Telushkin speaks to the major ethical issues of our time, issues that have, of course, been around since the beginning. He offers one or two pages a day of pithy, wise, and easily accessible teachings designed to be put into immediate practice. The range of the book is as broad as life itself: The first trait to seek in a spouse (Day 17)When, if ever, lying is permitted (Days 71-73)Why acting cheerfully is a requirement, not a choice (Day 39)What children don't owe their parents (Day 128)Whether Jews should donate their organs (Day 290)An effective but expensive technique for curbing your anger (Day 156)How to raise truthful children (Day 298)What purchases are always forbidden (Day 3)In addition, Telushkin raises issues with ethical implications that may surprise you, such as the need to tip those whom you don't see (Day 109), the right thing to do when you hear an ambulance siren (Day 1), and why wasting time is a sin (Day 15). Whether he is telling us what Jewish tradition has to say about insider trading or about the relationship between employers and employees, he provides fresh inspiration and clear guidance for every day of our lives.

    In The Power of Kabbalah, renowned teacher Yehuda Berg shows how to view and navigate through life by tapping Kabbalistic truths. He explains the key process of transforming from a reactive to a proactive being that will in turn trigger increased creative energy, greater personal power, and a stronger and more satisfying sense of life. These teachings include embracing rather than avoiding problems and obstacles as true opportunities for spiritual development; making miracles through positive thinking; and accepting responsibility for what happens in one's life.

    Offers a translation of and commentary on the first five books of the Hebrew Bible...Title: .The Five Books of Moses..Author: .Fox, Everett (EDT)/ Schwebel (ILT)/ Fox, Everett..Publisher: .Random House Inc..Publication Date: .2000/02/01..Number of Pages: .1024..Binding Type: .PAPERBACK..Library of Congress: .BL 00007461

    And it is true that, many times in the course of history, they have been nearly decimated: when the First and Second Temples were destroyed, when the Jews were expelled from Spain, when Hitler proposed his Final Solution. Astoundingly, the Jewish people have survived catastrophe after catastrophe and remained a thriving and vibrant community. The question Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asks is, quite simply: How? How, in the face of such adversity, has Judaism remained and flourished, making a mark on human history out of all proportion to its numbers?Written originally as a wedding gift to his son and daughter-in-law, A Letter in the Scroll is Rabbi Sacks's personal answer to that question, a testimony to the enduring strength of his religion. Tracing the revolutionary series of philosophical and theological ideas that Judaism created -- from covenant to sabbath to formal education -- and showing us how they remain compellingly relevant in our time, Sacks portrays Jewish identity as an honor as well as a duty.The Ba'al Shem Tov, an eighteenth-century rabbi and founder of the Hasidic movement, famously noted that the Jewish people are like a living Torah scroll, and every individual Jew is a letter within it. If a single letter is damaged or missing or incorrectly drawn, a Torah scroll is considered invalid. So too, in Judaism, each individual is considered a crucial part of the people, without whom the entire religion would suffer. Rabbi Sacks uses this metaphor to make a passionate argument in favor of affiliation and practice in our secular times, and invites us to engage in our dynamic and inclusive tradition. Never has a book more eloquently expressed the joys of being a Jew.This is the story of one man's hope for the future -- a future in which the next generation, his children and ours, will happily embrace the beauty of the world's oldest religion.

    In Essential Judaism, George Robinson has created the accessible compendium that he sought when he rediscovered his Jewish roots as an adult. Robinson illuminates the Jewish life cycle at every stage, and lays out many fascinating aspects of Judaism -- the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, the evolution of Hasidism, and much more -- while keeping a firm focus on the different paths to living a good Jewish life in today's world.

    Happiness isn't somewhere else, it's where we are. It isn't something we don't have, we do. It isn't fantasy, it's reality experienced in a certain way. Happiness is a close relative of faith'Following the painful loss of his father, Chief Rabbi Sacks began to learn how to celebrate life in a new way. He discovered where happiness lives, often in unexpected places, through family, community, friendship and responsibilities. He also found it through a renewed relationship with God who spoke to his deepest needs.Based, in part, on his columns in the UK's Times newspaper, Celebrating Life is for people of all faiths and none. It shows us how to be human and, in becoming so, how we can touch the divine.

