Employing time-honored literary devices of scene-setting, impressionistic description, and characterization, he restores to life episodes of war and peace as these amazing individuals, early leaders of Israel, grappled with one another and with the life-and-death decisions they were often called upon to make. In the author's eyes, Menachem Begin emerges as most exceptional, and much of the book is devoted to him. Based largely on personal notes, as well as on actual transcripts and correspondence, some of which are revealed here for the first time, the narrative reenacts how each of the leaders responded under conditions of acute stress - be it terror or war- and how their respective relationships unfolded with Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter.

    Wendy Mogel shows parents how to navigate the challenging teenage years.When a child becomes a teenager, her sense of entitlement and independence grows, the pressure to compete skyrockets, and communication becomes fraught with obstacles. Dr. Wendy Mogel emphasizes empathy, and offers guidance over micromanaging teens’ lives and overreacting to missteps. She reveals that emotional outbursts, rudeness, rule-breaking, staying up late, and other worrisome teen behaviors are in fact normal and necessary steps in psychological growth and character development. With her signature wit and warmth, Mogel gives parents the tools to meet these behaviors with thoughtful care, offering reassuring advice on: · why influence is more effective than control · teenage narcissism · living graciously with rudeness · the surprising value of ordinary work · why risk is essential preparation for the post–high school years · when to step in and when to step back The Blessing of a B Minus is an important and inspiring book that fortifies parents through the teenage years.

    All at once the life of her tranquil family became a Hell. Forbidden Strawberries is the riveting auto-biography of Cipora Hurwitz, an innocent young girl caught up in the Maelstrom of the Holocaust.Her eldest brother survived the war by the skin of his teeth by fleeing to the Soviet Union. The second brother was murdered when only sixteen. Her parents, by great efforts, succeeded in hiding their little daughter and thereby save her life. Devastatingly, they themselves were unable to escape the hands of the murderers.Cipora, as yet a young child and an orphan, was miraculously saved after surviving the Budzyn camps and the Majdanek extermination camp. The author relates the story of her life during the Holocaust to a delegation of Hashomer Hatzair youth and Israeli High School students on a mission to the death camps in Poland. In Forbidden Strawberries, Cipora presents her testimony on what transpired to her family and friends who were exterminated, thus paying tribute to their memory.

    Expelled from three Jewish day-schools for acts of violence and messianic tendencies, Gurion ends up in the Cage, a special lockdown program for the most hopeless cases of Aptakisic Junior High. Separated from his scholarly followers, Gurion becomes a leader of a very different sort, with righteous aims building to a revolution of troubling intensity.The Instructions is an absolutely singular work of fiction by an important new talent. Combining the crackling voice of Philip Roth with the encyclopedic mind of David Foster Wallace, Adam Levin has shaped a world driven equally by moral fervor and slapstick comedy—a novel that is muscular and exuberant, troubling and empathetic, monumental, breakneck, romantic, and unforgettable.

    They lived a paradox--unwanted by a repressive Stalinist state, yet forbidden to leave. "When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone" is the astonishing and inspiring story of their rescue.Journalist Gal Beckerman draws on newly released Soviet government documents as well as hundreds of oral interviews with refuseniks, activists, Zionist "hooligans," and Congressional staffers. He shows not only how the movement led to a mass exodus in 1989, but also how it shaped the American Jewish community, giving it a renewed sense of spiritual purpose and teaching it to flex its political muscle. He also makes a convincing case that the movement put human rights at the center of American foreign policy for the very first time, helping to end the Cold War.In cinematic detail, the book introduces us to all the major players, from the flamboyant Meir Kahane, head of the paramilitary Jewish Defense League, to Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky, who labored in a Siberian prison camp for over a decade, to Lynn Singer, the small, fiery Long Island housewife who went from organizing local rallies to strong-arming Soviet diplomats. This multi-generational saga, filled with suspense and packed with revelations, provides an essential missing piece of Cold War and Jewish history.

    

    But when a doctor told her that her young daughter, Noa, had a fatal degenerative disease, Rabbi Levy’s own insights could not prevent her whole life from unraveling.In Hope Will Find You, Naomi Levy shares her journey and the wisdom she gained. She describes with humor and honesty how she came through a time of uncertainty and fear and learned how to stop waiting for life to begin. A natural and engaging storyteller, Levy has written a book filled with invaluable lessons for living in the present and for opening the door to an extraordinary future.Hope Will Find You is a book that will be passed to friends when life gets confusing, a book that will rest on our bedside tables when we are searching for hope and direction.

    Once notorious, this Judengasse--Jews Lane--a passionate place infused with love and hate, with frustration, ambition and desire, has been largely forgotten. Now, in this dramatic, moving and at times wildly comic novel, Robert Mayer brings to vivid life in fictional form what is essentially a true story: how a 16-year-old girl named Guttle Schnapper married a 26-year-old coin dealer named Meyer Rothschild, bore him ten living children--and how, incredibly, from this sordid ghetto, emerged the richest family in the history of the world, before or since.

    That is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now, go and study." This is the most famous teaching of Hillel, one of the greatest rabbis of the Talmudic era. What makes it so extraordinary is that it was offered to a gentile seeking conversion. Joseph Telushkin feels that this Talmudic story has great relevance for us today. At a time when religiosity is equated with ritual observance alone, when few Jews seem concerned with bringing Jewish teachings into the world, and when more than 40 percent of Jews intermarry, Judaism is in need of more of the openness that Hillel possessed two thousand years ago.Hillel's teachings, stories, and legal rulings can be found throughout the Talmud; many of them share his emphasis on ethical and moral living as an essential element in Jewish religious practice, including his citing the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world) as a basis for modifying Jewish law. Perhaps the most prominent rabbi and teacher in the Land of Israel during the reign of Herod, Hillel may well have influenced Jesus, his junior by several decades. In a provocative analysis of both Judaism and Christianity, Telushkin reveals why Hillel's teachings about ethics as God's central demand and his willingness to encourage the process of conversion began to be ignored in favor of the stricter and less inclusive teachings of his rabbinic adversary, Shammai.Here is a bold new look at an iconic religious leader.

    The works of Maimonides, particularly The Guide for the Perplexed, are reckoned among the fundamental texts that influenced all subsequent Jewish philosophy and also proved to be highly influential in Christian and Islamic thought. Spanning subjects ranging from God, prophecy, miracles, revelation, and evil, to politics, messianism, reason in religion, and the therapeutic role of doubt, Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism elucidates the complex ideas of The Guide in remarkably clear and engaging prose. Drawing on his own experience as a central figure in the current Israeli renaissance of Jewish culture and spirituality, Micah Goodman brings Maimonides’s masterwork into dialogue with the intellectual and spiritual worlds of twenty-first-century readers. Goodman contends that in Maimonides’s view, the Torah’s purpose is not to bring clarity about God but rather to make us realize that we do not understand God at all; not to resolve inscrutable religious issues but to give us insight into the true nature and purpose of our lives.

    In 1938 Berlin, Germany, a cat sees Rosenstrasse change from a peaceful neighborhood of Jews and Gentiles to an unfriendly place where, one November night, men in brown shirts destroy Jewish-owned businesses and arrest or kill Jewish people.

