As Is

Everything I had considered my path up until that point meant nothing anymore. As I walked out, closing the door to the women’s section of the synagogue behind me, I suddenly found myself out at sea without a buoy to swim to. It was a strange and terrifying place to be, but at least I wasn’t willing to stay on the ship, floating aimlessly to a destination predetermined by others. Perhaps it was at that moment that I took up my quest for authenticity, at any cost . . . When recently married Rachel Krentzman’s Orthodox rabbi father is arrested and imprisoned for drug trafficking, it sets her on a path in search of a more authentic and fulfilling life. Questioning her roots and religion in the cold, constricted Jewish community of Montreal, she attempts to recreate herself as a divorced, single mother in carefree California. She soon learns, however, that she can’t run from her painful past or the beliefs that hold her captive. When she discovers yoga, Rachel begins an inward journey that leads her to move to Israel, where she must finally come to terms with the family hypocrisy and intergenerational trauma that have left her trying to fill the emptiness inside. As Is: A Memoir on Healing the Past through Yoga is a story about reconciling with yourself—imperfections and all—and finding love and contentment regardless of your external circumstances.