A Touch of Torah

Book excerpt: How do we understand our place in today’s Jewish world? Whether it’s our food, our religious services, or our literature, we enjoy a rich tradition of faith and culture that is not without important lessons for the Jewish world today. In A Touch of Torah, author Anne Lowe shares her own reflections on being Jewish as she tries to grasp the intricacies of Torah. Inspired by the weekly D’var Torah she presents at her conservative synagogue, Anne covers a number of topics that all have a Jewish connection—from evoking the flavors of Jewish life, such as making pickled dill green tomatoes or explaining the joy of eating a candy jellied apple after Simchat Torah services, to heartfelt discussions of the Garden of Eden, and to Sarah’s pregnancy at ninety years old, and other important stories from the Torah. As a delightful montage of midrashim, Divrei Torah, poetry, and trips down the memory lane of Anne’s Upstate New York childhood, A Touch of Torah can serve as a timely reminder of the daily importance of Torah. Because the Torah is alive today, it resonates in our modern world.