As a member of the Skverers, one of the most insular Hasidic sects in the US, he knows little about the outside world—only that it is to be shunned. His marriage at eighteen is arranged and several children soon follow. Deen's first transgression—turning on the radio—is small, but his curiosity leads him to the library, and later the Internet. Soon he begins a feverish inquiry into the tenets of his religious beliefs, until, several years later, his faith unravels entirely. Now a heretic, he fears being discovered and ostracized from the only world he knows. His relationship with his family at stake, he is forced into a life of deception, and begins a long struggle to hold on to those he loves most: his five children. In All Who Go Do Not Return, Deen bravely traces his harrowing loss of faith, while offering an illuminating look at a highly secretive world.

    Using her own translations, Gafney offers a midrashic interpretation of the biblical text that is rooted in the African American preaching tradition to tell the stories of a variety of female characters, many of whom are often overlooked and nameless. Gafney employs a solid understanding of womanist and feminist approaches to biblical interpretation and the sociohistorical culture of the ancient Near East. This unique and imaginative work that is grounded in serious scholarship will expand conversations about feminist and womanist biblical interpretation.

    If religion is perceived as being part of the problem, Rabbi Sacks argues, then it must also form part of the solution. When religion becomes a zero-sum conceit—that is, my religion is the only right path to God, therefore your religion is by definition wrong—and individuals are motivated by what Rabbi Sacks calls “altruistic evil,” violence between peoples of different beliefs appears to be the only natural outcome.   But through an exploration of the roots of violence and its relationship to religion, and employing groundbreaking biblical analysis and interpretation, Rabbi Sacks shows that religiously inspired violence has as its source misreadings of biblical texts at the heart of all three Abrahamic faiths. By looking anew at the book of Genesis, with its foundational stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Rabbi Sacks offers a radical rereading of many of the Bible’s seminal stories of sibling rivalry: Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Rachel and Leah.   “Abraham himself,” writes Rabbi Sacks, “sought to be a blessing to others regardless of their faith. That idea, ignored for many of the intervening centuries, remains the simplest definition of Abrahamic faith. It is not our task to conquer or convert the world or enforce uniformity of belief. It is our task to be a blessing to the world. The use of religion for political ends is not righteousness but idolatry . . . To invoke God to justify violence against the innocent is not an act of sanctity but of sacrilege.” Here is an eloquent call for people of goodwill from all faiths and none to stand together, confront the religious extremism that threatens to destroy us, and declare: Not in God’s Name.

