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What readers are saying about Wisdom Grows in My Garden
“This delightful book by Rabbi Plotkin reveals the wisdoms waiting for us in our gardens: lessons in patience and timing, getting through difficult beginnings, listening deeply to oneself in the midst of the life around us…All this and more awaits our participation, where we find how our own dreams link us to the dreams of the world.”
– Dr. Craig Chalquist, Professor and Co-Editor of Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind.
“Wonderfully accessible and engaging, Rabbi Paul Plotkin’s memoir, Wisdom Grows in My Garden is full of lessons learned from a life of giving to others. Now retired but still focused and caring, Rabbi Plotkin nurtures an ever-present and diverse garden. And here the wisdom of a life lived reintroduces itself. Enlightening, topical and humorous, the stories in this book will make you smile and nod in recognition of life’s simplest, and at times unacknowledged lessons. This is a book you will reread again and again and find something new each time.” – Stella Harvey, author (Finding Callidora and others), mentor at Simon Fraser University Writers Studio, and founder of the Whistler Writers festival.
“I finished the book. I enjoyed it. His love and understanding of gardening and of people is highlighted throughout his book. I enjoyed his wisdom and observations of life and the parallels of gardening and living.”
– Jennifer Taylor, actress
Todd Genger –
As a spiritual leader of a suburban Florida Jewish congregation, Rabbi Paul Plotkin spent much of his professional life helping people connect with their roots. In this book, he digs a little deeper to help people discover the meaning and mystery of life through his sometimes ordinary and often extraordinary encounters with a small backyard garden. Cultivating an appreciation for the vagaries and fickleness of nature and our own understanding and awareness of the world outside our door, we can all find something to laugh about and to cry about in this heartfelt book. Whether you are a bachelor or botanist or pick your vegetables from the can or frozen food section, if you are open to hearing the still small voice that calls out to each of us, Wisdom Grows in My Garden will yield a bountiful harvest of stories to touch the heart and illuminate the soul.
Marty Silbernik –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in a long time. I heartily recommend this to folks of all walks of life. We can all learn from the wisdom he shares.
Rabbi Plotkin has taken a seemingly innocuous hobby and draws his experiences in his garden over nearly 40 years into a primer for living a serene, happy life. From poignant moments to simply hysterical battles with the enemies of the garden, you’ll be entertained by his writing style and his story telling.
The parallels he draws between his experience in the garden and experience in life gives the reader a solid road map to the top 25 life lessons that all of us can use from our early years throughout our lives.
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” will draw you in and take you through life’s lessons on a thoroughly enjoyable trip. This book should be in all of our libraries and the top of your book club list!
Bonnie Feldman –
Learning life lessons by nurturing a garden. Especially loved Chapter 36. A home run!
Len Kaplan –
Len Kaplan – January 1, 2023
As someone who was a congregant of Rabbi Plotkin for sixteen years, I found this book to possibly be his most intriguing sermon. while opening us to his private as well as his public life through his garden.
“Wisdom Grows in my Garden” gives us many life lessons. It is well worth the read.
Gail James –
I have known Rabbi Plotkin since he had his first pulpit in about 1978. I thought even then that he had a brilliant understanding of humanity and a moral compass of values worth emulating.” Wisdom Grows in my Garden” is a joy to read. Lessons are taught with a gentle hand and subtle humor that benefit and touch the reader who listens to his deeper message. Highly recommend reading this as time well spent.
Marc Green-Lowe –
A rare find! A beautiful mixture of timeless wisdom and humor, all of which chapter by chapter grow on you like the storied Rabbi’s garden. By the end, you will have read a complete guide for a better life, regardless of your current age.
It is unusual for me to recommend a book for friends and family. However, in this case, you can’t go wrong because you already know which one’s need it.
Nancy Denberg –
“I really enjoyed the book. It made me laugh, it made me think, and used my interest in gardening to teach me about life .”