    By carefully introducing the letters and vowels of the Hebrew alphabet, the goal is to develop the reader's ability to decode written Hebrew words as well as to ground the learning of Hebrew in the broader sense of its use in Jewish life, ritual, study, and tradition. Each chapter introduces two or three Hebrew letters; through instructional drills and exercises, the reader progressively becomes familiar with key Hebrew vocabulary and its role in Jewish tradition, text, and prayer.

    And what interests him most about these people is their humanity, in all its glorious complexity. They get angry—at God for demanding so much, and at people, for doing so little. They make mistakes. They get frustrated. But through it all one constant remains—their love for the people they have been charged to teach and their devotion to the Supreme Being who has sent them. In these tales of battles won and lost, of exile and redemption, of despair and renewal, we learn not only by listening to what they have come to tell us, but by watching as they live lives that are both grounded in earthly reality and that soar upward to the heavens.From the Hardcover edition.

    A Jewish believer in Jesus defends the Christian faith by providing answers to theological objections raised by the Jewish community.

    Provides detailed and satisfying answers to 19 general and 16 historical objections raised by Jews.

    True, the mistakes he made were common, ordinary things: a broken promise, a temper lost for no reason, a little untruth told here and there. But unlike most people, Gershon never regretted what he did. He never apologized or asked anyone's forgiveness. Why should he? Every year, on Rosh Hashanah, he would merely stuff his mistakes into a sack and cast them out to sea.Little did Gershon know, though, that his reckless behavior would certainly come back to haunt him. Was there still a chance for him to change?Eric A. Kimmel and Jon J Muth capture all the drama and wonder of this traditional Hasidic legend, as they rekindle our hope for beginning the year anew.

    It reveals Esther's ideas of the good state, how effective leadership makes decisions for the welfare of its people, and what modern-day Jews can learn about how to stand up to their enemies and maintain Jewish faith and nationhood even as God's face remains hidden from His people.

    Discover how their interpretations of the Torah can enrich your perspective. "Rich and engaging...makes available to a wide readership the collective wisdom of women who have changed the face of Judaism." --Judith Plaskow, author, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective; Professor of Religious Studies, Manhattan College Here, for the first time, women's unique experiences and perspectives are applied to the entire Five Books of Moses, offering all of us the first comprehensive commentary by women. In this groundbreaking book, more than 50 women rabbis come together to offer us inspiring insights on the Torah, in a week-by-week format. Included are commentaries by the first women ever ordained in the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements, and by many other women across these denominations who serve in the rabbinate in a variety of ways. This rich resource offers new perspectives to inspire all of us to gain deeper meaning from the Torah and a heightened appreciation of Judaism. A major contribution to modern biblical commentary. The gift of choice for every young woman's bat mitzvah, and for anyone wanting a new, exciting view of Torah. Contributing Rabbis: Rebecca T. Alpert - Lia Bass - Miriam Carey Berkowitz - Elizabeth Bolton - Analia Bortz - Sharon Brous - Judith Gary Brown - Nina Beth Cardin - Diane Aronson Cohen - Sandra J. Cohen - Cynthia A. Culpeper - Lucy H.F. Dinner - Lisa A. Edwards - Amy Eilberg - Sue Levi Elwell - Rachel Esserman - Helaine Ettinger - Susan Fendrick - Lori Forman - Dayle A. Friedman - Elyse D. Frishman - Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer - Shoshana Gelfand - Laura Geller - Elyse M. Goldstein - Julie K. Gordon - Claire Magidovitch Green - Rosette Barron Haim - Jill Hammer - Karyn D. Kedar - Sarra Levine - Valerie Lieber - Ellen Lippmann - Sheryl Nosan - Stacy K. Offner - Sara Paasche-Orlow - Barbara Rosman Penzner - Hara E. Person - Audrey S. Pollack - Sally J. Priesand - Geela-Rayzel Raphael - Laura M. Rappaport - Debra Judith Robbins - Rochelle Robins - Gila Colman Ruskin - Sandy Eisenberg Sasso - Ilene Schneider - Rona Shapiro - Michal Shekel - Beth J. Singer - Sharon L. Sobel - Ruth H. Sohn - Julie Ringold Spitzer z"l - Shira Stern - Pamela Wax - Nancy Wechsler-Azen - Nancy H. Wiener - Elana Zaiman