    Seth Postell (our academic dean), Eitan Bar (our media-evangelism director), and Dr. Erez Soref (our president) will deal with these questions. This book is the first to have been published by One For Israel.Review“At a time when there is much confusion about the believer's relationship to the law of Moses, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus brings clarity, and it does so with light, not heat. What a helpful book for all followers of Yeshua, but particularly for Messianic Jews. Authors Postell, Bar, and Soref maintain a high and respectful perspective of Torah while demonstrating its continued role of pointing to the One of whom Moses wrote. If you want to understand the significance of the Torah and its relationship to those who are followers of Messiah, read this outstanding book. And while reading, keep your Bible at hand, take notes, become enlightened and be transformed.” (Michael Rydelnik, Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible, Moody Bible Institute Syndicated Radio Host and Teacher, Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik Author of The Messianic Hope and Co-editor and contributor, The Moody Bible Commentary)“Most Christians believe the apostle Paul’s assertion to Timothy that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable’ for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many Christians truly study the Old Testament in their own devotions, or feel that they really understand the differences in―and the relationship between―the Old and New Testaments? Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in understanding the ‘whole counsel’ of Scripture, the fundamental purpose of the Mosaic law, the power of the Messianic prophecies, and how to engage in effective and fruitful Jewish evangelism and discipleship. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to pastors and lay people alike!”(Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times best-selling author, Bible teacher and founder of The Joshua Fund)“We are often told that by traditional Jews that they don’t need Yeshua because they have the Torah. Yet Yeshua told the Jewish leaders of his day that, if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in him. How can this be? The authors of this exciting new book, written with humility and clarity, and based on solid academic research, explain just what Yeshua meant, even demonstrating that the ultimate goal of the Torah is to point to him. Your eyes will be opened as you read.”(Michael L. Brown, President, FIRE School of Ministry, author, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (5 vols.))“The one most confusing issue among Messianic Jews (and today, also among many Gentiles believers) is the role of the Torah in the life of the believer. In the movement there are many who claim to be ‘Torah observant’ but fail to read the details of what was commanded by God through Moses, and often as they claim to keep the Torah, they are actually breaking the specific laws involved in keeping the Torah. In the end, while they are preaching Torah, they practice grace. Thus the publication of Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a welcome contribution to the discussion that will clearly clarify all the issues from a solid biblical perspective and help many believers reach a biblical balance on the role and purpose of the Torah.” (Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Founder and Director, Ariel Ministries)“The discussion of the law and believers in Messiah has been a topic of discussion ever since Jesus showed up and many Jews and Gentiles proclaimed him as the fulfillment of promise. This is a brilliant little book showing Torah was not just about law but also about the prospect of promise and the need for that Messiah. What Torah promised pointed ultimately of the need for God working from within. That message rings loud and clear in this book with an explanation to match.”(Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement; Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary)“Christians have discussed and debated for centuries the role of the law now that Christ has come. The authors of this delightful and clear book show that the Old Testament itself teaches that the law cannot save. Indeed, a right reading of the Old Testament points to the Messiah as the one who forgives sins, and thus Christians are oriented fundamentally to Jesus instead of the law. Here we have a biblical-theological reading of the Old Testament that is insightful and instructive, and readers will see the wonderful unity of the whole Bible in this work. I warmly welcome this contribution from Jewish believers in Jesus.”(Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)“Exegetically solid, theologically sound, contemporaneously relevant, eminently readable―all these qualifiers are true and will prove to be vindicated by its intended readership. Especially commendable―and that lends it authenticity―is the fact that its authors are Israeli scholars who embrace messianic faith that names Jesus of Nazareth as Savior and Lord. This is a must!”(Eugene H. Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies (Emeritus), Dallas Theological Seminary)Review“At a time when there is much confusion about the believer's relationship to the law of Moses, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus brings clarity, and it does so with light, not heat. What a helpful book for all followers of Yeshua, but particularly for Messianic Jews. Authors Postell, Bar, and Soref maintain a high and respectful perspective of Torah while demonstrating its continued role of pointing to the One of whom Moses wrote. If you want to understand the significance of the Torah and its relationship to those who are followers of Messiah, read this outstanding book. And while reading, keep your Bible at hand, take notes, become enlightened and be transformed.”—Michael Rydelnik, Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible, Moody Bible InstituteSyndicated Radio Host and Teacher, Open Line with Dr. Michael RydelnikAuthor of The Messianic Hope and Co-editor and contributor, The Moody Bible Commentary “Most Christians believe the apostle Paul’s assertion to Timothy that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable’ for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many Christians truly study the Old Testament in their own devotions, or feel that they really understand the differences in—and the relationship between—the Old and New Testaments? Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in understanding the ‘whole counsel’ of Scripture, the fundamental purpose of the Mosaic law, the power of the Messianic prophecies, and how to engage in effective and fruitful Jewish evangelism and discipleship. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to pastors and lay people alike!”—Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times best-selling author, Bible teacher and founder of The Joshua Fund “We are often told that by traditional Jews that they don’t need Yeshua because they have the Torah. Yet Yeshua told the Jewish leaders of his day that, if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in him. How can this be? The authors of this exciting new book, written with humility and clarity, and based on solid academic research, explain just what Yeshua meant, even demonstrating that the ultimate goal of the Torah is to point to him. Your eyes will be opened as you read.”—Michael L. Brown, President, FIRE School of Ministry, author, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (5 vols.) “The one most confusing issue among Messianic Jews (and today, also among many Gentiles believers) is the role of the Torah in the life of the believer. In the movement there are many who claim to be ‘Torah observant’ but fail to read the details of what was commanded by God through Moses, and often as they claim to keep the Torah, they are actually breaking the specific laws involved in keeping the Torah. In the end, while they are preaching Torah, they practice grace. Thus the publication of Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a welcome contribution to the discussion that will clearly clarify all the issues from a solid biblical perspective and help many believers reach a biblical balance on the role and purpose of the Torah.”—Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Founder and Director, Ariel Ministries “The discussion of the law and believers in Messiah has been a topic of discussion ever since Jesus showed up and many Jews and Gentiles proclaimed him as the fulfillment of promise. This is a brilliant little book showing Torah was not just about law but also about the prospect of promise and the need for that Messiah. What Torah promised pointed ultimately of the need for God working from within. That message rings loud and clear in this book with an explanation to match.”—Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement; Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary “Christians have discussed and debated for centuries the role of the law now that Christ has come. The authors of this delightful and clear book show that the Old Testament itself teaches that the law cannot save. Indeed, a right reading of the Old Testament points to the Messiah as the one who forgives sins, and thus Christians are oriented fundamentally to Jesus instead of the law. Here we have a biblical-theological reading of the Old Testament that is insightful and instructive, and readers will see the wonderful unity of the whole Bible in this work. I warmly welcome this contribution from Jewish believers in Jesus.”—Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary “Exegetically solid, theologically sound, contemporaneously relevant, eminently readable—all these qualifiers are true and will prove to be vindicated by its intended readership. Especially commendable—and that lends it authenticity—is the fact that its authors are Israeli scholars who embrace messianic faith that names Jesus of Nazareth as Savior and Lord. This is a must!”—Eugene H. Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies (Emeritus), Dallas Theological Seminary “Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a book that will help Jews and Gentiles alike understand what it means to be a Jewish believer in Jesus, or Yeshua. Authors Seth Postell, Eitan Bar, and Erez Soref demonstrate from Scripture that to embrace Yeshua is not to abandon the Jewish people or Israel’s great heritage. On the contrary, to embrace Yeshua in faith is to enter into the blessings of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah long ago. God has fulfilled his promises to his people Israel in the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus shows in a clear and compelling way that God has not rejected his chosen people but continues to love them and seeks to bring them into fellowship with him.”— Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University “I give thanks to the Lord for the work of ONE FOR ISRAEL and Israel College of the Bible. Their book Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a rich and helpful resource for understanding the Torah both literarily and theologically, demonstrating that, by divine design, Moses indeed spoke of Yeshua (John 5:46).”—L. Michael Morales, Professor of Biblical Studies, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC “As a professor and student of the Bible, I found fresh insights in this book that clarified the trajectory of the whole of Scripture. Highly recommended!”—George H. Guthrie, Professor of New Testament, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

    Kushner has demonstrated time and again his understanding of the human spirit. In this compassionate new work, his most personal since When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner relates how his time as a twenty-first-century rabbi has shaped his senses of religion and morality. He elicits nine essential lessons from the sum of his teaching, study, and experience, offering a lifetime’s worth of spiritual food for thought, pragmatic advice, inspiration for a more fulfilling life, and strength for trying times. With fresh, vital insight into belief (“there is no commandment in Judaism to believe in God”), conscience (the Garden of Eden story as you’ve never heard it), and mercy (forgiveness is “a favor you do yourself, not an undeserved gesture to the person who hurt you”), grounded in Kushner's brilliant readings of Scripture, history, and popular culture, Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life is compulsory reading from one of modern Judaism’s foremost sages.Distilling the wisdom of an extraordinary career, this profoundly inspiring yet practical guide to well-being is truly the capstone to Kushner’s luminous oeuvre.

