Descended from a 1,000-year unbroken chain of rabbis, he grew up to become Chief Rabbi of Israel--and like many of the great rabbis, Lau is a master storyteller. Out of the Depths is his harrowing, miraculous, and inspiring account of life in one of the Nazis' deadliest concentration camps, and how he managed to survive against all possible odds.Lau, who lost most of his family in the Holocaust, also chronicles his life after the war, including his emigration to Mandate Palestine during a period that coincides with the development of the State of Israel. The story continues up through today, with that once-lost boy of eight now a brilliant, charismatic, and world-revered figure who has visited with Popes John Paul and Benedict; the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and countless global leaders including Ronald Reagan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Tony Blair.

    In this first volume of a five-volume collection of parashat hashavua, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks explores these intersections as they relate to universal concerns of freedom, love, responsibility, identity and destiny. Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under God s sovereignty. Erudite and eloquent, Covenant & Conversation allows us to experience Rabbi Sacks sophisticated approach to life lived in an ongoing dialogue with the Torah. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award, 2009.

    In this second volume of a five-volume collection of parashat hashavua commentaries, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks explores these intersections as they relate to universal concerns of freedom, love, responsibility, identity, and destiny. Chief Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy, and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under God’s sovereignty. Erudite and eloquent, Covenant & Conversation allows us to experience Chief Rabbi Sacks’ sophisticated approach to life lived in an ongoing dialogue with the Torah.

    The Siddur marks the culmination of years of rabbinic scholarship, exemplifies Koren's tradition of textual accuracy and intuitive graphic design, and offers an illuminating translation, introduction and commentary by one of the world's leading Jewish thinkers, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks. Halakhic guides to daily, Shabbat, and holiday prayers supplement the traditional text. Prayers for the State of Israel, its soldiers, and national holidays, for the American government, upon the birth of a daughter and more reinforce the Siddur's contemporary relevance. A special Canadian Edition is the first to include prayers for the Canadian government within the body of the text.

    He started the Give Kids the World foundation andDignity U Wear charity.

    All too often we leave that to Christian theologians. But in this excellent volume, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin puts the commandment to love at the center of Jewish theology and experience. This is a book that will change the way you think about–and practice–Judaism.”–Professor Ari L. Goldman, Columbia University, and author of The Search for God at Harvard“Love your neighbor as yourself” is the best-known commandment in the Bible. Yet we rarely hear anyone talk about how to apply these words in daily life. In this landmark work, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, one of the premier scholars and thinkers of our time, gives both Jews and non-Jews an extraordinary summation of what Jewish tradition teaches about putting these words into practice.Writing with great clarity and simplicity as well as with deep wisdom, Telushkin covers topics such as love and kindness, hospitality, visiting the sick, comforting mourners, charity, relations between Jews and non-Jews, compassion for animals, tolerance, self-defense, and end-of-life issues. This second volume of the first major code of Jewish ethics written in the English language is breathtaking in its scope and will undoubtedly influence readers for generations to come. It offers hundreds of practical examples from the Torah, the Talmud, the Midrash, and both ancient and modern rabbinic commentaries–as well as contemporary anecdotes–all teaching us how to care for one another each and every day.A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 2: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself is a consummate work of scholarship. Like its acclaimed predecessor, which received the National Jewish Book Award, it is rich with ideas to contemplate and discuss, while being primarily a book to live by. Nothing could be more important in these strife-torn times than learning how to love our neighbors as ourselves. The message of this book is as vital and timely now as it has been since time immemorial.

    They include Meet Rebecca, Rebecca and Ana, Candlelight for Rebecca, Rebecca and the Movies, Rebecca to the Rescue, and Changes for Rebecca. Every book features beautiful illustrations, plus a historical "Looking Back" section about life in Rebecca's time.

    Included are "Tevye the Dairyman, " his masterpiece and the basis for Fiddler on the Roof, and all 21 Railroad Stories, in which human nature and the various shocks of modernity are perceived by men and women riding the trains from shtetl to shtetl.

    They originated in Yiddishland, a vast expanse of Eastern Europe that, before the Holocaust, ran from the Baltic Sea to the western edge of Russia and incorporated hundreds of Jewish communities with a combined population of some 11 million people. Within this territory, revolutionaries arose from the Jewish misery of Eastern and Central Europe; they were raised in the fear of God and taught to respect religious tradition, but were caught up in the great current of revolutionary utopian thinking. Socialists, Communists, Bundists, Zionists, Trotskyists, manual workers and intellectuals, they embodied the multifarious activity and radicalism of a Jewish working class that glimpsed the Messiah in the folds of the red flag.Today, the world from which they came has disappeared, dismantled and destroyed by the Nazi genocide. After this irremediable break, there remain only survivors, and the work of memory for red Yiddishland. This book traces the struggles of these militants, their singular trajectories, their oscillation between great hope and doubt, their lost illusions--a red and Jewish gaze on the history of the twentieth century.

    Positing that our collective abdication of responsibility — in every facet of our lives, including business and the economy, the environment, government and politics, healthcare, education, and religion — has contributed to the problems and challenges we face, Berg asserts that taking responsibility for our actions (or lack thereof) and their consequences is the key to achieving change for the better. Berg urges readers to access the power within each of us, using the principles of Kabbalah, in order to create the consciousness shift required for lasting positive change.

    Then she learns that her young cousin Ana and her family are in danger--they must escape Russia and come to America. Rebecca decides to raise money for their passage by putting on a show right in her New York City neighborhood-until her disapproving grandmother steps in. Unexpectedly, Rebecca finds another way to earn money. But she knows that for her plan to work, she'll have to keep it a secret.

