This book is a deep exploration of the newly emerging practice of Jewish spiritual direction. In rich, evocative prose, the various writers place spiritual guidance and the Jewish yearning for a direct experience of the divine in a clear historical context, exploring its roots in Torah, rabbinic sources and hasidic writings while acknowledging its profound relation to contemplative Christianity. The editors have included essays by a wide range of brilliant thinkers in the field who explore the relation between personal piety and social justice, using the prayerbook as a template for the spiritual journey, and bringing poetry, art and dance into spiritual direction...among many other fascinating topics. The editors are unfailingly courageous in their approach. They seem to anticipate the concerns that inevitably arise...Is this really Jewish? How can I distinguish between the voice of God and the voice of my own ego? How does contemplative Judaism mesh with the more familiar setting of communal prayer? At each juncture, the questions are raised and considered without giving in to the temptation to provide easy answers. This book is a treasure that somehow manages to address difficult questions without being arcane.