    Based on the understanding that no man is born a leader, the book explores the principles, and perils, of becoming one. Profound, eloquent, and deeply inspiring, Lessons in Leadership reveals the biblical secrets of influence, as relevant now as they were three thousand years ago.

    One of the major poets of the twentieth century, Amichai created remarkably accessible poems, vivid in their evocation of the Israeli landscape and historical predicament, yet universally resonant. His are some of the most moving love poems written in any language in the past two generations—some exuberant, some powerfully erotic, many suffused with sadness over separation that casts its shadow on love. In a country torn by armed conflict, these poems poignantly assert the preciousness of private experience, cherished under the repeated threats of violence and death.Amichai’s poetry has attracted a variety of gifted English translators on both sides of the Atlantic from the 1960s to the present. Assembled by the award-winning Hebrew scholar and translator Robert Alter, The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai is by far the largest selection of the master poet’s work to appear in English, gathering the best of the existing translations as well as offering English versions of many previously untranslated poems. With this collection, Amichai’s vital poetic voice is now available to English readers as it never has been before.

    Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under God's sovereignty.

    She knew much of it by heart—and was therefore surprised when, while getting her MFA at the University of Iowa, she took the novelist Marilynne Robinson’s class on the Old Testament and discovered she barely recognized the text she thought she knew so well. From differences in the Ten Commandments to a less ambiguous reading of the creation story to a new emphasis on the topic of slavery, the English translation often felt like another book entirely from the one she had grown up with.Kushner began discussing the experience with Robinson, who became a mentor, and her interest in the differences between the ancient language and the modern one gradually became an obsession. She began what became a ten-year project of reading different versions of the Hebrew Bible in English and traveling the world in the footsteps of the great biblical translators, trying to understand what compelled them to take on a lifetime project that was often considered heretical and in some cases resulted in their deaths.In this eye-opening chronicle, Kushner tells the story of her vibrant relationship to the Bible, and along the way illustrates how the differences in translation affect our understanding of our culture’s most important written work. A fascinating look at language and the beliefs we hold most dear, The Grammar of God is also a moving tale about leaving home and returning to it, both literally and through reading.

    As distant in time from the Five Books of Moses as Updike is from Shakespeare, these Late Biblical books are innovative, entertaining literary works. Women often stand center stage. The Song of Songs is a celebration of young love, frankly sensuous, with no reference to God or covenant. It offers some of the most beautiful love poems of the ancient world. The story of Queen Esther’s shrewd triumph is also a secular entertainment, with clear traces of farce and sly sexual comedy. The character of Ruth embodies the virtues of loyalty, love, and charity in a harmonious world. Enigma replaces harmony in Daniel’s feverish night dreams. The apocalyptic strangeness of Daniel echoes in works from the New Testament’s Book of Revelations to the lyrics of Bob Dylan. And Jonah, the tale of a giant fish who, on God’s command, swallows the prophet and imprisons him in his dark wet innards for three days, ends with a question that lingers, unanswered, leaving the reader to ponder the many limitations of humankind.

    Connolly, well-know, successful Daemonolatress with over 30 years experience working with Daemons, goes into the do's and don't's of successful Daemonic pact-making. If you've ever wanted to make a pact, thought about making a pact, or plan on making one, this book will demystify the process and make the practice accessible to you. Demonolatry, Demon Worship, Satanism

      The book of Numbers is the narrative of a great failure. What should have been for the Israelites a brief journey from Mount Sinai to the Holy Land becomes a forty-year death march. Both before and after the devastating report of the Spies, the narrative centers on the people’s desire to return to Egypt, to undo the miraculous work of the Exodus. At its heart are speeches of complaint and lament, expressing a profound existential skepticism. But by contrast, in the narrative of the book of Numbers that is found in mystical and Hasidic sources, the generation of the wilderness emerges as one of extraordinary spiritual experience, receivers of the Torah to the fullest extent, fed on miracles and nurtured directly by God: a generation of ecstatic faith, human partners in an unprecedented conversation with the Deity. Drawing on kabbalistic sources, the Hasidic commentators on the book of Numbers depict a people who transcend prudent considerations in order to follow God into the wilderness, where their spiritual yearning comes to full expression.   This view of the wilderness history invites us into a different kind of listening to the many cries of distrust, lament, and resentment that issue from the Israelites throughout the book of Numbers. Is there a way to integrate this narrative of dark murmurings, of obsessive fantasies of return to Egypt, with the celebration of a love-intoxicated wilderness discourse? The question touches not only on the language the Israelites speak but also on the very nature of human utterance. Who are these people? Who are we who listen to them? What effect does the cumulative trauma of slavery, the miracles of Exodus, the revelation at Sinai, have on a nation that is beginning to speak? In Bewilderments, one of the most admired biblical commentators at work today posits fascinating answers to these questions through the magnificent literary, scholarly, and psychological analysis of the text that is her trademark.