Vernon Kurtz –
Although I have known Rabbi Paul Plotkin for over 60 years as my classmate, colleague and friend, I did not really appreciate his great love of gardening and his devotion to it. As I read his book “Wisdom Grows in My Garden” not only did I learn about this particular aspect of his life but I followed the growing seasons along with him and learned to appreciate what motivates his passion. More important, as he takes the reader through his challenges of gardening in Florida, he teaches all of us, including me who has known him for so long, many life lessons which will remain with us and make our lives more meaningful. His insights from his garden helped me understand more about Rabbi Plotkin and about myself and for that I am grateful. I am positive others will feel the same way as they read the book, follow Rabbi Plotkin in his exploits in his garden, and gain from his insights and wisdom.
Janice W. –
Gertrude Jekyll writes “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” Rabbi Plotkin’s “Wisdom Grows in my Garden” epitomizes how many life lessons gardening can teach. An endearing read that encapsulates life’s lessons learned through a gardener’s self-determination and unbridled enthusiasm to yield crops. Charming.
tal p –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is such an enjoyable read. I found myself chuckling at the authors jokes throughout the book and relating to many of its stories. After I read this book ( in a few hours no less, as I couldn’t put it down) I kept quoting the lessons to my family throughout the day. These life lessons are timeless and apply to all parts of your daily life. A must read for anyone looking for an entertaining book on self improvement.
Jonathan Chariton –
“Wisdom grows in my garden” is a collection of introspective life lessons, applicable to everyone, told from the perspective of a master observer as he tends his garden over the course of decades.
A super easy and fast read, it flows so well you almost forget there’s a book in your hands.
A shortcut for anyone looking to understand the type of wisdom that comes from a lifetime of experience and deliberate reflection.
The lessons taught by Rabbi Plotkin are universally applicable with comprehension normally reserved only for those with direct personal experience.
A must read for those actively interested in personal improvement or anyone seeking an enjoyable and easy read where they learn timeless life lessons without realizing it!
Howard T –
Wisdom Grows in My Garden by Plotkin is a must-read for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of their own place in the world through the insights and life experiences of a well-cultured Rabbi. The stories will give you a greater appreciation and help you find peace in your everyday life. This beautifully written book is a treasure trove of wisdom, practical advice, and inspiration. Plotkin’s writing is interesting and engaging, and his intuitions are both profound and pragmatic. The book will provide a way to relate religious concepts to everyday life, such as the importance of patience, hard work, and care in both gardening and one’s spiritual journey. Hearing Plotkin’s personal experiences in the short and easy-to-understand chapters will naturally encourage listeners to reflect on their own experiences and learn from them. You don’t have a be a seasoned gardener to enjoy and gain from this book. Highly recommended for everyone!
Lance Breitstein –
As an atheist and someone that knows NOTHING about gardening, this book made me long to explore nature, the art of gardening, and reflect upon life itself more thoroughly.
No matter your background, the life lessons distilled through the many gardening metaphors will resonate with you. It is written in a beautiful way that evokes strong imagery in the reader’s mind and I was able to flow through the book with ease.
For anyone, this book is a wonderful window into Rabbi Plotkin’s life lessons as well as a window into how nature has so much to share with us even when it might feel our society today is becoming further and further disconnected from it.
Jeannie Forrest –
A sweet treatise on the multiple parables to be found in a gardener’s life. Deceptively simple, these heartwarming little moments are full of distilled wisdom from a life well-lived. The Zen of the final chapter (a pensive look at green beans and our own eventual passing) made me a little weepy. Without any direct references to Buddhism, this book is full of reminders of samsara, which literally means “flowing around,” in Sanskrit—or a reminder of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
This book is a comforting chat with your favorite wise zayde. Lots of anecdotes filled with life lessons.
Paul Kochberg –
I was hooked just while reading the Forward and then could not put the book down before concluding the Epilogue. Rabbi Plotkin makes excellent use of a mixture of analogies, metaphors, nostalgia and humor to illustrate many important life lessons learned when comparing the planting, nurturing, growth and harvesting of the produce of his garden to a person’s growth in life. Through the use of many poignant examples, the author teaches us that, as with vegetables in a garden, we humans need careful thought, planning, nurturing, vigilance and love in order to grow and succeed. Rabbi Plotkin’s many years in the pulpit, caring for his congregants and watching them grow and succeed, have provided him with wonderful perspectives and his application of those perspectives to the elements in his garden and now in this wonderful book is indeed a gift. Enjoy it and learn from it, as I did.
