John L Rosove

Finding Your Moral Compass places enduring Jewish values in a 21st century context, offering a thoughtful and enriching guide for those seeking ethical direction and spiritual grounding through and in Jewish tradition. In this collection of 40 essays, Rabbi John L. Rosove explores foundational Jewish values and helps readers affirm their Jewish identity while drawing connections between Jewish teachings and universal moral principles. Rosove combines classic scholarship, compassion, and personal experience in his reflections upon Judaism’s age-old moral and ethical traditions and Jewish identity as they have evolved over centuries and since the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. As a thought-leader at the forefront of social justice and liberal Israel activism in North America, Rosove draws from his personal experiences to present moral clarity and an ethical compass for liberal Jews and all who are interested in contemporary Judaism. With accessible prose and heartfelt insight, this collection of essays invites liberal Jews – and anyone interested in finding moral clarity – to consider how Jewish wisdom can serve as a compass in navigating today’s world.

Presented in the form of letters from a rabbi to his sons, Why Israel (and its Future) Matters argues that young Jews need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise. Exploring the roots and the occasionally antisemitic branches of the campaign against Israel, Rabbi Rosove demonstrates why it's wrong to characterize Israel as an "oppressor state" and damn it with blanket condemnations. A 15-page appendix features a timeline/mini-history of Zionism and Israel from the 19th century through October 2023.

Presented in the form of letters from a rabbi to his sons, Why Israel (and its Future) Matters) makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise.