With customary warmth, humor, and insight, Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin invites pray-ers and learners of all ages to engage more deeply in the liturgy of Jewish Shabbat worship.
New York, NY – August 2025 – CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, proudly announces the publication of Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin.
Inviting God In is an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning service by the acclaimed author of Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Designed for students and learners of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book’s relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully invite readers to a deeper understanding of the worship service they are leading or attending. Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. Inviting God In opens a window on:
- Why the pews are empty in so many synagogues—and how they can be fuller.
- Why American Jews are prayer-phobic—and how that can change.
- How individual Jews can create a Jewish identity.
- Why Reform Jewish worship is different—and why that is great.
Ideal for congregations, this book is a ready-made curriculum for bet mitzvah students. It can be put in pews for congregants to peruse to deepen their understanding of worship. Clergy can use its contents for inspiring teachings. Adults can read Inviting God In for a study group or a book club. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life.
Rabbi Elyse D. Frishman, Rabbi Emerita of Barnert Temple and editor of Mishkan T’filah: A Reform Siddur, said that “God stands near us just waiting to be let in. Wary? Rabbi Jeff Salkin will move you to race to the door with newfound awareness and joy.”
“By way of warmth, wit, and wisdom, the riches of Judaism—its prayers and rituals—have been opened up for a new generation,” said Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, PhD, Senior Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue and author of For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today. “Whether you are a b’nei mitzvah student or family, a lifelong Jewish learner, or a searching soul, this beautifully written volume will open up the tradition and your heart.”
Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD, a professor at Hebrew Union College and author of From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar, wrote in the book’s foreword that “Rabbi Salkin—a thoughtful Jewish leader, an experienced writer, a prominent speaker for liberal and progressive Judaism, a columnist and podcaster, and perhaps more than anything else an efficacious and dedicated educator—has created a meaningful tool for creating Shabbat prayers…I am sure that everyone who dedicates time to this precious gem, no matter their knowledge and experience, will be tremendously enriched by it.”
“Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin has spent his rabbinic life seeing things deeply and differently, and then communicating in a way that makes readers sit up and take notice,” said Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, professor emeritus at Hebrew Union College and editor of the My People’s Prayer Book series. “He is best in this exceptional introduction to liturgy and prayer—an old topic that comes newly to life with thoughtful metaphors, compelling anecdotes, and the author’s deep and abiding love for Judaism.”
Rabbi Salkin is one of American Judaism’s most prolific and most quoted rabbis. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College and served as a congregational rabbi in Reform synagogues for more than forty years. In addition, he has served in various leadership roles within the Reform Movement. He is the author of twelve books and writes the column “Martini Judaism: For Those Who Want to Be Shaken and Stirred,” published by the Religion News Service. His essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Commentary, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Tablet, Mosaic, Forward, and JTA, and has appeared as a guest on CNN and the BBC. He is available to visit communities to teach on his new book both online and in person.
Inviting God In is available at invitinggodin.ccarpress.org.
To request review copies, interview opportunities, or to book author events, please contact: Raquel Fairweather-Gallie, Marketing and Sales Manager, CCAR Press: rfairweather@ccarnet.org.