Dr. Marc Kramer –
As a self-styled Jewish urban gardener and kosher foodie myself, I could not wait to dig into Rabbi Paul (aka: Pinchesell) Plotkin’s new book, “Wisdom Grows in My Garden.” What I found is more than a paean to fresh peas or a trip down mealtime’s memory lane; it is a rich, often funny and always thoughtful look at how some of life’s most profound lessons can be learned from the simplest of acts. Rabbi Plotkin serves up generous portions of highly-relatable family anecdotes, insights from a lifetime on the pulpit, and gentle reminders to find the mysterious in the mundane. “Wisdom Grows in My Garden” belongs on the shelf next to “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” “Blessings of a Skinned Knee,” and other beloved books that invite the reader to pause and see things from a different – and much brighter – perspective.
Allison Rieders –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is an entertaining, fast read that teaches life lessons through the seemingly simple task of gardening, which turns out, is not so simple! The continuous self-reflection of Rabbi Plotkin on stories from his life, keep the reader engaged and thinking through each chapter. Rabbi Plotkin lists 25 life lessons that will make you reflect on your life experiences and want to share them with others.
Allison Rieders –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is an entertaining, fast read that teaches life lessons through the seemingly simple task of gardening, which turns out is not so simple! The continuous self-reflection of Rabbi Plotkin and stories from his life, keep the reader engaged and thinking through each chapter. Rabbi Plotkin lists 25 life lessons that will make you reflect on your life experiences and want to share them with others.
Jon Chester –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” by Rabbi Paul Plotkin was such a fun read. As a newer homeowner in South Florida I found that I had had not just a few, but many shared experiences with the author! It is amazing what lessons we can learn about both life and ourselves by simply observing the living things in our yard, and Rabbi Plotkin did an excellent job channeling these into concise, applicable points. It’s humbling how many different interactions have to occur before that perfect fruit or vegetable ends up in our kitchen! I might not be as passionate as the author about working my garden, but I can still empathize with the highs and lows that come with the hobby. There is something in this book for everyone, as Rabbi Plotkin has clearly lived a life rich with teachable moments.
Alan Fishman –
Rabbi Plotkin has written a delightfully easy to read and enlightening book using the lessons he learned from raising vegetables and fruit to provide deep insights into human behavior and life. Wisdom Grows in My Garden tells the story of how, after leading a large and challenging congregation for 30 years and raising 3 children, he found himself in need of a new challenge to use his innate talents to nurture and help in the growth of living things. In the book, zucchinis, string beans and tomatoes take on humanlike status – with challenges to their birth, development, and survival, complete with friends (nutrients) and enemies (iguanas). Rabbi Plotkin weaves simple, yet insightful lessons about life into the tale of his evolution as a home gardener. His battles with nature’s pests and iguanas made me laugh out loud, and was the pathway to his lesson No. 8 – “Never ignore your enemies or one day they may take over”.
Perhaps the biggest lesson in life in this tale is that Rabbis are also interesting human beings, with the same emotions and struggles as the rest of us.
Linda Storfer –
In his latestbook\\\\\\
In his latest book, Rabbi Plotkin discusses his love of gardening, his love of the land and how this experience brings him closer to nature. Written with wit and intellect, he deals with many important topics including family, his own nuclear one and the one he produced, food and the consumption of it, human relationships, health, Judaism and death. Amazingly, he connects all of them to gardening. The book is well crafted and through his writing the author provides his readers with a template for many of life’s important issues, problems and how to resolve them.
In
Barry Starr –
Wisdom is not the same as knowledge or book-smarts. The world has perhaps too much of the latter, and not enough of the former. The skill of being able to draw life lessons from the routine and often simple tasks of daily life (one of the watchwords of wisdom) is on display magnificently in Paul Plotkin’s book “Wisdom Grows in my Garden”. In the genre of Robert Fulghum’s “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” this book teaches the reader so much about life. With humor, passion, joy, heartbreak and autobiographical insights, Paul takes us through the triumphs and tribulations of gardening, always keenly aware of what we might learn from his experiences. Paul constantly reminds us that we ought to know where to find life’s most valuable lessons…in life itself.