    The masters of the Jewish Mussar tradition have crafted a roadmap to help people approach that lofty goal. Mussar is a system of introspective practices that can help you identify and break through the obstacles to your inherent holiness, using methods that are easy to integrate into daily life. Every Day, Holy Day is an essential companion for anyone who wants to experience the life-changing gifts of Mussar. The program laid out in this book focuses on 26 traits (middot)—such as loving-kindness, strength, generosity, compassion, honor, and equanimity—each of which takes center stage for a week of contemplation and exercises, in order to develop and refine that quality in yourself. Alan Morinis invites you to follow the Mussar path with him for a year. It is remarkably simple, and also remarkably effective in helping you overcome negative tendencies and strengthen positive ones—and to reveal your innate holiness in the process.

    Blending humor, personal anecdotes, proverbial wisdom, and biblical references, Secrets of Jewish Wealth Revealed! is a readable guide towards achieving prosperity throughout life's various stages. Rabbi Celso blends Godly wisdom and common sense, offering practical solutions that the Jewish people have used for thousands of years to build and strengthen their financial standing. He also highlights the pitfalls of many of our culture's poor spending habits, even though they've become accepted practices in today's world. "It makes no sense that someone would volunteer to be a slave, but that's exactly what's happening in the United States today," says Rabbi Celso. "Far too many people are signing up to become slaves to their credit card companies." Secrets of Jewish Wealth Revealed! is a program of simple, but essential steps that Rabbi Celso believes will forever change the way people look at their finances, and handle their money. He discloses the eternal truths behind the oldest financial system in history, the one that has survived the test of time: the Jewish approach to financial management.

    Inspired and nurtured by the successes of the feminist and LGBT movements in the Jewish world, Jews who identify with the “T” now sit in the congregation, marry under the chuppah, and create Jewish families. Balancing on the Mechitza offers a multifaceted portrait of this increasingly visible community.The contributors—activists, theologians, scholars, and other transgender Jews—share for the first time in a printed volume their theoretical contemplations as well as rite-of-passage and other transformative stories. Balancing on the Mechitza introduces readers to a secular transwoman who interviews her Israeli and Palestinian peers and provides cutting-edge theory about the construction of Jewish personhood in Israel; a transman who serves as legal witness for a man (a role not typically open to persons designated female at birth) during a conversion ritual; a man deprived of testosterone by an illness who comes to identify himself with passion and pride as a Biblical eunuch; and a gender-variant person who explores how to adapt the masculine and feminine pronouns in Hebrew to reflect a non-binary gender reality.

    Rabbi Shais Taub, a world renown expert in Jewish mysticism as well as a mentor to many thousands of addicts, draws from his unique background to thoroughly address many of the concerns raised by Jewish addicts in recovery while also using Jewish knowledge to enrich the understanding of the spiritual principles of recovery for addicts of all faiths.

    It's a reflection of a community's history, culture, and values. From India to Israel to the United States and everywhere in between, Jewish food appears in many different forms and variations, but all related in its fulfillment of kosher laws, Jewish rituals, and holiday traditions. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food explores both unique cultural culinary traditions as well as those that unite the Jewish people.Alphabetical entries—from Afikomen and Almond to Yom Kippur and Za'atar—cover ingredients, dishes, holidays, and food traditions that are significant to Jewish communities around the worldThis easy-to-use reference includes more than 650 entries, 300 recipes, plus illustrations and maps throughoutBoth a comprehensive resource and fascinating reading, this book is perfect for Jewish cooks, food enthusiasts, historians, and anyone interested in Jewish history or foodThe Encyclopedia of Jewish Food is an informative and eye-opening guide to the culinary heart and soul of the Jewish people.

    As featured on the cover of Tikkun magazine How do we articulate a religious vision that embraces evolution and human authorship of Scripture?  Drawing on the Jewish mystical traditions of Kabbalah and Hasidism, path-breaking Jewish scholar Arthur Green argues that a neomystical perspective can help us to reframe these realities, so they may yet be viewed as dwelling places of the sacred.  In doing so, he rethinks such concepts as God, the origins and meaning of existence, human nature, and revelation to construct a new Judaism for the twenty-first century.

    But when thirteen-year-old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.A richly detailed and nuanced book, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story explains a complex world that remains an echo of its past, and illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality.

    These fourteen tales map a very particular world—Jews whose lives are anchored in Chicago—in rich, revealing detail even as they brim with universal longings: complex love affairs and unspoken rivalries, family triumphs and private disappointments. Epstein, who “happens to possess a standup comic’s gift for punch lines” (New York Times Book Review), brings his emphatically grown-up characters to witty, rueful, and charming life. The Love Song of A. Jerome Minkoff is a marvelous collection from a master of the short form and one of the most distinctive writers working in America today.

    It is also an extraordinary love story that lasted half a century.The first major biography with access to family letters and archives. Mordecai Richler was an outsized and outrageous novelist whose life reads like fiction.Mordecai Richler won multiple Governor General's Literary Awards, the Giller Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, among others, as well as many awards for his children's books. He also wrote Oscar-nominated screenplays. His influence was larger than life in Canada and abroad. In Mordecai, award-winning novelist and journalist Charlie Foran brings to the page the richness of Mordecai's life as young bohemian, irreverent writer, passionate and controversial Canadian, loyal friend and deeply romantic lover. He explores Mordecai's distraught childhood, and gives us the "portrait of a marriage" — the lifelong love affair with Florence, with Mordecai as beloved father of five. The portrait is alive and intimate — warts and all.

    Her classes on the topic are standing-room only. With this book, she is finally sharing her knowledge with a bigger audience. You ll find a smart, clear relationship guide with 10 essential questions that need to be asked before and during the dating process in order to spot long-term potential. Filled with real-life anecdotes and insightful dating advice, these chapters will help you better understand yourself and what you really need to succeed in building a loving marriage. There is no rule that heartbreak must be a prerequisite for good judgment! I Only Want to Get Married Once will help you get it right the first time and gain the confidence to steer through the decision making process of dating.

    In Stuart Dauermann's review, he says, "This book is the remarkable story of a remarkable woman. It is a story inexplicable apart from the reality of God. I met the author in the 1970s in Israel when she was in her 70s and was profoundly moved by her intelligence, the attentiveness with which she interacted with me, and by the gracefulness of her hands and body movements. A sculptor and dancer in her youth, her body bore everlastingly the characteristics of her craft and giftedness. My meeting lasted perhaps 45 minutes, but I have never forgotten it. Nor have I forgotten Rose's book. Here you too will meet her in all her gracefulness and intelligence. But most importantly, you will meet her faith in Yeshua, Jesus her Messiah, a faith which transformed her life and which shone brightly in the concentration camps where even people who despised her for being a Jew who believed in "that man" were drawn to her again and again to drink from the wellsprings of faith and hope which sustained her, and them. Come, read, and meet Rose Warmer. As for me, so for you, it will be an unforgettable and transforming experience."

    Delineating common sense, feasibility, and ethical concern, the author provides a wealth of original insights into the very essence of halaca. In language accessible to everyone, Not in Heaven discusses a wide range of contemporary issues, including the status of women, marriage, divorce, conversion, rabbinic authority, and the role of halacha in a Jewish state.

    Beginning at the dawn of Islam and sweeping from the Atlantic Ocean to the mountains of Afghanistan, Gilbert presents the first popular and authoritative history of Jewish peoples under Muslim rule. He confronts with wisdom and compassion the stormy events in their dramatic story, including anti-Zionist movements and the forced exodus to Israel. He also gives special attention to the twentieth century and to the current political debate about refugee status and restitution.Throughout, Gilbert weaves a compelling narrative of perseverance, struggle, and renewal marked by surprising moments of tolerance and partnership. A monumental and timely book, Jews under Muslim Rule is a crowning achievement that confirms Martin Gilbert as one of the foremost historians of our time.