    For years she has blocked them from her mind, but as illness and old age overtake her, she begins to relive the time when she defied all propriety and convention and followed her charismatic brother Yeshûa and her betrothed Yehûdâ in their daring but perilous adventure.'We were young. We were going to change the world.'Mariam shared the excitement, the fear and the mystery of the mission, but cannot forget the horror of its ending. With powerful resonances for today, The Testament of Mariam takes us into the turbulent world of rebellious Galilee under Roman occupation, and the courageous lives that altered the course of history.

    For centuries scholars and rabbis have wrestled with the biblical narrative, attempting to answer the questions that arise from a plain reading of the text. In The Murmuring Deep, Avivah Zornberg informs her literary analysis of the text with concepts drawn from Freud, Winnicott, Laplanche, and other psychoanalytic thinkers to give us a new understanding of the desires and motivations of the men and women whose stories form the basis of the Bible. Through close readings of the biblical and midrashic texts, Zornberg makes a powerful argument for the idea that the creators of the midrashic commentary, the med­ieval rabbinic commentators, and the Hassidic commentators were themselves on some level aware of the complex interplay between conscious and unconscious levels of experience and used this knowledge in their interpretations. In her analysis of the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Rebecca, Isaac, Joseph and his brothers, Ruth, and Esther–how they communicated with the world around them, with God, and with the various parts of their selves–Zornberg offers fascinating insights into the interaction between consciousness and unconsciousness. In discussing why God has to “seduce” Adam into entering the Garden of Eden or why Jonah thinks he can hide from God by getting on a ship, Zornberg enhances our appreciation of the Bible as the foundational text in our quest to understand what it means to be human.

    Breaking the Jewish Code helps readers unlock the amazing secrets to this success.

    Ten-year-old Jacob would give anything to show those Yankees that not all Confederates are ready to surrender.He gets his chance when he sees a real, live Yankee soldier walking down his street, on leave for Passover. But before Jacob can think of a way to be brave, the Yankee asks him for a piece of his matzoh. This true story about a Jewish Yankee soldier joining a Southern family’s Passover meal shows how common values can overcome even the most divisive differences. Gathered around the seder table, the group discusses what it means to be free--a subject as relevant today as it was during the War between the States and during the Exodus.

    When Shira’s father is arrested by the local baron intent on enforcing the Catholic Church’s strictures against heresy, Shira fights for his release and encounters two men who will influence her life profoundly—an inspiring Catholic priest and Meir ben Baruch, a brilliant scholar. In Meir, Shira finds her soulmate.Married to Meir in Paris, Shira blossoms as a wife and mother, savoring the intellectual and social challenges that come with being the wife of a prominent scholar. After witnessing the burning of every copy of the Talmud in Paris, Shira and her family seek refuge in Germany. Yet even there they experience bloody pogroms and intensifying anti-Semitism. With no safe place for Jews in Europe, they set out for Israel only to see Meir captured and imprisoned by Rudolph I of Hapsburg. As Shira weathers heartbreak and works to find a middle ground between two warring religions, she shows her children and grandchildren how to embrace the joys of life, both secular and religious.A multi-generational novel that vividly brings to life a period rarely covered in historical fiction.

    Parents question whether nurturing their children's souls is even possible in the fast-paced materialistic culture in which we live. Utilizing the insight that springs from her knowledge of Torah wisdom, her personal experiences and the experiences of those she has counseled, Slovie Jungreis-Wolff, a longtime parenting coach and advisor to young couples and families teaches in detail how to approach the entire gamut of issues, with a special emphasis on strengthening the child's morality and character. Parents will learn how to: - Instill simchas hachayim, true joy, in their children- Value chessed, kindness, in a self-absorbed world- Create a mikdash me'at, a home filled with calm and reflection- Teach children gratitude and appreciation- And much more...From discipline to sibling rivalry to effective communication skills, Raising a Child with Soul offers unique concepts and pragmatic ideas that can be understood and applied to both Jewish and non-Jewish households.

    (That's a fancy word for fun.) From New York Times bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy Nancy brings her humor and panache to the world of emergent readers. Five magnificent stories come in a carry-along box with a plastic handle and a velcro closure. This collection is perfect for the newest reader in your family.Included in this box are five favorite Fancy Nancy Level One I Can Read books:Fancy Nancy at the MuseumFancy Nancy and the Boy from ParisFancy Nancy Sees StarsPoison Ivy ExpertThe Dazzling Book Report Each Level One story is carefully crafted using short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts for children eager to read on their own. Contains a glossary of Fancy Nancy’s fancy words.

    These weekly portions, read aloud in synagogues around the world, have been subject to interpretation and commentary for centuries. Following on this ancient tradition, Torah Queeries brings together some of the world's leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a bent lens. With commentaries on the fifty-four weekly Torah portions and six major Jewish holidays, the concise yet substantive writings collected here open up stimulating new insights and highlight previously neglected perspectives.This incredibly rich collection unites the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight-allied writers, including some of the most central figures in contemporary American Judaism. All bring to the table unique methods of reading and interpreting that allow the Torah to speak to modern concerns of sexuality, identity, gender, and LGBT life. Torah Queeries offers cultural critique, social commentary, and a vision of community transformation, all done through biblical interpretation. Written to engage readers, draw them in, and, at times, provoke them, Torah Queeries examines topics as divergent as the Levitical sexual prohibitions, the experience of the Exodus, the rape of Dinah, the life of Joseph, and the ritual practices of the ancient Israelites. Most powerfully, the commentaries here chart a future of inclusion and social justice deeply rooted in the Jewish textual tradition.A labor of intellectual rigor, social justice, and personal passions, Torah Queeries is an exciting and important contribution to the project of democratizing Jewish communities, and an essential guide to understanding the intersection of queerness and Jewishness.

    Even average Israelis are wondering if they wouldn't be better off somewhere else and whether they ought to persevere. Daniel Gordis is confident his fellow Jews can renew their faith in the cause, and in Saving Israel, he outlines how.2009 National Jewish Book Award winnerAddresses the most pressing issues faced by Israel-and American Jews-today, without recycling the same old argumentsLays to rest some of the most pernicious myths about Israel, including: Jews could thrive without Israel; Israeli Arabs just want equality, and Palestinians just want their own state; peace will come, if Israel will just do the right things""Morally powerful . . . from a writer whose reflections are consistently as intellectually impressive as they are moving. . . . Gordis addresses the exigencies of our time with the urgency they overridingly demand, and with the depth of feeling they inspire.""-Cynthia OzickGordis has written many popular personal essays and memoirs in the past, but Saving Israel is a full-throated call to arms. Never has the case for defending-no, celebrating-the existence of Israel been so clear, so passionate, or so worthy of wholehearted support.

    Then, in one extraordinary moment in the French Revolution, the Jews of France were emancipated. Soon the ghetto gates were opened all over Europe. The era of Emancipation had begun. What happened next would change the course of history. Emancipation tells the story of how this isolated minority emerged from the ghetto and against terrible odds very quickly established themselves as shapers of history, as writers, revolutionaries, social thinkers, and artists. Their struggle to create a place for themselves in Western European life led to revolutions and nothing less than a second renaissance in Western culture. The book spans the era from the French Revolution to the beginning of the twentieth century. The story is told through the lives of the people who lived through this momentous change. Some are well-known: Marx, Freud, Mahler, Proust, and Einstein; many more have been forgotten. Michael Goldfarb brings them all to life. This is an epic story, and Goldfarb tells it with the skill and eye for detail of a novelist. He brings the empathy and understanding that has marked his two decades as a reporter in public radio to making the characters come alive. It is a tale full of hope, struggle, triumph, and, waiting at the end, a great tragedy. This is a book that will have meaning for anyone interested in the struggle of immigrants and minorities to succeed. We live in a world where vast numbers are on the move, where religions and races are grinding against each other in new combinations; Emancipation is a book of history for our time.

    Written in a unique, lyrical Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.This fifth volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition opens in the middle of Exodus immediately following the revelation at Mount Sinai. The first chapter features a famous narrative about two rabbis and an old donkey-driver they encounter on the road. This old man seems like a complete ignoramus and pesters them with nonsensical riddles, but he turns out to be a sage and explains to them one of the most tightly guarded secrets of Kabbalah: the reincarnation of the soul. In the course of his exposition, the old man enthralls his two listeners with a romantic account of Torah as a maiden who reveals herself only to one who pursues her lovingly.The rest of this volume consists mainly of the Zohar's commentary on the biblical description of the mishkan, the Dwelling (or Tabernacle) in the desert. The mishkan symbolizes Shekhinah, the feminine presence of God who "dwells" on earth. Since the Dwelling was the center of worship, the Zohar explores here the theme of prayer.The volume concludes with one of the shortest yet most important sections of the Zohar—Sifra di-Tsni'uta (The Book of Concealment). This enigmatic and poetic composition contains a veiled description of God's body, focusing on the beard. Its few pages convey the central teachings of Kabbalah, including the balance between male and female energies, and how divine breath animates all that exists.

    Using the method of parshanut (interpretation) and her own unique approach to biblical texts, Klitsner draws bold, surprising parallels between biblical passages, revealing previously unexcavated layers of meaning. The result is a series of fresh and original readings of familiar narratives, accessible to both novice and experienced readers of the Bible. With her fresh, original readings of familiar narratives, Klitsner illustrates the dynamic nature of biblical attitudes regarding issues of ongoing relevance, such as the self, gender relations, and relations between Jews and non-Jews.

    One of the most popular gift books of the 2008 holiday season now includes the history-making Obama front pages and so much more. The book and three accompanying DVDs contain new front pages through May 2009. The nearly 55,000 pages in the book and DVDs date back to 1851 and provide the reader an unprecedented opportunity to experience the news as it was being reported. Essays by Jill Abramson, Richard Bernstein, Ethan Bronner, Roger Cohen, Gail Collins, Helene Cooper, Thomas L. Friedman, William Grimes, Caryn James, Gina Kolata, Paul Krugman, David Leonhardt, Steve Lohr, Frank Rich, Carla Anne Robbins, Gene Roberts, William Safire, Serge Schmemann, Sam Tanenhaus, and John Noble Wilford.DVD-ROMs run on a PC (Windows 2000/XP or later) or Mac (OSX 10.4.8 or later) with Adobe 8.0 or later.  Free download available on the DVD-Roms."With the publishing of this stunning volume of the most momentous front pages of the past 150 years, accompanied by DVDs with every single Times front page ever published, a sprawling snapshot of human civilization as Americans saw it—is suddenly at our fingertips." —Ted Anthony, The Associated Press "[A] satisfyingly hefty volume…reminding you of how the experience of reading the newspaper is at once public and intimate, of the enduring, essential, all-important power of the printed word." —Francine Prose, O: The Oprah Magazine "Worth buying a coffee table for." —Dwight Garner, The New York Times

    Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place--the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children.Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched (both authors speak French and conducted first-person interviews and research at archives and libraries), this hopeful, non-fiction book introduces children to a little-known part of history. Perfect for children studying World War II or those seeking a heart-warming, inspiring read that highlights extraordinary heroism across faiths.Includes a bibliography, a recommended list of books and films, and afterword from the authors that gives more details behind the story.

    Binyamin Lau breaks down the Book of Jeremiah, rearranging its chapters according to historical events and the chronology of the prophet’s life. This groundbreaking reconstruction turns the biblical narrative from a collection of disjointed prophecies into a thrilling account of warring empires and nationalistic struggle, social decay and political intrigue, soaring hope and crushing despair.

    Maya Abramovna Klotsvog has had quite a life, and she wants you to know all about it. Selfish, garrulous, and thoroughly entertaining, she tells us where she came from, who she didn't get along with, and what became of all her husbands and lovers.In Klotsvog, Margarita Khemlin creates a first-person narrator who is both deeply self-absorbed and deeply compelling. From Maya's perspective, Khemlin unfurls a retelling of the Soviet Jewish experience that integrates the historical and the personal into her protagonist's vividly drawn inner and outer lives. Maya's life story flows as a long monologue, told in unfussy language dense with Khemlin's magnificently manipulated Soviet clich�s and matter-of-fact descriptions of Soviet life. Born in a center of Jewish life in Ukraine, she spent the war in evacuation in Kazakhstan. She has few friends but several husbands, and her relationships with her relatives are strained at best. The war looms over Klotsvog, and the trauma runs deep, as do the ambiguities and ambivalences of Jewish identity. Lisa Hayden's masterful translation brings this compelling character study full of dark, sly humor and new perspectives on Jewish heritage and survival to an English-speaking audience.

    Schroeder’s book demands the attention of anyone who wonders if God must be exiled from the modern, enlightened mind.” — David J. Wolpe, author of Why Faith MattersIn his first book since 2002’s acclaimed The Hidden Face of God, popular scientist Gerald Schroeder combines decades of scientific research and biblical study to present a groundbreaking new paradigm of how to understand God. Readers of Jack Miles’ God: A Biography, Francis Collins’s The Language of God, and Richard Friedman’s Who Wrote the Bible will find much to contemplate in God According to God.

    While God is conventionally viewed as an entity separate from us, there are some Jews--Kabbalists, Hasidim, and their modern-day heirs--who assert that God is not separate from us at all. In this nondual view, everyone and everything manifests God. For centuries a closely guarded secret of Kabbalah, nondual Judaism is a radical reorientation of religious life that is increasingly influencing mainstream Judaism today.Writer and scholar Jay Michaelson presents a wide-ranging and compelling explanation of nondual Judaism: what it is, its traditional and contemporary sources, its historical roots and philosophical significance, how it compares to nondual Buddhism and Hinduism, and how it is lived in practice. He explains what this mystical nondual view means in our daily ego-centered lives, for our communities, and for the future of Judaism.

    Its counterpart, Garden of Peace for Men, was received with acclaim for its down-to-earth, honest, and sensitive approach, and these qualities shine from this volume for women as well. * How can a woman build up her marriage so that it is one of peace and tranquility? * What is the real meaning of love? * What is the role of the wife in the home?Not only does this book present a beautiful, time-tested perspective on marriage, it also offers wisdom and insight on parenting, prayer, and motherhood. A vital read for every Jewish woman!Translated from Hebrew to English by Rabbi Lazer Brody, this book is for women only, but women of all ages. Not limited to marital issues alone, Rabbi Arush teaches of whole life from the feminin perspective. The book is divided into eight sections, covering all aspects of a woman's life. Yes, marriage, but also finances, food, children, etc. etc. When King Solomon said, "Every wise woman buildeth her home : but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." (Mishlei 14:1), it is this knowledge and wisdom that is refered to. Get it and read it.

    Included are excerpts from his celebrated novels, among them Where the Jackals Howl, A Perfect Peace, My Michael, Fima, Black Box, and To Know a Woman. Nonfiction is represented by selections from Under This Blazing Light, The Slopes of Lebanon, In the Land of Israel, and Oz’s masterpiece, A Tale of Love and Darkness. Robert Alter, a noted Hebrew scholar and translator, has provided an illuminating introduction.

    Where there were gaps in Tyndale's work, Rogers used that of Miles Coverdale (1535).- Facsimile of an excellent copy of the 1537 Matthew's Bible- Features clear, legible type throughout (marginal commentary is insmaller type)- Authoritative new preface- Great for Bible collectors and anyone interested in the history of the English Bible

    This insightful biography will enrich the experience of reading 'Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl', and provides additional information about her family, childhood, and fate.

    But when World War I begins, an embargo on German-made goods-including the parts Papa needs to repair the dolls-threatens to put the family's shop out of business. Fortunately, Anna has an idea that just might save the day. Inspired by the true story of Madame Alexander, this is a timeless tale of family and imagination. This beautiful gift edition of The Doll Shop Downstairs, featuring an eye-catching foil embossed cover, will make a perfect holiday present for dreamers and doll lovers everywhere.

    It's a perfect collection from which to pick a reading for a loved one's memorial service.”—St Paul Pioneer Press“An anthology filled with healing and hope.”—Rabbi Lawrence Kushner“Beloved on the Earth is a timeless anthology, a meditation on ‘our capacity for wonder and for grief.’…The book itself…is the best book of poems I have reviewed so far this year.”—Vince Corvaia“This would be an excellent resource for families and staff offering a way to be open to healing and grace.”—Michele Fedderly, Executive Director, Hospice MinnesotaThis engaging anthology of 150 poems brings together a range of responses to the experiences of death, mourning, and gratitude for lost loved ones, composed by a variety of poets, both emerging and well-known. These poems can provide insight, solace, and understanding.“Late Fragment” by Raymond CarverAnd did you get whatyou wanted from this life, even so?I did.And what did you want?To call myself beloved, to feel myselfbeloved on the earth.Jim Perlman is founding editor and publisher of Holy Cow! Press. He has edited two previous anthologies: Brother Songs: A Male Anthology of Poetry (1979) and, with Ed Folsom and Dan Campion, Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song (1981; revised edition, 1998).Deborah Cooper is the author of four poetry chapbooks, most recently Between the Ceiling & the Moon from Finishing Line Press. She has used poetry extensively in her work as a hospice chaplain and conducts writing classes for individuals grieving the loss of loved ones.Mara Hart writes memoir in prose and poetry. She has been an editor of several literary periodicals. Her book, Lovecraft’s New York Circle, was published in 2007 by Hippocampus Press (New York City).Pamela Mittlefehldt is a poet and a mystery writer. She is working on a collection of essays about the meaning of place, and she is exploring the power of story to transform our lives as individuals and as a community.

    Yet only one visionary man-Heniek Corben- can see him and hear him. Heniek soon realizes that Cohen has become an ibbur-a spirit. But how and why has he taken this form? As Cohen recounts his disturbing and moving story, small but telling inconsistencies appear in his narrative. Heniek begins to believe that Cohen is not the secular Jew he claims to be, but may, in fact, be a student of practical Kabbalah-of magic. Why is he lying? And what is the importance of the anagrams he creates for the names of his friends and relatives? Heniek traces his suspicions and comes to an astonishing conclusion-one that has consequences for his own identity and life, and perhaps for the reader's as well.

    The terrible overcrowding, the constant hunger, and the presence of thousands of hardened criminals, in a prison lacking the most basic hygienic standards and where filth and disease are rampant, caused most prisoners to lose their human dignity.While in this living hell, Ronen is further tortured by loneliness and longing for his wife, daughters, and loving family. But Ronen's imprisonment serves as the impetus to rise above the prison walls and finally escape from his own evil inclination. With his powerful wellspring of faith, Ronen dedicates every waking hour to learning Torah and immersing himself in prayer; he repents from the depths of his heart, and attains freedom, even behind bars. Trusting only in God to help him, Ronen miraculously succeeds in escaping, seemingly accompanied by angels, all the way back to Tel Aviv.The book is translated from the original Hebrew, in Ronen's own straightforward touching style. You will journey through Ronen's fascinating and unique inner struggle. It is a journey that will take you from despair to hope; from a broken heart and body, to a spiritual and physical triumph. It is a journey that will never leave you!This book is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Gavriel and Rebbetzin Rivka Holtzberg Hy"d, who were viciously murdered in the Mumbai Massacre of 2008. The many generous acts of kindness they bestowed upon me, Ronen, and so many others, will be remembered forever.

    As a bridge between both worlds, Reb Zalman, and his co-author and student Netanel Miles-Yepez, introduce the reader to rare and unique translations of Hasidism with their own personal reflections on their meaning. This book gives the readers the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Hasidic wisdom and narrative and in the teachings of a modern Hasidic master.

    Words are our most valuable - and most powerful - assets. Through words, we can forge or tear down relationships, inspire or demean our children, spouses, or friends, offer comfort or inflict pain. Through words, we can create an atmosphere of harmony or discord, contentment or conflict, blessing or, Heaven forbid, its opposite. Controlling and properly channeling our words can seem as impossible as stopping a rushing river. But the Torah teaches us that we can control what we say. The Chofetz Chaim taught us how to incorporate the laws of shmiras haloshon into our daily lives. Positive Word Power, based on Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's classic The Power of Words, focuses on ona'as devarim, -- the hurtful speech we all too often use in our direct, daily interaction with others. This original work examines dozens of true-life situations in which the wrong words can wound people, damage friendships and ignite hostility. More importantly, it offers concise, practical strategies for controlling destructive speech and for communicating with others in ways that nurture and build. Just as our acclaimed bestseller, The Chofetz Chaim: A Daily Companion, is showing tens of thousands around the world how to tap into the profound wisdom of the Chofetz Chaim through a simple daily program, designed to help us avoid negative speech about others, Positive Word Power aims to awaken and sensitize us to the critical importance of being careful how we speak to others. This is a book that will enrich and, ultimately, transform your relationships and your life.

    He spent years seeking the answer to: What is the most good-serving, God-serving response to the test of enemies, and how can I use their anger for positive change?

    Since the “Second Intifada” began ten years ago, Palestinian terrorists have claimed 1,700 Israeli civilians. This equates to a staggering 70,000 victims, when adjusted to the United States population for scale.In A New Shoah, Italian journalist Giulio Meotti’s extensive interviews with those Israeli families torn apart by hundreds of daily attacks in buses, cafés, kibbutzim, restaurants, night clubs, and religious shrines appear for the first time. A New Shoah reveals the stories, ideals, and faces behind the statistics, from the anticommunist dissidents who fled Moscow, to the American businessman who left everything behind to live the dream of Jewish pioneers.The remarkable individuals who make up A New Shoah reveal the raison d'être of the State of Israel and make a definitive case for its safeguarding. Judaism teaches that for survivors, the hazkarah, or the act of remembering, is the only way to defy the murder of Jewish people by their enemies. When we read these pages and remember, we empower Israel’s resistance to terror.

    Desserts include Baklawa, Crepes Suzette, and Fig Loukoumades. Demystifying unfamiliar cuisines, this book offers stories and traditions related to each cuisine, helps readers shop for the key ingredients and cooking implements, and includes simple recipes from cultures as far flung as Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South America. Soon readers will be experts at making Dolma from Turkey, Bulgogi from Korea, and Black Forest Cake from Germany.

    In this exciting book now available to Spanish-speaking readers, Berg examines this idea in depth. Blending science and spirituality, he argues persuasively that space is shrinking and will continue to do so until there is nothing between humans and the world around them. The result, he says, is that humankind can truly achieve its destiny by embracing the life- and world-changing notion that "we are all one" and, by extension, "love thy neighbor as thyself."

    For each day of the year, an inspiring quote from a Jewish source and a personal reflection on it help you focus on your spiritual life and all the things you have to be grateful for.Using both the secular and Jewish calendar as a framework, this daily devotional helps you honor the special and holy events of the year as well as identify the sacred in the mundane moments of your life. It draws on the wisdom of Jewish sources and teachings, and ancient and contemporary spiritual thinkers, to gain perspective on the abundance that is all around you--in your achievements and challenges, relationships and personal time, joy and suffering, job and home. It will help you elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary every day of the year.

    Soloveitchik's classic essay, "U-Vikkashtem mi-Sham." Drafted in the 1940's as a companion to his earlier treatise Halakhic Man, this powerful and wide-ranging work was published in Hebrew only in 1978. Drawing its title from Deuteronomy 4:29 - "And from there you shall seek the Lord your God, and you shall find Him if you search for Him with all of your heart and all of your soul" - and framed by the evocative metaphors of the Song of Songs, the essay charts the individual's search for God, a quest which culminates in the stage of devekut, cleaving to Him.The human being initially seeks God by examining the natural and spiritual worlds. But this search fails; hence God must reveal Himself and express His will. Rabbi Soloveitchik explicates the contrast between these two different modes of experiencing the divine: the natural consciousness, marked by freedom and creativity, and the revelational consciousness, marked by compulsion and discipline. The remainder of the work elaborates on this dialectic, exploring such themes as the imitation of God, devekut, mercy and justice, trust and fear, love and awe, the rule of intellect, elevation of the body, the perpetuity of God's word, and creation and revelation.And From There You Shall Seek is Rabbi Soloveitchik's fullest and most elaborate examination of religious consciousness and the dynamics of religious experience. Its presentation of the challenging interplay between cultural creativity, religious practice, and spiritual quest is sure to enrich the contemporary reader.

    An-sky and the photographer Solomon Iudovin gathered materials and took photographs of Jewish daily life in pre-Revolutionary Russia’s Pale of Settlement. Photographing the Jewish Nation offers English-language readers their first look at over 170 extraordinary, recently rediscovered photographs from their expeditions. The pictures provide visual texture—in remarkable detail—that rarely appears in written sources. This volume includes a critical introduction and five chapters that document all aspects of Jewish life inside the Pale, including work, education, and religious and cultural traditions.

    By eating food that is not kosher or that has not been prepared according to halachah, we transgress many of the most serious prohibitions of the Torah, and we compromise our spiritual integrity as well. Rabbi Binyomin Forst is a master at explaining halachah in a readable, understandable, and practical manner. In The Kosher Kitchen he explains the basic principles of kashrus and their practical ramifications, showing us how to avoid problematic situations and how to recognize halachic questions and ask them correctly.Among the many topics discussed:* A utensil-by-utensil overview of the kitchen* The special status of parve foods in halachah* Common kashrus problems - recognizing, avoiding, and dealing with them* Microwaves, ovens and dishwashers* Non-Jewish housekeepers and cleaning help* The parameters of Pas Akum, Chalav Akum, and Gevinas Akum* Kashering utensils* A comprehensive "tevilah" chart showing which utensils need immersionThe Kosher Kitchen: Practical. Comprehensive. And absolutely vital.

    As he matures, the boy's peaceful existence gets disrupted and he embarks on a journey of self-discovery.The riveting twists and turns of his personal quest coincide with one of the most important discoveries of humankind. The entire world is awestruck by the developing drama in Egypt, through which the truth about the Creator of the world and the destiny of our nation are revealed.Dual Discovery will take you back in time to experience the marvelous events that took place over three millennia ago. The captivation plot of the fictional story is masterfully interwoven with the historical happenings, bringing the ancient story vividly to life. You will feel along with the characters' struggles and be inspired by their hope and faith as you journey with them through the pages of our early history.This must-read book will help you visualize the slavery in Egypt and the miraculous redemption, giving you a new perception of this well-known saga. At the same time, you will glean some new insights about our present galus and the imminent Final Redemption.

    As persecution, war, and deportation savaged their communities, Jews tried to flee Nazi Europe through legal and clandestine routes. In their multifaceted tale of Jewish refugees during and after the Nazi era, Debórah Dwork and Robert Jan van Pelt braid the private and public realms, personal memory and official history. They probe the challenges faced by German Jewish refugees; the dispute among the Swiss on allowing Jews to cross their border; the dangers braved by covert guides who helped the hunted out of occupied France; and the creation of postwar displaced person camps, which have much to tell us about refugee camps today. Grounded in archival research throughout Europe and America, hundreds of oral histories, and thousands of newly discovered letters, Flight from the Reich shows how the lives of people thread together to form history.

    With The Commentators' Bible: Genesis—the fifth and final volume of the acclaimed English edition of the Miqra'ot Gedolot —the voices of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Rashbam, and other medieval Bible commentators come alive once more, speaking in a contemporary English translation annotated and explicated for lay readers...and readers can now engage in "conversation" with them about the entire Torah. Each page in this Commentators’ Bible volume contains several verses from the Book of Genesis, surrounded by both the 1917 and 1985 JPS translations, and by new contemporary English translations of the major commentators. The book also includes an introduction, a glossary of terms, a list of names used in the text, notes on source texts, a special topics list, and resources for further study. This large-format volume is beautifully designed for easy navigation among the many elements on each page, including explanatory notes and selected additional comments from the works of Bekhor Shor, Hizkuni, Abarbanel, Sforno, Gersonides, and others.

    Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern focuses on five writers and poets of Jewish descent whose literary activities span the 1880s to the 1990s. Unlike their East European contemporaries who disparaged the culture of Ukraine as second-rate, stateless, and colonial, these individuals embraced the Russian- and Soviet-dominated Ukrainian community, incorporating their Jewish concerns in their Ukrainian-language writings. The author argues that the marginality of these literati as Jews fuelled their sympathy toward Ukrainians and their national cause. Providing extensive historical background, biographical detail, and analysis of each writer’s poetry and prose, Petrovsky-Shtern shows how a Ukrainian-Jewish literary tradition emerged. Along the way, he challenges assumptions about modern Jewish acculturation and Ukrainian-Jewish relations.