    This autobiographical story traces events from 1941 to 1945, during which time Wiesel and his family are taken from their village to a Nazi concentration camp. The family is split apart and Wiesel never again sees his mother and one of his sisters. The rest of the story focuses on Wiesel and his father as they struggle to survive the brutal horrors of the camps. Although his father eventually dies, Wiesel survives to be liberated by Allied troops and to offer this account of terror and guilt as well as faith.Related Readings"A Wound That Will Never Be Healed"—interview by Bob Costas"Cattle Car Complex"—short story by Thane Rosenbaum"Assault on History" and "Rewriting History 101: Bradley Smith's Campus Campaign"—newspaper articles by Bob Keelerfrom Song of Survival—personal narrative by Helen Colijnfrom …I Never Saw Another Butterfly—poems and artwork by the children of the Terezin concentration camp

    One of the world's most famous and respected rabbis has given us the one guide we need to practice Jewish prayer and understand the prayer book.From the origins and meaning of prayer to a step-by-step explanation of the daily services to the reason you're not supposed to chat with your friends during the service, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz answers many of the questions likely to arise about Jewish prayer.  Here are chapters on daily prayer; Sabbath prayer; prayer services for the holidays; the yearly cycle of synagogue Bible readings; the history and make-up of the synagogue; the different prayer rites for Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Yemenites, and other cultural/geographic groupings; the role of the rabbi and the cantor in the synagogue; and the role of music in the service.The book also contains a glossary, a bibliography, and biographical sketches of the rabbis who were instrumental in creating and ordering the prayers through the ages.Rabbi Steinsaltz's guide is an essential volume both for the newcomer to Jewish prayer and for those who have been engaged in prayer for years.From the Hardcover edition.

    Examining ideological trends in academia, literature, media, law, the armed forces, and the foreign policy establishment, Hazony contends that Israelis are preparing themselves for the final break with the Jewish past and the Jewish future. In a dramatic new reading of Israeli history, Hazony uncovers the story of how Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, Hannah Arendt, and other German-Jewish intellectuals bitterly fought against the establishment of Israel, and later used the Hebrew University as a base for deposing David Ben-Gurion and discrediting Labor Zionism. The Jewish State is a must-read for anyone concerned with Israel's present and future.

    Additional selections are presented in new or revised translations. Introduction and notes by Franks and Morgan set Rosenzweig’s works in context and illuminate his role as one of the key thinkers of the period.

    In it Rabbi Soloveitchik presents an extended theological meditation on the Holocaust and the rise of the State of Israel, the Jewish covenant of faith, and the covenant of fate and destiny which links all Jews, religious, irreligious, and nonreligious. Rabbi Dr. Walter S. Wurzberger, a prominent discipline of the Rav, has provided an introduction.

    

    He transmitted information and meditation methods in private meetings during the 1970s and 1980s. He anonymously published a number of the first English translations of primary qabalistic texts,and distributed tens of thousands of copies through the Work of the Chariot Trust. This book is the first time that a senior student of the Work of the Chariot has compiled much of the teachings from those meetings on the core principles and practices of the Mystical Qabalah.

    The author, an acknowledged Torah authority, is one of the foremost spiritual leaders of our time. This book has been prepared from several of his lectures, and presents basic guidelines for parenting and education. The wisdom in this important book fills a great need for our generation and Rabbi Wolbe's vital teachings should be read and re-read by every Jewish parent and educator.

    All these powers merge in this major new work of nonfiction, The Will to Live On, an illuminating account of the worldwide revolution that has been sweeping over Jewry, set against a swiftly reviewed background of history, tradition, and sacred literature.Forty years ago, in his modern classic This Is My God, Herman Wouk stated the case for his religious beliefs and conduct. His aim in that work and in The Will to Live On has been to break through the crust of prejudice, to reawaken clearheaded thought about the magnificent Jewish patrimony, and to convey a message of hope for Jewish survival.Although the Torah and the Talmud are timeless, the twentieth century has brought earthquake shocks to the Jews: the apocalyptic experience of the Holocaust, the reborn Jewish state, the precarious American diaspora, and deepening religious schisms. After a lifetime of study, Herman Wouk examines the changes affecting the Jewish world, especially the troubled wonder of Israel, and the remarkable, though dwindling, American Jewry. The book is peppered with wonderful stories of the author's encounters with such luminaries as Ben Gurion, Isidor Rabi, Yitzhak Rabin, Saul Bellow, and Richard Feynan.Learned in general culture, warmly tolerant of other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own faith with a passion that gives the book its fire and does so in the clear, engaging style tha-as in all Wouk's fiction -- makes the reader want to know what the next page will bring.Herman Wouk writes, in The Will to Live On:"And so the Melting Pot is beginning to work on Jewry. Its effect was deferred in the passing century by the shock of the Holocaust and the rise of Israel, but today the Holocaust is an academic subject, and Israel is no longer a beleaguered underdog. Amkha in America is not dying, it is slowly melting, and those are very different fates. Dying is a terror, an agony, a strangling finish, to be fought off by sheer instinct, by the will to live on, to the last breath. Melting is a mere diffusion into an ambient welcoming warmth in which one is dissolved and disappears, as a teaspoon of sugar vanishes into hot tea....Yet here in the United States, for all the scary attrition I have pictured, we are still a community of over five million strong....At a far stretch of my hopes, our descendants could one day be a diaspora comparable to Babylonia. At the moment, of course, that is beyond rational expectation. We have to concentrate on lasting at all...."