    I told him that I had not been able to tell my story. He said that it was my obligation to speak out and to tell the world about the Holocaust. He told me that I had survived for a reason-to tell the world what had happened to my family and to me. Suddenly I remembered that my mother had once told me the same thing-that it was beshert, or meant to be, that I survive to tell the story of my family.” -Eliezer Ayalon For ten-year-old Lazorek Hershenfis in Radom, Poland, life with his family is joyful. Lazorek’s father, Israel (known as “Srul”) operates a leather-cutting business from the front of the family’s sparsely furnished, one0romm apartment, and the family spends idyllic summers harvesting fruit from orchards in the nearby countryside. His brothers Mayer and Abush work as tailors to supplement the family’s income, slipping Lazorek occasional pocket money for the movies with friends. Lazorek’s sister Chaya is a kindergarten teacher and a playmate especially cherished, whether the game is catch the homemade balls of the challenging “strulkies” with stones. A deeply respected healer in the community, Lazorek’s beautiful mother Rivka shows him the meaning of caring unselfishly for others, from the breastfeeding the child of an ill friend as if it were her own and preparing special food for Lazorek himself to making middle-of-the-night visits to help sick neighbor. But what is given does not always appear to be returned in kind, as Lazorek discovers on his journey into the ghetto and the concentration camps. Although Lazorek’s father and mother sell much of their jewelry and silver for cash to pay for a visa to Palestine the British mandatory government denies the application. It is then that they lose hope of a better life, and according to Lazorek, events begin to happen so quickly that he runs out of time to be afraid. Lazorek survives and journeys to Palestine, taking the name Eliezer Ayalon. A new life begins.. . but can memories be forgotten? With “A Cup of Hone,” Neile Sue Friedman and Eliezer Ayalon impart the richness and endurance of the family love that inspires the Holocaust survivor to perpetuate the lives of those he lost by telling their story. “Neile played an essential role in bringing my part of this history to lights,” notes Mr. Ayalon. “I hope that by reading my story, as well as others like it, the next generation will learn the lessons of the Holocaust—that hate and intolerance were defeated by hope and courage.”

    As history flows without interruption and doomsday scenarios fail, the following generations focus on their own contemporary events, ignoring or underestimating the past. In this way people always see “signs” in their times and the end of the world is constantly a fresh subject.

    Today his 4,000 Shluchim-emissaries are everywhere. How was an army of Rabbis and Rebbitzens trained and encouraged to move to the four corners of the earth to fulfill their mission? How could they live so far from friends and family while dedicating their lives to the welfare of others, and at times risking their own safety and security? For the first time Rabbi David Eliezrie, a veteran Chabad Shliach in California and a major player on the national level, goes deep inside the organization to reveal the secrets of Chabad’s success. "The Secret of Chabad is probably the first book by a Chabad insider - and a major one at that - telling the incredible story of what has clearly become the most dynamic Jewish force in the contemporary world ... After reading the Secret of Chabad you will never see your local Chabad rabbi in quite the same way..." -- Dennis Prager

    The commentary by Rabbi Marc D. Angel includes ideas from traditional and contemporary thinkers and scholars, allowing the lessons of Pirkei Avot to resonate with readers of all levels of observance.

    Beyond providing an eye-opening reading of a familiar biblical book, the author creatively demonstrates that midrashic readings can reveal deep strata of textual meaning, and combines these insights with classical and contemporary scholarship to uncover the religious messages of this beautifully crafted story. In Ruth: From Alienation and Monarchy, modern techniques of literary analysis and rabbinic homilies merge to yield common insights into themes such as leadership, redemption, identity, and social morality.The Book of Ruth, with its focus on the exemplary behavior of Ruth and Boaz, stands at the crossroads between society’s downward trajectory during the era of the Judges and its ascent during the era of the monarchy. It teaches the timeless lesson of how two individuals can act in accordance with their own conscience and, through small acts of kindness and humanity, change the course of history and restore hope and unity to a nation.

    But women have played a role in Jewish religious leadership from the days of the Bible and even before. Miriam the Prophetess and Deborah the Judge are just the two most prominent of these women, most of whose names are lost to history. The Hebrew Priestess tells the stories of these women, often reading between the lines of the Bible and Talmud to rediscover the women that rabbinic editors tried to erase. The authors bring a unique vantage point: They are founders of the Kohenet Institute, which trains Jewish women as religious leaders - as Hebrew priestesses. They believe the spiritual gifts of Jewish women cannot be incorporated into Judaism unless women explore the Divine through their own lens. The Kohenet Institute offers an embodied, ecstatic earth-based approach to Jewish spiritual practice and leadership. The Hebrew Priestess weaves together a careful examination of historical antecedents of these new priestesses, along with the personal experiences of women who embarked on this new path of Jewish priestesshood. The Hebrew Priestess delineates 13 models of spiritual leadership - among them prophetess, weaver, drummer, shrinekeeper, midwife, mother, maiden, witch, and fool - and shows how each model was manifest in ancient times, its continuation through Jewish history, and how women in our day are following that path. Finally, it shows how you can incorporate part of that path into your own life. Ambitious, erudite, practical, and deeply personal, the Hebrew Priestsess offers a deep connection to Jewish history and to profound holy experiences today. "A very readable and much-needed book!" -Starhawk "An extraordinary and amazing work." -Alicia Ostriker "A book to savor." -Max Dashu "The articulation of my dreams and longings." -Rabbi Shefa Gold "Read this book, but don't stop there-live it as well!" -Rabbi Rami Shapiro"

    Cowan and Thal explore a wide range of issues including: relationships with adult children and spouses, body image, romance and sexuality; living with loss, and cultivating well-being. With the same warmth, humor, and wisdom that draws thousands to their innovative workshops on aging, the authors deliver practical, real world suggestions, journaling exercises, meditations, and activities that dig deep and lead us to a better understanding of how to age well.

    But the Doge sends assassins to pick off the artists, one by one. Can Ruth Telfin, the mute wife of the head glassmaker, save her people? This is a 12,000-word short story.

