Hello? G-d? An Exploration of Life's Most Fundamental Question is a speculative and reflective exploration of religion and philosophy by author and rabbi Shlomo Ben Zeev. The first book in the Core Emmuna series, the claim is to explore life’s most fundamental question: what is the true purpose of life? The book describes the similarities and differences between faith and the Jewish concept of “emmuna”, translated from Hebrew as belief, and goes on to use the Torah in conjunction with modern scientific theory to put forward its philosophy. Some aspects of science are reframed and/or debunked as part of the process, encouraging readers to look wider than the stated fact and into a more holistic way of thinking about the universe and its purpose.

There were many areas of the core philosophy that I agreed with, in spite of knowing virtually nothing about the Jewish faith myself. It’s clear that Rabbi Shlomo Ben Zeev is a man of strong personal faith, and his quotations and references to the Torah were well thought out and explained in a clear, concise way. He was also very sympathetic to other faiths, and to the concept of belief in general. That said, I felt he came down a little too hard on science for my personal liking, and the discussion became less open and more ‘preachy’ here and there. However, the overall presentation and construction of the book is really excellent, and audiences looking to explore Judaism with a view to examining their place in the modern world are certain to benefit from reading Hello? G-d? An Exploration of Life's Most Fundamental Question.

Hello? G-d? An Exploration of Life's Most Fundamental Question by Rabbi Shlomo Ben Zeev is an insightful book that is useful to all readers who want to face the truth of life and learn to live a life of meaning and purpose with G-d’s help. The book will help readers explore the core questions related to G-d. Is there a G-d who created the universe? If the answer is yes, then there is a second question. Does G-d know me and desire a relationship with me? If the answer is in the affirmative, then the third question is, What is my relationship with G-d? The purpose of the book is to remove all obstacles that have been preventing readers from exploring faith-based religions and to explore the relevant fields of science that pertain to the world’s creation.

The book is a good tool for all those who question life and religion because it has an engaging approach to the topic and also to the Jewish religion. It is a good book that will make readers contemplate G-d, His role in everyone’s lives, religion and the many theories surrounding it. There are also interesting discussions about Emmuna, true faith, and trust. I like the way the author has handled the topic, his interpretation of religion and the issue of Emmuna, which is the foundation of the entire Torah. The book takes readers closer to G-d and will give them a better understanding about the Torah, along with the sciences.