    In this exciting new volume, these two formidable foes team up to try to rid the West of Rabbi Harvey once and for all. The key to their evil scheme: Bad Bubbe's darling son, Rabbi "Wisdom Kid" Rubin, newly arrived from back East. He's young. He's clever. He's eager to take Harvey's place. But is he fast enough on the draw--the wisdom draw, that is--to take the town from Rabbi Harvey?The hilarious, action-packed plot draws on classic Jewish folktales, Talmudic teachings and the timeless wisdom of the wise men of Chelm. As always, Rabbi Harvey protects his town and delivers justice, wielding only the weapons of wisdom, wit and a bit of trickery. He also gets a bit of help from Abigail, the town's quick-thinking school teacher--a woman, it appears, who just may have captured his heart.

    Do you see me? Do you see me in my olive-green uniform, beret, and shiny black boots? Do you see the assault rifle slung across my chest? Finally! I am the badass Israeli soldier at the side of the road, in sunglasses, forearms like bricks. And honestly - have you ever seen anything quite like me? Joel Chasnoff is twenty-four years old, an American, and the graduate of an Ivy League university. But when his career as a stand-up comic fails to get off the ground, Chasnoff decides it's time for a serious change of pace. Leaving behind his amenity-laden Brooklyn apartment for a plane ticket to Israel, Joel trades in the comforts of being a stereotypical American Jewish male for an Uzi, dog tags (with his name misspelled), and serious mental and physical abuse at the hands of the Israeli Army. The 188th Crybaby Brigade is a hilarious and poignant account of Chasnoff's year in the Israel Defense Forces - a year that he volunteered for, and that he'll never get back. As a member of the 188th Armored Brigade, a unit trained on the Merkava tanks that make up the backbone of Israeli ground forces, Chasnoff finds himself caught in a twilight zone-like world of mandatory snack breaks, battalion sing-alongs, and eighteen-year-old Israeli mama's boys who feign injuries to get out of guard duty and claim diarrhea to avoid kitchen work. More time is spent arguing over how to roll a sleeve cuff than studying the mechanics of the Merkava tanks. The platoon sergeants are barely older than the soldiers and are younger than Chasnoff himself. By the time he's sent to Lebanon for a tour of duty against Hezbollah, Chasnoff knows everything about why snot dries out in the desert, yet has never been trained in firing the MAG. And all this while his relationship with his tough-as-nails Israeli girlfriend (herself a former drill sergeant) crumbles before his very eyes. The lone American in a platoon of eighteen-year-old Israelis, Chasnoff takes readers into the barracks; over, under, and through political fences; and face-to-face with the absurd reality of life in the Israeli Army. It is a brash and gritty depiction of combat, rife with ego clashes, breakdowns in morale, training mishaps that almost cost lives, and the barely containable sexual urges of a group of teenagers. What's more, it's an on-the-ground account of life in one of the most em-battled armies on earth - an occupying force in a hostile land, surrounded by enemy governments and terrorists, reviled by much of the world. With equal parts irreverence and vulnerability, irony and intimacy, Chasnoff narrates a new kind of coming-of-age story - one that teaches us, moves us, and makes us laugh.

    With wit, irreverence, and more than a little old-fashioned hutzpah, Ze'ev Maghen presents the most compelling, outrageously funny defense of Jewish identity in our time.

    Without access to butter, cream, milk, cheese, yogurt, or other dairy products, creating a tasty and memorable dessert for family and friends requires more than simple substitutions and compromises. Now pastry chef and teacher Paula Shoyer provides the inspiration and innovation to turn the age-old challenges of parve baking into delectable delights in her one-of-a-kind kosher cookbook. The Kosher Baker is your indispensable kitchen companion to a wide range of dairy-free desserts, from family favorites and time-honored holiday classics to stylish and delicious surprises of Shoyer’s own careful creation. It even includes desserts not usually found on a kosher table, such as creamy key lime pie, luscious flan, and rich tiramisu. You’ll find everything from cookies, biscotti, breads and muffins to pastries, tarts, fancy cakes, and mousses. Shoyer guides you through more than 160 mouth-watering recipes and expands every non-dairy baker’s repertoire with simple, clear instructions and a friendly yet authoritative voice. The Kosher Baker is organized as a tutorial into three primary sections—Quick and Elegant Desserts, Two Step Desserts, and Multiple Step Desserts—allowing the busy home baker to choose a dessert based on both taste and time constraints. The first section presents the fundamentals of simple kosher baking in the form of everyday treats like Amaretto Cookies, Orange Tea Cake, and Apple Pastry. The next two sections teach increasingly more challenging desserts, from a Challah Beer Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce to Chocolate Babka. A special fourth section includes chapters on baking Challah, Passover desserts, and no-sugar-added desserts. The Kosher Baker has something for everyone in the Jewish household for any occasion or holiday. It spills over with detailed information, including tips on storage, freezing, and thawing; tools; must-have ingredients; and tips and techniques. Anyone baking for those with special dietary needs such as food allergies or diabetic concerns will also find recipes to love in this comprehensive collection. It even includes recipes for nut- and gluten-free desserts, and vegan desserts. No Jewish home should be without this essential cookbook!

    Soloveitchik. The Siddur presents Rabbi Soloveitchiks exceptional insights on prayer, which have been adapted from his writings, public lectures, and classes. It is complemented by an elegant presentation in the renowned tradition of Koren Publishers Jerusalem, and an eloquent English translation and introduction by the esteemed Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks. Published in cooperation with the Orthodox Union.

    She asksher friends for help planting grains. "Sorry, bub," neighsHorse. "Think again," barks Dog. Of course, the Little Red Hen does it all herself. A classic tale gets a Jewish twist in this hilarious story.

    Series includes: Pajama Day, The Show Must Go On, The 100th Day of School and Every Day is Earth Day.

    Judah and the little army of Maccabees fight to free Jerusalem from the cruel King Antiochus in this vibrant and action-filled rhyming version of the famous Hanukkah story.

    This prayerbook includes the complete liturgy for the high holy days. An added feature is a full transliteration of all songs.

    Written in 1797 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, Tanya sets forth the fundamentals of Jewish spirituality and mysticism. While a focus of daily study by tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews, Tanya is little known outside the world of Jewish mysticism. Until now, its kabbalistic terms and esoteric language have made this essential text of Jewish spirituality inaccessible to most readers.In this engaging volume, Rabbi Rami Shapiro offers a contemporary English translation of key selections of Tanya coupled with commentary designed to clarify and amplify the wisdom it contains. He also outlines the philosophical and spiritual framework on which Tanya is based--God's nonduality; the five dimensions of reality and their corresponding intelligences (body, heart, mind, soul, and spirit); the purpose of mitzvot, the practices of Jewish life, as catalysts to God realization and the hallowing of all life through godliness--to help you understand the selected Tanya translations in a way that enhances your own spiritual development.Now you can benefit from the wisdom of Tanya even if you have no previous knowledge of Judaism or Hebrew terminology. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the core teachings of Tanya, with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that will deepen your understanding of the soul and how it relates to and manifests the Divine Source from which all life comes, in which all life lives and to which all life returns.

    Enszer's second collection mines the multiple meanings of sisterhood, exploring the burdens and joys of sisters, real and imagined. These poems ache with loss: of a sister, of friends from AIDS, of elder poets, of innocence, of exuberance and idealism in middle age. But at the same time, these poems affirm life: the desire of humans to live, to hold one another tightly, to build new ways of living amid fragile remains.