    One result, Joshua W. Jipp argues, is that important aspects of Paul's thinking about Jesus' messiahship have gone unrecognized. Jipp argues that kingship discourse is an important source for Paul's christological language: Paul uses royal language to present Christ as the good king. Jipp surveys Greco-Roman and Jewish depictions of the ideal king and argues for the influence of these traditions on several aspects of Paul's thought: king and law (Galatians 5–6; Romans 13–15; 1 Corinthians 9); hymning to the king (Colossians 1:15-20); the just and faithful king; the royal roots of Paul's language of participation "in Christ"; and the enthroned king (Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Jipp finds that Paul's use of royal tropes is indeed significant. Christos is a royal honorific within Paul's letters, and Paul is another witness to ancient discussions of monarchy and ideal kingship. In the process, Jipp offers new and noteworthy solutions to outstanding questions concerning Christ and the law, the pistis Christou debate, and Paul's participatory language.

    Vividly reimagined with startling contemporary clarity, Michal Lemberger’s debut collection of short stories gives voice to silent, oft-marginalized biblical women: their ambitions, their love for their children, their values, their tremendous struggles and challenges. Informed by Lemberger’s deep knowledge of the Bible, each of these nine stories story recasts a biblical saga from the perspective of a pivotal woman.Michal Lemberger’s nonfiction and journalism have appeared in Slate, Salon, Tablet, and other publications, and her poetry has been published in a number of print and online journals. A story from After Abel, her first collection of fiction, was featured in Lilith Magazine. Lemberger holds an MA and PhD in English from UCLA and a BA in English and religion from Barnard College. She has taught the Hebrew Bible as Literature at UCLA and the American Jewish University. She was born and raised in New York and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.“Original and thought-provoking.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS“Lemberger imbues her characters with a consciousness that, although taking place in ancient times, seems contemporary, because she brings such empathy to her characters… It is this act of empathy that shines through…. an alternative dialogue that reminds us that it is the stories that we tell that are civilization’s true heritage.” — FORBES“Fresh and engaging.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY“Appeals to readers with even the most basic introduction to the Biblical canon, but especially those whose imaginations are piqued by the mystery of an untold story.” —JEWISH BOOK WORLD“Reminiscent of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent. . . . These beautifully written stories feel like meeting Eve, Lot’s wife, and many other compelling characters for the first time.” —LAUREL CORONA, author of The Mapmaker’s Daughter and The Four Seasons: A Novel of Vivaldi’s Venice“Stunning.” —MOLLY ANTOPOL, author of The UnAmericans“Gorgeous and captivating.” —DARA HORN, author of A Guide for the Perplexed and The World to Come“Marvelous.” —MICHELLE HUNEVEN, author of Off Course and Blame“What struck me most about these stories is their clear, assured confidence—as if Michal Lemberger had pulled apart some of the lines in the old story, spied a new story tucked in there way off in a corner, shimmied in a fishhook and pulled it out.” —AIMEE BENDER, author of The Color Master and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

    God and Politics in Esther explores politics and faith. It is about an era in which the prophets have been silenced and miracles have ceased, and Jewish politics has come to depend not on commands from on high, but on the boldness and belief of each woman and man. Esther takes radical action to win friends and allies, reverse terrifying decrees, and bring God's justice into the world with her own hands. Hazony's The Dawn has long been a cult classic, read at Purim each year the world over. Twenty years on, this revised edition brings the book to much wider attention. Three controversial new chapters address the astonishingly radical theology that emerges from amid the political intrigues of the book.

    Benjamin Sommer maintains that the Pentateuch’s authors intend not only to convey God’s will but to express Israel’s interpretation of and response to that divine will. Thus Sommer’s close readings of biblical texts bolster liberal theologies of modern Judaism, especially those of Abraham Joshua Heschel and Franz Rosenzweig. This bold view of revelation puts a premium on human agency and attests to the grandeur of a God who accomplishes a providential task through the free will of the human subjects under divine authority. Yet, even though the Pentateuch’s authors hold diverse views of revelation, all of them regard the binding authority of the law as sacrosanct. Sommer’s book demonstrates why a law-observant religious Jew can be open to discoveries about the Bible that seem nontraditional or even antireligious.

    Author Leah Koenig shares 175 recipes showcasing handmade, seasonal, vegetable-forward dishes. Classics of Jewish culinary culture—such as latkes, matzoh balls, challah, and hamantaschen—are updated with smart techniques and vibrant spices. Approachable recipes for everything from soups to sweets go beyond the traditional, incorporating regional influences from North Africa to Central Europe. Featuring holiday menus and rich photography, this collection is at once a guide to establishing traditions and a celebration of the way we eat now.

    Kenyon Zimmer explores why these migrants turned to anarchism, and how their adoption of its ideology shaped their identities, experiences, and actions.   Zimmer focuses on Italians and Eastern European Jews in San Francisco, New York City, and Paterson, New Jersey. Tracing the movement's changing fortunes from the pre–World War I era through the Spanish Civil War, Zimmer argues that anarchists, opposed to both American and Old World nationalism, severed all attachments to their nations of origin but also resisted assimilation into their host society. Their radical cosmopolitan outlook and identity instead embraced diversity and extended solidarity across national, ethnic, and racial divides. Though ultimately unable to withstand the onslaught of Americanism and other nationalisms, the anarchist movement nonetheless provided a shining example of a transnational collective identity delinked from the nation-state and racial hierarchies.

