Title: From Matzah Balls to Communion Wafers: How a not-so Kosher Jewish Girl Fell in Love with Jesus
Author: Gail Baker
Publisher: Worthy Publishing
ISBN: TBA
Genre: Memoirs
Pages: 161
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert
Pacific Book Review
Genuinely affecting and revelatory, Gail Baker’s candid memoir conveys the poignant story of her metamorphic journey to her spiritual conversion from Judaism to Christianity, which traversed the craggy, psyche-borne territories of faith, suffering, and religious affiliation within her.
Delivering a touching, coherent and insightful work which speaks to the soul of the reader, author Baker shares her spiritual hardships and triumphs with a grounded openness and grace, which brims not only with emotion, but a scholarly authenticity and insight supported with references stemming from religious expertise, research, and relevant religious doctrine.
Immediately compelling, author Baker’s conversion story, begins with her frustrations with Christians and Christianity. Having been raised in a close Jewish family in Columbia, South Carolina, the midst of the Bible belt, she often found herself the target of one of many unwanted and unexpected conversion attempts, compounded by confounding Christian elements deemed anti-Semitic in nature, and moreover, the dark history of forced Christian conversions.
However, eighteen years later her spiritual quest began. After years of struggling under the oppressive stress of trying to manage her relationship with a son plagued with mental and addiction issues she made her changes. It was when she could take no more and her Judaist upbringing could offer no true solace, that she began to look for answers within the paradigm of the Christian world. Her search eventually brought her to the point of no return – conversion, by accepting God’s loving will, Jesus and the Christian viewpoint. By crossing the impalpable barrier that separates Judaism and Christianity, Gail Baker became a hero and an inspiration. Not because she turned her back to Judaism, but because she bravely took charge of her faith, daring to step away from her Jewish culture, while seeking a more enriching relationship with God.
From Matzah Balls to Communion Wafers: How a not-so Kosher Jewish Girl Fell in Love with Jesus, made for a spiritually satisfying read, which easily kept my attention. In particular, what immediately appealed to me about the overall narrative is the eloquence of Baker’s writing style, her words flow easily and stylishly, permeating the read with a poetic bent which is both expressive and engaging. Moreover, her writing guides you through her experiences with a literate clarity that allows for a genuine author-reader connection. Albeit, there are very minor issues with editing and page display, however this definitely makes a worthwhile read.