    This Handbook introduces the reader to all key concepts about being a Nutritarian some-one who naturally prefers the most nutritious foods for the body. Research has proven that a properly nourished body can easily repair itself and be cured of diseases. Type II Diabetics can become insulin free, some-times in a matter of weeks. People with heart disease can literally be cured. Migraines disappear.

    Many innovations have been tried around the world, and no doubt, synagogue leadership will continue to think creatively about improving services. But deep and lasting change will only come when each of us takes ownership and responsibility for what only we can really guide--our inner lives."--from the PrefaceJoin over fifty Jewish spiritual leaders from all denominations in a candid conversation about the why and how of prayer: how prayer changes us and how to discern a response from God. In this fascinating forum, they share the challenges of prayer, what it means to pray, how to develop your own personal prayer voice and how to rediscover meaning and God's presence in the traditional Jewish prayer book.CONTRIBUTORS: Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson - Rabbi Aryeh Ben David - Rabbi Anne Brener, LCSW - Rabbi Sharon Brous - Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum - Rabbi Mike Comins - Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD - Rabbi Lavey Derby - Cantor Ellen Dreskin - Rabbi Diane Elliot - Reb Mimi Feigelson - Rabbi Tirzah Firestone - Rabbi Nancy Flam - Rabbi Karen Fox, DD - Dr. Tamar Frankiel - Rabbi Ethan Franzel - Rabbi Elyse Frishman - Rabbi Laura Geller - Rabbi Neil Gillman, PhD - Rabbi Shefa Gold - Rabbi Elyse Goldstein - Joel Lurie Grishaver - Rabbi Nadya Gross - Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD - Melila Hellner-Eshed, PhD - Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD - Rabbi David Ingber - Rabbi Zoe Klein - Rabbi Myriam Klotz - Rabbi Jamie Korngold - Rabbi Lawrence Kushner - Rabbi Naomi Levy - Rabbi Richard N. Levy, DD - Rabbi Sheryl Lewart - Jay Michaelson - Rabbi Linda Motzkin - Rabbi Debra Orenstein - Rabbi Nehemia Polen, PhD - Rabbi Marcia Prager - Rabbi Jeff Roth - Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi - Rabbi Rami Shapiro - Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater - Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz - Rabbi Ira Stone - Rabbi Michael Strassfeld - Dr. Linda Thal - Rabbi Abraham Twerski, MD - Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg - Rabbi Zari M. Weiss - Rabbi David J. Wolpe - Rabbi Shawn Zevit

    The book goes beyond previous studies, and challenges claims that Jewish women were not sexually violated during the Holocaust. This anthology by an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars addresses topics such as rape, forced prostitution, assaults on childbearing, artistic representations of sexual violence, and psychological insights into survivor trauma. These subjects have been relegated to the edges or completely left out of Holocaust history, and this book aims to shift perceptions and promote new discourse.

    Poet, philosopher, and physician, he is known today for both his religious and secular verse, including his famed “songs of Zion,” and for The Kuzari, an elucidation of Judaism in dialogue form. Hillel Halkin brilliantly evokes the fascinating world of eleventh- and twelfth-century Andalusian Spain in which Halevi lived and discusses the influences that formed him. Relying on the astonishing discoveries of the Cairo Geniza, he pieces together the mystery of Halevi’s last days, with its fateful voyage to Palestine, which became a haunting legend. An acclaimed writer and translator, Halkin builds his account of Halevi’s life and death on his magnificent translations of Halevi’s poems. He places The Kuzari within the wider context of Jewish thought and explains why, more perhaps than any other medieval Jewish figure, Halevi has become an inspirational yet highly controversial figure in modern Jewish and Israeli intellectual life.

    Thus, my translations do not so much offer the p'shat or the literal meaning of the words as they do a devotional interpretation that can make them into prayers of the heart. . . .This siddur is meant to help you stay in touch with God on a daily basis, to gain divine assistance, to lighten your burdens, not to add to them. May you come to experience your own prayer as a blessed meeting with your own God.- Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

    When the religion is Orthodox Judaism, the task is even more daunting. This anthology takes on that challenge by giving voice to genderqueer Jewish women who were once silenced—and effectively rendered invisible—by their faith. Keep Your Wives Away from Them tells the story of those who have come out, who are still closeted, living double lives, or struggling to maintain an integrated "single life" in relationship to traditional Judaism—personal stories that are both enlightening and edifying. While a number of films and books have explored the lives of queer people in Orthodox and observant Judaism, only this one explores in depth what happens after the struggle, when the real work of building integrated lives begins. The candor of these insightful stories in Keep Your Wives Away from Them makes the book appealing to a general audience and students of women’s, gender, and LGBTQ studies, as well as for anyone struggling personally with the same issue. Contributors include musician and writer Temim Fruchter, Professor Joy Ladin, writer Leah Lax, nurse Tamar Prager, and the pseudonymous Ex-Yeshiva Girl.Keep Your Wives Away from Them official website: http://www.keepyourwivesawayfromthem....

    This book is a work of historical fiction based on the stories of Jewish woodcarvers who came from the Old Country and turned their talents to carving carousel horses on Coney Island.

    In this unique volume, some of Judaism's most insightful contemporary thinkers bring the words of sages past to bear on the present. They explore how we can become closer to God through our relationships with others, our observance at home and our actions in the world, asking:What do mitzvot have to do with mysticism?Is spirituality selfish?Can mysticism enhance community?Organized thematically, each section focuses on how mysticism engages and complements the dimensions of religious life, including studying Torah, performing mitzvot and observing halakhah.Contributors:Yehonatan Chipman - Mimi Feigelson - Lawrence Fine - Eitan Fishbane - Michael Fishbane - Nancy Flam - Everett Gendler - Joel Hecker - Shai Held - Melila Hellner-Eshed - Barry W. Holtz - Jeremy Kalmanofsky - Judith A. Kates - Lawrence Kushner - Ebn Leader - Shaul Magid - Ron Margolin - Daniel Matt - Haviva Pedaya - Nehemia Polen - Neal and Carol Rose - Or N. Rose - Zalman Schachter-Shalomi - Jonathan P. Slater - Gordon Tucker - Sheila Peltz Weinberg - Chava Weissler

    For the medieval Catalan navigators the term meant an uncharted territory that inspired either fear or the thrill of adventure. But for the characters of this new novel by award-winning author Libi Astaire, "terra incognita” is a place inside the soul. It is a place drifting in the dreamy waters of an almost forgotten past; a place that is about to collide with an anxious, uncertain future.The story revolves around the Bonet family, who live in a tiny Catalan village called Sant Joan Januz. Vidal Bonet is a young businessman determined to revive his dying village by building a luxury resort. His grandfather, Miquel, is just as determined to keep the village locked away from strangers and their prying eyes. Their battle for the future of Sant Joan Januz is further complicated by the arrival of a Jewish-American graduate student from Kansas, Chaim Green, who is sure the villagers are his long-lost relatives. And, finally, there is Clara Bonet, who has reluctantly taken on the role of the family’s matriarch just when the village’s long buried secret is accidentally uncovered: They are all descendents of Anusim – Spanish Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Middle Ages. Both poignant and comic, Terra Incognita is a journey of personal discovery that will resonate with anyone who has ever gone on a quest to discover their past – or who has ever lain awake at night wondering where in the world they are going.