    What's Divine about Divine Law? untangles the classical and biblical roots of the Western idea of divine law and shows how early adherents to biblical tradition--Hellenistic Jewish writers such as Philo, the community at Qumran, Paul, and the talmudic rabbis--struggled to make sense of this conflicting legacy.Christine Hayes shows that for the ancient Greeks, divine law was divine by virtue of its inherent qualities of intrinsic rationality, truth, universality, and immutability, while for the biblical authors, divine law was divine because it was grounded in revelation with no presumption of rationality, conformity to truth, universality, or immutability. Hayes describes the collision of these opposing conceptions in the Hellenistic period, and details competing attempts to resolve the resulting cognitive dissonance. She shows how Second Temple and Hellenistic Jewish writers, from the author of 1 Enoch to Philo of Alexandria, were engaged in a common project of bridging the gulf between classical and biblical notions of divine law, while Paul, in his letters to the early Christian church, sought to widen it. Hayes then delves into the literature of classical rabbinic Judaism to reveal how the talmudic rabbis took a third and scandalous path, insisting on a construction of divine law intentionally at odds with the Greco-Roman and Pauline conceptions that would come to dominate the Christianized West.A stunning achievement in intellectual history, What's Divine about Divine Law? sheds critical light on an ancient debate that would shape foundational Western thought, and that continues to inform contemporary views about the nature and purpose of law and the nature and authority of Scripture.

    Powerful life lessons in a funny and moving portrait of family, community and spiritual discovery in America.

    It thrived as a tiny Jewish kingdom unnoticed and unknown to most people, even though it was “the big city” for surrounding Ukrainian and Polish villages. The people of Trochenbrod vanished in the Holocaust, and soon nothing remained of this vibrant 130-year-old town but a mysterious double row of trees and bushes in a clearing in the forest. In this new book, Avrom Bendavid-Val makes Trochenbrod’s true story accessible, enjoyable, and memorable for young readers. The Lost Town follows his adventures while uncovering the lost history of the magical place where his father was born and raised. An imagined Trochenbrod was the setting for Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, Everything is Illuminated , and the movie by the same name.

    Exhausted from their forty-year journey in the desert, the people must overcome earlier failures, confront hostile coalitions on the battlefield, struggle with the inimical cultural values pervasive in Canaan, and make the difficult transition from a nomadic to a settled way of life. Difficult as this may sound, there is yet one burning issue that overshadows the whole enterprise: What are the hallmarks of successful leadership? In Joshua: The Challenge of the Promised Land, Michael Hattin brings to life the biblical Book of Joshua, highlighting how the many complex issues faced by the people as they fought to possess their new land mirror and shed light on today’s reality. Hattin approaches the text as literary narrative, considering it from the perspectives of rabbinic midrash, medieval commentary, and modern scholarship. Eloquently and perceptively, he draws the reader into one of the defining periods in Jewish history, in which the new nation strives to forge a collective identity in their homeland.

    Written in lyrical Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of mystical literature, comprising over twenty sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of mystical interpretation of the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.The ninth volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition completes this running commentary on the Torah. Rabbi Shim'on and his Companions explore passages from the middle of the book of Numbers through the end of Deuteronomy. Among the remarkable sections is Rav Metivta, an account of a visionary journey by Rabbi Shim'on and some of the Companions to the Garden of Eden, where they discover secrets of the afterlife. Later in the volume appears the story of the Yanuqa (Child)—a wunderkind-and-enfant-terrible who amazes and teases, challenges and stumps the rabbis.Near the very end of the Zohar on the Torah comes the remarkable section known as Idra Zuta (The Small Assembly). This dramatic narrative describes the last gathering of Rabbi Shim'on and the Companions before his death. Here the master reveals profound mysteries of divine being, and then departs from this world to unite ecstatically with the Divine Feminine, Shekhinah. Before departing, Rabbi Shim'on invites all of the Companions to his wedding celebration above.

    Nazi soldiers and civilians emptied Jewish communal libraries, confiscated volumes from government collections, and stole from Jewish individuals, schools, and synagogues. Early in their regime the Nazis burned some books in spectacular bonfires, but most they saved, stashing the literary loot in castles, abandoned mine shafts, and warehouses throughout Europe. It was the largest and most extensive book-looting campaign in history. After the war, Allied forces discovered these troves of stolen books but quickly found themselves facing a barrage of questions. How could the books be identified? Where should they go? Who had the authority to make such decisions? Eventually the military turned the books over to an organization of leading Jewish scholars called Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc.—whose chairman was the acclaimed historian Salo Baron and whose on-the-ground director was the philosopher Hannah Arendt—with the charge of establishing restitution protocols. Stolen Words is the story of how a free civilization decides what to do with the material remains of a world torn asunder, and how those remains connect survivors with their past. It is the story of Jews struggling to understand the new realities of their post-Holocaust world and of Western society’s gradual realization of the magnitude of devastation wrought by World War II. Most of all, it is the story of people —of Nazi leaders, ideologues, and Judaica experts; of Allied soldiers, scholars, and scoundrels; and of Jewish communities, librarians, and readers around the world.

    Lincoln and the Jews: A History provides readers both with a captivating narrative of his interactions with Jews, and with the opportunity to immerse themselves in rare manuscripts and images, many from the Shapell Lincoln Collection, that show Lincoln in a way he has never been seen before.Lincoln's lifetime coincided with the emergence of Jews on the national scene in the United States. When he was born, in 1809, scarcely 3,000 Jews lived in the entire country. By the time of his assassination in 1865, large-scale immigration, principally from central Europe, had brought that number up to more than 150,000. Many Americans, including members of Lincoln's cabinet and many of his top generals during the Civil War, were alarmed by this development and treated Jews as second-class citizens and religious outsiders. Lincoln, this book shows, exhibited precisely the opposite tendency. He also expressed a uniquely deep knowledge of the Old Testament, employing its language and concepts in some of his most important writings. He befriended Jews from a young age, promoted Jewish equality, appointed numerous Jews to public office, had Jewish advisors and supporters starting already from the early 1850s, as well as later during his two presidential campaigns, and in response to Jewish sensitivities, even changed the way he thought and spoke about America. Through his actions and his rhetoric—replacing "Christian nation," for example, with "this nation under God"—he embraced Jews as insiders.In this groundbreaking work, the product of meticulous research, historian Jonathan D. Sarna and collector Benjamin Shapell reveal how Lincoln's remarkable relationship with American Jews impacted both his path to the presidency and his policy decisions as president. The volume uncovers a new and previously unknown feature of Abraham Lincoln's life, one that broadened him, and, as a result, broadened America.

