While sorting through some old books, I came across ‘Backdoor to Heaven’ , an autobiography by Lionel Blue – by Britain’s first openly gay rabbi.I bought this in 1985 after hearing his witty and humane insights on the God-slot of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.His ‘thoughts for the day’ were in marked contrast to the tedious holier than thou platitudes of other contributors.

Although I am not a believer, I was attracted to his words because he spoke with such integrity and tolerance.The same honesty and humour shines through in this short book. He has no false illusions about the power of prayer to change the world and admits that he has constantly experienced crises of faith.

Surprisingly , he reveals at one point : “I have no aptitude for belief” and describes the Judaism of his childhood was “a heady combination of saintliness, dottiness and superstition”.

Blue openly admits that religion doesn’t have all the answers but he is happy to let the mystery be.

This is summed up in the charming Yiddish riddle song quoted at the beginning of this book:

The world asks the old question:Tra-la tra-di-ri-di-rom?
So, the answer is: tra-di-ri-di-ri-lom,
Oy-ai, tra-di-ri-di-ri-rom!
And, if one wants to, one may also say:
tra-i-dim?
So again we remain with the old question:
Tra-la-tra-di-ri-di-lom
I couldn’t have expressed it better myself!