    But before Baxter can find out how he, too, can join in the fun, the man has boarded the bus. Soon after, Baxter learns that he certainly cannot be a part of Shabbat dinner because he's not Kosher. So begins one pig's misguided quest to become Kosher. Will Baxter succeed or will his dreams of taking part in Shabbat dinner remain unfulfilled? Readers will cheer as a series of misunderstandings leads to a warm message of welcome and community.From the Hardcover edition.

    Inspired by the pioneering work of Jewish feminists, using the same narrative tools as the rabbis of old, Ramer has crafted stories that anchor LGBT lives in the three thousand year old history of the Jewish people. "The universe is made up of stories, not atoms," wrote poet Muriel Ruckeyser. The stories in this book will transport you to a new universe the one we are striving to create, right here and now.

    Now she gives us the fruits of her quest in this extraordinary book, a treasure trove of delectable kosher recipes and the often moving stories behind them, interlaced with the tumultuous two-thousand-year history of the Jewish presence in France.In her search, Nathan takes us into kitchens in Paris, Alsace, and the Loire Valley; she visits the bustling Belleville market in Little Tunis in Paris; she breaks bread around the observation of the Sabbath and the celebration of special holidays. All across France she finds that Jewish cooking is more alive than ever. Traditional dishes are honored, yet many have acquired a French finesse and reflect regional differences. The influx of Jewish immigrants from North Africa following Algerian independence has brought exciting new flavors and techniques that have infiltrated contemporary French cooking, and the Sephardic influence is more pronounced throughout France today.Now, with Joan Nathan guiding us, carefully translating her discoveries to our own home kitchens, we can enjoy:• appetizers such as the rich subtle delight of a Terrine de Poireaux from Alsace or a brik, that flaky little pastry from North Africa, folded over a filling of tuna and cilantro;• soups such as cold sorrel or Moroccan Provençal Fish Soup with garlicky Rouille; • salads include a Mediterranean Artichoke and Orange Salad with Saffron Mint and a Tunisian Winter Squash Salad with Coriander and Harissa;• a variety of breads, quiches, and kugels—try a Brioche for Rosh Hashanah, a baconless quiche Lorraine, or a Sabbath kugel based on a centuries-old recipe;• main courses of Choucroute de Poisson; a tagine with chicken and quince; Brisket with Ginger, Orange Peel, and Tomato; Southwestern Cassoulet with Duck and Lamb; Tongue with Capers and Cornichons; and Almondeguilles (Algerian meatballs);• an inviting array of grains, pulses, couscous, rice, and unusual vegetable dishes, from an eggplant gratin to a mélange of Chestnuts, Onions, and Prunes;• for a grand finale, there are Parisian flans and tarts, a Frozen Soufflé Rothschild, and a Hanukkah Apple Cake, as well as many other irresistible pastries and cookies.These are but some of the treasures that Joan Nathan gives us in this unique collection of recipes and their stories. In weaving them together, she has created a book that is a testament to the Jewish people, who, despite waves of persecution, are an integral part of France today, contributing to the glory of its cuisine.

    Men and women, scholars and rabbis, artists and poets trace the history of Un'taneh Tokef and connect the prayer to its biblical and rabbinic roots. They wrestle with the personal and community impact of its deeply moving imagery, probe its haunting message of human mortality, and reflect on its call for sanctity, transformation and renewal.Prayers of Awe A multi-volume series designed to explore the High Holy Day liturgy and enrich the praying experience for everyone--whether experienced worshipers or guests who encounter Jewish prayer for the very first time.ContributorsMerri Lovinger ArianRabbi Tony Bayfield, DDRabbi Sharon BrousDr. Marc BrettlerDr. Erica BrownRabbi Ruth Durchslag, PsyDRabbi Edward FeinsteinRabbi Elyse D. FrishmanRabbi Andrew Goldstein, PhDDr. Joel M. HoffmanRabbi Delphine HorvilleurRabbi Elie KaunferRabbi Karyn D. KedarDr. Reuven KimelmanRabbi Lawrence KushnerRabbi Noa KushnerRabbi Daniel LandesRabbi Ruth Langer, PhDLiz LermanRabbi Asher LopatinCatherine MadsenRabbi Jonathan Magonet, PhDRabbi Dalia Marx, PhDRuth MessingerRabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, PhDRabbi Rachel NussbaumRabbi Aaron Panken, PhDRabbi Or N. RoseRabbi Marc Saperstein, PhDRabbi Sandy Eisenberg SassoRabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMinRabbi Brent Chaim SpodekRabbi David SternRabbi David A. Teutsch, PhDRabbi Gordon Tucker, PhDDr. Ellen M. UmanskyRabbi Avraham WeissRabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DDDr. Ron WolfsonRabbi David J. WolpeRabbi Daniel G. ZemelDr. Wendy Zierler

    It is precisely the honesty of these prayer songs, overflowing into wild jubilance or deeply wrenching despair, that Greenberg has captured in her new translations, making them touch us so deeply. Traditional translations--from those of the medieval Jewish commentator Rashi to early Christian commentators to the King James version--have downplayed anger at God and reinterpreted the Psalms in ways that would be doctrinally more palatable, but which flatten the richness and subtlety of the Hebrew verse. Greenberg's translation aims to restore the poetry and vibrancy of the Psalms as a prayerful act, replicating their emotional passion while both wrestling with the text as living liturgy and remaining as true as possible to the originals. Her desire in this new translation is to rekindle the relevance of the Psalms, to bring to life what makes their words cry and breathe and shout--a labor of yearning, necessity, and love.

    Now you can enjoy the story in its entirety-along with its enhancement of over 100 pages of deleted scenes, previously published tie-in stories, behind-the-scenes features, historical photos, timeline, and The Miller Memoirs: Rochelle's Story. Let the Rosen family members come to life for you, as they struggle with difficult sacrifices and heart-wrenching decisions... Your future-or your father's? Your brother-or your children? Follow the choices the Rosens make; you'll find yourself relishing in this story long after you've turned its final page...

    Mills analyzes these places in a street-by-street ethnographic tour. She looks at how memory is conveyed and contested in Kuzguncuk’s built environment, whether through the popular television programs filmed on location there or in the cross-class alliance that sprung up to advocate the preservation of an old market garden. Overall, she finds that the neighborhood’s landscape not only connotes feelings of “belonging and familiarity” connected to a “narrative of historic multiethnic harmony” but also makes these ideas appear to be uncontestably real, or true. The resulting nostalgia bolsters a version of Turkish nationalism that seems cosmopolitan and benign. This study of memories of interethnic relationships in a local place examines why the cultural memory of tolerance has become so popular and raises questions regarding the nature and meaning of cosmopolitanism in the contemporary Middle East. A major contribution to urban studies, human geography, and Middle East studies, Streets of Memory is imbued with a sense of genuine connection to Istanbul and the people who live there.

    “Hanging in there.” “Surviving.”That is a reaction you would expect from a man who just found out he has terminal cancer and has six months to live. How do you explain it coming from people living in the lap of luxury, enjoying wealth, freedom, and almost limitless opportunities? HANGING IN THERE? SURVIVING?!More than a mere expression, it is indicative of a deep dissatisfaction just beneath the surface. That's not the way it's supposed to be - not the way Hashem wants it to be.Why did Hashem create us? Why is there suffering? Why is there pain?Here is a book that answers these and other deep life-questions, in an engaging, entertaining manner. It offers a roadmap and the inspiration to create a life of meaning and purpose - to stop merely surviving and start living.Written in an easy-to-read, contemporary style, this powerful book offers a road map and the inspiration to create A LIFE OF MEANING AND PURPOSE - to stop merely surviving and start living.

