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.

    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.

    To begin their reign of terror, the Nazis burned down Bendzin's beautiful synagogue with some 200 helpless Jews inside. Most Jewish families in Bendzin, and rest of Poland were completely wiped out by the Holocaust. The Szpringers were just an ordinary middle-class family, but through many incredible strokes of luck, or perhaps miracles, all seven of them survived. For an entire Jewish family in Poland to survive the Holocaust is amazing--likely unique. What is more remarkable is how they survived. This is their story.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Guttenplan puts it in his compelling book, I.F. Stone did what few in his profession could—he always thought for himself. America's most celebrated investigative journalist himself remains something of a mystery, however. Born Isidor Feinstein in Philadelphia, raised in rural New Jersey, by the age of 25 this college drop-out was already an influential newsman, and enjoying extraordinary access to key figures in New Deal Washington and the friendship of important artists in New York.It is Guttenplan’s wisdom to see that the key to Stone’s achievements throughout his singular career—and not just in his celebrated I.F. Stone’s Weekly—lay in the force and passion of his political commitments. Stone’s calm, forensic, yet devastating reports on American politics and institutions sprang from a radical faith in the long-term prospects for American democracy. His testimony on the legacy of American politics from the New Deal and World War II to the era of the civil rights struggles, the Vietnam War, and beyond amounts to as vivid a record of those times as we are likely to have. Guttenplan's lively, provocative book makes clear why so many of his pronouncements have acquired the force of prophecy.

    Barclay, a sympathetic Christian, states in the Preface that he studied the Talmud with learned Rabbis during a ten-year's residence in the Holy land.The task of translating the Talmud, which takes up more shelf space than the Britannica, would be daunting, and is probably beyond what one person is capable of in a lifetime. So early solo translators such as Barclay had to prioritize. While Rodkinson translated the entirety of the Festivals and Jurisprudence sections of the Talmud, including the commentary, Barclay took a more representative approach. He translated the Mishna (primary text) of seventeen tracts across the entire span of the Talmud, as well as a commentary on the Tabernacle. This includes a number of tracts not in the Rodkinson translation, specifically, Blessings, Sabbatical Year, Daily Sacrifice, Measurements, Leprosy, and Hands. Others, particularly Fathers and Sanhedrin are also available in multiple translations at sacred-texts. The final feature of this book is a detailed plan of the Temple complex with extensive architectural notes.Barclay does a straightforward translation of each text, and keeps his personal opinions to a few footnotes. This is a meaningful and significant modern Talmud translation, and has been cited many times in other works, although seldom seen.About Author:Joseph Barclay, D.D. (1831–1881), was Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem.Barclay was born near Strabane in county Tyrone, Ireland, his family being of Scotch extraction. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and proceeded B.A. in 1854 and M.A. in 1857, but showed no particular powers of application or study. In 1854 he was ordained to a curacy at Bagnelstown, county Carlow, and on taking up his residence there began to show very great interest in the work of the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews. The question of Jewish conversion was at that time agitating the religious world in England, and Barclay supported the cause in his own neighbourhood with great activity, till in 1858 his enthusiasm resulted in his offering himself to the London Society as a missionary. He left Ireland, much regretted by his parishioners and friends, and, after a few months' study in London, was appointed to Constantinople. The mission there had been established in 1835, but no impression had been made on the 60,000 Jews calculated to inhabit the town. Barclay stayed in Constantinople till 1861, making missionary journeys to the Danubian provinces, Rhodes, and other nearer districts.

    This English edition makes more of Flusser’s insightful work available to a wider audience than ever before.

    Sommer investigates the notion of a deity's body and self in ancient Israel, Canaan, and Mesopotamia. He uncovers a lost ancient Near Eastern perception of divinity according to which an essential difference between gods and humans was that gods had more than one body and fluid, unbounded selves. Though the dominant strains of biblical religion rejected it, a monotheistic version of this theological intuition is found in some biblical texts. Later Jewish and Christian thinkers inherited this ancient way of thinking; ideas such as the sefirot in kabbalah and the trinity in Christianity represent a late version of this theology. This book forces us to rethink the distinction between monotheism and polytheism, as this notion of divine fluidity is found in both polytheistic cultures (Babylonia, Assyria, Canaan) and monotheistic ones (biblical religion, Jewish mysticism, Christianity), whereas it is absent in some polytheistic cultures (classical Greece). The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel has important repercussions not only for biblical scholarship and comparative religion but for Jewish-Christian dialogue.

    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.

    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.

    Here, deep beneath the sacred earth, stands the Foundation Stone, where Creation began. This is where Abraham bound Isaac upon the altar and King Solomon built the first Temple.

    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.

    Soon after a potter lovingly forms a new pot and declares that he has important plans for his creation, the little pot begins to wonder what its purpose will be. Will it be used to hold important documents? Great riches? Beautiful flowers? As various expectations prove wrong, the little pot is cautioned to wait and see. Gradually, Little Pot comes to realize that its creator knows best and has the most wonderful of all uses planned for it. Young readers will realize that the same is true for them: that, like the little pot, they were designed to be vessels that bear fruit. Anyone who has ever had trouble seeing God working in his or her life will realize that, while His work may not always be evident, it is always there. The author's warm illustrations beautifully enhance this charming allegory about patience and fulfillment. A valuable teaching tool for parents and educators, The Little Pot is a simple yet profound story about inevitable reversals. Its timeless message will be enjoyed by many generations to come.

