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EVERY AGE HAS ITS PHARAOH
In February 2011, the world watched as tens of thousands of Egyptians stood their ground against
President Hosni Mubarak, a modern-day Pharaoh, in a fight for independence from greed, arrogance and
power run amok. The struggle of the Egyptians and other current struggles for freedom—from the
climate crisis, environmental destruction and corporate greed—parallel the ancient biblical tale of the
Hebrews’ liberation from Pharaoh. How does the story of the Exodus echo in our own generation and in
our own lives?
“We are not the first generation that is living through Pharaoh once again and searching once again for
our Sinai and our ‘promised land’—suffering through a transformation that gives birth to both tyranny
and new forms of community,” write Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow and Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman in
FREEDOM JOURNEYS: The Tale of Exodus and Wilderness across Millennia (Jewish Lights /
March 2011 / Hardcover / $24.99). “In this book, we have brought together some examinations of
several crucial moments when the story of Exodus, Sinai, and Wilderness was central to new bursts of
religious community.”
The story Jews retell on Passover is about rising up against tyranny, about the triumph of the God who
sides with the despised against a resplendent emperor. Exploring how this tale applies to our own time
enriches the ancient account—and it expands and transforms the community for which Exodus is a
collective family story. Exodus is not only the saga of the escape from slavery, but also a story of
courage, celebration, rebirth and community from which people of all faith traditions have learned and
can continue to learn. Calling us to relearn and rethink the Passover story, Rabbi Waskow and Rabbi
Berman share:
• The enduring spiritual resonance of the Hebrews’ journey for our own time
• Social justice, ecological and feminist perspectives on the Exodus
• How the Passover story has been adapted and used by African American, Christian
and Muslim communities to provide insight and inspiration
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Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow, an innovative and inspiring spiritual leader and frequent speaker on the
topics of Jewish life, community and social justice, is director of The Shalom Center and author of
Godwrestling—Round 2: Ancient Wisdom, Future Paths; Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4,000 Years of
Ecology in Jewish Thought; Down-to-Earth Judaism and other books.
Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman is co-author, with Rabbi Waskow, of A Time for Every Purpose Under
Heaven: The Jewish Life-Spiral as a Spiritual Path.
FREEDOM JOURNEYS
The Tale of Exodus and Wilderness across Millennia
By Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow and Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman
Jewish Lights (Woodstock, VT); www.jewishlights.com; 800-962-4544
Hardcover / $24.99 / 288 pages / March 2011 / ISBN 978-1-58023-445-0
Praise for
FREEDOM JOURNEYS
The Tale of Exodus and Wilderness across Millennia
By Rabbi Arthur O. Waskow and Rabbi Phyllis O. Berman
“Fresh, bold, insightful interpretations … eloquently invite us to remember and to rethink how our
ancient mission addresses the most urgent crises humanity faces today.”
—Rabbi David Saperstein, director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
“Show[s] how others see [the Exodus] as an archetype for similar stories in Christianity, Islam, and the
southern freedom movement…. Informative and inspiring for those involved in current movements
for justice.”
—Jim Wallis, president, Sojourners; author, Rediscovering Values
“A powerful retracing of the Exodus story that reminds us all of our obligation to move against
oppression and toward freedom in our own lives and in our own time.”
—Ruth W. Messinger, president, American Jewish World Service
“One of the most exciting interpretations of Exodus in contemporary Jewish literature…. Should be used
at every Seder and in every synagogue in America.”
—Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun Magazine, www.tikkun.org
“It was the Exodus story that undergirded the civil rights movement; but as Arthur Waskow and Phyllis
Berman demonstrate in this fascinating book, even Martin Luther King didn’t plumb the entire story,
which we need now more than ever.”
—Bill McKibben, author, Eaarth; founder, 350.org
“The story of Moses, Pharaoh, and the Exodus is familiar to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, but the
familiarity is often superficial. Freedom Journeys encourages us to consider the deeper meanings of
this story, and challenges us to apply the understanding we gain to transform and heal our broken
relationships with each other and with the rest of creation.”