    Here Rabbi David Aaron shows that when we truly connect to our inner self, that fact becomes wonderfully obvious. Each of us has a divine mission in life, he says, and when we understand this, we are empowered to take control of our life; to use our creative powers more fully; and to give more to others, our community, and the world. In The God-Powered Life, Rabbi Aaron uses Jewish mystical teachings, including the ten Sephirot, or attributes of God, to help us get in touch with our inner selves and find a deeper sense of our own self-worth. In his characteristic warm, witty, and accessible style, Rabbi Aaron helps us find a connection to the divine within ourselves and then shows us how to manifest that divine presence in our dealings with others and during tumultuous times.

    Silence the incessant planning, organizing, running, manipulating, possessing, and processing that are the ineluctable redoubts of the ego. Not because these activities are bad or wrong or even narcissistic ... but because they preclude awareness of the Divine. To paraphrase the Talmud, God says, 'There ain't room enough in this here world for your ego and Me. You pick.'"--from the IntroductionTapping the experiences and wisdom of his career as a spiritual leader, Lawrence Kushner delights, surprises, challenges and inspires us. With his signature candor, wit and compassion, he helps us reconnect with the why and how of our spiritual lives. He encourages us to find new perspectives on the "life-stuff" that shapes them, and gently reminds us of the Source of it All.These inspiring--often startling--insights will warm you during the dark times of your own doubts even as they brighten your quest for meaning, faith, identity, community--and holiness.

    Mitzvah's silly antics manage to charm his family and his humorous misinterpretations of the Jewish holidays will leave you laughing and begging for more. Get ready for a howling good time as you celebrate Shabbat, Hanukkah and Passover with Mitzvah the Mutt.

    He still writes her name as a solution to crossword puzzle clues of suitable length. Alex Epstein’s miniature stories are indeed love stories, puzzles, stray clues, the beginnings or ends of philosophical treatises, parables, modernized legends, or perhaps a vivid handful of images thrown together, then allowed to disperse. This is a form of which he has been hailed as a master, a form as singular and intricate as a collection of fingerprints. His stories are populated by angels, chess players, mythical figures, Walter Benjamin, Franz Kafka, lovers young and old, writers of disappearing languages; they are set in airports, trains, the sites of legends, hotels, bookstores in countries that no longer exist, dreams. In each of them, Epstein draws precisely the smallest possible world, and revels in the great possibilities of a single sentence. In each of them, we are invited to celebrate everything that can happen before “the tip of the pencil breaks against the bright paper.”

    In this captivating account of a Bible-based practice that has grown into a multibillions-dollar industry, journalist Sue Fishkoff travels throughout America and to Shanghai, China, to find out who eats kosher food, who produces it, who is responsible for its certification, and how this fascinating world continues to evolve. She explains why 86 percent of the 11.2 million Americans who regularly buy kosher food are not observant Jews—they are Muslims, Seventh-day Adventists, vegetarians, people with food allergies, and consumers who pay top dollar for food they believe “answers to a higher authority.” Fishkoff interviews food manufacturers, rabbinic supervisors, and ritual slaughterers; meets with eco-kosher adherents who go beyond traditional requirements to produce organic chicken and pasture-raised beef; sips boutique kosher wine in Napa Valley; talks to shoppers at an upscale kosher supermarket in Brooklyn; and marches with unemployed workers at the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant. She talks to Reform Jews who are rediscovering the spiritual benefits of kashrut, and to Conservative and Orthodox Jews who are demanding that kosher food production adhere to ethical and environmental values. And she chronicles the corruption, price-fixing, and strong arm tactics of early-twentieth-century kosher meat production, against which contemporary kashrut standards pale by comparison. A revelatory look at the current state of kosher in America, this book will appeal to anyone interested in food, religion, Jewish identity, or big business.

    One night, she is drawn to a house where they are celebrating Hanukkah and the candles are burning in the window. There, she meets a man, Benjamin Fox, who is immune to her vampire charms. Ben is thirty-five years old and dying of a heart problem he's had since he was a child.Together, they will form a friendship that could be so much more if either could allow it. But when Ben is about to succumb to his illness, Ruth must decide whether to give in to his wishes and make him a vampire too. She is, he's decided, his ultimate Hanukkah gift.

    Anthony Julius focuses on four distinct versions of English anti-Semitism. He begins with the medieval persecution of Jews, which included defamation, expropriation, and murder, and which culminated in 1290 when King Edward I expelled all the Jews from England. Turning to literary anti-Semitism, Julius shows that negative portrayals of Jews have been continuously present in English literature from the anonymous medieval ballad "Sir Hugh, or the Jew's Daughter," through Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, to T. S. Eliot and beyond. The book then moves to a depiction of modern anti-Semitism--a pervasive but contained prejudice of insult and exclusion that was experienced by Jews during their "readmission" to England in the mid-17th century through the late 20th century. The final chapters detail the contemporary anti-Semitism that emerged in the late 1960s and the 1970s and continues to be present today. It treats Zionism and the State of Israel as illegitimate Jewish enterprises, and, in Julius's opinion, now constitutes the greatest threat to Anglo-Jewish security and morale. A penetrating and original work, Trials of the Diaspora is sure to provoke much comment and debate.

    It could be encouragement to lead a moral life, a punishment for wrong doing, or a method of healing. Exploring the varied depictions and descriptions of pain—from martyrdom narratives to practices of torture and surgery—The Modulated Scream attempts to decode this culture of suffering in the Middle Ages.   Esther Cohen brings to life the cacophony of howls emerging from the written record of physicians, torturers, theologians, and mystics. In considering how people understood suffering, explained it, and meted it out, Cohen discovers that pain was imbued with multiple meanings. While interpreting pain was the province only of the rarified elite, harnessing pain for religious, moral, legal, and social purposes was a practice that pervaded all classes of Medieval life. In the overlap of these contradicting attitudes about what pain was for—how it was to be understood and who should use it—Cohen reveals the distinct and often conflicting cultural traditions and practices of late medieval Europeans. Ambitious and wide-ranging, The Modulated Scream is intellectual history at its most acute.

    Wengeroff, a gifted writer and astute social observer, paints a rich portrait of both traditional and modernizing Jewish societies in an extraordinary way, focusing on women and the family and offering a gendered account (and indictment) of assimilation.In Volume 1 of Memoirs of a Grandmother, Wengeroff depicts traditional Jewish society, including the religious culture of women, during the reign of Tsar Nicholas I, who wished "his" Jews to be acculturated to modern Russian life.

    Cotsen; The Maurice Amado Foundation; National Endowment for the Humanities; and the National Foundation for Jewish CultureTales from Arab Lands presents tales from North Africa, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq in the latest volume of the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. This is the third book in the multi-volume series in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg’s timeless classic, Legends of the Jews.The tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives (IFA), named in Honor of Dov Noy, at The University of Haifa, a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now.Since the creation of the State of Israel, the IFA has collected more than 20,000 tales from newly arrived immigrants, long-lost stories shared by their families from around the world. The tales come from the major ethno-linguistic communities of the Jewish world and are representative of a wide variety of subjects and motifs, especially rich in Jewish content and context.Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography.Until the establishment of the IFA, we had had only limited access to the wide range of Jewish folk narratives. Even in Israel, the gathering place of the most wide-ranging cross-section of world Jewry, these folktales have remained largely unknown. Many of the communities no longer exist as cohesive societies in their representative lands; the Holocaust, migration, and changes in living styles have made the continuation of these tales impossible. This series is a monument to a rich but vanishing oral tradition.This series is a monument to a rich but vanishing oral tradition.

