Mostly illiterate, they were self-made mystics and gifted storytellers and humble peddlers who dwelt in harmony with their Muslim and Christian neighbors in the mountains of northern Iraq. To these descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, Yona Sabar was born. Yona's son Ariel grew up in Los Angeles, where Yona had become an esteemed professor, dedicating his career to preserving his people’s traditions. Ariel wanted nothing to do with his father’s strange immigrant heritage—until he had a son of his own.Ariel Sabar brings to life the ancient town of Zakho, discovering his family’s place in the sweeping saga of Middle-Eastern history. This powerful book is an improbable story of tolerance and hope set in what today is the very center of the world’s attention.

    and Abraham Joshua Heschel. Their names stand for the quest for justice and equality.Martin grew up in a loving family in the American South, at a time when this country was plagued by racial discrimination. He aimed to put a stop to it. He became a minister like his daddy, and he preached and marched for his cause.Abraham grew up in a loving family many years earlier, in a Europe that did not welcome Jews. He found a new home in America, where he became a respected rabbi like his father, carrying a message of peace and acceptance.Here is the story of two icons for social justice, how they formed a remarkable friendship and turned their personal experiences of discrimination into a message of love and equality for all.

    She hates the hardships of life in Kfar Etzion - an isolated kibbutz south of Jerusalem - clearing rocky hillsides, bathing in rationed cups of trucked-in water, and being confined behind barbed wire. Her own dreams have nothing to do with national self-realization; she longs for steaming bubble baths and down comforters, but most of all for a place on earth where she can feel safe. She is in love with Amos, but refuses to acknowledge these feelings. She knows he will never leave his homeland and Tonia plans to emigrate to America. But can she really begin a new life there? Tonia's story in The Lonely Tree is interwoven with the true story of Kfar Etzion, a kibbutz that was overrun by the Arab Legion during pre-War of Independence hostilities.

    Was there really a forced exile in the first century, at the hands of the Romans? Should we regard the Jewish people, throughout two millennia, as both a distinct ethnic group and a putative nation—returned at last to its Biblical homeland?Shlomo Sand argues that most Jews actually descend from converts, whose native lands were scattered far across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The formation of a Jewish people and then a Jewish nation out of these disparate groups could only take place under the sway of a new historiography, developing in response to the rise of nationalism throughout Europe. Beneath the biblical back fill of the nineteenth-century historians, and the twentieth-century intellectuals who replaced rabbis as the architects of Jewish identity, The Invention of the Jewish People uncovers a new narrative of Israel’s formation, and proposes a bold analysis of nationalism that accounts for the old myths.After a long stay on Israel’s bestseller list, and winning the coveted Aujourd’hui Award in France, The Invention of the Jewish People is finally available in English. The central importance of the conflict in the Middle East ensures that Sand’s arguments will reverberate well beyond the historians and politicians that he takes to task. Without an adequate understanding of Israel’s past, capable of superseding today’s opposing views, diplomatic solutions are likely to remain elusive. In this iconoclastic work of history, Shlomo Sand provides the intellectual foundations for a new vision of Israel’s future.

    From the authors of the bestselling Small Miracles series comes this inspirational collection of over 50 stories - each with the upbeat twist ending that has become the trademark of this remarkable series. The authors, both second-generation Holocaust survivors, have culled stories from before, during, and after the Holocaust that demonstrate the full strength and power of the human spirit.  Stories reaffirming that nothing truly happens by accident…  Even during the worst of times small miracles did happen - and the legacies of those individuals live on.

    Watching the sea of adults standing up and sitting down at Rosh Hashanah services, and apparently giving credence to the patently absurd truth-claims of the prayer book, she came to a conclusion: Marx was right. As a young adult, Danya immersed herself in the rhinestone-bedazzled wonderland of late-1990s San Francisco-attending Halloweens on the Castro, drinking smuggled absinthe with wealthy geeks, and plotting the revolution with feminist zinemakers. But she found herself yearning for something she would eventually call God. As she began inhaling countless stories of spiritual awakenings of Catholic saints, Buddhist nuns, medieval mystics, and Hasidic masters, she learned that taking that yearning seriously would require much of her. Surprised by God is a religious coming-of-age story, from the mosh pit to the Mission District and beyond. It's the memoir of a young woman who found, lost, and found again communities of like-minded seekers, all the while taking a winding, semi-reluctant path through traditional Jewish practice that eventually took her to the rabbinate. It's a post-dotcom, third-wave, punk-rock Seven Storey Mountain-the story of integrating life on the edge of the twenty-first century into the discipline of traditional Judaism without sacrificing either. It's also a map through the hostile territory of the inner life, an unflinchingly honest guide to the kind of work that goes into developing a spiritual practice in today's world-and why, perhaps, doing this in today's world requires more work than it ever has.

