Best of
Jewish

1989

Something from Nothing


Phoebe Gilman - 1989
    Gilman's modern adaptation and lively illustrations turn this favorite Jewish tale into a contemporary classic.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins


Eric A. Kimmel - 1989
    A Caldecott Honor Book.

Go My Son


Chaim Shapiro - 1989
    And he went. In this timeless, spell-binding autobiographical, Chaim Shapiro recounts his miraculous survival, a testament to G-d's Divine Providence that clearly sheltered him, enabling him to reach his destination. Dramatic, moving, and sometimes humorous, this riveting account of a young rabbinical student's trek across the globe inspires, enriches, and uplifts.From frozen tundras to veritable battlefields, a young yeshivah student escapes certain death in this spine-tingling yet eminently upbeat story of survival, faith, and ingenuity. This is the true story of Chaim Shapiro's adventure-filed odyssey through both war-torn Europe and Asiatic Russia. The author describes his many dramatic, and sometimes humorous encounters, as he flees from the Nazis, in a vivid and engrossing personal memoir.

Jacob the Baker: Gentle Wisdom For a Complicated World


Noah benShea - 1989
    One day, a small paper was baked into a loaf and gradually people came by for bread and wisdom, and Jacob's sayings became known. Now they have been gathered into this gentle book for all to share.

Solomon Gursky Was Here


Mordecai Richler - 1989
    Berger, is in the grips of an obsession. The Gursky family with its colourful bootlegging history, its bizarre connections with the North and the Inuit, and its wildly eccentric relations, both fascinates and infuriates him. His quest to unravel their story leads to the enigmatic Ephraim Gursky: document forger in Victorian England, sole survivor of the ill-fated Franklin expedition and charasmatic religious leader of the Arctic. Of Ephraim's three grandsons, Bernard has fought, wheeled and cheated his way to the head of a liquor empire. His brother Morrie has reluctantly followed along. But how does Ephraim's protege, Solomon, fit in? Elusive, mysterious and powerful, Solomon Gursky hovers in the background, always out of Moses' grasp, but present-like an omen.

A Letter For The Ages = [Igeret Ha Ramban]: Iggeres Haramban: The Ramban's Ethical Letter With An Anthology Of Contemporary Rabbinic Expositions


Avrohom Chaim Feuer - 1989
    

Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories about Stories in the Bible


Marc Gellman - 1989
    The angels asked God, "Why don't you clean up this mess?"This collection of short, funny stories is one man's interpretation of how God did just that -- with some very unlikely help.There was Adam, who decided to number the animals instead of giving them names -- until he lost count. There was Max, a matchmaking angel disguised as a camel. And who could forget the kindly dolphins of the Red Sea or the builders of the spectacularly chaotic Tower of Babel, whose foundation rests in one small girl's question: "Mommy, does God have a big toe?"Reflecting Mr. Gellman's lifelong love for his subject, this witty collection of "midrashim" provides a wonderful way to learn about and to share the stories of the Bible. Distinguished artist Oscar de Mejo brings the right blend of reverence and humor with his magnificent oil paintings. Notable Books of 1989 (NYT)Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1989 (NYT)Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress)

How Many Spots Does A Leopard Have? And Other Tales


Julius Lester - 1989
    Acts of vanity, trickery, quiet courage, and fraternal loyalty enrich this collection of African and Jewish folktales, retold by a master storyteller and illustrated with richly detailed paintings.

Jewish Book of Why - Boxed Set with The Jewish Book of Why and The Second Jewish book of Why


Alfred J. Kolatch - 1989
    Because it is virtually impossible to fully understand the holidays without some knowledge of the Jewish calendar, some basic information is presented at the outset.

The Scent of Snowflowers


R.L. Klein - 1989
    The effects of the war were felt, to be sure: all able-bodied males over 18 years of age had been drafted into slave-labor camps; food and fuel supplies were short; and for the first time in their lives, Jewish women went out to work. But for the most part, life went on in Budapest as it always had and the loyal Jewish citizens remained blissfully ignorant of the holocaust that raged on all sides.Little more than a child when she married, Rivka Leah Klein found her beautiful, tranquil world torn apart by the War. This memoir, eloquently written and eminently compelling, takes the reader back in time, to an era of ruthlessness, terror, and devastation, while painting vivid lessons for life in faith and fortitude. An electrifying, stirring read.

Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism


Stephen M. Wylen - 1989
    Now, its author, Stephen Wylen, performs a genuine service by updating his critically acclaimed text for the 21st century. Settings of Silver, Second Edition, reflects the changes in the political structure of Eastern Europe and other recent events, while retaining its accessibility, easy-to-understand language, and compactness. In four sections, the author covers the history of Judaism. Section One includes basic beliefs, what it means to be a Jew, the role of Torah, and the Jewish view of God. Section Two covers faith, practices and customs, including holydays, marriage and family law and ritual, dietary laws, and beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife. Section Three is a history of Judaism, from its foundations to the early part of the 20th century, with a look to mysticism, literature, philosophy and daily life in the Jewish community. In Section Four the author continues the history of Judaism up to the present day, including the Holocaust, the State of Israel, the effects of modernism on Judaism, and the future of Judaism. Engaging, timely, and appropriate for persons of all religious backgrounds, this enduring work belongs in the library of anyone (Jews included) who wants to understand Judaism and the Jewish people.