    Also included is a special section on the deeper significance of the Dreidel.

    They engender trauma that echoes through later generations, for those on both sides of the act. Gabriele Schwab reads these legacies in a number of narratives, primarily through the writing of postwar Germans and the descendents of Holocaust survivors. She connects their work to earlier histories of slavery and colonialism and to more recent events, such as South African Apartheid, the practice of torture after 9/11, and the "disappearances" that occurred during South American dictatorships.Schwab's texts include memoirs (Ruth Kluger's Still Alive and Marguerite Duras's La Douleur), second-generation accounts by the children of Holocaust survivors (Georges Perec's W, Art Spiegelman's Maus, and Philippe Grimbert's Secret), and second-generation recollections by Germans (W. G. Sebald's Austerlitz, Sabine Reichel's What Did You Do in The War, Daddy?, and Ursula Duba's Tales from a Child of the Enemy). She also incorporates her own reminiscences of growing up in postwar Germany, mapping networks of interlaced memories and histories as they interact in psychic life and cultural memory. Her critical approach draws on theories from psychoanalysis, postcolonialism, and trauma studies, and Schwab concludes with a bracing look at issues of responsibility, reparation, and forgiveness across the victim/perpetrator divide.

    Throughout the twentieth century arguments have raged over the Palestinian problem and the future of bilateral relations. Yet no text comprehensively looks at the attitudes and policies of India toward Israel, especially their development in conjunction with history.P. R. Kumaraswamy is the first to account for India's Israel policy, revealing surprising inconsistencies in positions taken by the country's leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and tracing the crackling tensions between its professed values and realpolitik. Kumaraswamy's findings debunk the belief that India possesses a homogenous policy toward the Middle East. In fact, since the early days of independence, many within India have supported and pursued relations with Israel.Using material derived from archives in both India and Israel, Kumaraswamy investigates the factors that have hindered relations between these two countries despite their numerous commonalities. He also considers how India destabilized relations, the actions that were necessary for normalization to occur, and the directions bilateral relations may take in the future. In his most provocative argument, Kumaraswamy underscores the disproportionate affect of anticolonial sentiments and the Muslim minority on shaping Indian policy.

    Snapshots of Rabbi Weinberg s life, as told through poetry, prayers, and accounts of this Jewish Baby Boomer s experiences, offer clues about her search to find God, and carves a path for others to learn from her journey. It addresses her spiritual quests through yoga and meditation, and provides a candid look at her struggles with addiction, her philosophy of feminism, and her life as a wife, mother and grandmother. The book incorporates the author's eye witness accounts of many iconic events of her generation: the 1968 student protests at Columbia University; the challenges of the Peace Corps in Chile in the late 60s; the outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War; the influence of Eastern practice on Western religion; the breakthrough of women into religious leadership; and the Feb. 15th, 2003 massive movement to stop the war in Iraq. Rabbi Weinberg also relates equally engaging anecdotes of less dramatic, yet impactful, rituals of everyday life: Senior prom, family, holidays, and a complex relationship with her mother. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A life-long advocate for peace and justice, Rabbi Weinberg has been active in Rabbis for Human Rights, an international organization that gives voice to the Jewish search for justice. She is a co-founder of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality in New York City, and leads workshops and retreats for Jewish professionals and social justice activists. "

    An English translation by Professor Harold Fisch compliments the Hebrew parshiyot, haftarot, megillot and Tehillim in the Koren Tanakh Font. The Humash is printed on Bible paper and bound in companion style to the Sacks and Talpiot Siddurim to provide synagogues and individuals with beautiful two-volume sets.

    The Koren Talmud sets each Vilna page opposite each of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's incomparable elucidation pages, which include modern Hebrew translations, clarifying explanations, succinct commentaries, detailed indexes, and scientific and historical background. The Koren Talmud fosters deep and creative engagement with the Talmud text, by allowing users to reference the traditional page as they are guided through its layers of meaning by one the greatest Talmud scholars of all time.

    The Koren Talmud sets each Vilna page opposite each of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's incomparable elucidation pages, which include modern Hebrew translations, clarifying explanations, succinct commentaries, detailed indexes, and scientific and historical background. The Koren Talmud fosters deep and creative engagement with the Talmud text, by allowing users to reference the traditional page as they are guided through its layers of meaning by one the greatest Talmud scholars of all time.

    In this provocative book, Erich Gruen demonstrates how the ancients found connections rather than contrasts, how they expressed admiration for the achievements and principles of other societies, and how they discerned--and even invented--kinship relations and shared roots with diverse peoples.Gruen shows how the ancients incorporated the traditions of foreign nations, and imagined blood ties and associations with distant cultures through myth, legend, and fictive histories. He looks at a host of creative tales, including those describing the founding of Thebes by the Phoenician Cadmus, Rome's embrace of Trojan and Arcadian origins, and Abraham as ancestor to the Spartans. Gruen gives in-depth readings of major texts by Aeschylus, Herodotus, Xenophon, Plutarch, Julius Caesar, Tacitus, and others, in addition to portions of the Hebrew Bible, revealing how they offer richly nuanced portraits of the alien that go well beyond stereotypes and caricature.Providing extraordinary insight into the ancient world, this controversial book explores how ancient attitudes toward the Other often expressed mutuality and connection, and not simply contrast and alienation.

    But as the women bustle from the dressmaker to the haberdasher, Mr. Samuel Lyon, a well-respected clockmaker and member of London's Jewish elite, suffers a crushing blow.In the blink of an eye, Mr. Lyon's entire fortune is lost. Not only has his bank gone bankrupt, but someone has stolen the last of his money. Instead of leading Hannah to the chuppah, Mr. Lyon might be leading his devastated family to the debtors' ward of Newgate Prison.The Lyons are on the verge of despair when help arrives from an unexpected source: Mr. Ezra Melamed, wealthy widower and benefactor of London's Jewish community. Anxious to help Mr. Lyon recover his fortune, Mr. Melamed goes beyond London's fashionable streets to search for clues in the darkest places. With only a key, a button, and a few cryptic words from a Chassidic Rebbe to guide him, can Mr. Melamed restore the disappearing dowry to its rightful owners...before the Lyon family faces total ruin?

    

    A few served together in Jewish companies while most fought alongside Christian comrades. Yet even as they stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" on the front lines, they encountered unique challenges.In Jews and the Civil War, Jonathan D. Sarna and Adam Mendelsohn assemble for the first time the foremost scholarship on Jews and the Civil War, little known even to specialists in the field. These accessible and far-ranging essays from top scholars are grouped into seven thematic sections--Jews and Slavery, Jews and Abolition, Rabbis and the March to War, Jewish Soldiers during the Civil War, The Home Front, Jews as a Class, and Aftermath--each with an introduction by the editors. Together they reappraise the impact of the war on Jews in the North and the South, offering a rich and fascinating portrait of the experience of Jewish soldiers and civilians from the home front to the battle front.

    He's a 6,000-year-old vampire writing his memoirs, examining the contradictions in his own life while also pointing out the mistakes that he has personally witnessed mankind make throughout the centuries. From his experiences with Biblical icons-such as smoking hash with Judas and watching his mother flirt with Jesus over dinner-to conversations with historical figures such as Freud, Nostradamus, and John F. Kennedy, nothing is off limits. Politics, race, and religion are all fair game when this 6,000-year-old Vampire lets his pen do the talking. Join Izzy on this trip through the course of history from an eyewitness. For 6,000 years, he has watched; now, he's ready to kvetch.