    You can serve up a mean s'il vous plait in a French bistro, live la vida loca for a night of margaritas, and manage a sayonara! after sushi, sake, and karaoke. But when it comes to throwing around a little Yiddish, you feel like a total nebbish!Don't throw your hands up in a helpless 'Oy, vey' just yet! 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish' is your guide to this unique tongue, whether you're tackling rules of grammar or just throwing around some key phrases so you sound a little less goyish. In this 'Complete Idiot's Guide', you get:-A fascinating explanation of how and why Yiddish developed.-An easy introduction to the Yiddish alphabet, as well as to the distinctive sound of Yiddish.-All the Yiddish you'll need for communicating with family and friends or for bargain-hunting on New York's Lower East Side. -A treasury of Yiddish words and phrases for everything.

    This compelling book, by respected religious-education theorist Mary Boys, makes the academic scholarship highly accessible. Her foremost challenge is for Christians to reexamine their two-fold tradition that Christianity has fulfilled the covenant and therefore replaced Judaism, and that the Jews, in rejecting Jesus, are now rejected by God. The book summarizes the Church's shared history with Judaism ... details the anti-Jewish bias in history, literature, and liturgy and how this bias exists today ... and examines how Church treatment of Jews played a role in the Shoah. The issues are presented without being reduced to simplistic hate. The author also includes practical pastoral points, not only suggesting sensitive ways for Christians to relate to Jews, but also revealing how encounters with Judaism affect the way Christians think, teach, and preach about life. This book is important for pastors, preachers, faith formation directors, religious educators, and members of liturgy and evangelization teams. It's also absorbing reading for adult classes, anyone interested in church history, all serious Christians, and Jews who want to situate the legacy of anti-Judaism while seeing substantial changes in thought. +

    Christmas is everywhere, and his family won't celebrate it even a little. His dad is firm in his beliefs about the miracle of Hanukkah. But Jason gains a new perspective when he is transported back in time and welcomed as a friend of the Maccabees. With Jason's help, the Maccabees defeat the Syrians, regain Jerusalem, and witness the miracle of the lights. Full-color illustrations.

    Now, the English-speaking reader can enjoy a clearly written and easy to read summary of Jewish law, based on the Mishnah Berurah. Among the many topics included in this work are: Tzitzis, the daily routine, prayer, tefillin, blessings, the Sabbath, festivals and special days, the dietary laws, and mourning. Shaarei Halachah has been hailed as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for our time!

    The book of Isaiah has been the object of more scholarly interest over the past two or three decades than during the preceding century. At the same time, much of the received wisdom on the formation of the book has been called into question, including such matters as the date of its several components, the standard tripartite division, the role (if any) to be assigned to the prophet Isaiah himself, and the passages dealing with the anonymous Servant of the Lord. A great deal of effort has been, and continues to be, expended in exploring new approaches to the book, both within the conventional critical methodologies and beyond them.This commentary by Joseph Blenkinsopp on the first thirty-nine chapters of the book, the first of a three-volume commentary on Isaiah, is written from a critical perspective in the belief that only in this way can these texts be given the opportunity to say what they have to say—and also in the conviction that what they have to say still retains its transforming power for those willing to listen attentively today. The result is a commentary of unequaled brilliance and insight that will stand as the definitive study of one of the Hebrew Bible’s most compelling and elusive books.From the Trade Paperback edition.

    The relationship of humanity with the earth—of adam to adamah—has long been a vital element of Hebrew Scripture. Today the Tu B’Shvat holiday has taken on added significance because of the greening of Israel and the growth of the ecology and environmental movements in the United States and abroad. This anthology draws from biblical, rabbinical, medieval, and modern sources that address the significance and historical development of the holiday, offers several examples of a “Seder Tu B’Shvat,” and includes mystical writings along with Zionist and Eco-Jewish pieces.

    Embraced by dreamers, seekers, and believers alike, this ancient source of wisdom and spiritual guidance offers a practical method for attaining tranquillity and fulfillment in everyday life. The unique, portable format provides an engaging, interactive way to explore Jewish mysticism. With 35 cards for meditation and divination and a 160-page book exploring the tenets of this ancient practice, The Kabbalah Deck offers the spiritual key to unlocking endless joy and inner peace with feet still firmly planted in this world.

    Where does happiness come from? Looking to the core teachings of Buddhism and Judaism, Boorstein finds complementary truths about the hapiness that is always available to us, no matter who we are or what our circumstances.

    Is the designated impurity of menstruation sexist? Or does ritual absence from sex during menstruation encourage a rhythmic reaffirmation of conjugal intimacy?This book offers a new perspective on the extensive rabbinic discussions of menstrual impurity, female physiology, and anatomy, and on the social and religious institutions those discussions engendered. It analyzes the functions of these discussions within the larger textual world of rabbinic literature and in the context of Jewish and Christian culture in late antiquity.How did gender work—how was it made to work—in rabbinic literature? How did that literature dictate the place of women in Jewish culture? In search of answers to these questions, the author analyzes the architectural metaphors deployed to describe female anatomy, arguing that this discursive construction operated culturally to associate women with the home and exclude them from rabbinic study halls.The author shows that rabbinic discourse is not completely controlled by rabbinic ideology, however. She analyzes talmudic discussions that allow alternative gender perspectives to emerge, indicating that women and their bodies were not completely objectified. This suggests that the Babylonian Talmud does not present a completely homogeneous gender structure, but contains a number of different, sometimes contradictory, possibilities.The book concludes with a study of early Christian texts that relate to the same biblical laws on menstrual impurity as rabbinic texts, focusing in particular on a Jewish-Christian text in which the anonymous author polemicizes against Jewish women converts who remain attached to the biblical laws. This text allows us to reconstruct women’s perspectives on the inscription of religious meaning onto their bodies and physiological processes.

    For everyone who wants to understand Torah, this book shows the way into an essential aspect of Judaism, and allows you to interact directly with the sacred texts of the Jewish tradition.Guided by Dr. Norman J. Cohen, rabbi and professor of midrash at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, The Way Into Torah helps us explore the origins and development of Torah, why it should be studied, and how to do it.What Torah is. The texts, and beyond: Not simply the Five Books of Moses, Torah refers to much more than written words.The different approaches to studying Torah. The many ways Jews have interacted with Torah through the ages and how, by learning to read Torah ourselves, we can connect it to our lives today.The levels of understanding Torah. How Torah can come alive in different ways, at different times; and how new meanings of Torah are discovered by its readers.Why Torah study is a part of the Jewish experience. How it allows us to experience God's presence--and why the Rabbis called Torah study more important even than belief in God.This guide offers an entrance into the world of Torah, and to its meaning for our lives. The Way Into Torah shows us why reading Torah is not the same as reading anything else--and enables us to become a part of a chain of Jewish tradition that began millennia ago, and remains unbroken today.

    Throughout history, argues brilliant feminist critic Andrea Dworkin, women and Jews have been stigmatized as society's scapegoats. In this stunning and provocative book, Dworkin brings her rigorous intellect to bear on the dynamics of scapegoating. Drawing upon history, philosophy, literature, and politics, she creates a terrifying picture of the workings of misogyny and anti-Semitism in the last millennium.With examples that range from the Inquisition, when women were targeted as witches and Jews as heretics, to the terror of the Nazis, whose aggression was both race- and gender-motivated, Dworkin illustrates how and why women and Jews have been scapegoated and compares the civil inequality, prejudices, and stereotypes that have framed identity for both groups. Taking the state of Israel as a paradigm, Dworkin traces the growth of male dominance in societies both old and new -- resulting in the subordination of women and a racial or ethnic "other."In Israel today, Palestinians and prostitutes are the new scapegoats: degraded, inferior, abject. Although the gentle Jewish martyrs of old have become modern Israeli warriors, women retain the stigmatized status of "weak Jews" who, when attacked, never fight back. This leads Dworkin to imagine a world in which women betray men of their own kind in order to develop and defend their own sovereignty. Ultimately, her book forces us to ask profound questions: Why do women continue to value their own lives less than those of themen they love? Where is the line between justifiable self-defense and violence? Both an impassioned plea for women to challenge and destroy the author- ity of the men in their own group and a startling work of history, "Scapegoat" will forever change how we think about the patterns of behavior and belief that give rise to domination and oppression.

    But what is Judaism today? And what does it mean -- culturally, spiritually, and ritually -- to be Jewish in the twenty-first century? In Being Jewish, Ari L. Goldman offers eloquent, thoughtful answers to these questions through an absorbing exploration of modern Judaism. A bestselling author and widely respected chronicler of Jewish life, Goldman vividly contrasts the historical meaning of Judaism's heritage with the astonishing and multiform character of the religion today. The result will be a revelation for those already involved with Judaism, and a fascinating introduction for those whose interests are newly minted or rekindled. Taking the reader through the process of discovery -- or rediscovery -- Being Jewish is divided into three sections, each focusing on one of the cycles of human life. Beginning with the traditions associated with the life cycle -- birth, marriage, death -- Goldman moves on to describe the rituals that mark the course of the Jewish year, starting with Rosh Hashanah. Finally, he reflects on the character of the Jewish day, exploring the role of prayer, dietary laws, and ethical behavior. All of these moments, from a minute to a lifetime, take on vibrant meaning in his thoughtful picture. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Being Jewish is Goldman's discussion of the extraordinary variations in how Jews live their Judaism today. He finds a wide variety of practices, between Judaism's branches and within them. For example, a family on Long Island keeps a unique version of kosher: they have three sets of dishes and utensils -- one for meat, one for milk, and one for nonkosher Chinese takeout. While traditional Judaism frowns on such quirky modes of observance, Goldman elevates them. Jews today, he concludes, are "reaching for the holy" in unexpected and innovative ways. These dramatically different ideas about how a Jewish life may be lived suggest how difficult it can be for today's reader to find an objective account of Judaism. And it is precisely Goldman's reporter's eye that sets this book apart. Informed by tradition without embracing any one ideology, this award-winning journalist's probing book moves across the boundaries of modern Judaism to demonstrate how it is lived. While other efforts to tackle these themes are written from the perspective of a particular religious tradition, Being Jewish is the work of a sophisticated observer who describes rather than proscribes. By weaving a complex and compelling commentary on Judaism, this inspiring volume encourages us to find our own place within the tradition and leads us into a deeper understanding not just of the details of the religion but, ultimately, of what it means to be Jewish.

    Divided into 13 lessons and additional useful appendices and bibliography, the book allows the reader to "self-teach" the important principles of Torah cantillation. The only pre-requisite for this course of learning is a basic ability to read Hebrew and a willingness to learn! It is a perfect selection for B'nai Mitzvah students, beginning learners, and for adult education courses. Step-by-step exercises and instructions CD of recordings correspond with written exercises Includes both male and female voices on recording Includes glossary, list of parashiyot, High Holy Day cantillation and more!

    Jeffery Feinberg has done it again. Following his highly successful Walk Genesis! he has continued his Walk series with this excellent devotional commentary. Using the weekly synagogue readings, Dr. Feinberg has put together some very valuable material. Each section includes a short Hebrew lesson (for the non-Hebrew speaker), key concepts, an excellent overview of the portion, and some very practical applications. Can be used as a daily devotional as well as a Bible study tool for digging deeper in the Word. If you enjoyed Walk Genesis, you'll love Walk Exodus! 224 pages.

    In examining the evolution of ancient Jewish attitudes towards sin and defilement, Klawans sheds light on a fascinating but previously neglected topic.

    

    With descriptions of both traditional and contemporary practice, The Tapestry of Jewish Time hands us our tradition as an heirloom and shows us how to remake that tradition. In Part One, Jewish Holidays, Rabbi Cardin tells the story of the Jewish week, month, and year, showing us the struggles and celebrations we share with our ancestors, and how we have transformed those struggles and celebrations. Rabbi Cardin teaches that Jews once celebrated Passover by sacrificing a lamb, but Jews now celebrate Passover by foregoing chametz, leavening. Jews have always left a cup of wine for Elijah; today some leave a cup of water for Miriam as well. But we all celebrate Passover with a family meal and the telling of the freedom story.In Part Two, Jewish Life-Cycle Events, Rabbi Cardin reveals the eternal cycle of Jewish life through contemporary and ancient stories. She writes about marriage in the down-to-earth language of Genesis, the poetic language of the Song of Songs, and the devout language of the Talmud. But Rabbi Cardin also describes the variety of wedding ceremonies Jews choose from today, shows us how Judaism releases men and women from unhappy unions, and remembers the widow and the widower.Perhaps most strikingly, The Tapestry of Jewish Time teaches all of us to knit our personal stories together with those of our ancestors. The chapter Prayers and Rituals for the Home shares blessings in Hebrew, English, and transliteration, empowering us to transform our everyday life by speaking those ancient words. The beautifully decorated Personal Weavings write-in chapter invites us to weave memories and experiences from our own lives into Tapestry itself.About the Author: Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin is the Director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, and the Chair of the Editorial Committee of Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. She was the editor of Sh'ma from 1993 to 1998, and Director of the National Jewish Healing Center in New York City from 1995 to 1997. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, Rabbi Avram Reisner, and their children.

    It explains Kabbalah's fundamental myths and symbols, which have so profoundly influenced both the Jewish and non-Jewish world. The book delves into such Kabbalist phenomena as the hearing of angels' voices, Chokmah (a form of transcendental wisdom), the four divine names and the five modalities of being, the light of infinity, and the significance of each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Marc-Alain Ouaknin also explores the influence of Kabbalah on art, literature, music, architecture, psychoanalysis and health. The book closes with a chapter on meditation.

    His emphasis is on the work involved in the critical evaluation of a given portion of text. His explanations of critical principles are illustrated with carefully selected examples of the textual phenomena discussed-in Hebrew, with English translations. The book concludes with unique appendices on several kinds of essential but hard-to-find information.

    As spring turns to summer and summer to fall, Sammy watches Josh nurture the small tree as it sprouts tiny buds, then full blossoms, then colorful autumn leaves. Birds and squirrels come to visit the tree, and as autumn turns to winter, the leaves drop and the birds leave. Sammy worries as the tree shivers in the cold winter air. And then, as he practices weaving a new web, he gets an idea...

    Along with this new translation, this text offers a variety of literary works spanning the 17th to the 20th centuries.

    Surveys those issues most relevant to Judaic life today: ethics, feminism, politics, and constructive theology Explores the definition of Judaism and its formative history Makes sense of the diverse data of an ancient and enduring faith

    This sequel to Happiness, Kindness is one of the pillars of Creation, the kind person is the agent of the Creator Himself.

    

    Is spirituality a part of that time? This book shows you how it can be. This inspiring, informative guide shows us how we can use the often overlooked time at the end of each day to enhance our spiritual, physical and psychological well-being.Each chapter takes a new look at traditional Jewish prayers and what they have to teach us about the spiritual aspects of preparing for the end of the day, and about sleep itself. Drawing on Kabbalistic teachings, prayer, the Bible and midrash, the authors enrich our understanding of traditional bedtime preparations, and show how, by including them in our bedtime rituals, we can gain insight into our lives and access the spiritual enrichment the world of dreams has to offer.Clear illustrations and diagrams, step-by-step meditations, visualization techniques and exercise suggestions for fully integrating body, mind and spirit show us the way to: Hashkivenu --Creating a safe space for sleep Hareni Mochel --Clearing our hearts through forgiveness Shema --Connecting to God in Love Bircat Cohanim --Experiencing the reality of blessing Hamapil --Thanking God for sleep and the illumination that comes in sleepsThis perfect nighttime companion draws on the power of Jewish tradition to help us enhance our spiritual awareness--in both our waking and sleeping hours.

    This text, based on interviews with over 100 Israelis, as well as Palestinians, explores how, within a decade, Israel has evolved from a society that marginalized homosexuals to one that offers one of the most extensive legal protections in the world.

    Founded on the universal principles of justice, integrity and righteousness, its message is as relevant today as ever, and has much to offer all members of the global community, regardless of race or creed. Contained within this little book are some of the most profound and pertinent extracts from Jewish writing. Addressing a multitude of timeless themes, from the nature of God to family life, the passages are drawn not only from the scriptures, but also from the work of great Jewish thinkers ancient and modern, male and female. For solace, for inspiration, or simply for browsing through at moments of quiet, this anthology should be treasured by readers as a source of perpetual wisdom.