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IRWIN KULA WINS “BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE” AWARD

Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life
Chosen as Best “Spiritual” Book for 2006

On February 26, at the eleventh annual “Books for a Better Life” Awards, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life (Hyperion 2006) by Rabbi Irwin Kula was selected as the best book in the Spiritual category. Beating out books by such notable authors as Harold Kushner and Gary Willis, Yearnings was honored as one of the leading self-improvement books of 2006 that helps people to live a better life.

Drawing on Jewish wisdom and other ancient and contemporary wisdom traditions, Yearnings offers people a way to discover the opportunities that are hidden in the complexities and difficulties of life. Challenging the notion that the messiness in our lives is something to be feared, avoided, or too quickly cleaned up, Rabbi Kula teaches that it is precisely the messiness of our human experiences in seeking love, happiness, meaning, and truth that fuels our life journey for self awareness and understanding of others, for greater wisdom and deeper compassion. Weaving together classic texts and personal stories, Kula reveals how through a “dance with uncertainty” we find the sacred path to building a richer life.

The Awards ceremony, emceed by Meredith Vieira, co-anchor of NBC-TV’s The Today Show, and chaired by Steve Murphy, President and CEO of Rodale Inc., brought out the foremost authors in the self-help field. Winners of the nine categories  Childcare & Parenting, Inspirational Memoir, Motivational, Personal Finance, Psychology, Relationships, Spiritual, the Suze Orman First Book Award, and Wellness  were selected by a distinguished group of authors, journalists and educators from such fields as personal finance, spirituality and media, who had to judge from a record breaking 450 submissions. The event took place at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City, with proceeds benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society  NYC Chapter.

In his acceptance speech, Rabbi Kula acknowledged Harold Kushner as the first person to read his manuscript, and as a model for bringing Jewish wisdom into the public square. He stated that “we are living in a moment when religion is being used in dangerous ways by all communities, and that we need models of using the particular religious traditions to which we are passionately committed in ways that both deepen and transcend our own communities and tribes. We need to mine our traditions for the wisdom that can enhance our personal and communal lives, helping us to love more deeply and live more vitally.” Yearnings, he said, was his contribution to helping anyone deal with the messiness of their lives.

Also at the event, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and Peter Workman, President and Publisher of Workman Publishing Co., were inducted into the Ardath Rodale Hall of Fame. Past inductees include Judy Collins and Deepak Chopra.

Rabbi Irwin Kula is the President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in New York City. Called by Fast Company magazine a new leader shaping the American spiritual landscape, he is a regular guest on NBC’s The Today Show, and is co-host of Hirschfield and Kula, Intelligent Talk Radio, airing on KXL in Portland, Oregon.


   



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