    It taps ancient Jewish wisdom for values, tools and precedents to frame new callings and beginnings, shifting family roles, and experiences of illness and death. For seekers of all faiths; for personal use and caregiving settings.

    Jewish Studies. Women's Studies. In the Jewish tradition, Lilith's punishment for rejecting Adam and disobeying God is to give birth to one hundred demons at twilight every night. These demons travel the land, killing newborns and wreaking havoc, until the sun rises anew. Julie R. Enszer reimagines Lilith and her demons for her third collection, LILITH'S DEMONS (A Midsummer Night's Press, 2015), giving them their own voices to speak to women of the world. Recast as a contemporary embattled woman, Enszer's Lilith is fiercely independent and determined as well as vulnerable, exposed. Her demons bemoan their obligation to kill, carrying the weight of such actions every minute, every hour of their time on earth. These poems offer a new mythology for women, reclaiming what is useful from the old and boldly striking new territory where women and their demons can be powerful. No longer dependent on God or man, Lilith and her demons convey a contemporary feminist cosmology.

    Now, in a revolutionary new reading of the Book of Ruth, Rabbi Moshe Miller brings us a commentary that provides an entirely new perspective on this timeless tale. In Rising Moon, the reader will discover that beneath the seemingly simple surface of this fable-like story - the story of a princess of Moab, who leaves her homeland after suffering terrible personal losses and is then reduced to grinding poverty in a foreign land, only to discover love and become the mother of the royal house of her adopted country - the Talmud and Midrash trace a tangled web of primal issues: the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden; the ruinous jealousy of Cain; the painful break between Abraham and Lot over the limitations of hesed, the coercive nature of the giving of the Torah; and the mystery that is the mitzvah of yibum. And within this drama, the one fiber that binds together all the divergent characters and issues is love. Love forms the backdrop of this book of the Bible, presented here as a "play" in four acts, and it is the key to this story, which culminates in the unique love of Ruth and Boaz, the ancestors of the once and future king, David, whose very name, Rabbi Miller observes, means love! In Rising Moon the reader is promised a powerful, eye-opening interpretation of the Ruth story - what Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks calls "a bold, original, and deeply thought-provoking work."

    Its eighty-two short, poetic, sometimes epigrammatic chapters draw on contemplative traditions, art, even pop songs. They are reflections on the path of surrender, alchemy, and the sacred. Written over a ten year period, and completed in the mourning period after the death of the author's mother, The Gate of Tears is not a self-help book. If anything, it is a self-helpless book, discovering a happiness deeper than transitory joys that emerges precisely when the resistance to sadness is released. As the contemporary Buddhist teacher Lama Surya Das says in his foreword to the book, "the only thing that prevents happiness is searching for it."The Gate of Tears draws on Jay Michaelson's fifteen years as a student, and now a teacher, of Buddhist and Jewish contemplative paths. Michaelson is a rabbi, and holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Thought, and has taught Jewish mysticism in and outside the academic world. Yet he is also a longtime teacher of insight meditation in Western Buddhist and secular mindfulness contexts, who has sat many months-long silent meditation retreats. With his usual blend of erudition and accessibility, Michaelson weaves together Hasidic tales and Dharma teachings, Leonard Cohen and Langston Hughes. The Gate of Tears is not a New Age book with easy answers; it is infused with a contemporary sensibility, skepticism, and humor.All of us, if we are to be fully human, experience pain. The Gate of Tears is about how the embrace of that experience ennobles, empowers, and liberates us.Advance Praise"Jay Michaelson's incisive and exquisitely profound insights into our human condition come in full force in The Gate of Tears. Here we have an antidote to mindless feel-good ideology, and gentle instructions in attending to the fullness of our experience so we see the value in the downs, not just the ups. Our inner world will never seem the same." - Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence"The Gate of Tears is a beautifully written, transformative book. Jay Michaelson guides us, instead of denying, avoiding, explaining away or resisting sadness, to go right into the heart of it. There we find open space, true love of life, and, perhaps most redeeming, one another." - Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness"Jay Michaelson's writing is always bracing and brave, but The Gate of Tears has particular power. He guides us to explore -- and accept -- the truth of what he calls "ordinary sadness," and stop looking for happiness so that we might actually find it. Every chapter made me feel as if he was seeing me personally. This book will change your perspective and ease your load." - Abigail Pogrebin, author of Stars of DavidAbout the AuthorDr. Jay Michaelson is the author of six books, including Evolving Dharma: Meditation, Buddhism and the Next Generation of Enlightenment (North Atlantic, 2013) and the bestselling God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality (Beacon, 2011), as well as over 300 articles in The Daily Beast, Atlantic, Tricycle, The Forward, and other publications.

