Bruce Feiler on Making Meaning, One Ritual at a Time

Bruce Feiler speaks to us about the relationship between storytelling and ritual — and why both are essential tools for navigating change, creating meaning and building connection. We also discuss the moments when life takes a difficult turn (“lifequakes” as Bruce calls them), his journey walking the Bible and how it stems from his “rootedness” as a Southern Jew, and the ongoing tension between innovation and tradition at the heart of Jewish life. Bruce is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is In The Transitions, The Secrets Of Happy Families, and Council Of Dads. He is also the author of several nonfiction books about the bible, including Abraham, Where God Was Born, America’s Prophet, and The First Love Story. His book Walking the Bible describes his 10,000 mile journey retracing the Five Books of Moses, which spent a year and a half on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into fifteen languages. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than five million times; and he teaches the Webby Award-winning TED Course How To Master Life Transitions. In this episode, we discuss his latest book, A Time To Gather: How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us. Bruce Feiler’s Five Books: 1. Lech L’cha, Genesis 2. Understanding Genesis by Nahum Sarna 3. The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall 4. When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin 5. A Time To Gather: How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us by Bruce Feiler Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Nicholas Lemann on Being Jewish in the Shadow of the American South Jeremy Dauber on Jewish Literature, Pop Culture, and What The Horror Genre Reveals About America Toby Lloyd on Biblical Horror and being a Jewish Atheist Ilana Kurshan on Books as Blueprints for Life Also Mentioned: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Mayyim Hayyim OneTable Ritualwell.org  Yiddish tkhines The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Sam Sussman, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Allegra Goodman. ⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on at  ⁠www.fivebookspod.org, on Instagram ⁠@fivebookspod ⁠or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! ⁠https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate⁠ The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity.  Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Aimee Fogel Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions