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REVIEWS

From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom in particular. The book is organized into five sections
and the Pursuit of Peace addressing different aspects of peacebuilding, and Eilberg
by Rabbi Amy Eilberg is perceptibly courageous with each section. She does
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2014 not back away from potent issues such as risk taking in
256 pages, GBP£15.03, USD$26.00 interfaith community building, intra-communal con-
Reviewed by Karen L. Erlichman flict among Jews, peace among religions, and the topic
Every so often a book comes along that affirms the of the centerpiece chapter, “Peace between Israelis and
feeling that I’ve been waiting for it my whole life. Today Palestinians.” Her thorough study of conflict engage-
that book is From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the ment, the neurobiology of conflict, and her deep love of
Pursuit of Peace by Rabbi Amy Eilberg. From Enemy to sacred Jewish texts creates a sturdy scaffolding that holds
Friend simultaneously connects and our most tender wounds as well as
transcends the boundaries of theol- our capacity to heal.
ogy, ideology, and psychology in the Each section of the book invites
service of peacebuilding, and it is a the reader to explore his or her own
beautifully written volume that will interior life as well: “Perhaps the
inspire, challenge, and nourish read- most important learning of all from
ers from every walk of life. this exercise would be to learn to lis-
Eilberg opens the book with a ten to ourselves in that same honest
story from her early experience as a and compassionate way. If in a wise
hospital chaplain when she stood at pause before voicing an angry com-
the threshold of a seemingly impass- ment we could remember to listen to
able boundary between herself and the pain and the deep sense of threat
a German chaplaincy trainee. She fueling our instinctive reaction, we
describes the unexpected transforma- would take far better care of our-
tion that takes place: “I was released selves and do far less damage to our
from the prison of my lifelong fearful own relationship with others” (71).
instinct about Germans. This per- In the last chapter, Eilberg draws
son was not my enemy…. The very on the ancient Jewish mystical prac-
subject of spiritual care for the ill touches tender places tice of Mussar, a framework for working with our soul
in the heart.… I could feel God prying the walls of my traits (middot in Hebrew). She lifts up seven specific soul
heart open” (3). traits that she identifies as essential to peacebuilding,
This process, and the tools necessary, for moving from including a brief suggestion for how to engage this qual-
fear to compassion, closed to open, enemy to friend, is ity in your own spiritual practice.
the heart of this book. Eilberg provides a trustworthy The experience I had reading this book was person-
handbook for making peace with yourself, your enemies ally, politically, and spiritually transformational, and not
(real or perceived), your wounds, and even God. She only because Eilberg has been an important mentor in
offers wisdom and guidance from Jewish sacred texts my own life. From Enemy to Friend is a glowing ember
and practices, communities of dialogue and conflict of hope in the shadows of despair about the urgency of
resolution, and activism, drawing on her vocational and peacemaking, a beautiful guidebook that skillfully weaves
spiritual journey as a rabbi, chaplain, spiritual director, together spiritual direction, Jewish theology, peacebuild-
and interfaith leader. ing, Parker Palmer, dialogue facilitation, and inner spiri-
Eilberg states from the outset that the “goal of this tual work. This book is for seekers and guides, friends
book is to explore this inner work of peacebuilding” and enemies, communities and congregations. It is a
(3). She describes her own experience of being called prayer book, an activists’ guide, a divination tool, and a
to peace work in general, and interfaith peacebuilding gift to the world. ■

62 Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction