The story of an adolescent whose life has been changed forever by his mother's suicide when he was twelve years old. The story of a man who leaves the constraints of his family and its community of dreamers, scholars, and failed businessmen to join a kibbutz, change his name, marry, have children. The story of a writer who becomes an active participant in the political life of his nation.(back cover)

    Ellen Lewinsky and her mother, Charlotte, joined them; a year later, Bruno Gumpel arrived. Hiding in a small factory near Hitler’s bunker, without identification cards or food-ration stamps, they were dependent on German strangers for survival.   When Russian soldiers finally rescued the group in April 1945, the families were near death from starvation. But their will to live triumphed and two months later, four of the survivors—Erich Arndt and Ellen Lewinsky, and Ruth Arndt and Bruno Gumpel—reunited in a double wedding ceremony.  Survival in the Shadows chronicles the previously untold story of the largest group of German Jews to have survived hiding in Berlin through the final and most deadly years of the Holocaust.   Relayed to Barbara Lovenheim by three survivors from the group, the riveting story is a touching portrayal of the bravery of these seven Jews, and a heartfelt acknowledgment of the fortitude and humanity of the compassionate Germans who kept them alive.

    Babel was best known for his mastery of the short story form—in which he ranks alongside Kafka and Hemingway—but his career was tragically cut short when he was murdered by Stalin's secret police. Edited by his daughter Nathalie Babel and translated by award-winner Peter Constantine, this paperback edition includes the stunning Red Cavalry Stories; The Odessa Tales, featuring the legendary gangster Benya Krik; and the tragic later stories, including "Guy de Maupassant." This will be the standard edition of Babel's stories for years to come.

    Now, in this important work of historical restoration, Amos Elon takes us back to the beginning, chronicling a period of achievement and integration that at its peak produced a golden age second only to the Renaissance.Writing with a novelist's eye, Elon shows how a persecuted clan of cattle dealers and wandering peddlers was transformed into a stunningly successful community of writers, philosophers, scientists, tycoons and activists. He peoples his account with dramatic figures: Moses Mendelssohn, who entered Berlin in 1743 through the gate reserved for Jews and cattle, and went on to become "the German Socrates;" Heinrich Heine, beloved lyric poet who famously referred to baptism as the admission ticket to European culture; Hannah Arendt, whose flight from Berlin signaled the end of the German-Jewish idyll. Elon traces how this minority-never more than one percent of the population-came to be perceived as a deadly threat to national integrity, and he movingly demonstrates that this devastating outcome was uncertain almost until the end.A collective biography, full of depth and compassion, The Pity of It All summons up a splendid world and a dream of integration and tolerance that, despite all, remains the essential ennobling project of modernity.(less)

    This title features 72 names that are not names in the ordinary sense; they are a source of energy that tap into the infinite current that flows through the world. It provides explanations of each Name. Using this technology that is encoded in the Bible, you can begin to transform your life.

    By its end, the phrase that came most readily to mind was 'the clash of civilizations.' The tragedy of September 11 intensified the danger caused by religious differences around the world. As the politics of identity begin to replace the politics of ideology, can religion become a force for peace?The Dignity of Difference is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's radical proposal for reconciling hatreds. The first major statement by a Jewish leader on the ethics of globalization, it also marks a paradigm shift in the approach to religious coexistence. Sacks argues that we must do more than search for values common to all faiths; we must also reframe the way we see our differences.

    To his master’s consternation, the cat immediately begins to tell lies (the first being that he didn’t eat the parrot). The rabbi vows to educate him in the ways of the Torah, while the cat insists on studying the kabbalah and having a Bar Mitzvah. They consult the rabbi’s rabbi, who maintains that a cat can’t be Jewish — but the cat, as always, knows better.Zlabya falls in love with a dashing young rabbi from Paris, and soon master and cat, having overcome their shared self-pity and jealousy, are accompanying the newlyweds to France to meet Zlabya’s cosmopolitan in-laws. Full of drama and adventure, their trip invites countless opportunities for the rabbi and his cat to grapple with all the important — and trivial — details of life.Rich with the colors, textures, and flavors of Algeria’s Jewish community, The Rabbi’s Cat brings a lost world vibrantly to life — a time and place where Jews and Arabs coexisted — and peoples it with endearing and thoroughly human characters, and one truly unforgettable cat.

    While the rabbi is away, his cat tags along with Malka of the Lions (the rabbi's enigmatic cousin), who roams the desert with his ferocious-on-demand lion. Some believe Malka to be a pious Jew, others think he's a shrewd womanizer, but the cat will be the one to discover the surprising truth.Back in Algiers, the rabbi's daughter, Zlabya, and her new husband fill the house with their fighting, while the city around them fills with a rising tide of anti-Semitism. On a whim, the rabbi's cat, the rabbi, a sheikh (also a cousin of the rabbi), and a very misplaced Russian painter set out on a fantastic journey (even encountering a young reporter named Tintin in the Congo) in search of an African Jerusalem. It turns out to be very fortuitous that the rabbi's cat is not just a talking cat, but a multilingual talking cat.

    Amidst the food and the festivities, Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose begin their story -- the one they tell each year. They pass on to each generation a tale of perseverance during the darkest hours of the Holocaust, and the strength it took to continue to honor Hanukkah in the only way they could. Their story reaffirms the values of tradition and family, but also shows us that by continuing to honor the tragedies and the triumphs of the past there will always be hope for the future.

    Whether schussing down ski slopes or speaking of politics in coffee houses, she cherished the city of her birth. But in the 1930s an undercurrent of conflict and hate began to seize the former imperial capital. This struggle came to a head when Hitler took possession of neighboring Germany. Anti-Semitism, which Nini and her idealistic friends believed was impossible in the socially advanced world of Vienna, became widespread and virulent.The Karpel's Jewish identity suddenly made them foreigners in their own homeland. Tormented, disenfranchised, and with a broken heart, Nini and her family sought refuge in a land seven thousand miles across the world.Shanghai, China, one of the few countries accepting Jewish immigrants, became their new home and refuge. Stepping off the boat, the Karpel family found themselves in a land they could never have imagined. Shanghai presented an incongruent world of immense wealth and privilege for some and poverty for the masses, with opium dens and decadent clubs as well as rampant disease and a raging war between nations.Ten Green Bottles is the story of Nini Karpel's struggles as she told it to her daughter Vivian so many years ago. This true story depicts the fierce perseverance of one family, victims of the forces of evil, who overcame suffering of biblical proportion to survive. It was a time when ordinary people became heroes.

    The central text of Kabbalah, the Zohar is a commentary on the Bible’s narratives, laws, and genealogies and a map of the spiritual landscape. In The Essential Zohar, the eminent kabbalist Rav P. S. Berg decodes its teachings on evil, redemption, human relationships, wealth and poverty, and other fundamental concerns from a practical, contemporary perspective. The Zohar and Kabbalah have traditionally been known as the world’s most esoteric sources of spiritual knowledge, but Rav Berg has dedicated his life to making this concentrated distillation of infinite wisdom available to people of all faiths so that we may use its principles to live each day in harmony with the divine.

    They planned to be there for a year, during which time Daniel would be a Fellow at the Mandel Institute in Jerusalem. This was a euphoric time in Israel. The economy was booming, and peace seemed virtually guaranteed. A few months into their stay, Gordis and his wife decided to remain in Israel permanently, confident that their children would be among the first generation of Israelis to grow up in peace.Immediately after arriving in Israel, Daniel had started sending out e-mails about his and his family’s life to friends and family abroad. These missives—passionate, thoughtful, beautifully written, and informative—began reaching a much broader readership than he’d ever envisioned, eventually being excerpted in The New York Times Magazine to much acclaim. An edited and finely crafted collection of his original e-mails, If a Place Can Make You Cry is a first-person, immediate account of Israel’s post-Oslo meltdown that cuts through the rhetoric and stridency of most dispatches from that country or from the international media. Above all, Gordis tells the story of a family that must cope with the sudden realization that they took their children from a serene and secure neighborhood in Los Angeles to an Israel not at peace but mired in war. This is the chronicle of a loss of innocence—the innocence of Daniel and his wife, and of their children. Ultimately, through Gordis’s eyes, Israel, with all its beauty, madness, violence, and history, comes to life in a way we’ve never quite seen before.Daniel Gordis captures as no one has the years leading up to what every Israeli dreaded: on April 1, 2002, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared that Israel was at war. After an almost endless cycle of suicide bombings and harsh retaliation, any remaining chance for peace had seemingly died.If a Place Can Make You Cry is the story of a time in which peace gave way to war, when childhood innocence evaporated in the heat of hatred, when it became difficult even to hope. Like countless other Israeli parents, Gordis and his wife struggled to make their children’s lives manageable and meaningful, despite it all. This is a book about what their children gained, what they lost, and how, in the midst of everything, a whole family learned time and again what really matters.From the Hardcover edition.

    Many urged her to publish a collection of her prayers—and now she has.In a time when we all need inspiration, comfort, and connection, Talking to God will help us reclaim prayer as an integral part of our lives, making it as natural and uninhibited as talking to our loved ones. Prayer is essential to the lives of millions, but many of us are searching for ways to supplement traditional prayers with ones that are less formal and more intimate. Written in a simple and direct style, the prayers in this book—and the wonderful stories that accompany them—are for people of all faiths, and for all occasions large and small. Naomi Levy’s personal prayers address the anxieties and roadblocks we all face in contemporary life. There are prayers for facing a new day, realizing one’s potential at work, celebrating an anniversary or birthday, and going to sleep at night. And there are prayers for the more profound occurrences in life—love and marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, illness, loss, and death. Rabbi Levy’s words, imbued with grace and empathy, touch on the entire range of human experience. Many of us will recognize ourselves in her prayers and stories and will be comforted by them, as well as challenged and uplifted. Perhaps most important, they are stepping-stones for us to go on and create our own prayers, to find meaning in our own lives, and to begin or renew our own relationships with God.From the Hardcover edition.

    

    Oskar Skarsaune offers us fascinating snapshots and analyses of the interactions, arguments and shaping influences of Judaism on the life, creed and practices of the church.

    Her sixteenth book since the 1930s, it chronicles her intimate friendships with luminaries of the century, her encounters with the native peoples of Alaska, and her work in Israel as the nation was born. Gruber presents a unique personal philosophy—living inside of time—that has enabled her to forge a trailblazer's life and contribute decades of unique service to humanity. Now she looks back on life from the age of ninety-one, creating a book that all readers eager to learn about the human side of global events will treasure. 16 pages of photographs add to this fascinating life story including the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Harold Ickes, and Golda Meir.

    Reading the Women of the Bible takes up two of the most significant intellectual and religious issues of our day: the experiences of women in a patriarchal society and the relevance of the Bible to modern life.

    Presents 13 of Berkovits' most significant essays, exploring vital issues within Judaism and Jewish society, including: Jewish morality and law, Jewish nationhood, and Jewish theology.

    But in 1997, in the face of personal crisis, he turned to his Jewish heritage for guidance. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar. Gradually he realized that he had stumbled upon an insightful discipline for self-development, complete with meditative, contemplative, and other well-developed transformative practices designed to penetrate the deepest roots of the inner life. Eventually reaching the limits of what he could learn on his own, he decided to seek out a Mussar teacher. This was not an easy task, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he found an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived in the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Morinis’s journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, revealing the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar.

    He doesn't understand how God can let bad things happen in the world. Whether it's the tragic events of September 11, 2001, or the loss of a beloved pet, shouldn't God be able to stop the bad things? Big Angel Gabe is a wise old angel, and it's his job to help answer Little Angel Mikey's tough questions and to guide him through the mystery of suffering and into a hopeful place. In a nonpreachy, accessible manner, the message of God's great compassion and our ability to bear even the greatest burdens is offered here with a gentle wisdom.

    Yet, above all else, he is best remembered as the beloved director of a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw, Poland, who gave his life trying to protect his wards.

    Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who first exposed the horrors of the Stalinist gulag, is now attempting to tackle one of the most sensitive topics of his writing career - the role of the Jews in the Bolshevik revolution and Soviet purges. In his latest book Solzhenitsyn, 84, deals with one of the last taboos of the communist revolution: that Jews were as much perpetrators of the repression as its victims. Two Hundred Years Together - a reference to the 1772 partial annexation of Poland and Russia which greatly increased the Russian Jewish population - contains three chapters discussing the Jewish role in the revolutionary genocide and secret police purges of Soviet Russia.

    This bible also includes an interlinear translation.

    For all the cycles of life, best-selling author Rabbi Michael Strassfeld presents traditional Jewish teachings as a guide to behavior and values. Where the tradition is replete with rituals (for example, the Sabbath), he describes them and shows how they can enrich spiritual living. Where rituals are sparse or nonexistent (for example, returning home at the end of the workday), he suggests new ones gleaned from his own study and experience.Strassfeld also brings the principles of insight meditation to Jewish life, using this practice to recover and reconstruct Judaism's spiritual dimension. He describes a Judaism that encourages within us a spiritual awareness as we participate in both traditional Jewish practices and the mundane activities of daily life. By engaging with Jewish tradition in ways that recapture its original kavanah, or intention, we will, Strassfeld maintains, achieve the two fundamental goals of Judaism-to become better human beings and to be in God's presence. (Hardcover published in 2002 by Schocken Books, ISBN 0-8052-4124-8.)

    In Saffron Shores, she brings to the table the sensual aromas and exquisite flavors of the Southern Mediterranean in a celebration of its rich Jewish heritage. From Morocco comes a vibrant orange salad strewn with olives; from Algeria, a hearty tagine of chicken with quince; from Tunisia, a spicy eggplant puree; from Libya, a saffron and paprika infused fish soup-all are authentic, kosher, and a delightful introduction to a healthful, flavorful cuisine for the modern cook. A fascinating exploration of cultures and cuisine, lush with images, Saffron Shores is as beautiful to look at as its always-accessible recipes are delicious to eat.

    As he leads us from Creation to the death of Moses, Professor Leibowitz takes us on a dramatic journey of philosophical discovery. Revealing his rational views on the nature of God and his relationship with Man, Leibowitz challenges our conceptions of the purpose of prayer and the presence of holiness in the world. He demands compliance with Jewish law for its own sake, irrespective of expectations of reward or punishment. Written with unflinching honesty and conviction, Accepting the Yoke of Heaven is a work of startling erudition.

    With pages full of tummy-tempting foods, the books in the World Snacks series are a delicious way to introduce even the littlest eaters to cuisines from all around the globe.

    His findings revealed six core elements: Respect for human life; peace and harmony; justice and equality; education; family; and social responsibility. He then set off on a journey to find out why these were such common goals across cultural, economic, social and racial lines, and in the process, traced the history of the development of world religions, values and ethics. As a rabbi, he paid particular attention to how Judaism impacted, and was influenced by, the course of these developments. The result is a highly readable and well-documented book about the origins of values and virtues in Western civilization as influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Christians, Muslims and, most significantly, the Jews.

    Arthur Green, one of the most respected teachers of Jewish mysticism of his generation, uses this simple Hebrew word to unlock the spiritual meaning of Kabbalah for our lives.When Moses experienced his great moment of call at the Burning Bush, he asked God, "When people ask me, 'What is His name?' what should I say to them?" God answers with this mysterious phrase, "I shall be what I shall be," and says to Moses, "Tell them that 'I shall be' sent you."God's puzzling answer makes the conversation sound like a koan-dialogue between a Zen master and disciple.... Like the koan, the text here is reaching to some place beyond words, seeking to create a breakthrough in our consciousness. What is it trying to tell us?--from the IntroductionBlending Jewish theology and mysticism, Arthur Green invites us on a contemporary exploration of Kabbalah, showing how the ancient Jewish mystical tradition can be retooled to address the needs of our generation.Drawing on the Zohar and other kabbalistic texts, Green examines the fundamental ideas and spiritual teachings of Kabbalah, encouraging today's modern seeker to stretch to new ways of thinking with both heart and mind, setting us on a rewarding path to the wisdom Kabbalah has to offer.

    As the textbook lesson in G-d's constant, though unobtrusive vigilance and protection of His people, the miracle of Purim is the Jew's wellspring of faith in times of exile and danger.The climax; the proof that miracles take place beneath the surface and

    It is a guide for couples utilizing the wisdom and traditions of Judaism in order to strengthen their relationship and begin building their life together.Drawing from a wealth of Jewish texts and traditions, Meeting at the Well focuses on three major issues with which to frame the modern engagement period: the process of moving from two individuals to one couple; the common challenges and "speed bumps" that couples hit along the way, including approaching intimacy, discussing finances, and dealing with families; and the ways to bring the myriad of Jewish engagement rituals into planning and preparing the wedding. This one-of-a-kind resource is a must-have for any couple planning a Jewish life together.-- Makes a great engagement gift-- Contains spiritual exercises to help couples learn more about themselves, each other, and their values-- Suggests new rituals for couples to integrate into their engagement period-- Provides relevant Jewish texts and connections to Jewish tradition

    Each chapter includes information about the month's: * Unique energy and healing area * Astrological connections * Holidays * Torah portions * Hebrew letter and permutation of the Divine Name

    But those dreams were quickly dispelled by the reality they encountered: dark, towering walls of stone and a community of pious but impoverished Jews with customs foreign to them. How would the ben-Yichyas find their place in this new world peopled by European Torah scholars, and who would buy the exquisite jewelry they fashioned? This stirring saga spans four generations of a family of Yemenite goldsmiths at the vortex of history in the Land of Israel. Their tragedies and triumphs, their sorrows and joys, and most of all, the heroine's profound love for the Holy City, create a vivid and lasting image of an ancient land rising from two millennia of slumber to an era of splendor.

    The stories are about pious rabbis and humble tailors, about dancing, singing, laughing, and crying, but their common denominator is always joyous ecstasy. Drawing us into a world of devotion, the tales allow us to taste the bliss that comes from a life lived from the very center of one's self. Each story comes alive in joy and produces a holy shiver that speaks to the soul.

    Book by Gilbert, Martin

      At her ninetieth birthday celebration in New Delhi, “Auntie Fori” revealed to her longtime acquaintance, Sir Martin Gilbert, that she was not of Indian birth but actually Hungarian—and Jewish. She did not know what this Jewish identity involved, historically or spiritually, and asked him to enlighten her.   In response, Sir Martin embarked on the series of letters that have been gathered to form this book, shaping each one as a concise, individually formed story. He presents Jewish history as the narrative expression—the timeline—of the Jewish faith, and the faith as it is informed by the history. In Sir Martin’s hands, these stories are rich in incident and achievement, starting with Adam and Eve through the Biblical and post-Biblical periods, to the long history of the Jews in the Diaspora, and ending with an unexpected visit to an outpost of Jewry in Anchorage, Alaska. Ranging through almost every country in the world—including China and India—he maintains a chronological structure, weaving in the history of other peoples and faiths, to give Auntie Fori, and us, a sense of the larger stage on which Jewish history has played out.   “Compact, breezy, and thoroughly enjoyable . . . For those, like Auntie Fori, hoping to understand the Jewish past and present, this book is a treasure.” —Booklist

    He takes as a starting point the fact that the post-biblical Jewish world lost its geographical centre with the destruction of the temple and so was left with a textual centre, the Holy Book. Idel argues that a text-oriented religion produced language-centred forms of mysticism.

    A bold, erotic,and spiritual collection of poetry from well-respected poet and critic Alicia Suskin Ostriker, whose previous two books were both National Book Award finalists.

    There are good times and bad, joy and sadness, excitement and irony, as Solomon Chaim and his loyal slave, Tobias Tuvia Solomons, do their best to perform upon a stage set for them by the Almighty...

    through the end of the twentieth century. Lavishly illustrated in full color with more than 500 images of monuments, manuscripts, objects, ketubbot, and individual and family portraits collected from private and public archives the world over, this unique book includes 25 articles by distinguished authors and scholars in the field of Judeo-Iranian studies. Distributed by JPS for The Center for Iranian Jewish Oral History.

    The premise of their endeavor is that although Jews have always had their own autonomous traditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered immutable, the fixed product of either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it has shifted and assumed new forms in response to the cultural environment in which the Jews have lived. Building their essays on specific cultural artifacts—a poem, a letter, a traveler’s account, a physical object of everyday or ritual use—that were made in the period and locale they study, the contributors describe the cultural interactions among different Jews—from rabbis and scholars to non-elite groups, including women—as well as between Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. Part One, “Mediterranean Origins,” describes the concept of the “People” or “Nation” of Israel that emerges in the Hebrew Bible and the culture of the Israelites in relation to that of the Canaanite groups. It goes on to discuss Jewish cultures in the Greco-Roman world, Palestine during the Byzantine period, Babylonia, and Arabia during the formative years of Islam. Part Two, “Diversities of Diaspora,” illuminates Judeo-Arabic culture in the Golden Age of Islam, Sephardic culture as it bloomed first if the Iberian Peninsula and later in Amsterdam, the Jewish-Christian symbiosis in Ashkenazic Europe and in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the culture of the Italian Jews of the Renaissance period, and the many strands of folklore, magic, and material culture that run through diaspora Jewish history. Part Three, “Modern Encounters,” examines communities, ways of life, and both high and fold culture in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Ladino Diaspora, North Africa and the Middle East, Ethiopia, Zionist Palestine and the State of Israel, and, finally, the United States. Cultures of the Jews is a landmark, representing the fruits of the present generation of scholars in Jewish studies and offering a new foundation upon which all future research into Jewish history will be based. Its unprecedented interdisciplinary approach will resonate widely among general readers and the scholarly community, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and it will change the terms of the never-ending debate over what constitutes Jewish identity.

    Here is an insightful, frank, and sensible manual that looks at dating, love, and marriage from the Torah perspective and comes up with some surprising, and important, conclusions.

    From his stable family life in Warsaw to the atrocities of the Third Reich, Sol is transfered from camp to camp. This is his testament of survival and triumph.

    Their candid and passionate writings not only reveal the personal struggles, ambitions, and dreams of fifteen young authors, they also offer remarkable insight into the nature of ordinary Jewish life in Poland during the years between the world wars. Later authors often view this moment through lenses tinted by nostalgia or horror. But these young writers, unaware of the catastrophic future, tell their life stories with the urgency and fervor of adolescents, coming of age during a period of manifold new opportunities and challenges. The autobiographies presented in the volume are selected from hundreds that were written for contests in the 1930s conducted by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, then based in Vilna. Nine male and six female authors write from a variety of circumstances that reflect the great diversity of interwar Polish Jewry -- some of the authors are ardently secular, and others devoutly religious; some are impoverished and others come from the working class or middle class; some are highly educated, and others self-taught. They come from big cities, small towns, and villages; they are Zionists, Bundists, communists; they espouse multiple political affiliations or none at all. Taking up the unusual task of writing an autobiography at the threshold of adulthood, these young authors also display different personalities, writing styles, and views of life. Originally written for a pioneering research project that hoped to address the challenges facing Polish Jewish youth, their words now speak across the chasm of history, providing unique testimony on Jewish life in the final years before the Holocaust.

    Completely revised and expanded!A treasury of information to enhance your Yom Tov preparation:A practical guide to Passover laws and customsThe laws of preparing for Pesach, Erev Pesach, and observing the Seder in new, easy-to-follow, illustrated chartsChometz, Matzah, candle lighting and more exploredStep-by-step guide to preparing and understanding the SederA collection of recipes to bring joy to the Yom Tov experience:Over 300 exciting recipesRecipes conform to the highest standard of Passover observanceEasy to read, easy to use formatFrom Passover basics to gourmet specialtiesExperienced cooks share their favorite tipsA one-of-a-kind cookbook that will become an indispensable part of your Passover culinary library!

    These supplemental readings are excerpted from the Prophets (Nevi'im) and accompany each weekly Sabbath reading from the Torah as well as readings for special Sabbaths and festivals. Noted Bible scholar Michael Fishbane introduces each haftarah with an outline and discussion of how that passage conveys its meaning, and he follows it with observations on how it relates to the Torah portion or special occasion. Individual comments, citing classical rabbinic as well as modern commentators, highlight ambiguities and difficulties in the Hebrew text, which appears in concert with the JPS translation. The haftarot are also put into biblical context by a separate overview of all prophetic books (except Jonah) that are excerpted in the haftarah cycle.

    

    This is part of an account by Erwin Gostner, a prisoner who survived Mauthausen concentration camp. He was one of very few survivors, because nearly six million other people died as a result of the Nazis' "Final Solution"--the mass murder of Jews and other "undesirables" that we now call the Holocaust. This book shows what happened in the labor, concentration, and death camps, including the processing of arrivals, living and working conditions, and the methods used to kill the prisoners. This book explains how some people managed to survive the appalling conditions, and why millions of others did not. Each book includes: first-hand accounts from people involved in the Holocaust; an in-depth study of a key topic mentioned in the book; detailed timeline to help place important events; and a further reading and sources section."

    A gifted book illustrator and illuminator, a skillful caricaturist, and a crusader for causes, this multifaceted artist ceaselessly defended the rights of Jews and advocated on their behalf.Skilled in medieval and Persian miniature painting, Szyk redirected his artistry during World War II into political cartoons that unmasked the face of the Nazi enemy and mobilized popular opinion. His caricatures became daily fare in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. In 1942 alone, Szyk's war-driven cartoons were published in Esquire, Collier's, Look, Liberty, Time, the Saturday Review of Literature, and the Saturday Evening Post. One magazine reported that Szyk cartoons were as popular as Betty Grable pin-ups for troops heading overseas.The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk places the extraordinary artist and his work into the context of the turbulent times in which he lived (1894-1951). Hundreds of illustrations -- rendered in the artist's original brilliant colors and painstakingly intricate detail -- were drawn from private and public collections around the world. The illuminations, paintings, prints, line drawings, lithographs, posters, magazine covers, and stamps are still vibrant and compelling. The political caricatures still resonate.

    Each Small Miracles book is a collection of more than sixty heartwarming stories that recall remarkable coincidences that have changed people's ordinary lives.

    With flaps hiding shiny foil suprises, readers will find a different Hanukkah tradition on each page, until the very end when they finally discover the beautiful menorah, with all eight candles burning bright.

    As students solidify their reading ability, they will also enhance their vocabulary, increase their familiarity with roots, and develop their translation skills. With chapters focused on the Hebrew of the Sh'ma, the Amidah, the Torah service, and the Haggadah, this book builds an understanding of the cornerstones of Hebrew grammar. Alternative translations of basic prayers from a wide selection of different prayer books are provided as well.- Large, clear Hebrew characters simplify reading- Multileveled format following Aleph Isn't Tough- Includes supplementary enrichment material designed to increase the student's knowledge of Jewish practice, history, and texts

    With this modern translation, the English-reading public can study Jewish law as taught by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, from the original source. In this new edition, the translation page faces the newly reset Hebrew text. Notations appear when the Alter Rebbe's rulings are at variance with Rabbi Yosef Karo's Shulchan Aruch and when other halachic works cite the subject at hand. This volume covers Orach Chaim chapters 582-624. This handsome, hardbound volume is a desk-friendly format with a satin ribbon marker.

    Zayde's stories and his many books, with their mysterious worlds and their guarded secrets, fascinate Aaron. But always Aaron is too young to learn Yiddish. Zayde thinks that Aaron, and all the new generation of American Jews, should speak English and play baseball–just like all Americans do. When Zayde becomes very old and can no longer see well enough to read his precious books, Aaron decides it is time that Zayde teach him to speak to the chickens before it's too late. This poignant tale about preserving a dying language and the memories of the people who spoke it is also an eloquent tale of America. The importance of heritage and culture, and of honoring the past while building a future, is instilled in young minds through this touching story.

    British Jews have been central to the unfolding of key political events of the modern period, especially the establishment of the State of Israel, but inconspicuous in shaping the character and outlook of modern Jewry. Their story, less dramatic perhaps than that of other Jewish communities, is no less deserving of this comprehensive and finely balanced analytical account.Even though Jews were never completely absent from Britain after the expulsion of 1290, it was not until the mid- seventeenth century that a permanent community took root. Endelman devotes chapters to the resettlement; to the integration and acculturation that took place, more intensively than in other European states, during the eighteenth century; to the remarkable economic transformation of Anglo-Jewry between 1800 and 1870; to the tide of immigration from Eastern Europe between 1870 and 1914 and the emergence of unprecedented hostility to Jews; to the effects of World War I and the turbulent events up to and including the Holocaust; and to the contradictory currents propelling Jewish life in Britain from 1948 to the end of the twentieth century. We discover not only the many ways in which the Anglo-Jewish experience was unique but also what it had in common with those of other Western Jewish communities.

    Thankfully, only the font, typesetting, and cover have been altered; the words remain as on-target as ever. Think Jewish slices through the niggling conflicts that block a Jew from living Jewish. Each of the 26 chapters opens with a tough question… "Can't I be good without being religious?" "Wouldn't mankind be better off without labels that separate?" "Aren't mitzvot restricting?" The answers, which turn Western thought inside out, are down-to-earth and delivered in deftly polished prose. Think Jewish has the power to change minds… for the better.

    Structured as a chronological series of twelve moment-in-time portraits, focusing on individuals and their interaction with their families and society, the narrative carries readers through the economic, political, social and intellectual climates of some of the world's most famous and fascinating cosmopolitan centers. From the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, to the emigration of Soviet Jews from Russia following the Six Day War in Israel in 1967, Levine's masterful account describes expulsions and scandals, false messiahs and the first ghetto, assassinations, blood libels, the learning and wealth that sprung up in distant cities, and some devastating reversals of fortune. Above all, this compelling saga chronicles the lives of a vibrant cast of characters-well-known historical figures, as well as many who have been forgotten. The successes and the failures of so many-as teachers, rabbis, merchants, writers, soldiers, and physicians-add a colorful and accessible dimension to this sprawling history of the Diaspora. "Scattered Among the Peoples" is an impressive and immensely readable book, one that is an important contribution to the literature of Jewish history.

    They claim that it is more about fearing God and feeling guilty rather than loving God and feeling joy. They conclude that it leads us to a life of weakness and submission and robs us of our power and freedom to be our true selves.Love is my Religion shows how Judaism is quite the opposite of these misconceptions. It is founded upon love and its purpose is love. Its teachings encourage us to be strong and its laws empower us to achieve true freedom, choose love and experience the ecstatic joy of being in love.

    It was this present treatise that Rabbi Shmuel utilized in this very fashion.Includes brief biography of Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch.

    While some of us regret this and thus try to straightjacket our religion, I believe that autonomous thought is fundamental to appreciating Judaism properly, and that philosophical non-conformity is not only the right of every Jewish teacher, but his/her obligation. Students must understand that one can only comprehend the relevance of Judaism through ongoing existential personal discovery and struggle, and this can only be taught by example. We must make sure that Judaism, while remaining true to its essential teachings, encourages utter originality in every generation. Judaism must provide an antidote to the poisons of indolence, routine, callousness, and drifting with the current. It must dare and defy and be experienced as a perpetually new and ongoing event.

    His innovative food captures the spirit of Jewish cooking while exploring a whole world of sophisticated flavors.Jeffrey Nathan revives and reinvents Jewish cuisine for generations of people tired of the same old brisket and noodle kugel. In Adventures in Jewish Cooking, classic Jewish recipes get a delicious twist, like Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Cranberry Sauce and Gefilte Fish Terrine with Beet and Carrot Salads. But Nathan also knows when to stick to tradition—in his confident hands, tried-and-true favorites like latkes and cholent have never tasted better. Inspired by Jewish cuisines from around the world, as well as a diverse palette of other ethnic flavors, these recipes are anything but bland or heavy. Israeli Chopped Vegetable Salad, Falafel-Crusted Salmon with Jerusalem Dressing, Syrian Lemon Chicken Stew, and Apple Cobbler with Almond-Streusel Topping are all so flavorful and nuanced that they can be served with pride on any occasion. With ready-for-company menus perfect for Passover, the Sabbath, and more, plenty of weeknight options, and variations that make it easy to adjust many recipes to a meat or dairy meal, this is the book that adventurous Jewish cooks have been waiting for.

    A collection of true stories written by real people about their own lives collected by popular writer and editor Rabbi Chaim Walder, bestselling author of Kids Speak.

    This beautifully illustrated collection of Jewish prophecy features the lives and teachings of thirty men and women. Throughout the ages, they bravely stood up to speak God's message and made a lasting contribution to our understanding of both the human and the Divine. This book also provides an inspiring and informative description of the role each played in their own time--and an explanation of why we should know about them in our time.These inspiring moral and spiritual leaders were critics of the evils of society, rooted out corruption among those in power and provided healing and comfort in times of despair and hardship. They ranged from the biblical prophets through the thinkers and leaders of medieval times to modern-day visionaries and activists.All of these people spoke up bravely against the evils of their day, and were prepared to risk their lives for the sake of truth. The lives and words of these passionate advocates for change are still a source of great inspiration today. Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire introduces their own words by discussing the life and message of each prophet, revealing how much Judaism has contributed to society's moral values. Drawing parallels between the biblical and later prophets, he highlights our ongoing need for men and women to take on the role of the prophet.Illustrated with illuminations from medieval Hebrew manuscripts, The Jewish Prophet is a richly decorated and fascinating collection of inspiration and wisdom; and the only book to gather together prophecy from ancient, medieval and modern times.

    These 54 articles, compiled from award winning and much loved website www.aish.com, bring together many of today's top Jewish educators and writers. Heaven On Earth will refresh your Jewish soul with a healthy dose of down-to-earth spirituality.