A crucial new lens on repentance, atonement, forgiveness, and repair from harm —

From personal transgressions to our culture’s most painful and unresolved issues

“A must-read for anyone navigating the work of justice and healing.”

Congresswoman Ayanna pressley


Forgive and forget. Turn the other cheek. Be the bigger person. American culture continually asks victims to move on and avoid further confrontation, but the ethos of forgiveness-above-all often lets perpetrators off the hook without accountability. In On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in a Unapologetic World, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg offers a crucial new perspective to navigating conflict, applying an ancient framework to the country’s most painful contemporary issues—from systemic racism and the legacy of enslavement to the #MeToo movement and Native American land rights—as well as personal transgressions.

On Repentance and Repair is rooted in the work of the medieval philosopher Maimonides and his five stages of repentance: naming and owning harm; beginning to change; restitution and accepting consequences; apologizing; and making different choices. Grounded in traditional Jewish concepts while accessible to people from any, or no, religious background, On Repentance and Repair is a book for anyone who cares about creating a country and culture that is more whole than the one in which we live, and for anyone who has been hurt or who is struggling to take responsibility for their mistakes—That is to say, for everyone.

 upcoming events

 

september 2022

 

September 13

nadia bolz-weber
ig live
8 PM EST

September 15

bookends and beginnings
(with rev. kat banakis)
evanston, IL
ncjw north shore co-sponsor

september 20

institute for jewish spirituality
8 pm est

september 21

6th&I
(with soraya chemaly)
Washington, DC
NCJW co-sponsor
7 PM EST

september 22

Jewish women’s archive/
Sacred Spaces/
SRE
NCJW Co-sponsor
8 PM EST

september 28 - October 6

Collective trauma summit

october 2022

 

October 14

Evolving Faith conference
atlanta, GA

october 15

Congregation shearith israel
atlanta, ga

november 2022

 

november 17

congregation beth elohim
brooklyn, ny
(Details to come)

PRAISE

  • "Danya Ruttenberg's deep thinking and social compassion are a welcome antidote to the toxic individualism pervading our daily lives. On Repentance is a vital contribution to any conversation about how to ethically and empathetically navigate the complex and compressed times we live in."

    Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her

  • "Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg has waded into the timely and urgent discussion about violence, repair, and forgiveness with clarify, honesty and a fulsome embrace of the complexity of repentance and reconciliation, Her careful and fine-tuned ability to illuminate the guidance found in the writings of Jewish religious texts - in this instance the medieval philosopher Maimonides - undergirds Ruttenberg's very modern and impressive blueprint for confronting and engaging the effects of harm and the potential for reconciliation."

    Sherrilyn Ifill, President & Director-Counsel Emeritus of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

  • "Rabbi Ruttenberg weaves together stories and insights that prompt big questions for every person who aspires to build bridges and help shape a more just and inclusive nation and world."

    Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley

THE FIVE STEPS OF REPENTANCE

About the Author

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg is an award-winning author and writer. She was named by Newsweek as a “rabbi to watch,” as a “faith leader to watch” by the Center for American Progress, has been a Washington Post Sunday crossword clue (83 Down) and called a “wunderkund of Jewish feminism” by Publishers Weekly.

Her newest book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World has been hailed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as ““A must read for anyone navigating the work of justice and healing.” and by the author Rebecca Solnit as “brilliant.” 

She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Salon, Time, and many other publications. She has been featured on NPR, in The Atlantic, USA Today, NBC News, CNN, MTV News, Vice, Buzzfeed News, and elsewhere.

PRaise

PRAISE

  • A VITAL CONTRIBUTION TO ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO ETHICALLY AND EMPATHETICALLY NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX AND COMPRESSED TIMES WE LIVE IN.

    AUTHOR

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