Aryeh G –
It’s rare to come across a book that is so concise yet filled to the brim with wise and important insights. Whether gardening or agriculture is your cup of tea is a moot point, this book is a profound read no matter your background.
The book is a treasure trove of life experiences and lessons gathered from his years at the pulpit, and in the backyard.
By using gardening as a vehicle to speak on growth, spirituality, patience and assertiveness. Rabbi Paul cleverly weaves esoteric references to obscure TV shows with Jewish mysticism and experiences in the garden.
This is a book to read and re-read. Just as gardening is about not being afraid to get a little dirty in order to reap the rewards in the future, this book works in much the same way.
The harder you work to incorporate these practical lessons into your life the more you will see the pay off.
Wisdom Grows in My Garden aims to plant in our mind the ideas and ruminations that will eventually help you grow and progress on our own personal roads of self improvement and contemplation.
Edwin Farber –
I must say, I never associated gardening with happiness and serenity, since it was always a source of aggravation as I rarely succeeded. But after reading Rabbi, Plotkin’s book in which he ties his hobby of gardening to life lessons, I came away with a completely different view. Gardening took on a different meaning – it became in the abstract – since you don’t need to actually garden yourself to learn lessons and enjoy the experience through his eyes and his perspective – a source of wisdom, humor, and insight. His writing style is entertaining and smooth. It makes for an easy read during which you feel you are on a journey through that magical garden, which in microcosm is a journey through life. I assure you that you will love the journey and have laughs and sighs along the way.
Rabbi Joel Schwab –
In “Wisdom Grows in My Garden”, Rabbi Paul Plotkin finds lessons for living in a combination of Jewish tradition, personal history and gardening. Whether it is through counting avocados, attacking iguanas or bemoaning the failures of his tomato plants, Rabbi Plotkin contemplates good and evil, difficult beginnings and untimely endings, bringing in the depths of Jewish wisdom to support the things he learns from his plants. His prose is easy to read and flows beautifully from subject to subject, and as a result, the short pericopes that make up the volume ironically make it hard to put the book down.
I am no gardener, but I am a rabbi, and I found myself intrigued by the combination of plants and Judaism that led to such insight. Rabbi Plotkin has successfully integrated all of the parts of his life to give his readers life lessons easy to remember because they are made so vivid.
Rabbi Joel Schwab
Keith Underwood –
Admittedly, this is not normally a book I would pick up and read. However, I am very glad I did. You can learn so much from people you don’t have a great deal in common with, and Rabbi Plotkin shows that through the chapters and life lessons in this book.
A good mesh of personal anecdotes with the complexities of life, Rabbi Plotkin touches on the high points of life itself and does not sugarcoat the plights we all face. This book causes you to look inward and take a view of your own life while realizing a sense of calm as we journey on.
Jonathan Rubin –
As a former congregant and student of Rabbi Plotkin, as well as someone who enjoyed produce from his garden, I read this book with great anticipation. Similar to his sermons, which could sometimes weave together seemingly unrelated topics to bring deep meaning, this book manages to create parallels between the joys and struggles of gardening with various life events. I was particularly struck by the metaphor of nurturing a seed growing into a plant, which was likened to the nurturing of a child growing into an adult. Throughout the book, Rabbi Plotkin shares his wisdom, gained from toiling in his garden, to provide insights, summarized as a “life lessons list” at the back of the book, that the reader will enjoy. I highly recommend reading this book for its collection of stories that will touch your life and your soul.
Through working in the garden, learning from numerous challenges, and reaping the benefits of his harvest, Rabbi Plotkin has truly embraced the words of the prophet Micah, “Everyone shall sit under his grapevine or fig tree with no one to disturb them.”
Kevin R. –
“Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is an enjoyable read. Rabbi Plotkin is a great storyteller who does a fantastic job of using his personal experiences to share insights and ideas. All the while using his love of gardening as a way to make it relatable to us all.
