He doesn't offer magic or fantasy, but depth of purpose and meaning that teaches that the right balance of Jewish spirituality and substantive psychology can move the dial in our search for purpose and fulfillment." --Rabbi Matthew D. Gewirtz, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, Short Hills, NJ

"A much-needed gift for anyone who feels overworked, stretched too thin, and confused about how to navigate the seemingly limitless set of choices our modern technological work throws at us." --Rabbi Mike Uram, author of Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations winner of the 2016 National Jewish Book Award

"More than just a catchy phrase or a passing fad, Positive Judaism offers a vision and a possibility for a powerful and relevant Judaism and Jewish experience. Rabbi Levine offers a concise, accessible, and oftern persoanl entry point for an emergent understanding of what could possibly unlock the gates of jewish life for many Jews around the world today and in the future." --David Bryfman, CEO Jewish Education Project

"As I read Rabbi Levine's book, I felt its connections to Seligman's Authentic Happiness and Peterson's Positive Psychology, as well as echoes of inspriation like that of Marturano's Finding the Space to Lead. But it was Gladwell's Tipping Point that came to mind as I sat back and reflected . . . We are at a critical point within the Jewish community in trying to create means of fulfillment and a sense of purpose that can bring us together and closer to our faith in God, in Judaism, in each other, and in humanity. My belief is that Positive Judaism will contribute to the tipping point between our search o=for this and our realization of a better future for ourselves and our communities." --Aaron Selkow, executive director, URJ Camp Harlam

"Anyone seeking a life of achievement, happiness, and total well-being should read this book. It's more than just a guide to your best self. Positive Judaism is a systematic way to thriving and flourishing in the world based on Jewish living. Every athlete I know and have known would do well to adopt the principles of Positive Judaism to accomplish great things on and off the court." --Jeff Bukantz, president, Maccabi USA Sports for Israel and US Olympic Fencing Team Captain, 2004 and 2008