Not to Worry

What Jewish history and wisdom teach us about coping with worry. Michele Klein brings her training in psychology and love of all things Jewish to the notion of worry—the normal, everyday angst that we all feel to varying degrees. She explores the ways in which Jews have experienced, expressed, and coped with it since biblical times right up to the post-9/11 present. Written while her children served in the Israel Defense Forces, the book addresses such questions as: What is worry? Why, when, and how do all of us do it? Is it a "Jewish thing?" Is it avoidable, and is it all bad? How can we turn our tendency to worry into a positive force in our lives? Klein explains that our Jewish tradition can teach us about psychological strength, creative thinking, and peace of mind. Further, she shows how Jewish wisdom and centuries-old, fine-honed coping skills—including prayer, wisdom from the Sages, meditation, mysticism and dream interpretation, music, and humor—can give us the courage to face a world that often appears uncertain and threatening.