Explores how the death of a child tears one family apart.

“Hilarious . . . Lerman proves herself mistress not only of side-splitting one-liners but also of pregnant perceptions about faith and virtue” (Publishers Weekly). From a novelist whose characters have ranged from ancient deities to suburban housewives to Eleanor Roosevelt, God’s Ear is the story of a rabbi who opens his heart to God, only to have every shnorrer in his congregation fill it with pain. Yussel Fetner’s ancestors had been such rabbis. Yussel, the last of the Fetner line, is not. Yussel turns his back on a thousand years of Fetner destiny, eschewing his family’s twinned piety and poverty to sell life insurance in New York. But the history of a thousand years is not to be thrown away so lightly. On his death, Yussel’s father discovers he will be unable to enter heaven until Yussel repents and enters the faith. The old rabbi will have to dip into a kit bag full of family lore, Hasidic tales, Kabbalistic wisdom, outright lies, and Jewish justifications to tease, trick, and torment his son until he accepts the pain of loving God. “A unique voice—wildly funny, achingly spiritual, profoundly Jewish.” —The New York Times Book Review

A detailed study of the role of religious worship and spiritual affairs in women's lives in the twentieth-century Arab world.

God's Ear marks the debut of Jenny Schwartz, "an indelibly clever playwright, possessed of linguistic playfulness and a lively sense of rhythm" (Alexis Soloski, The Village Voice). Through the skillfully disarming use of clichéd language and homilies, the play explores with subtle grace and depth the way the death of a child tears one family apart, while showcasing the talents of a promising young playwright who "in [a] very modern way [is] making a rather old-fashioned case for the power of the written word" (Jason Zinoman, The New York Times). Fresh from its critically acclaimed off-off-Broadway run this past spring, God's Ear moves off-Broadway to the Vineyard Theatre in April 2008.

Glimpses of God Through the Eyes of Children Children have spiritual truths to teach us–if only we will slow down long enough to listen. In these pages, speakers and authors such as Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Phil Callaway, Gigi Graham, and Eugene Peterson share stories of simple faith and earnest prayers from their own childhoods as well as lessons learned from their children and grandchildren. Inspiring and often humorous, Whispering in God’s Ear reminds us that children seem to have a direct connection to heaven. Their unbounded trust reveals a belief in a heavenly Father who cares about every detail of their lives. Their prayers show a confidence in a powerful God whose reach extends to every corner of their world. And their wholehearted expressions of love reflect a joy that can come only from the Giver of life. This poignant collection of stories offers insight into the lives of favorite authors while giving a glimpse of God’s heart as seen through the eyes of the very young. Your spiritual life may never be the same after you encounter these little giants of faith.