    In a fit of preemptive grief and magical thinking, she sets out for a hike in the Galilee, leaving no forwarding information for the “notifiers” who might darken her door with the worst possible news. Recently estranged from her husband, Ilan, she drags along an unlikely companion: their former best friend and her former lover Avram, once a brilliant artistic spirit. Avram served in the army alongside Ilan when they were young, but their lives were forever changed one weekend when the two jokingly had Ora draw lots to see which of them would get the few days’ leave being offered by their commander—a chance act that sent Avram into Egpyt and the Yom Kippur War, where he was brutally tortured as POW. In the aftermath, a virtual hermit, he refused to keep in touch with the family and has never met the boy. Now, as Ora and Avram sleep out in the hills, ford rivers, and cross valleys, avoiding all news from the front, she gives him the gift of Ofer, word by word; she supplies the whole story of her motherhood, a retelling that keeps Ofer very much alive for Ora and for the reader, and opens Avram to human bonds undreamed of in his broken world. Their walk has a “war and peace” rhythm, as their conversation places the most hideous trials of war next to the joys and anguish of raising children. Never have we seen so clearly the reality and surreality of daily life in Israel, the currents of ambivalence about war within one household, and the burdens that fall on each generation anew. Grossman’s rich imagining of a family in love and crisis makes for one of the great antiwar novels of our time.

    Swords kill only those who stand before them, stories decide who will live and die in generations to come.Shlom'am, a young man from the tribe of Ephraim, has grown up in the shadow of several secrets. He wonders why his father is deathly afraid of the King's soldiers, and why his mother has lied to him about the identities of those closest to him. Knowing his parents won't divulge more than they have to, Shlom'am sets out on his own to unearth his mysterious past.At the height of his journey, Shlom'am encounters the Crazed Princess. Princess Michal, daughter of the ill-fated King Saul and discarded wife of the illustrious, dangerous King David, seems doomed by the annals of history; hellbent on seizing the throne, David wiped out her father's line and left her isolated...and plotting. Only Michal knows the shocking circumstances of Shlom'am's birth. Only she can set into motion his destiny to become Jerobaam, the fourth king of Israel.The Secret Book of Kings is a sweeping biblical epic filled with court intrigue, romance, and rebellion. It engages with the canonized stories of the Israel's foundation and turns them on their heads. Brandes, known for her profound familiarity with Jewish sources, uncovers vibrant, adversarial men and woman buried deep in the scriptures and asks the loaded question: to what extent can we really know our past when history is written by the victors?

    Between April 1942 and October 1943, about 250,000 Jews from European countries and the Soviet Union were sent to the Nazi death camp at Sobibór in occupied Poland. Sobibór was not a transit camp or work camp: its sole purpose was efficient mass murder. On October 14, 1943, approximately half of the 650 or so prisoners still alive at Sobibór undertook a daring and precisely planned revolt, killing SS officers and fleeing through minefields and machine-gun fire into the surrounding forests, farms, and towns. Only about forty-two of them, including Fiszel, are known to have survived to the end of the war.    Philip (Fiszel) Bialowitz, now an American citizen, tells his eyewitness story here in the real-time perspective of his own boyhood, from his childhood before the war and his internment in the brutal Izbica ghetto to his harrowing six months at Sobibór—including his involvement in the revolt and desperate mass escape—and his rescue by courageous Polish farmers. He also recounts the challenges of life following the war as a teenaged displaced person, and his eventual efforts as a witness to the truth of the Holocaust.    In 1943 the heroic leaders of the revolt at Sobibór, Sasha Perchersky and Leon Feldhendler, implored fellow prisoners to promise that anyone who survived would tell the story of Sobibór: not just of the horrific atrocities committed there, but of the courage and humanity of those who fought back. Bialowitz has kept that promise. Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association for School Libraries Best Books for High Schools, selected by the American Association for School Libraries Best Books for Special Interests, selected by the Public Library Association

    It will enrich the classes that current teachers are giving and gives the new teacher confidence and pride when providing that very first class. Practitioners will have a greater understanding of how to apply Reiki and what is actually happening during a session. You will never again be afraid or even worried about teaching a Reiki class or giving the attunement. You will be pleased and your students will be grateful for the rich content in your classes. "The Reiki Teacher's Manual" is a precise step-by-step guide to instruct all three levels or degrees of Reiki. This manual and its format provide you with: A concise manual that is user friendly; A quick reference to answer student's questions; Consecutive steps with time approximations to make sure you teach all the information and still have plenty of time for the hands on practice sessions. How to get the most for your students during their hands on practice; How to increase the power of your attunement; How to teach the attunement to others; Goals for different segments of each class; Detailed descriptions and uses for the symbols; 15 handouts that are concise, informative, and can be copied from the book; Complete written explanations for each handout; A list of supplies for each level and suggestions for your classroom environment; Guidelines in opening your own Reiki practice; Information regarding state licensing needs; How to avoid issues with physicians and the medical community.

    He was at Auschwitz. But, not as an inmate. Now he has to tell his story to his daughter and grandchildren. What will they think? How will he explain what he did and why? Will they ever see him the same way again? If you've ever said to yourself "I couldn't have been a perpetrator of the Holocaust," you need to read this book. And then ask yourself. what would YOU do? Well researched and technically detailed, the book takes you behind-the-scenes and into the machinery of Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps, as told from the viewpoint of an engineer. A classic historical fiction tale of an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. About The Author Roger Collins is a software engineer living near Bodega Bay, California. An avid reader of history, Melting Point is his first published work.

    In six new essays on politics and culture in Israel today, he addresses the conscience of a country that has lost faith in its leaders and its ideals. This collection includes an already famous speech concerning the disastrous Second Lebanon War of 2006, the war that took the life of Grossman’s twenty-year-old son, Uri.Moving, humane, clear-sighted, and courageous, touching on literature and artistic creation as well as politics and philosophy, these writings are a cri de coeur from a heroic voice of reason at a time of uncertainty and despair.

    RECLAIM YOUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGEThrough God?s carefully ordered system of ceremonialworship,He revealed Himself most clearly to thenation of Israel.This is especially evident in the seven?Feasts of the LORD? as detailed in Leviticus 23:Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost,Trumpets,Atonement, and Tabernacles.These feasts arepictures of a person, the Messiah, and represent sevenphases of spiritual growth in the life of the believer.JESUS REVEALED IN THE FEASTSGod gave these festivals as foreshadowings of Jesus andHis various works of grace in the lives of all believers.The author clearly depicts the unity found in God?sunfolding purposes for His people, be they Jew orGentile, from the new birth found in Passover and theCrucifixion, all the way to entering God?s rest found in

    Its infinite layers of meaning and depth offer the opportunity to harvest anew, without any fear of exhausting its supply of wisdom, counsel, and kedushah (holiness). To encounter Torah is to encounter God."--from the IntroductionIn this inspiring collection, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson illuminates the sacred text at the heart of Jewish spirituality. Enlightening and original, The Everyday Torah brings the ancient text to life with poignant reflections that will guide to you to a deeper understanding of the Torah, of Judaism, of yourself.Torah goes its weekly way, and we go ours, and do the two paths ever cross? They cross often in many minds and hearts, but when it is Bradley Shavit Artson who provides their point of intersection, the crossroads widens into a town square. --Jack Miles, author of God: A BiographyEvery page is a joy to read. Many, many readers will treasure this book. --Richard Elliott Friedman, author of Commentary on the Torah and Who Wrote the Bible?Rabbi Bradley Artson remains one of the most inviting of modern day teachers of Torah. This book will offer needed guidance and inspiration to all who turn its pages. --Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D., president of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

    Suddenly, it meant cancer. Facing a cold, new world of tests, IVs, biopsies, needles and cell-destroying chemicals, Tzipi made a decision. She'd face the reality of her illness with honesty and humor; she'd keep a detailed, upbeat account of the entire experience. Miracle Ride is Tzipi's remarkable journal. We cry with her; we laugh at her outrageous jokes and pranks. We meet her friends, her family, and the neighbors, classmates, teachers and professionals who stood by her. We catch an insider's view of the poignant stories of the cancer patients she befriended. Tzipi's brilliant entries glow with courage, wit and warmth. Though Tzipi's story is uncommon, the issues she confronts are universal: keeping relationships strong while under great strain, the often-misguided demand for perfection in a potential marriage partner, and, most important, our search for G-d's Presence.

    This eye-opening book, written for men only, is the first of its kind. Direct, honest, down-to-earth, and practical, it describes the true path to peace between a husband and wife. There is no talking-down, no self-righteousness, and no ambiguity in these pages. Instead, the shining light of truth mingles with the sparkling call of hope, making the reading of this book a life-changing experience.B'Gan HaShalom by Rabbi Shalom Arush has become an overnight best-seller in Israel. This is an amazingly enjoyable and practical guidebook for men that want to be winning husbands. An old adage says that winners don't need to make excuses why they won the game, yet losers are full of excuses why they lost the game. In that vein, Rabbi Shalom Arush's track record is no less than phenomenal – he's a winning marital coach with a better track record than any marital counselor alive. His advice, girded firmly in the foundations of Talmudic and Jewish esoteric thought, is crystal clear and reader friendly. Any man that implements Rabbi Shalom's advice is bound to see a major subsequent improvement in his marriage. This book will undoubtedly improve your marriage too. Whether you've already celebrated your Golden Anniversary or whether you've just started to contemplate marriage, The Garden of Peace will quickly become your trusty companion and guide.חכמות נשים is the woman's version of this book.

    As she stood in the synagogue later that evening, Lavie searched for comfort for the bereaved woman, for a reminder that she was not alone but part of a great tradition of Jewish women who have responded to unbearable loss with strength and fortitude. Unable to find sufficient solace within the traditional prayer book and inspired by the memory of her own grandmother's steadfast knowledge and faith, she began researching and compiling prayers written for and by Jewish women. The Jewish Woman's Prayer Book is the result-a beautiful and moving one-of-a-kind collection that draws from a variety of Jewish traditions, through the ages, to commemorate every occasion and every passage in the cycle of life--from the mundane to the extraordinary. This elegant, inspiring volume includes special prayers for the Sabbath and holidays and important dates of the Jewish year, prayers to mark celebratory milestones, such as bat mitzvah, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth; and prayers for comfort and understanding in times of tragedy and loss. Each prayer is presented in Hebrew and in an English translation, along with fascinating commentary on its origins and allusions. Culled from a wide range of sources, both geographically and historically, this collection testifies that women's prayers were-and continue to be-an inspired expression of personal supplication and desire.

    Part Wild West sheriff, part old world rabbi, Harvey protects his town and delivers justice, wielding only the weapons of wisdom, wit, and a bit of trickery. These adventures combine Jewish and American folklore by creatively retelling comic Jewish folktales and setting them loose on the western frontier of the 1870s.As his fame grows throughout the Rocky Mountains, Rabbi Harvey meets new characters--including the luckless gold miner Abigail--and faces a slew of new challenges. He encounters the return of "Big Milt" and Wolfie Wasserman (the most feared father-and-son outlaw team east of Nevada), and investigates another bold crime by the sweet-faced Bad Bubbe. And, as ever, the Rabbi is the quickest draw in the West--when it comes to pulling out bits of Talmudic insight to fit any occasion, that is. Like any great collection of Jewish folktales, these stories contain layers of humor and timeless wisdom that will entertain, teach and, especially, make you laugh.

    Everyone can take part as Moses implores Pharoah to Let My People Go! This light-hearted rhyming tale can be read alone or with a cast of characters as a Reader's Theater.

    There was little or no study of kabbalah in Przysucha, and the emphasis was not on trying to understand God, but on trying to understand the human being. It was clear to them that one could not stand with any sense of integrity before the Divine Presence unless one first had some clarity of who one really was. Directly or indirectly, Przysucha had declared an internal war upon the hasidic leadership of its time. It simply refused to accept anything that smelled of falseness and self-deception, be it the honor due to a zaddik or a particular religious practice. Przysucha equated pretension and self-deceit with idol worship. During the early part of the nineteenth century, when the center of the hasidic world was in Poland, R. Simhah Bunim transformed Przysucha Hasidism into a movement and thus rose to become a, if not the, dominant personality in the Hasidic community.

    * Reprogram the software of your soul * Increase your sensitivity to God's message for humanity * Help you grow closer to your spouse and children * Nurture your faith, family and fortune * Provide you with a year's worth of significant conversationWhether you savor them privately or share them with others, you will be glad you joined the thousands of Rabbi Daniel Lapin fans who have discovered how these powerful messages enhance their lives.

    Beginning with the prequel of the Joseph story, continuing until the Israelites gain their freedom, and ending with more symbolic rituals and song, the combination of telling the story and conducting the seder is presented clearly with charming and wacky humor (in both words and visuals). The cartoon-like illustrations not only enhance the story but will also add to a memorable and joy-filled shared family experience!Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1/3/2008 Pages:

    Here, from trial transcripts, are the testimony of Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis, Bobby Seale, and others.

    The tale of a young girl who challenges conventions to engage in Jewish learning; Set in 11th-century Troyes, France, Rashi’s Daughter, Secret Scholar tells the story of Joheved, eldest daughter of Salomon ben Isaac (known as Rashi), one of the great medieval Jewish Bible commentators. At a time when women traditionally were barred from studying Jewish texts, Rashi secretly teaches first Joheved, then her sister Miriam. By day, Joheved helps in running the household and the family winemaking business, and by night she studies Talmud with her father. As she nears marriageable age, Joheved finds her mind and spirit awakened by religious study, but she must keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden. When she becomes betrothed to Meir ben Samuel, she is forced to choose between marital happiness and being true to her love of the Talmud. Will she fulfill the expected role of a Jewish woman or pursue a path of Jewish learning?

    Growing up, Joyce swiftly realizes that her Jewish family and their Egyptian culture are neither typically American nor typically American-Jewish; they eat kobeba instead of kugel and speak French instead of Yiddish. Struggling with her feelings of isolation from other Americans and frustrated by never getting full access to Egyptian-Jewish culture, Zonana sets out on a life-long journey to find her place in the world.She meets her extended family living in Colombia and Brazil and travels to Cairo to get a glimpse of her parents’ past. After she and her mother survive the devastation of Katrina, Zonana comes to see that “home” is not a location, but a spiritual state of mind. Zonana’s heritage and quest are also evoked in numerous photos and family recipes.

    I felt divine, trapped inside this sleek, erotic cave. I never wanted to get out." Thus inspired, she set about collecting the sinfully seductive stories in Lust in Latex.Rubber, latex and PVC all cling to the skin and have the power to make their wearers feel sensual, sexy, and aroused. In this collection, the world's hottest erotic authors make the most of the sensual potential inherent in getting suited up. Hang out with a "Tire Stud," learn "How to Liven Up a Boring Party," and go "From Solid to Liquid" in these tantalizing adventures. Get ready to enter a world where the most sensual material gets slipped on tightly, then polished, stroked, and caressed while the bodies inside heat up with desire. Find out why everything, from flirting to spanking to going all the way, is better in rubber.

    Stories convey to others what is in our hearts, what we feel is the essence of our life experiences. They transmit our culture, inform our values, and educate our children. Stories have been essential to Jewish life from the time of the Bible itself, and they continue to hold a special place in our hearts today.In this new collection of classic and modern folktales, Rabbi Edward M. Feinstein reminds us why stories are so important. Capturing the Moon brings together thirty-six beloved Jewish folktales in six thematic sections: What Really Matters in Life?, Doing What s Right, It s Up to You, Teachers and Friends, Hidden Truths, and The Miracle of Jewish Life. Each section explores Jewish experiences and values, and each story is followed by commentary and questions for thought or discussion.In these pages you will discover how Yekel, the poverty-stricken Jew in The Treasure, dreams of riches for years, only to discover a treasure that s been under his feet all along. Dinah, in The Maccabees Sister, teaches us the importance of activism in such times of persecution. Other stories, such as The Knapsack, are poignant tributes to Jewish perseverance against all odds and the miracles that have made Jewish survival possible.Those stories and the others in this collection will inspire and inform you, and prompt you to question and contemplate the big picture of your life. The perfect book for bedtime reading and group discussion alike, Capturing the Moon is sure to be a family favorite for generations.

