The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah

By the time Joshua Rivedal turned twenty-five, he thought he’d have the perfect life—a few years singing on Broadway, followed by a starring role in his own television show. After which, his getaway home in the Hamptons would be featured in Better Homes & Gardens, and his face would grace the cover of the National Enquirer as Bigfoot’s not-so-secret lover. Instead, his resume is filled with an assortment of minor league theatre and an appearance on The Maury Povich Show—a career sidetracked by his father’s suicide, a lawsuit from his mother over his inheritance, and a break-up with his long-term girlfriend.

Tortured by his thoughts, he finds himself on the ledge of a fourth-floor window, contemplating jumping out to inherit his familial legacy. In turn, he must reach out to the only person who can help him before it’s too late.

Based in part on his acclaimed one-man show, The Gospel According to Josh is a comedic and poignant true-to-life tale of love, loss, struggle, and survival—a gospel account of one young man’s passage into manhood—his twenty-eight-year Gentile bar mitzvah.

Joshua’s story is a testament that whether you’re a survivor of suicide loss, a suicide attempt survivor, or you’re someone going through a difficult time in life—you are not alone, the pain you’re feeling will get different, and hope and healing is available.

© 2025 Skookum Hill Publishing (Audiobook): 9798260833421

Release date

Audiobook: 8 December 2025