Product Review

The first in a four-book project, Renewing the Covenant delivers on its promise of a new approach to Jewish ritual practice in tune with the spiritual attitudes of the 21st century. Leet synthesizes historical, textual, and linguistic analysis with kabbalistic meditation and Judaic tradition in this scholarly address of Jewish spiritual advancement. Focusing on the covenant between God and Israel as set forth in the Bible, Leet distills the essence of the most basic Jewish customs--Sabbath observance and ritual prayer--and recovers early Jewish meditative practices, which she then melds with kabbalistic meditative techniques. One might think that Renewing the Covenant decrees revolutionary change, but in reality it offers an accessible return path to the very foundations of sacred Jewish traditions and a revitalization of Jewish spirituality. --Brian Patterson