    Just as Schwartz's award-winning book Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism collected the essential myths of Jewish tradition, Leaves from the Garden of Eden collects one hundred essential Jewish tales. As imaginative as the Arabian Nights, these stories invoke enchanted worlds, demonic realms, and mystical experiences. The four most popular types of Jewish tales are gathered here--fairy tales, folktales, supernatural tales, and mystical tales--taking readers on heavenly journeys, lifelong quests, and descents to the underworld. King David is still alive in the City of Luz, which the Angel of Death cannot enter, and somewhere deep in the forest a mysterious cottage contains the candle of your soul. In these stories, a bride who is not careful may end up marrying a demon, while the charm sewn into a dress may drive a pious woman to lascivious behavior. There is a dybbuk lurking in a well, a book that comes to life, and a world where Lilith, the Queen of Demons, seduces the unsuspecting. Here too are Jewish versions of many of the best-known tales, including Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel. Schwartz's retelling of one of these stories, The Finger, inspired Tim Burton's film Corpse Bride. With its broad selection from written and oral sources, Leaves from the Garden of Eden is a landmark collection, representing the full range of Jewish folklore, from the Talmud to the present. It is a must-read for everyone who loves fiction and an ideal holiday gift.

    Firstly, she's reformulated over 140 of the best recipes found in the Kosher by Design series. Secondly, in consultation with kosher catering celebrity Moshe David, she introduces over 20 exquisite new custom Passover recipes. The book also features creative entertaining and decorating ideas to make Passover picture perfect.

    In just thirty minutes a day, three times a week, Zim's revolutionary combined cardio and weight-training program will help you ramp up your metabolic rate, burn fat faster than conventional workouts, and produce the body of your dreams.

    Although it is generally understood that American neoconservatives pushed hard for the war in Iraq, this book forcefully argues that the neocons' goal was not the spread of democracy, but the protection of Israel's interests in the Middle East. Showing that the neocon movement has always identified closely with the interests of Israel's Likudnik right wing, the discussion contends that neocon advice on Iraq was the exact opposite of conventional United States foreign policy, which has always sought to maintain stability in the region to promote the flow of oil. Various players in the rush to war are assessed according to their motives, including President Bush, Ariel Sharon, members of the foreign-policy establishment, and the American people, who are seen not as having been dragged into war against their will, but as ready after 9/11 for retaliation.

    It is based both on ancient magicians' own compositions and products in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, and on the descriptions and prescriptions of non-magicians, to reconstruct a historical picture that is as balanced and nuanced as possible. The main focus is on the cultural make-up of ancient Jewish magic, and special attention is paid to the processes of cross-cultural contacts and borrowings between Jews and non-Jews, as well as to inner-Jewish creativity. Other major issues explored include the place of magic within Jewish society, contemporary Jewish attitudes to magic, and the identity of its practitioners. Throughout, the book seeks to explain the methodological underpinnings of all sound research in this demanding field, and to highlight areas where further research is likely to prove fruitful.

    But when their mother shares her worry that they do not have enough cooking oil to last eight days, their father tells them the story behind the holiday celebration and the miracle of the oil. Inspired by the story, the family creates its own Miracle Jar and watches the oil disappear as they enjoy the special food that each day brings. The family's hope and faith is confirmed when a last wipe of the cloth produces enough oil to prepare the eight day's treat.

    How we understand authority determines how we deal with the claims of the tradition on us; how we deal with those claims determines how we shape our own Judaism. That conclusion opens the gate to a reconsideration of all of Judaism's theology, in particular how we understand God, for God is at the heart of Torah."--from the IntroductionWith clarity and passion, award-winning teacher, author and theologian Neil Gillman captures the power of Jewish theological claims and reveals extraordinary insights into Jewish identity, the purpose of religion, and our relationship with God.Drawing from Judaism's sacred texts as well as great thinkers such as Mordecai Kaplan, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Paul Tillich, Gillman traces his theological journey over four decades of study, beginning with his own understanding of revelation. He explores the role of symbol and myth in our understanding of the nature of God and covenant. He examines the importance of community in both determining authority and sanctifying sacred space.By charting the development of his own personal theology, Gillman explores the evolution of Jewish thought and its implications for modern Jewish religious identity today and in the future.

    Soloveitchik, focuses on the life of Avraham Avinu, founding patriarch of the Jewish People. Abraham is not only the first Jew, but also a historical prototype, his experiences and actions foreshadowing critical patterns in the history of his people. In addition, Abraham serves as a spiritual and ethical model to his descendants. He is a teacher, a paragon of kindness, a lonely iconoclast, a master of sacrifice, and a knight of faith. Through careful exegesis of verses, illuminating analyses of character, and insightful readings of classical commentators, the essays in this book seek both the eternal and the contemporary messages of the Abraham story.

    So when his grandchildren heard what their beloved Zeidah left them in his will - was it a game? Alexander and Solomon became instant millionaires. And Uri, Zeideh's favorite? Uri got stock shares worth $9,862.00. When Uri tries to understand why, he realizes that there's much more to Zeideh's œgames, and soon finds himself on a seven-year mission that uncovers the secrets, mysterious life, and rich legacy that Zeideh left behind.

    The Wisdom of Maimonides includes a biography; a section of selected teachings drawn from Maimonides' major works The Guide for the Perplexed and the Mishneh Torah, as well as his other writings; and tales about Maimonides' colorful life as a court physician and rabbinic leader.

    government to ban gay marriage, pull evolution out of high school textbooks, and leave health care to market forces? Not a chance! Should Americans trust right-wing Christians with their votes on election day? Not before reading this devastating critique of a leading Jewish ally of right-wing Christianity. At a time when John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin has again brought the extreme views of Evangelical Christianity front and center in the American political debate, Larry Yudelson and Yori Yanover send a Jewish telegram to the electorate: Worry! David Klinghoffer, the subject of this critique, is a former literary editor and frequent contributor to the National Review, a long-time columnist for The Forward (the leading American-Jewish weekly), and a fellow at the Discovery Institute, the right-wing think tank that led the push for the teaching of "Intelligent Design" as an alternative to evolution. In June, Klinghoffer's fifth book was published by Doubleday: How Would God Vote? Why the Bible Commands You to Be a Conservative, a book whose very title led Yudelson and Yanover to write this immediate rebuttal. How Would God REALLY Vote draws upon their skills as veteran journalists and amateur Talmud scholars to provide an engaging, accessible and argumentative examination of Klinghoffer's arguments against liberal policies on abortion, contraception, gay marriage, health care, drugs, and taxation. Challenging the errors, misquotes and outright lies which fill Klinghoffer's "call to action," Yudelson and Yanover offer a refreshing study of Talmudic texts on these controversial issues. Their conclusion: The God of Jewish tradition is no conservative. He might even be a flaming liberal!

    In its simplest form, the Zohar is a commentary on the Bible, structured as conversations among a group of friends, scholars, and spiritual masters. Although the wisdom available in its pages is older than Creation itself, the text of the Zohar was composed approximately 2000 years ago. In the centuries that followed, the Zohar was often suppressed by religious and secular authorities who feared its power to transform the lives of those who gained access to the sacred writings. The sages of Kabbalah also realized that the Zohar must wait until humankind was ready to receive it.Michael Berg was the first person ever to translate the entire 23-volume Zohar from ancient Aramaic into English, a monumental task which he began at the age of 18 and finished ten years later. Through his translation we discover the Zohar deals very directly with concepts of reincarnation, visionary experiences, and the presence of unseen influences in our midst. Today we are able to accept these ideas that were once perceived as inexplicable mysticism or dangerous sorcery. We have the capacity to understand the Zohar's true teachings.

    This cookbook teaches healthy cooking and food combining techniques, with special commentary by certified nutritional expert Bonnie Taub-Dix, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Assn. Susie says, "These nutritious recipes are easy to integrate into your everyday menus. Anyone looking to migrate into a better way of eating and living will find delicious options here." Featuring: *Over 145 brand new recipes *Over 160 full color photos *Over 320 pages *Creative entertaining ideas, including oil olive tasting, a party spritzer station and more! *Simple, healthy approaches to: cooking oils, sweeteners, whole grains, superfoods, smarter shopping, and more efficient kitchen gadgets *Comprehensive cross-reference index

    The story of creation from the NIV is paired with gorgeous illustrations by Gennedy Spirin, making this book a classic to be treasured for years to come.

    For Jewish reality, a coherent and wide-ranging response in thoroughly modern terms is needed. Sacred Attunement is Fishbane’s attempt to renew Jewish theology for our time, in the larger context of modern and postmodern challenges to theology and theological thought in the broadest sense. The first part of the book regrounds theology in this setting and opens up new pathways through nature, art, and the theological dimension as a whole. In the second section, Fishbane introduces his hermeneutical theology—one grounded in the interpretation of scripture as a distinctly Jewish practice. The third section focuses on modes of self-cultivation for awakening and sustaining a covenant theology. The final section takes up questions of scripture, authority, belief, despair, and obligation as theological topics in their own right.The first full-scale Jewish theology in America since Abraham J. Heschel’s God in Search of Man and the first comprehensive Jewish philosophical theology since Franz Rosenzweig’s Star of Redemption, Sacred Attunement is a work of uncommon personal integrity and originality from one of the most distinguished scholars of Judaica in our time.

    Luria himself is generally regarded as the most influential of kabbalists, second only to the author of the Zohar, and Etz Chayyim is considered by kabbalists and scholars alike to be the most authoritative version of his teachings. Etz Chayyim, sometimes called the Talmud of the kabbalists, has always been considered the most secret of the secret traditions of Judaism. In its present form it consists of a total of seven volumes, or palaces. The first volume, The Palace of Adam Kadmon, presents an overview of Isaac Luria's teachings, outlining the entire Lurianic system and providing a detailed description of its main structural elements. This first translation into English of The Tree of Life, The Palace of Adam Kadmon will open this fascinating and important text to the large and growing body of readers who have become interested in Kabbalah and are curious about its original sources. It includes a facsimile copy of the original Hebrew text of Etz Chayyim, Heykhal Adam Kadmon and the English text contains page, column and line numbers that enable the reader to compare the translators' rendering to the original version. It is an excellent introduction to the beauty and complexity of the Kabbalah of Isaac Luria, as conveyed to us by his chief disciple, Chayyim Vital.

    In this sensitively written and historically accurate book, religious scholars Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson aim to clarify confusion and dispel misconceptions about Judaism, Jesus, and Christian origins. Madigan and Levenson tell the fascinating but little-known story of the origins of the belief in resurrection, investigating why some Christians and some Jews opposed the idea in ancient times while others believed it was essential to their faith. The authors also discuss how the two religious traditions relate their respective practices in the here and now to the new life they believe will follow resurrection. Making the rich insights of contemporary scholars of antiquity available to a wide readership, Madigan and Levenson offer a new understanding of Jewish-Christian relations and of the profound connections that tie the faiths together.

    Now, because of Robert Friend's own ability as a poet and a temperment congenial with hers, his translations allow English readers to understand why Rachel is so highly esteemed. This classic is now reissued in a new bilingual edition, the original Hebrew poems appearing next to Friend's superlative translations.

    The story is told as a romance.

    Jewish Studies. "Shhh, murmured my mother. And the first thirteen years of my life vanished into the darkness of that third floor closet." On a July morning in 1942, Raymond Federman's childhood ended, as his parents and two sisters were arrested by collaborationist French police and sent to their deaths at Auschwitz, with Raymond alone evading capture. In SHHH, his final novel, Federman reconstructs this childhood out of fragments, speculations, and doubtful recollections--the stories of a lost life, enmeshed with a history that can never be forgotten. "Federman is inarguably one of the most significant vanguard writers of the second half of the twentieth century and first years of the twenty-first"--Lance Olsen.

    Between 1941 and 1944, some 1.4 million Jews were killed there, and one of the most important centers of Jewish life was destroyed. Yet, little is known about this chapter of Holocaust history. Drawing on archival sources from the former Soviet Union and bringing together researchers from Ukraine, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States, The Shoah in Ukraine sheds light on the critical themes of perpetration, collaboration, Jewish-Ukrainian relations, testimony, rescue, and Holocaust remembrance in Ukraine.Contributors are Andrej Angrick, Omer Bartov, Karel C. Berkhoff, Ray Brandon, Martin Dean, Dennis Deletant, Frank Golczewski, Alexander Kruglov, Wendy Lower, Dieter Pohl, and Timothy Snyder.

    

    Surveying standard postmodernist approaches to Cahun, born Lucy Schwob, Gen Doy positions her photographs as part of her life as a woman, lesbian and political activist in the early twentieth century.

    Shapiro make blintzes for Shavuot. As Sammy follows the holiday preparations, young readers will learn how the Torah, which was given on Shavuot, is also a recipe for life.

    In vivid and moving detail, Barbara Epstein chronicles the history of a Communist-led resistance movement inside the Minsk ghetto, which, through its links to its Belarussian counterpart outside the ghetto and with help from others, enabled thousands of ghetto Jews to flee to the surrounding forests where they joined partisan units fighting the Germans. Telling a story that stands in stark contrast to what transpired across much of Eastern Europe, where Jews found few reliable allies in the face of the Nazi threat, this book captures the texture of life inside and outside the Minsk ghetto, evoking the harsh conditions, the life-threatening situations, and the friendships that helped many escape almost certain death. Epstein also explores how and why this resistance movement, unlike better known movements at places like Warsaw, Vilna, and Kovno, was able to rely on collaboration with those outside ghetto walls. She finds that an internationalist ethos fostered by two decades of Soviet rule, in addition to other factors, made this extraordinary story possible.

     The result is a mesmerizing tour-de-force: In a boxcar crammed with Jews headed to a concentration camp, one man attempts to summon up a story vital enough to displace the horror. The story that comes out is ultimately a swirling, sweeping saga about the stirring obstinacy of the human spirit. And by confronting the ultimate horror with the mythology he has long celebrated, it may also be the crowning achievement of Stern's career.The Contemporary Art of the Novella series is designed to highlight work by major authors from around the world. In most instances, as with Imre Kertész, it showcases work never before published; in others, books are reprised that should never have gone out of print. It is intended that the series feature many well-known authors and some exciting new discoveries. And as with the original series, The Art of the Novella, each book is a beautifully packaged and inexpensive volume meant to celebrate the form and its practitioners.

    What might appear to the curious but unknowing as mysterious rules and rituals are in fact the tools students use to achieve goals such as love, purity, self-control, abundance, healing, and joy. All are designed to bring more Light into life and the world, and ultimately, personal transformation. Berg explains the significance of certain clothing and colors, hair and head coverings, special days and meditations, immersion in water and rolling in snow, incense and candle-lighting, food classifications and combinations, and much more. Everything readers ever wanted to know about the spiritual technology taught successfully by The Kabbalah Centre worldwide is defined here, in the essential Kabbalah user's manual.

    It will ease frazzled nerves while pasting a huge smile on the faces of all who read it. From Pesach cleaning to the Seder and its preparation, from Chol Hamoed trips to gebrukts vs. non-gebrukts - it's all in here, and much, much more!

    Translated by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky.Long awaited and finally in English, the masterful kabbalistic work of Rabbi Luria on the weekly Torah portion.Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-1572), known as the Arizal, is the central figure of Kabbalah as it is studied today. The vast body of his teachings revolutionized the study of Kabbalah and is the basis for all Kabbalistic and Chassidic thought since his time, as well as the prism through which we view today all the prior works of Kabbalah - including the Zohar. The Arizal's thought has had an indelible influence on Jewish philosophy, liturgy, and even Jewish law.Among the most fascinating of the Arizal's teachings are his expositions on the Torah itself. Using the classic methods of rabbinic interpretation (with a marked emphasis on gematria), the Arizal unfolds before us a hidden dimension of the stories and laws of the Torah, showing how they reflect the inner dynamics of reality and how our knowledge and observance of the Torah is crucial to the proper functioning of creation.In this book, the reader is offered a selection of these teachings. They are presented with interpolated explanations that clarify the original text's terse prose and a commentary that shows how these sometimes obscure teachings can be applied to everyday life.Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky studied science and music at UCLA and USC, and Torah at yeshivas in Los Angeles, Kefar Chabad, and Tzefat. He is one of the founders of Ascent Institute of Tzefat and has translated and edited a number of works in the field of Jewish mysticism. He is presently continuing his studies in Jerusalem, where he lives with his family.