    To rectify ourselves--to live spiritually and properly--involves getting a handle on these impulses."--from the IntroductionIn this special book of practical wisdom, Dr. Abraham J. Twerski draws from his extensive professional experience as a psychiatrist and spiritual counselor, a life-long student of Jewish wisdom texts, and his personal experience as a son of a wise Chassidic rabbi to give us practical lessons for life that we can put to day-to-day use in dealing with ourselves and others.In a presentation as warm and witty as it is profound, Dr. Twerski combines lively anecdotes, personal musings and insights and wisdom from sources ranging from Freud to the great Talmudic and Torah scholars throughout the ages. And with deep compassion and refreshing candor, he shows how these wisdom teachings can guide us in all moments of our lives, whatever our faith tradition.

    It encompasses Gerda Lerner's theoretical writing and her organizational work in transforming the history profession and in establishing Women's History as a mainstream field.Six of the twelve essays are new, written especially for this volume; the others have previously appeared in small journals or were originally presented as talks, and have been revised for this book. Several essays discuss feminist teaching and the problems of interpretation of autobiography and memoir for the reader and the historian. Lerner's reflections on feminism as a worldview, on the meaning of history writing, and on problems of aging lend this book unusual range and depth. Together, the essays illuminate how thought and action connected in Lerner's life, how the life she led before she became an academic affected the questions she addressed as a historian, and how the social and political struggles in which she engaged informed her thinking. Written in lucid, accessible prose, the essays will appeal to the general reader as well as to students at all levels. Living with History / Making Social Change offers rare insight into the life work of one of the leading historians of the United States.

    "Like water, teshuvah is both destructive and creative. It dissolves the person you were but simultaneously provides the moisture you need to grow anew. It erodes the hard edges of your willfulness but also refreshens your spirit. It can turn the tallest barriers of moral blindness into rubble while it also gently nourishes the hidden seeds of hope buried deep in your soul. Teshuvah, like water, has the power both to wash away past sin and to shower you with the blessing of a new future, if only you trust it and allow yourself to be carried along in its current." --from Part VIIIn this candid and comprehensive probe into the nature of moral transgression and spiritual healing, Dr. Louis E. Newman examines both the practical and philosophical dimensions of teshuvah, Judaism's core religious-moral teaching on repentance, and its value for us--Jews and non-Jews alike--today. He exposes the inner logic of teshuvah as well as the beliefs about God and humankind that make it possible. He also charts the path of teshuvah, revealing to us how we can free ourselves from the burden of our own transgressions by: - Acknowledging our transgressions - Confessing - Feeling remorse - Apologizing - Making restitution - Soul reckoning - Avoiding sin when the next opportunity arises

    Bauer brings together all available documents, testimonies, and scholarship, including previously unpublished material from the Yad Vashem archives, pertaining to nine representative shtetls. In line with his belief that “history is the story of real people in real situations,” Bauer tells moving stories about what happened to individual Jews and their communities.Over a million people, approximately a quarter of all victims of the Holocaust, came from the  shtetls. Bauer writes of the relations between Jews and non-Jews (including the actions of rescuers); he also describes attempts to create underground resistance groups, efforts to escape to the forests, and Jewish participation in the Soviet partisan movement. Bauer’s book is a definitive examination of the demise of the shtetls, a topic of vast importance to the history of the Holocaust.

    These insights can inform our own approaches to current issues, challenge our assumptions, and force us to consider alternative approaches. The conversation between our texts and our lives can enrich our experience of both."--from the IntroductionConfront the most pressing issues of twenty-first-century America in this fascinating book, which brings together classical Jewish sources, contemporary policy debate and real-life stories.Rabbi Jill Jacobs, a leading young voice in the social justice arena, makes a powerful argument for participation in the American public square from a deeply Jewish perspective, while deepening our understanding of the relationship between Judaism and such current social issues as:Poverty and the Poor Collection and Allocation of Tzedakah Workers, Employers and Unions Housing the Homeless The Provision of Health Care Environmental Sustainability Crime, Punishment and RehabilitationBy creating a dialogue between traditional texts and current realities, Jacobs presents a template for engagement in public life from a Jewish perspective and challenges us to renew our obligations to each other.

    It is well-known that before the author’s passing, he urged his son to publish the Nefesh Hachaim before any of his other works, since he passionately wished to influence the people to achieve greater fear of G-d and intense love of Torah.The themes he deals with are many and varied. He discusses the profound impact that our mitzvos and prayers have on the universe; an understanding of berachos (blessings), the nature of the soul and of Olam Haba (the World to Come); whether one should combine Torah study with earning a livelihood, and whether man is greater than the angels, to name just a few.This classic work, now in English for the first time, will hopefully achieve the author’s heartfelt desire -- for all Jews to deepen their commitment to Torah study and their observance of mitzvos, so that we may ultimately merit to see the fulfillment of the verse, All your children will be students of Hashem, and your children’s peace will be abundant (Yeshayah 54:13).This beautiful new edition contains a thorough subject index. Note: The Kabbalistic sections of the sefer have been left untranslated.

    But there is one mistake on Izzy’s “I’m sorry” list that he’s finding especially hard to say out loud. Humor, touching moments between family and friends, and lots of information about the Jewish New Year are all combined in this lovely picture book for holiday sharing.Winner of the Sydney Taylor Gold Medal for best Jewish picture book of the year!

    Get glamorous with Nancy and Bree!This exquisite book features two paper dolls, more than seventy full-color stickers, and eight pages of the fanciest outfits ever!

    Ellis takes on the hard moral questions about Jewish support for the state of Israel. Reviewing the historical record of the past sixty years and envisioning the prospects for a just and lasting peace, Ellis makes an unyielding case—based on the most cherished Jewish values—that the present policies of the Israeli state cannot reasonably be defended. The future not only of Judaism but of Israel itself, he argues, hinges on a fundamental shift in Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and on a completely new direction in the peace process.At a time when critics of Israeli policies are silenced with the charge of anti-Semitism, Ellis offers a prophetic Jewish alternative to the blind acceptance of Zionism, demonstrating "great courage, integrity, and insight," according to Noam Chomsky.Sure to be the subject of fervent debate, Judaism Does Not Equal Israel marks a major effort by a leading American Jewish thinker to make the case that condemning current Israeli policies is fully consonant with being a good Jew.