—Sheila Musaji, editor, The American Muslim
“Many of the Hasidim saw the world as God, wrapped in robes of God so as to seem material. Yet they
knew that God’s Own Self was fractured in the world we live in, and so both world and God need our
acts of healing. Today, a new paradigm of a Judaism is emerging that is in harmony with tikkun olam
and will help heal that brokenness for all humanity and all our planet. Freedom Journeys helps us to
bring to birth a new world as God and our forebears did in the Exodus so long ago.”
—Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, co-author, Jewish with Feeling and A Heart Afire
“This collection is a lush tapestry of visionary, incisive, and inspiring reflections on the Exodus and
Wilderness stories. May Arthur’s and Phyllis’s inspired writing move many to work together for
liberation from oppressive structures of our own day, both globally and locally.”
—Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning; first woman ordained by
The Jewish Theological Seminary
“It is educational to learn of freedom journeys of the past, but awe-inspiring when these authors show
how they can be experienced by people of all faiths today.”
—Laleh Bakhtiar, PhD, first woman translator of the Qur’an
(OVER)
“The stories of the Israelites’ journey to freedom have inspired Jews, Christians, and Muslims
throughout the centuries. Waskow and Berman retell the tales yet again, weaving in the voices of
fellow travellers, ancient and contemporary, from among the children of Abraham. The result testifies
to the incredible enduring power of these narratives, their connection to the lives of men and women
confronting the challenges of their own times. The authors answer the question ‘Study or action?’ with
a resounding ‘Yes!’”
—Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, associate professor and director of Multifaith Studies and
Initiatives, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
“A deep meditation on the timeless—and timely—relevance of the Exodus narrative. In the grand
tradition of mystical exegesis, Waskow and Berman reflect upon Exodus not only as an event that
happened ‘then’ and ‘there,’ but a paradigm of movement that is happening here and in the now, for all
of us, Jew and Muslim, Black and White, male and female. A joyous, wondrous, and profound classic.”
—Omid Safi, professor of Islamic studies, University of North Carolina;
author, Memories of Muhammad
“Provides those who wish to embrace or encounter a liberal reading of the Exodus story the book they
have been seeking. In their inimitable words as well as the essays they have collected from Christian,
African American, and Muslim writers, Arthur and Phyllis have created a repository of exegesis and
interpretation that will offer inventive, very liberal, and innovative pathways to understanding the
narratives and midrashim that have been a part of this ongoing and changing story for the past two
thousand years.”
—Rabbi Steve Gutow, president and CEO, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
“Brings the Exodus story freshly and powerfully into our contemporary lives, offering a moving Torah
of transformation that will undoubtedly impact many hearts and minds alike.”
—Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author, Surprised by God: How I Learned to Stop
Worrying and Love Religion; editor, The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism
“A prophetic book for the challenges we face in today’s troubled world. Chapter after chapter contains
the biblical foundation for addressing poverty, care of the earth and living in peace together on this
fragile planet as brothers and sisters. I recommend this book of universal wisdom to people of all faith
traditions.”
—Bob Edgar, president, Common Cause; former general secretary, National Council of
Churches; former president, Claremont School of Theology; former member, United States
House of Representatives
“Opens the way to fresh, rich, and challenging readings of biblical tales of exodus and exile, return and
reconsecration. Join these wise guides on this spiritual journey and experience the text renewed and
illuminated by their brilliant interpretations and deep immersion in stories that cross boundaries and
bring together all who value and seek freedom. You will be richly rewarded.”
—Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD, union rabbi and worship specialist, Union for Reform Judaism
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FREEDOM JOURNEYS: The Tale of Exodus and Wilderness across Millennia (6” x 9”, 288 pp, Hardcover, ISBN 9781-58023-445-0, $24.99) is available from Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo/Chapters, amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com, and many other booksellers, or directly from Jewish Lights Publishing, P.O. Box 237, Woodstock, VT
05091; Tel: (802) 457-4000; Fax: (802) 457-4004; www.jewishlights.com. For credit card orders, call (800) 962-4544. Add
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