My deep appreciation to my classmates and friends Rabbi Martha Bergadine, Rabbi George Gittleman, Dr. Dana Kaplan, Rabbi Max Weiss, and Rabbi Stan Zamek for taking the time from their busy lives to read the manuscript and offer insights and suggestions. Their contributions greatly improved the final product.
Thanks too to my brother John, to Charles Gregory, to Terry Hansen, and to Scott and Kelley Snowden. Though nonexperts in matters Jewish, they also read the book and helped me see it through the eyes of a general reader.
My gratitude also goes to Dr. Richard Golden. He unwittingly triggered the creation of the EJMMM and then graciously offered me encouragement once I finally owned up to what I was doing.
I want to acknowledge my teachers at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, for teaching me the tools I needed to research this book: Rabbi Steven Balaban, Dr. Marc Bregman, Rabbi Chanan Brichto z”l, Dr. Alan Cooper, Dr. Susan Einbinder, Rabbi Ben Hollander, Dr. Adam Kamasar, Dr. Robert Katz z”l, Dr. Steve Kaufmann, Masha Klein, Dr. Michael Klein z”l, Dr. Barry Kogan, Dr. Paul Liptz, Dr. Michael Meyer, Dr. Eugene Mihaly z”l, Dr. Alvin Reines z”l, Hannah Saggi, Dr. Richard Sarason, Rabbi Julie Schwartz, Ezri Uval z”l, Dr. Ben Zion Wacholder z”l, Dr. Mark Washofsky, Dr. David Weisberg z”l, and Dr. Isaac Yerushalmi.
I want to thank Natalie Harter, Karl Anderson, and all the editors at Llewellyn, both for taking an interest in an unsolicited proposal from an unknown author, and also for being the nicest and most pleasant people I’ve yet encountered in the publishing world.
My greatest and eternal thanks must go to my wife and soulmate, Robin, who encouraged my vision and gave me the confidence to write this book. Not only did she read and help revise countless manuscripts, but she has been more patient and forgiving of me during the years of writing this book than I deserve or merit. May her reward be waiting in the World to Come, because she’s stuck with me until then.