    Her teachers think she's rude, her classmates think she's weird, and her siblings call her "socially suicidal." She must navigate her way through a new school, and a rocky relationship with her mother, and classmates who act as if she doesn't exist.

    

    The power of change.Central to the life of the Jewish family is the time they spend together around the Shabbos and Yom Tov table -- a warm and convivial setting that invites conversation and the exchange of thoughts and ideas. Yet words alone do not make for an elevated Shabbos experience; when the discussion around the table is mundane and inconsequential, the experience is rendered similarly meaningless. But when the "table talk" is enhanced by Torah ideas that can be applied to daily life, then even the most simple meal becomes a vehicle for personal growth and transformation.The power of the Torah to change lives is a concept that the authors of an extraordinary new collection of essays, Torah for Your Table, understand well. Through their work for Hineini -- the pioneering Jewish outreach organization founded and headed by their mother, renowned author and lecturer Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis -- Rabbis Yisroel and Osher Anshel Jungreis have personally witnessed and played a role in the spiritual renewal of tens of thousands of Jewish neshomos. With their new book, the authors continue their holy mission to bring Torah to Jews; wherever they are and whatever their level of observance, Torah for Your Table speaks to one and all.Compiled by Rebbetzin Jungreis, who knows from vast personal experience how Torah words can elevate every heart and penetrate even the most distant Jewish neshama, these beautifully crafted essays on the weekly Torah portions lend timeless relevance to our lives. But it is not only around the Shabbos table that this book can make a difference. Its wisdom is applicable in every setting -- in one's own home or at formal or informal gatherings.Whether you are a newcomer to Torah thought or have dedicated many years to its study, Torah for Your Table will enhance the flavor of your every meal.

    Illustrated with 10 unique illustrationsEnglish Fairy Tales- Joseph Jacobs 1890Folk-lore and Legends: German 1889Folk-Lore and Legends: Scotland 1889Fairies and Folk of Ireland 1900The Laughing Prince Jugoslav Folk and Fairy Tales 1921Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks 1921Folk Lore, Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland 1884Tales of Folk and Fairies 1919Russian Fairy Tales 1919Folk-Lore and Legends; Scandinavian 1920Edmund Dulac’s Fairy-Book, Fairy Tales of the Allied Nations 1916Welsh Folk-Lore, a Collection of the Folk-Tales and Legends of North Wales 1887

    The book also examines her pioneering approach to the study of the Hebrew Bible and the commentaries that forever changed the face of Jewish Bible study, as well as her acceptance as a prominent Torah scholar despite her gender and the future of her work in light of recent scholarship. Dozens of black-and-white photographs help tell the story of a brilliant teacher, an erudite scholar, and a forthright, warm, and humorous individual who left her mark on tens of thousands of people around the world.

    They are also of extreme importance for understanding the Greek philosophy of the time and help to explain the onset of new forms of spirituality that would dominate the following centuries. This handbook presents, in an unassuming format, an account of Philo's achievements. It contains a profile of his life and times, a systematic overview of his many writings, and survey chapters of the key features of his thought, as seen from the perspectives of Judaism and Greek philosophy. The volume concludes with a section devoted to Philo's influence and significance. Composed by an international team of experts, The Cambridge Companion to Philo gives readers a sense of the current state of scholarship and provides depth of vision in key areas of Philonic studies.

    These cultural warriors sought to recast themselves and other Jews not only as a modern nation but as a nation of moderns.Kenneth Moss offers the first comprehensive look at this fascinating moment in Jewish and Russian history. He examines what these numerous would-be cultural revolutionaries, such as El Lissitzky and Haim Nahman Bialik, meant by a new Jewish culture, and details their fierce disagreements but also their shared assumptions about what culture was and why it was so important. In close readings of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian texts, he traces how they sought to realize their ideals in practice as writers, artists, and thinkers in the burgeoning cultural centers of Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa. And he reveals what happened to them and their ideals as the Bolsheviks consolidated their hold over cultural life.Here is a brilliant, revisionist argument about the nature of cultural nationalism, the relationship between nationalism and socialism as ideological systems, and culture itself, the axis around which the encounter between Jews and European modernity has pivoted over the past century.

    Along with the traditional Hebrew text and English commentary, The Schechter Haggadah is adorned with over 100 illuminations from Haggadot from the medieval and modern periods.The Schechter Haggadah, written by educator and Talmud instructor Dr. Joshua Kulp, with illuminations edited by Professor David Golinkin, President of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, is a 'must-have' volume for anyone interested in understanding the rich traditions of the Seder.

    In language characterized by an appealing simplicity, Rivka Miriam shares with her readers a variety of moving responses to a lifetime of experiences which have spanned virtually the entire history of the State of Israel. Rivka Miriam's powerful vision inspires us to believe in the possibility of the renewal of the human spirit in our time.

    Through twenty-nine tales—some new, some old, but all finely wrought and rich in humor—Biro spins stories of characters coping with the vicissitudes and reverses of daily life, while simultaneously painting a poignant portrait of a world of unassimilated Jewish life that has largely been lost to the years. From rabbis competing to see who is the most humble, to the father who uses suicide threats to pressure his children into visiting, to three men berated by the Almighty himself for playing poker, Biro populates his stories with memorable characters and absurd—yet familiar—situations, all related with a dry wit and spry prose style redolent of the long tradition of Jewish storytelling.   A collection simultaneously of foibles and fables, adversity and affection, Is It Good for the Jews? reminds us that if in the beginning was the word, then we can surely be forgiven for expecting a punch line to follow one of these days.