[7] A key theme throughout the series has been an earnest desire for "cultural authenticity" that rejects both consumeristic values of the dominant gentile culture but also rejects the values of the mainstream mid-century Jewish establishment,[8] with a special focus on the concept of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).
[17][18] (some have also noted similarities in style and approach with the classic book Our Bodies, Ourselves[19]) The book emphasized a democratic Judaism that was practiced by ordinary Jews, without the essential need for professionals[20] and that was egalitarian in nature (rejecting prohibitions that would limit the role of women in Jewish ritual practice).
[21][22] Subjects explored in this volume include: spiritual practices for the home, tips for Jewish travel (in Europe, Israel, and the Soviet Union), holidays, life cycle events, crafts, cooking, education and especially ways to reclaim traditional ritual practices in a non-Orthodox context.
[25] In response, readers wrote in with a wide range of views, most critical of Sklare's review of the book, but with some in agreement.
The book also featured a significant discussion on the topic of Israel and ways that diaspora Jews can make connections with the land, as well as a comprehensive index to the entire series.