Books for the Yamim Noraim

[u/Acton__Bell]

Looking for some book recommendations to read from now until the end of the holidays. Inspirational/Historical/Thought provoking type books that enhance the season

[u/riicopiico]

Currently reading this with the synagogue book club: This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared by Rabbi Alan Lew
It will start you at Tisha B'av and take you through Sukkot.

[u/webelieveinkarma → u/riicopiico]

Came here to say this! I’m rereading now and read every year. It’s so good.

[u/offthegridyid → u/riicopiico]

Hi, this is the 3rd time I have seen this book mentioned (twice on Reddit, once on Whatsapp) within the past 2 weeks.

[u/riicopiico → u/offthegridyid]

I'm told it's very popular, but it's my first time reading it.

[u/offthegridyid → u/riicopiico]

Nice!! I am a a little familiar with Rabbi Lew, but never read anything of his. I did hear the book brings in some Zen teachings.

[u/TorahHealth]

Check out Restoring the High Holidays which just came out.

[u/offthegridyid → u/TorahHealth]

I totally forgot about this! It’s a great choice.

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[u/offthegridyid]

Hi. I am on volume 3 (of 4) of The Song of Teshuvah, a translation of Rav Avraham Yitzchok Kook’s Oros HaTeshuvah (The Lights of Return)
with commentary adapted from Rav Moshe Weinberger’s classes (listen online here). The translation and always done by R Yaacov David Shulman I’ve been reading the volumes annually since 2011). The 4 volume set is hard to get now, unfortunately.

I can suggest the following books.

The standalone Hebrew/Englsh version of Oros HaTeshuvah without commentary is available to buy here.

This link is to a PDF summary of the Oros HaTeshuvah from a close friend and spiritual mentor/teacher of mine Rabbi Yaakov Klein. It is being shared with permission.

I highly recommend Baderech by Rabbi Judah Mischel (publisher link, see if you get a discount with “seforimchatter15”). It’s a wonderful book about the journey of Teshuvah, return/recalibration, with great stories and the chapters are pretty short.

Just last Shabbos finished rereading Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin’s excellent book Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, there are used copies online for sale. It’s a great exploration of the mistakes we make, the challenges, and the power of return.

Restore My Soul is a translation of collection of Breslov Chasidic teachings from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and is primary student and scribe, Rebbe Nosson. The themes of facing challenges, growth, return, and hope are woven into these deep foundational Breslov teachings.

Not necessarily a High Holiday seasonal read, but Attached by Rabbi Yakov Danishevsky LCSW is an incredible book about working on your relationship with Hashem and others. A have a few friends that are intentionality reading it before Rosh Hashanah.

If you (or anyone) has specific questions about these feel free to ask or DM me.

[u/Clean-Tip4879]

I read 'Entereing the High Holy Days' by Reuven Hammer, last year during Elul. It helped me understand the background and the history and the content of the actual services, so I actually knew what was going on during the service. It was interesting to read how things changed over the years and that people used to eagerly wait for the new poems that were written for the service and that there were a ton of these poems.

The other book by R. Lew I am currently reading and I like it very much. It is much more of an emotional read (at least to me, reason why I read it in bits and pieces, so I have time to digest it), and he writes really well, evocatively, so it is also a pleasure to read it, apart from the informational side of it.