Parenting on a Prayer: Ancient Jewish Secrets for Raising Modern Children Paperback – March 15, 2020

While neither Jewish, nor even Christian I found this book to be incredibly wise. The author lays out 18 different prayers that help guide parents on the path of creating deep and lasting values for their families and their children. She brings us into her own home and shows how she teaches her own children values such as gratitude, responsibility, respect, trust, etc. While some would assume the author, who is a rabbi, might be sanctimonious, nothing could be further from the truth!! She teaches with a humility and humble spirit that made me feel as if she were saying to me: "It's gonna be ok -- this parenting business is hard! I make mistakes, too, but hold my hand and we'll go on this journey together."One of my favorite chapters was the one about Family (Amidah). In it she talks about how she helps keep the memory of her ancestors alive through making certain foods and talking about their lives, and then she shared a poignant story of watch that was given to her oldest child by a distant relative. She writes, "Linking our children to their past provides them with roots, roots that help ground them in the uncertainty of life. Knowing that there were those who came before, who had similar challenges, dreams, and thoughts, provides a sense of comfort and security. Things may be very different for our children than they were for children decades ago, but family and its importance is something that will never grow old."I highly recommend this book to all parents. I've already decided that this book will now be my go-to gift for every upcoming baby shower!

This book has been very helpful for raising two teens. The author uses a parent’s lens to reinterpret sacred Jewish prayers and glean positive parenting skills. She shares these concepts with an easy to follow layout, asks thoughtful questions to ponder, and gives her own real life (and not always pretty) experiences. I wish this book was available when my children were younger!

Parents, family members and caregiving professionals looking for a thoughtful guide to raising children will benefit from Rabbi Amy Grossblatt Pesah’s Parenting on a Prayer- Ancient Jewish Secrets for Raising Modern Children. The book is well-written from the perspective of a teacher of Torah and a Jewish mother. Pessah artistically weaves her parenting journal reflections with Torah scripture and words from Jewish sages. Ideal for the professional or the parent of young children, the chapters are short enough to read before one goes to bed. Reading Pessah’s Parenting on a Prayer will make the reader become more mindful and reflective about caring for children, helping one intuitively think things through during challenging times with children at every stage of development.

Inspirational but down to earth; idealistic yet accessible. Parenting on a Prayer makes you want to think about what your values are and how you want to transmit them to your children. What's important and what's not. It allows you make mistakes and be honest about them. It's an easy read with deep ideas. And it's never syrupy. Grossblatt Pessah is imparting her wisdom while being startlingly honest that you can't ever be sure how things will turn out. All you can do is try your best to be honest with yourself, guide each child toward their best self, and when all else fails, love them more.

This beautifully written book was beyond helpful while I was navigating a very challenging time as a single parent. The insight, thoughtfulness, and deep rooted connections to my heritage was profoundly comforting. I am grateful to say these words of wisdom were a blessing to me at a time when I was seeking direction.

I have a young adult child and late teens and found this book both insightful and comforting. The knowledge and anecdotes shared by the author have made me evaluate my relationships with my own children AND it provides exercises on how to grow these relationships. In addition, this book also made me re-think my relationship with my father and how I can improve that. The knowledge this book provides does go beyond "parent and child" relationships and can help you create and build relationships with your community (with both people and the environment).

As a Jewish educator and parent, I loved Rabbi Amy Pessah’s book . Her insights from Jewish tradition and parenting wisdom were inspiring and poignant, sometimes heartbreakingly so . I gleaned so much from her teachings and reflections; insights that I will use both in the classroom and at home . This book is a blessing ❤️

A “light” yet profound perspective on parenting through the Jewish lens! Rabbi Amy Pessah shares her parenting experiences and powerful insight while connecting them to Jewish prayer text! It’s a must read for allParents of all religious backgrounds! I enjoyed every word and will definitely read again and again!