Jerusalem


Amos Elon - 1989
    Battle-scarred from 4000 years of violent conflict, the holy city is a sacred symbol of Judaism, Islam and Christianity and its religious wars of today reflect those of the past.

A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Book


Edmond Jabès - 1989
    literature/Jewish Studies, tr Rosmarie Waldrop

Malke's Secret Recipe: A Chanukah Story


David A. Adler - 1989
    In the town of Chelm, Berel the shoemaker attempts to duplicate the secret recipe of Malke's potato pancakes, but his wife's interference makes his plan go awry.

The Artscroll Tehillim


Nosson Scherman - 1989
    Pocket size: has Bircas HaMazon, Sheva Berachos, Tefillas HaDerech, and the Bedtime Shema.

Leviticus: The Traditional Hebrew Text With the New Jps Translation (J P S Torah Commentary)


Baruch A. Levine - 1989
    Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field. Every page contains the complete traditional Hebrew text, with cantillation notes, the JPS translation of the Holy Scriptures, aliyot breaks, Masoretic notes, and commentary by a distinguished Hebrew Bible scholar, integrating classical and modern sources. Each volume also contains supplementary essays that elaborate upon key words and themes, a glossary of commentators and sources, extensive bibliographic notes, and maps.

Who Needs God


Harold S. Kushner - 1989
    Rabbi Kushner shows how religious commitment does have a place in our daily lives, filling a need for connection, joy, and community. For anyone who has ever wanted a more fulfilling life or wished to make a difference in the lives of others...for anyone who has ever felt guilty, afraid, or alone...Rabbi Kushner shares a path to faith that offers new sources of comfort and strength for all of us. Powerful, provocative, and persuasive, Who Needs God is a message of universal appeal.

Flavius Josephus: Eyewitness to Rome's First-Century Conquest of Judea


Mireille Hadas-Lebel - 1989
    His position as a Jewish leader and then as the Roman court historian during the reign of Vespasian ensured that his historical works would be read and preserved by Jews and Romans alike. His narrative is not a mere chronicle; it is, in the best historiographical tradition, an attempt to make events intelligible. He does what no other historian, Greek or Latin, could have done: He examines the past in order to elucidate the underlying origins of the war. Other works chronicling the war between the Jews and the Romans circulated at the time, but soon disappeared without a trace. We know of them only because of Josephus' irritation with their inaccuracies and prejudices. Josephus, unlike the other writers, was present during the war, not as a mere bystander, but as a participant in the negotiations. The Romans employed him as an ambassador between themselves and the Jews, in the hope that Josephus could quell his people's passionate uprising. As our only eyewitness to these events, Josephus will remain important. But for his role as a Jew working with the Roman army, he will remain forever controversial. Whether Josephus was a traitor or a wise man who tried to salvage the Jewish kingdom is a question that modern historians still argue. In 1937 a group of law students in Antwerp reopened the case of Flavius Josephus, and after a mock trial found him guilty of "treason." In 1941, in the midst of the Second World War, a group of young resistance fighters who were strong supporters of Zionism reacting as French and Jewish patriots accused Josephus of "collaboration." Today, Josephus' works are read more widely in Israel than in any other country. Archaeology, Israel's "national sport," could not do without him. Caesarea, Sepphoris, Gamala, Masada, and the Jerusalem of the

The Four Questions


Lynne Sharon Schwartz - 1989
    "A striking picture book".--Kirkus Reviews, pointered review. Full color.

Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life


Hank Greenberg - 1989
    The son of Eastern European parents, he rose from the streets of New York to rank among the greatest home-run hitters of the game, and became the first Jewish player to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Along the way he challenged Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season; led the Detroit Tigers to four pennants; fiercely stood up to anti-Semitic slurs, insults, and assaults; and was one of the first major leaguers to enlist in the military at the outbreak of World War II. Hank Greenberg's extraordinary life in baseball-playing with and against Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Charlie Gehringer, Joe DiMaggio, Dizzy Dean, and Bob Feller—combined the uncommon courage, dignity, strength and, to be sure, humor, in the face of formidable odds.

The Forgotten


Elie Wiesel - 1989
    "A book of shattering force that offers a message of urgency to a world under the spell of trivia and the tyranny of amnesia."--Chicago Tribune Book World.

Encyclopedia Of The Holocaust


Israel Gutman - 1989
    The 1,000 original articles cover virtually every aspect of the "Final Solution." The articles are balanced, up-to-date, authoritative summaries of everything concerning the Holocaust.