    This is a how-to book, not an interpretive one. It is not a commentary on each week’s reading, but rather an “instruction manual” on how each of us can read and interpret for ourselves the 54 Torah portions of the year. Diamond provides a set of structured guidelines to the readings, and then he leads us through one Torah portion from each of the five biblical books to give us examples of how we can continue the “stringing” process on our own. He concludes with a personal guide to recommended Bible commentaries so readers can engage in further study if they choose. Stringing the Pearls is intended for all who would like to reach a greater personal understanding of the Torah, no matter what their biblical knowledge. An invaluable resource for Jewish learners, this book will also be an important tool for rabbis and for Jewish educators. JPS inadvertently failed to include Section 8 of Part V: Selected Books (following page 206) in James Diamond’s new book Stringing the Pearls. We apologize to our readers for any inconvenience that this has caused.

    The lessons of this book rest squarely on the much-quoted insight: 'you are what you eat.' But this book goes beyond that simple truism to recognise that you are not only what you eat, but also how, when, where and with whom you eat. This book begins at the beginning - with the Torah - and then follows the history of Jewish eating until the modern age and even into our own day. Along the way, it travels from Jewish homes in the Holy Land and Babylonia (Iraq) to France and Spain and Italy, then to Germany and Poland and finally to the United States of America. It looks at significant developments in Jewish eating in all ages: in the ancient Near East and Persia, in the Classical age, throughout the Middle Ages and into Modernity. It pays careful attention to Jewish eating laws (halakha) in each time and place, but it does not stop there: it also looks for Jews who bend and break the law, who eat like Romans or Christians regardless of the law and who develop their own hybrid customs according to their own 'laws', whatever Jewish tradition might tell them. In this colourful history of Jewish eating, we get more than a taste of how expressive and crucial eating choices have always been.

    Many openly professed Catholicism, but continued to practice the Jewish faith privately. This title contains photographs and essays.

    Now, Hip Kosher provides detailed, practical resources for finding kosher items in your local stores and more than 175 recipes for every meal and occasion, showcasing contemporary American dishes rather than traditional Eastern European or Sephardic fare. Accessible, easy-to-prepare, and versatile, the recipes are perfect for busy people who don't have hours to spend in the kitchen. Many recipes include menu suggestions, while sidebars note recipe variations, updates on classics, and helpful prep hints about ingredients and tools. Fein also describes Jewish dietary laws (and halal, permitted Muslim foods) and provides comprehensive sources.

    Literary Nonfiction. Jewish Studies. Memoir. Translated from the German by Elborg Foster. Though Hilda Stern wrote about her experiences for a few years after the war, first in a DP camp and then in New York, she hid her notebooks after her marriage to Werner Cohen. A mother and Jewish teacher, she also spoke to school groups of her experiences during the war two years before she died, Hilda did extensive recorded interviews with storyteller Gail Rosen. However, only after her death did her husband discover the seven faded German notebooks of a half century before and their 150 poems and prose texts. The interviews with Rosen and translations of her Hilda's German poetry by Elborg Forster were brought together by the editors Werner V. Cohen, Gail Rosen, and William Gilcher to produce WORDS THAT BURN WITHIN ME: FAITH, VALUES, SURVIVAL."

    The son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and the Ukraine and one of five children, he learned how to translate his colorful childhood into tales of his own, regaling audiences of family, friends, and eventually his retirement community with periodic public readings. Now, at the age of 93, Kaufman makes his stories, filled with a sharp wit and telling detail, available to a wider audience for the first time.In the title story a young Jewish boy is shamed by his narrow-minded teacher when she forces him to admit, before the whole class, that his mother cannot read English. His mother's eventual encounter with the teacher offers a lesson in self-respect with just the right balance of grace and moxie. In The Search for God in the A & P a young boy goes on a clandestine mission to compare prices at his father's grocery competition; the expedition meets with comic results when the young boy refuses to be bullied in this David-and-Goliath-style parable. These semi-autobiographical stories, populated with outsized and magnetic characters, subtly layer the specifics of the Jewish experience with universals dilemmas of childhood, growing up, and old age.

    While the play represented a watershed in American theater and culture, it belies a hundred years of previous attention to queer Jewish identity in twentieth-century American literature, drama, and film. In The Passing Game, Warren Hoffman sheds light on this long history, taking up both Yiddish and English narratives that explore the tensions among Jewish identity, queer sexuality, performance, and American citizenship.With fresh insight Hoffman examines the 1907 Yiddish play God of Vengeance by Sholem Asch, the cross-dressing films of Yiddish actress Molly Picon, and several short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer. He also analyzes the English-language novels The Rise of David Levinsky (Abraham Cahan), Wasteland (Jo Sinclair), and Portnoy’s Complaint (Phillip Roth). Hoffman highlights the ways in which the characters in these canonical texts attempt to "pass" as white, straight, and American in the early and mid–twentieth century. This pioneering work is a welcome contribution to the study of Jewish American literature and culture.