Anthony Picciuto –
Hobbies have a way of bringing people from all walks of life together, and gardening is no different. The wisdom you can learn from nurturing plants can be used throughout life, and Rabbi Plotkin shows you how. He shares his timeless wisdom won through his many struggles in his garden. He is able to combine humor and sincerity in a way that makes this book a joy to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone and everyone.
Vera Joffe Ph.D. ABPP –
I truly enjoyed reading Rabbi Plotkin’s new book: “Wisdom Grows in My Garden”. I cannot express how much impact this book had on me as an individual as well as a professional.
Rabbi’s Plotkin’s ability to describe a life story (from birth, childhood, and adulthood) through his experience in gardening is fascinating. How he relates gardening stories to life lessons is brilliant, and his experience with his multi-generational family members (from grandmother to grandchildren) over more than six decades provides individual connections to readers of all ages and backgrounds.
I will certainly recommend this book to all my family and friends, colleagues, and my patients. Some of the lessons we learn from Rabbi Plotkin’s book are: “everything needs to be judged in context” when he wrote about weeds in his garden. Other lessons are how we need to choose our battles in life and how the one who rushes and gets somewhere sooner does not necessarily get the best outcome as in “the early bird doesn’t always catch the worm”.
Rabbi Plotkin is able connect tomatoes to people, to children and even to marriage lessons.
He shows us that it is not insanity to try something again… “it is a Divine Spark”.
Rabbi Plotkin also uses humor to teach lessons, such as “all relationships are transactional”, and that we are all interconnected, and we must listen to each other. This can clearly be a guide to better local and world politics, world peace and environmental justice.
It would be wonderful if everyone would learn from Rabbi Plotkin’s book. The book has powerful personal and societal messages, and I would recommend this book to Book Clubs (as it has a guide in the end for discussion), and for families to discuss with each other.
Vera Joffe, Ph.D. ABPP
Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Licensed in FL, NY
PCIT and PCIT-SM Certified Therapist
http://www.verajoffe.com
@verajoffephdabpp
Rhoda –
I was not able to put the book down
I laughed I cried I thought!
I felt that rabbi Plotkin was talking to me
I keep the book by my bedside and reread chapters as the need arises
A must read !
Nina Pollock –
To tell the truth, I bought this book because I felt I should support Rabbi Plotkin as a loyal member of his congregation. I did not, for a moment, believe I would be interested in a book on gardening and I could not possibly conceive how we could learn life lessons from it. Boy! Was I wrong! I loved the book and could not put it down but I forced myself to read a chapter or two at a time because I so looked forward to reading it whenever I got a chance. The way Rabbi Plotkin interwove life lessons with gardens was so clever. The book was written with wit and humour and had me smiling throughout. This is a wonderful read for all ages and all stages of life, one that I will keep referring to from time to time.
Steven Katchen –
Rabbi Paul and I always enjoy light hearted conversations about, food and shul and this book, a true joy, makes me want to appreciate every aspect iof life. An relaxing read and short chapters makes it easy to read too.
Ari Hoffnung –
Today’s hyper-connected, device-driven world makes it far too easy to disconnect altogether from mother nature. However, in “Wisdom Grows in My Garden,” Rabbi Paul Plotkin reminds us to take a break and invites the reader back into the garden to share important life lessons. Meaningful (and comical) insights are gleaned from brave hockey stick battles against monstrous creatures (like iguanas and squirrels) that sought to destroy Rabbi Poltkin’s garden and deprive him of homegrown berries, avocados and tomatoes. “Wisdom Grows in My Garden” is a delightful book full of helpful advice and reflection on how to deal with the daily challenges we all encounter. The book can be enjoyed by people of different ages and backgrounds.
Nahum Palefski –
With little (or no) prior interest in gardening, this book came as a complete and pleasant surprise. Rabbi Plotkin masterfully weaves details of his gardening hobby with life lessons that will be helpful to me as a son, husband, father, friend, and lawyer. I miss my time with this book now that I’ve finished it. More from Rabbi Plotkin please!