    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.

    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.

    

    The first volume focused on the story of God's dealings with Israel, or Israel's gospel. The second volume investigated the beliefs of Israel, or Israel's faith. Now the spotlight falls on the Old Testament's perspective on the life that Israel should live in its present and future, including its worship, prayer and spirituality, as well as its practices, attitudes and ethics before God. Goldingay sees three spheres of life giving order to Israel's vision: its life in relation to God, its life in community and the life of the individual as a self. Within these frameworks he unfurls a tapesetry that is as broad and colorful as all of life, and yet detailed in its intricate attention to the text. With this final volume John Goldingay has given us the third pillar of an Old Testament theology that is monumental in scope and yet invites us to enter through multiple doors to explore its riches. Students will profit from a semester in its courts, and ministers of the Word will find their preaching and teaching deeply enriched by wandering its halls and meditating in its chambers.

    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.

    A multi-layered odyssey of transition based on the mystical Four Worlds of kabbalah - Intuition, Intellect, Emotion and Action - animating the Mystic, the Student, the Dreamer and the Humanitarian within.

    As wisdom allows us to see clearly, our hearts break open with compassion for the struggles of our own lives and the lives of all beings. Awakened with wisdom and compassion, we are impelled to live our lives with kindness, and we are led to do whatever we can to repair the brokenness of our world."--from the IntroductionAt last, a fresh take on meditation that draws on life experience and living life with greater clarity rather than the traditional method of rigorous study.Based on twenty-five years of bringing meaningful spiritual practice to the Jewish community, well-known meditation teacher and practitioner Rabbi Jeff Roth presents Jewish contemplative techniques that foster the development of a heart of wisdom and compassion. This contemporary approach to meditation--accessible to both beginners and experts alike--focuses on using the distilled wisdom of Buddhism and Judaism as a way to learn from life experience. By combining these two traditions, he presents a model that allows westerners--both Jews and non-Jews--to embrace timeless Eastern teachings without sacrificing their birth traditions.

    It discusses each thinker s key contributions, the way this contribution was expressed in practice and the relationship between their life and ideas. This discussion is supported by an extract from the thinker s own writing, to give a flavour of their work and to give readers a sense of which thinkers are most relevant to their own interests.Systems thinking is necessarily interdisciplinary, so that the thinkers selected come from a wide range of areas biology, management, physiology, anthropology, chemistry, public policy, sociology and environmental studies among others. A significant aim of the book is to broaden and deepen the reader s interest in systems writers, providing an appetising taster for each of the 30 thinkers, so that the reader is encouraged to go on to study the published works of the thinkers themselves."

    The entire Septuagint, including the apocrypha, is covered. For the books of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, and Judges the so-called Antiochene edition is fully covered in addition to the data as found in the standard edition by Rahlfs. Also fully covered are the two versions of Tobit, Esther, and Daniel. Based on the critically established Gottingen edition where it is available. If not, Rahlfs's edition is used. For close to 60% of a total of 9,550 headwords all the passages occurring in the LXX are either quoted or mentioned. A fully fledged lexicon, not a glossary merely listing translation equivalents in English. Senses defined. Important lexicographical data such as synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, distinction between literal and figurative, combinations with prepositions, noun cases, syntagmatic information such as what kind of direct or indirect objects a given verb takes, what kind of nouns a given adjective is used with, and much more information abundantly presented and illustrated with quotes, mostly translated. High-frequency lexemes such as prepositions and conjunctions fully analysed. Data on contemporary Koine and Jewish Greek including the New Testament taken into account. Morphological information provided: various tenses of verbs, genitive forms of nouns etc. Substantive references to the current scientific literature. An indispensable tool for students of the Septuagint, the New Testament, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Greek language.

    A commentary on the Torah by the famous Chassidic rabbi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810).

    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.

    Jewish Public Culture in the Late Russian Empire examines the cultural identities that Jews were creating and disseminating through voluntary associations such as libraries, drama circles, literary clubs, historical societies, and even fire brigades. Jeffrey Veidlinger explores the venues in which prominent cultural figures--including Sholem Aleichem, Mendele Moykher Sforim, and Simon Dubnov--interacted with the general Jewish public, encouraging Jewish expression within Russia's multicultural society. By highlighting the cultural experiences shared by Jews of diverse social backgrounds--from seamstresses to parliamentarians--and in disparate geographic locales--from Ukrainian shtetls to Polish metropolises--the book revises traditional views of Jewish society in the late Russian Empire.

