We need religion, writes rabbi in her new book, but it’s not there to make our lives better

Rabbi Noa Kushner's new book 'Pretend You Believe: How to Enter Religion' challenges Jews to stop treating Judaism as a means to self-improvement or community, and instead enter into a relationship with God on the tradition's own terms. She rejects the 'consumer mentality' that asks what religion can do for the individual, arguing that Judaism exists 'for the sake of God.'

Rabbi Noa Kushner's new book 'Pretend You Believe: How to Enter Religion' makes a provocative argument: Jews should stop treating Judaism as a means to an end — whether community, ethics, or personal growth — and instead enter into a relationship with God on the tradition's own terms. Kushner, founding rabbi of The Kitchen in San Francisco, rejects what she calls a 'consumer mentality' that asks what religion can do for the individual. She argues that Judaism exists 'for the sake of God' and that using it primarily for self-improvement misunderstands the religious project. The book, published by Schocken, goes on sale October 13. Kushner is the daughter of prominent Reform rabbi Lawrence Kushner and was ordained at Hebrew Union College. In an interview with JTA ahead of Yom Kippur, she discusses doubt, the limits of self-help, and her suggestion that skeptics 'pretend' they believe as a way to enter the religious world.