    As a scholar-in-residence, she has helped clergy and communities across North America use poetry as a powerful means of spiritual expression. Her latest poetry collection, Finding Words, explores the subtle beauty and stark challenges of family, the complexities of adult friendships, the struggle to center a life on what is meaningful and nourishing, and the holiness to be found in ordinary moments. Moving and accessible, Finding Words is a great gift for your friends, family, and congregants. It provides thoughtful content for a unique and powerful adult education program, as well as readings for worship services. The companion study guide features discussion questions to help readers and educators plumb the depths of the poetry and to ponder the Jewish sources and human feelings behind the simple yet powerful words.

    Over a period of two years, researchers Aron, Cohen, Hoffman, and Kelman interviewed 175 synagogue leaders and a selection of congregants (ranging from intensely committed to largely inactive). They found these congregations shared six traits: sacred purpose, holistic ethos, participatory culture, meaningful engagement, innovation disposition, and reflective leadership and governance. They write for synagogue leaders eager to transform their congregations, federations and foundations interested in encouraging and supporting this transformation, and researchers in congregational studies who will want to explore further. Part 1 of this book demonstrates how these characteristics are exemplified in the four central aspects of synagogue life: worship, learning, community building, and social justice. Part 2 explores questions such as: What enabled some congregations to become visionary? What hindered others from doing so? What advice might we give to congregational, federation, and foundation leaders? The picture that emerges in this book is one of congregations that were entrepreneurial, experimental, and committed to 'something better.'

    Commentary was their magazine; the place where they and other politically sympathetic intellectuals--Hannah Arendt, Saul Bellow, Lionel Trilling, Alfred Kazin, James Baldwin, Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth, Cynthia Ozick and many others--shared new work, explored ideas, and argued with each other.Founded by the offspring of immigrants, Commentary began life as a voice for the marginalized and a feisty advocate for civil rights and economic justice. But just as American culture moved in its direction, it began--inexplicably to some--to veer right, becoming the voice of neoconservativism and defender of the powerful.This lively history, based on unprecedented access to the magazine's archives and dozens of original interviews, provocatively explains that shift while recreating the atmosphere of some of the most exciting decades in American intellectual life.

    

    Spanning the rich history of Judaism from the Bible to today, David Biale shows how the secular tradition these visionaries created is a uniquely Jewish one, and how the emergence of Jewish secularism was not merely a response to modernity but arose from forces long at play within Judaism itself.Biale explores how ancient Hebrew books like Job, Song of Songs, and Esther downplay or even exclude God altogether, and how Spinoza, inspired by medieval Jewish philosophy, recast the biblical God in the role of nature and stripped the Torah of its revelatory status to instead read scripture as a historical and cultural text. Biale examines the influential Jewish thinkers who followed in Spinoza's secularizing footsteps, such as Salomon Maimon, Heinrich Heine, Sigmund Freud, and Albert Einstein. He tells the stories of those who also took their cues from medieval Jewish mysticism in their revolts against tradition, including Hayim Nahman Bialik, Gershom Scholem, and Franz Kafka. And he looks at Zionists like David Ben-Gurion and other secular political thinkers who recast Israel and the Bible in modern terms of race, nationalism, and the state. Not in the Heavens demonstrates how these many Jewish paths to secularism were dependent, in complex and paradoxical ways, on the very religious traditions they were rejecting, and examines the legacy and meaning of Jewish secularism today.

    And at one point, one of them started to give us a hard time about not going deeply enough into our davvenen, into our prayer. So I took a tumbler full of schnapps, said, 'L'Hayyim!' and drank it all down. Then I turned to them and said, 'How could you blame us for not going deep into contemplative prayer when you have never shared with us what goes on inside of you when you pray?' "Immediately, some of them took umbrage at this, saying, 'How dare you ask such a question?' and then chewed me out. But Rabbi Avraham Pariz spoke up and said: 'You know, he's right. He needs to hear about what goes on inside.' Then Reb Avraham took a big tumbler-full of schnapps and drank it down and said, 'L'Hayyim!' Then he went inside himself and delivered an inner commentary on the traditional morning prayer and took us into his own inner world of sacred enchantment. But when he came to the threshold of the silent Amidah, he said, 'From here on is a private matter between God and me.' "When people ask me to repeat what Reb Avraham said, I have to confess that I cannot repeat his words. I so internalized them at that time that they have now become integral to my own prayer. The best I can do is share with you some of what I have learned in my own life about deep prayer, for which, what I learned that evening is the foundation. What you are about to read is my own telling of some of the things that are happening to me when I am involved in prayer before the living God."--- Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.

    In association with Yeshivat Har Etzion.

    There's energy and excitement in his descriptions, his characters, and his unexpected plot twists. And what makes the stories even better is - they are all absolutely true! Nachman Seltzer is a born storyteller, and people from all over the world share their unusual experiences with him. In It Could Have Been You we will read about 300 Torah scrolls hidden in an abandoned Ukrainian building, waiting to be rescued. We will wonder who sent the mysterious first-class plane tickets to a simple cheder rebbe in Bnei Brak, and why. We will read of lost wallets, lost children, and lost Jewish souls coming back to their heritage. We will meet a man whose skill at Torah reading saves him from losing his life in the rice paddies of Vietnam and hear about the strange presidential curse that finally comes to an end through the power of prayer. The stories in It Could Have Been You are brand new, and have never before appeared in print. They are powerful, exciting - and absolutely true.

    This edition was first released by www.poeticamagazine.com. A few hard copies available for $5.00 each. Contact for availability: poeticamag@aol.com

    This inspiring adaptation of the Mornings Blessings reminds us to appreciate the arrival of each new day and to be grateful for all of the miracles it brings. Intended for children ages two to seven, the Modeh Ani provides families with a calming and focusing ritual to begin their day with holiness, joy, and peace.

    The family and the community were in a very real sense the core institutions of east European Jewish society. These realities were always dynamic and evolving but in the nineteenth century, the pace of change in almost every area of life was exceptionally rapid. This collection of essays deals with these social realities objectively and analytically. Some of the essays presented here are classics that have been widely acclaimed, earning their author a well-deserved reputation for authoritative research; all have been comprehensively revised for this book. They avoid both sentimental descriptions and judgmental attitudes. The result is a picture that is far from the stereotyped view of the past that is common today, but a more honest and more comprehensive one. Topics covered in the studies on education consider the learning experiences of both males and females of different ages.They also deal with and distinguish between study among the well off and learned (not surprisingly, the two went together) and study among the poorer masses. A number of essays are devoted to aspects of educating the elite. Here too, the reconstruction of the realities of the past, as opposed to the stereotypical popular image, reveals the remarkable creativity of what is often mistakenly considered a highly conservative element of society. Several essays deal with aspects of marriage, a key element in the life of most Jews. Using both quantitative and qualitative sources, the author has been able to identify and document characteristics of both first and subsequent marriages and to highlight and explain trends that have hitherto been misunderstood. The problem of aged parents and the changing nature of the nuclear family is also considered. The attempt to understand the rabbinate in its social and historical context is no less revealing then the studies in other areas.The realities of rabbinical life-the problems of getting appointments, job security and insecurity, changing responsibilities and the difficulties of dealing with fragmented and modernizing communities-are presented in a way that explains rabbinic behavior and the complex relations between communities, ideologies, and modernization. These essays look at the past through the prism of the lives of ordinary people, with results that are sometimes surprising but always stimulating. The topics they treat are varied, but the concern to explain what lay behind the visible reality is common to all of them.