Don’t Forget to Call Home: Lessons from God and Grandpa on a Life of Meaning
Ebook
At a hundred years old, Holocaust survivor Wolf Gruca turned to his grandson, Rabbi Aaron Starr, and asked, "Where was God?" Don't Forget to Call Home is a grandson's attempt to respond to a weeping grandfather, and it's a clergyman's effort to help the modern person deepen a relationship with the Divine. With warmth and wisdom, Rabbi Starr sets out to answer the question, "Where is God, and what does God want of us?" Perhaps God is no longer the Law Giver or Judge, the Warrior or even the Miracle Maker. Perhaps God is an Empty-Nester Parent, expecting us to live with gratitude, obligation, joy, and hope. Perhaps, like a loving parent whose children are now grown-up, God desires us to act like adults by emulating our Heavenly Parent. Perhaps, too, God and Grandpa are reminding us: "Don't forget to call home."
“A Starr is born! Don’t Forget to Call Home is a book that offers both a window into the heart of its author and the heart of its reader! Beautifully crafted, original, and anchored in the wisdom of tradition, Rabbi Starr has provided us with a powerful new framework for contemporary theology and the transmission of values from generation to generation.”
—Elliot J. Cosgrove, rabbi, Park Avenue Synagogue
“Rabbi Aaron L. Starr has hit upon the heart of Judaism, even Christianity, in his bold declaration that God is on our side. Stop thinking God is a punisher who afflicts; God is a companion who upholds. We are here to inhabit that place of blessing, abundance, and possibility. Then, out of overflowing joy, we share this with the world. Mazel tov my teacher, for showing me how to preach the good news!”
—Chris Yaw, rector, St. David’s Episcopal Church
“Aaron Starr has created a book in which finding a personal relationship with God and finding God’s presence in our lives seems more than possible. It highlights God’s role as our Parent of all Parents with a parent’s relevant and meaningful expectations, requiring of us easily achievable honor and responsibilities, all in an approachable and engaging format.”
—Scott M. Nagel, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth Ahabah
“Aaron Starr has given us a beautiful way to understand God and God’s role in our modern lives. With keen insight and compelling warmth, he empowers us to act in godly ways and to feel God’s presence as we are doing so.”
—Lauren Berkun, vice president, Rabbinic Initiatives, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
- Title: Don’t Forget to Call Home: Lessons from God and Grandpa on a Life of Meaning
- Authors: Aaron L. Starr, Elaine Zecher
- Publisher: Resource Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666774429, 9781666774412, 1666774413, 9781666774405, 1666774405, 1666774421
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666774429
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-09-12T20:42:27Z
Aaron L. Starr serves as spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan, and he is a senior rabbinic fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Rabbi Starr is the author of two books: Taste of Hebrew and Because I Am Jewish, I Get to…: A Child’s Celebration of Jewish Life. Rabbi Starr and his wife, Rebecca, are the proud parents of two sons.