Jamie S. Korngold is the founder and spiritual leader of the Adventure Rabbi Program and author of God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors. She is a popular leader and speaker on the topics of Judaism and Jewish life. In this ambitious project, Korngold sets out "to make Judaism relevant and meaningful for people who do not resonate with conventional Jewish practice." A tall order given the widespread lack of interest in this 5,000-year-old tradition. She points out that Yom Kippur is the only day many Jews step in a synagogue.
Korngold is critical of the childish view of God in the sky who is busy keeping track of our sins and mistakes. She believes that in the Hebrew Scriptures, He is constantly changing. This is pertinent to our situation which is described cogently as:
"Science and technology have in many ways dethroned God as the Creator and Ruler of the universe. In our society, awe has been replaced by rationalism. We look to science and technology, rather than God, to repair our lives and mend our hearts. Prozac has replaced prayer. Medicine has replaced Misheberach (the Jewish prayer for healing). Social networking has replaced synagogue communities. Search engines have replaced Talmudic inquiries."
Korngold argues that Judaism remains rooted in tradition but has many God upgrades that have been introduced over the years. She looks at Maimonides (1138-1204) who brought rationalism to Judaism, Spinoza's (1632-1677) pantheistic spin on God, Martin Buber's (1887-1965) emphasis on God's presence in relationships, Harold Schulweis' teachings on God in our actions, Harold Kushner's discovery of the Divine in difficulties and suffering, and Abraham Joshua Heschel's praying with his feet during marches in support of civil rights for African-Americans.
Through these constant God upgrades as well as the combined resources of the Torah, synagogue, prayer, a panoply of rituals and holidays, Judaism is able to acknowledge and celebrate all the mundane moments of our lives, infusing them with meaning and joy.