    The Converso and Morisco Studies publications will examine the implications of these mass conversions for the converts themselves, for their heirs (also referred to as Conversos and Moriscos) and for medieval and modern Spanish culture. As the essays in this first volume attest, the study of the Converso and Morisco phenomena is not only important for those scholars focused on Spanish society and culture, but for academics everywhere interested in the issues of identity, Otherness, nationalism, religious intolerance and the challenges of modernity. Contributors are Michel Boeglin, William Childers, Barbara Fuchs, Mercedes Garcia-Arenal, Juan Gil, Luis M. Giron-Negron, Kevin Ingram, Francisco Marquez Villanueva, Mark D. Meyerson, Vincent Parello, Francisco Pena Fernandez, Fernando Rodriguez Mediano, Elaine Wertheimer, Nadia Zeldes, and Leonor Zozaya Montes."

    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.

    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.

    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.

    This volume is a translation of The Odes of Solomon, a collection of early Christian hymns or odes; some are obviously Christian, others perhaps Jewish. The beauty of these poems is a tribute to the depth of spirituality in early communities of Christians, some of whom were perhaps also Jews or converted Jews. Professor Charlesworth offers an inviting introduction and a translation of this work that is both engaging and true to the original languages. The Index of Ancient Sources provides the reader access to the wide range of references in the notes. Endorsements: ""Eminent scholar James Charlesworth has provided a stunning translation of the poetic second-century Odes of Solomon. Some readers will delight in its female imagery for God; my favorite image is of our Lord as a wreathed crown on our head. The attractively designed publication is fine for scholars, wonderful for believers."" --Gail Ramshaw Past President of the North American Academy of Liturgy. Author of Treasures Old and New, Between Sundays, and God beyond Gender. About the Contributor(s): James H. Charlesworth is George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Director and Editor of the PTS Dead Sea Scrolls Project. He is author of numerous works, including The Historical Jesus, Resurrection, Authentic Apocrypha, and Jesus within Judaism. And his many edited volumes include The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 vols.), Jesus and Hillel, and Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

    For this reason it is customary to consider the section along with its traditional commentaries. It is important to know not only what the Torah meant when it was written, but also what it has meant within Judaism since then. It is also important for intellectual honesty to distinguish between the two. Moderns also have the advantage of using the results of linguistic studies and comparative studies of other ancient texts as well as archaeological finds to help us understand the text. The Torah reflects an entire worldview concerning the nature of God and of human beings, the task of Israel and the way in which we are to live. Thus it is an ancient text that is ever new and always renewing itself. One studies it not only to learn what was, but also to discover what we are and how we are to live. These prefaces are meant to complement and enrich your study of the portion by pointing out important ideas found therein and raising problems and questions for consideration. Enter into the Torah text with this lively companion and experience the full impact of the age-old - and totally new - weekly portion.

    

    The Rebbe himself instructed his main disciple, Reb Noson, to extract the practical advice contained in each lesson of the Likutey Moharan and present it in an abridged format for the benefit of readers everywhere. This first-ever English translation of the Kitzur Likutey Moharan, with the original Hebrew following at the end (electronic version), comes in an aesthetically pleasing and highly readable two-volume set. Readers can follow along word by word with the Hebrew original or learn directly from the fluent and lucid English presentation. The text is also divided by day and month for personal study. This landmark edition is certain to become a standard reference for Rebbe Nachman's growing following in today's English-speaking world. Hardcover, 1001 pp. (2-vol.)

    As we move from season to season, Paul Steinberg shares with us a rich collection of readings from many of the Jewish greats—Maimonides, Rashi, Nehama Leibowitz, Irving Greenberg, Shlomo Carlebach, Marge Piercy, Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Arthur Green, and others—and he guides us in discovering for ourselves the many treasures within each text. Some of the readings teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation; others give us inspiration and much food for thought. These stories, essays, poems, anecdotes, and rituals help us discover how deeply Jewish traditions are rooted in nature’s yearly cycle, and how beautifully season and spirit are woven together throughout the Jewish year.

    With its focus on a specific place and time (Vienna in 1900) and on a specific theme (madness), Madness and Modernity sets out to explore artistic, social and psychological themes which provide insights into the madness-modernity nexus that manifested itself in Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century.

    In revenge, the count travels to North Africa and conspires with its Berber rulers to send an invading army into Spain. So begins the Muslim conquest and the end of Visigothic rule. A few years later, in Northern Spain, Pelayo initiates a Christian resistance and starts a new line of kings to which the present-day Spanish monarchy traces its roots.Patricia E. Grieve follows the evolution of this story from the Middle Ages into the modern era, as shifts in religious tolerance and cultural acceptance influenced its retelling. She explains how increasing anti-Semitism came to be woven into the tale during the Christian conquest of the peninsula—in the form of traitorous Jewish conspirators. In the sixteenth century, the tale was linked to the looming threat of the Ottoman Turks. The story continued to resonate through the Enlightenment and into modern historiography, revealing the complex interactions of racial and religious conflict and evolving ideas of women’s sexuality.In following the story of La Cava, Rodrigo, and Pelayo, Grieve explains how foundational myths and popular legends articulate struggles for national identity. She explores how myths are developed around few historical facts, how they come to be written into history, and how they are exploited politically, as in the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 followed by that of the Moriscos in 1609. Finally, Grieve focuses on the misogynistic elements of the story and asks why the fall of Spain is figured as a cautionary tale about a woman’s sexuality.