Exiled in the Word


Jerome Rothenberg - 1989
    anthology of Jewish lit, tr Rothenberg/Lenowitz

The Jews of Warsaw, 1939-1943: Ghetto, Underground, Revolt


Yisrael Gutman - 1989
    How could the Jews of Warsaw--starved and persecuted, their numbers decimated by mass deportations to concentration camps, with few weapons and no aid from outside the ghetto walls--stand up to the might of the Third Reich? To address this question, the author of The Jews of Warsaw, 1939-1943 looks beyond the ghetto uprising itself to consider the broader character of Jewish public life as it took shape during the occupation and ghettoization of what had been Europe's greatest Jewish urban center. The book describes the growth and development of the resistance movement and armed struggle against the wider historical background and the development of clandestine communal activiies in the ghetto. It makes use of extensive primary and secondary materials from Jewish, German, and Polish sources to throw light on critical events. The Jews of Warsawy, 1939-1943 is a massive scholarly undertaking, at once authentic, scrupulously objective, and deeply moving.

Partial Payments: Essays on Writers and Their Lives


Joseph Epstein - 1989
    His range extends from Matthew Arnold to Tom Wolfe, from George Santayana to S.J. Perelman.

Wildflower


Rachel Pomerantz - 1989
    The remainder of the book treats their difficult relationship with the child's natural family, and the marital difficulties of Barbara's friend Aviva.

The Classic Tales: 4,000 Years of Jewish Lore


Ellen Frankel - 1989
    Culled from traditional sources-the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, hasidic texts, and oral folklore-and retold in modern English by Ellen Frankel, these stories represent the brightest jewels in the vast treasure chest of Jewish lore. Beautifully clothed in contemporary language, these classic tales sparkle with the gentle and insightful humor of the Jewish folk imagination. And like so much of Jewish literature, these stories abound in allusions to classic Jewish texts. Biblical cadences, phrases from the prayer book, and ideas from Jewish proverbs and heroic legends resonate in the air when these tales are read or told aloud. In The Classic Tales, history sheds its dust to become as intimate as family memory. While the breadth and depth of this book make it completely unique, three special features also help distinguish it: God appears without gender (though certainly not without personality); women characters, so often nameless in the original biblical text, wear their midrashic names (e.g., Noah's wife Naamah, Abraham's mother Amitlai, Lot's wife Edith); and many tales of Sephardic origin have been included to correct the common American bias toward Eastern European sources. What's more, this volume has been uniquely designed to be of use to educators, rabbis, parents, and students. It features a chronological table of contents as well as six separate indexes?arranged by Jewish holidays, Torah and Haftorah readings, character types, symbols, topics, and proper names and places-to make the tales easily referenced in a wide variety of ways. Anyone who needs a story to inspire a child, to illustrate a point, to develop a sermon, or just to uplift his or her own thirsting soul will find just the right one in The Classic Tales.

A Chanukah Story for Night Number Three


Dina Rosenfeld - 1989
    The blessings are given at the end.

The Joys of Yinglish: An Exuberant Dictionary of Yiddish Words, Phrases, and Locutions ...


Leo Rosten - 1989
    

Pichifkes: Stories Heard on the Road and by the Way


Hanoch Teller - 1989
    This wonderful anthology is liberally seasoned with precious, insightful lessons on life.

One-Minute Jewish Stories


Shari Lewis - 1989
    One-Minute Jewish Stories retells 20 Jewish folk tales and Old Testament stories in a simple and succinct One-Minute format.

A Purity of Arms: An American in the Israeli Army


Aaron T. Wolf - 1989
    He has a telling eye for detail and a crisp style that moves us through forced desert marches and perilous parachute jumps. He creates a context to understand both the native-born Israeli and the immigrant, as well as the plight of the Palestinians pressed to serve in the Intifada. This is not an account of high-level Middle East diplomacy, done so well in Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem but one of individuals caught in the troubling context of Middle East politics.

Women and Evil


Nel Noddings - 1989
    Beneath the surface of bewitchment and half-sick amusement, however, lies the realization that evil is real and that people must find a way to face and overcome it. What we require, Carl Jung suggested, is a morality of evil--a carefully thought out plan by which to manage the evil in ourselves, in others, and in whatever deities we posit. This book is not written from a Jungian perspective, but it is nonetheless an attempt to describe a morality of evil. One suspects that descriptions of evil and the so-called problem of evil have been thoroughly suffused with male interests and conditioned by masculine experience. This result could hardly have been avoided in a sexist culture, and recognizing the truth of such a claim does not commit us to condemn every male philosopher and theologian who has written on the problem. It suggests, rather, that we may get a clearer view of evil if we take a different standpoint. The standpoint I take here will be that of women; that is, I will attempt to describe evil from the perspective of women's experience.