The Heart of a Stranger

This memoir by Angela Buchdahl talks not only about her life circumstances but also about her inner journey to claim community with her father's Jewish heritage. Her mother is Korean Buddhist and never converted, but supported both of her daughters' participation in Judaic culture and practice. Angela became the first  Asian American rabbi in the United States and was eventually given the head office over one of the largest congregations in the world, streaming services to over 100 countries. She faced the usual issues of antisemitism, but also prejudices without the religious about her gender and her mixed parentage. 

The Washington Post calls the book "inspiring" and has this to say about its author: "She’s the rock star rabbi, the Beyoncé of the clergy set. She’s called upon to explain the Jewish holidays on network television, her online sermons draw more than 100,000 views and her name once was an answer on “Jeopardy!” Angela Buchdahl’s improbable rise from an early childhood in Korea to the pulpit of Central Synagogue in New York City, one of the leading Reform synagogues in the United States, all while deftly overcoming gender and racial barriers, is a story that begs to be told."They go on to describe her writing style as "warm and engaging" and have more to say about Buchdah's writingl: "She presents herself as both author and teacher, memoirist and evangelist. This unconventional structure will surely engage readers interested in but unfamiliar with Jewish history and precepts. " 

Kirkus praises "Buchdahl’s eloquent memoir braids a narrative of growth and discovery with sermonic reflections on biblical texts. This is a book about finding a calling, but it is also a book about inclusion..." and close their review with "An inspiring life story of believing and belonging, told by one of the most influential figures in modern American Judaism." 

Publishers Weekly concludes their glowing review by saying "In a moment of rising social division, racism, and antisemitism, this stirring call for unity resonates." You can find multiple interviews and videos of her sermons online.