    Those hardy survivors stayed, built a community, and founded one of the fascinating groups described in this book—the Bene Israel of India’s Maharasthra Province. This story is unique, but it is not unusual. We have all heard the phrase “the lost tribes of Israel,” but never has the truth and wonder of the Diaspora been so lovingly and richly illustrated. To create this amazing chronicle of faith and resilience, the authors visited Jews in 30 countries across five continents, hearing origin stories and family histories that stretch back for millennia. Sixteen chapters featuring photographs and stories of the world’s most isolated Jewish communities, from: - The hills of northeastern India, on the border of Myanmar - Sub-Saharan Africa, in Ghana, on the border of Ivory Coast - The last Jewish villages in Eastern Europe and Central Asia - Jews at the heart of the Amazon - Marranos coming out of hiding in Portugal and Mexico - Jewish gauchos and ostrich barons, in the Argentine pampas and the South African veld A foreword from Tudor Parfitt, and over 500 full color photographs and illustrations accompany these beautiful stories, and many more. The culmination of 16 years of collaboration between writers and photographers, Scattered Among the Nations is a stunning work of research and storytelling, and a rich visual documentation of the planet’s most isolated and unusual Jewish communities. Above all, it is a testament to the power of the Jewish people, and the connection that binds such different groups into one great tribe.

    Once they are no longer able to, who will tell their stories?For more than 25 years the March of the Living has brought together survivors and students from all over the world to ensure that first-hand accounts of the Holocaust are not lost. During their visits to Poland, where millions of innocent people were enslaved and murdered by Nazi Germany during WWII, survivors, those who helped them, and liberators all share their memories with young people. As they walk through concentration camps, ghettos, and towns depleted of Jewish communities, a special bond forms as the original witnesses to the Holocaust pass their mantle to a new generation whose task it is to remember what they hear and see. Moving photographs and firsthand accounts show us the remarkable passing of the torch to the young of many faiths and cultures who become the new witnesses, carrying the torch toward a future of peace. Based on an acclaimed exhibit of photographs launched at the United Nations.Message from His Holiness, Pope Francis:"I ask you to convey to the organizers of the March of the Living my closeness to them and their mission. All the efforts for fighting in favor of life are praiseworthy and have to be supported without any kind of discrimination. For this reason I am very close to these initiatives, that are not only against death but also against the thousands of discriminatory phobias that enslave and kill."

    She offers recipes with an incredible array of flavors, some you may not be familiar with but will want to make and eat. Her cooking has been compared to Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a vibrant, passionate culinary exploration inspired by the ancient food traditions of the region with a modern take. Each dish is clean, fresh and in a way, new again or at least uniquely Danielle's. The result is simply inspiring food that will excite food lovers from all over.

    The Bible conveys the Word of God in many literary forms: historical narrative, poetry, prophetic exhortation, wisdom sayings, and novellas (edifying stories). We will be reading three novellas's as written in the bible (Good News Translation). We will explore its literary genres, forms, and motifs, many of which are important to English and American literature--for example, origin stories and hero stories.

    Descending into the darkest recesses of human agony and sin reaches the warm, caring Jesus. These two are the same person. Luke’s testimony introduces us to this man become God—God the Son. He comes into our world already bearing a divine nature, already carrying divine qualities. His birth is a miracle; he is “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). But he does not stride through mortality without mental and physical challenges. Contemplating his future suffering, he declares, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened [distressed] till it be accomplished!” (Luke 12:50). Months later, he has resolved his fears when he leads his disciples on the long, steep climb from Jericho to Jerusalem, ready to face his destiny. Only Luke’s testimony captures Jesus’ inner transformation.The most distinguishing element of this line-by-line, word-by-word commentary is the introduction of Latter-day Saint scriptures—the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—to illuminate Luke’s Gospel. For example, important LDS doctrines arise from Jesus’ activity in the spirit world immediately after his death.More than all other gospel accounts, Luke captures the compassion and love of the Savior. Such sweet concern manifests itself particularly for the downtrodden and those forced to the margins of society. Within this frame, most notable is Jesus’ compassion for women and children, a compassion that springs into view in story after story. This aspect of Luke’s Gospel derives neither from his own special interest nor from his sources. Jesus’ compassion is genuine and cannot be hidden; he gives dignity back to women involved in divorce (see Luke 16:18) and appeals to the women and children of Jerusalem as he is led to the cross (see 23:27–33). Similarly, Luke introduces us to Elisabeth and Mary, recipients of God’s blessings both for them and, through their expected children, for the rest of humankind. Within these stories and others, Luke discloses the deep, divine love that runs through his narrative of Christ. Prof. Brown's Commentary is, to put it bluntly, an astonishing achievement. . . . I learned a lot from it, and that learning took place on multiple levels. . . . Prof. Brown's book is a virtuoso performance. . . . The focus on family is not surprising, given that Mormons are well known for putting family at the center of their religious practices, but Prof. Brown's commentary is the first, as far as I know, to show how fruitful it is to put family at the center of the reading of the Gospels. Luke's Jesus, in Brown's hands, is not the solitary hero, sadly misunderstood, of much modern biblical theology, nor is he a downtrodden man who is born into solidarity with the poor and dispossessed. This is a Jesus who is from a stable, loving, and quite traditional family, who is well educated (knowing four languages, Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Spoken Egyptian), who rises early in the morning to worship and work, and who is a lover of conversation, indeed, a consummate talker who always has an appropriate story on hand to deal with any situation. The result is that details of the Gospel come alive in new ways, like the easily overlooked mention that Peter and his wife have been taking care of Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4:38–39). — Stephen H. Webb, former Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Wabash College

    Combining erudite knowledge of rabbinic texts, philosophy, and psychology, Rabbi Feldman explores this uncharted territory of contemporary Jewish life. Among the questions addressed are: How can it be prohibited to convey facts that are true? How can the innocent be protected and society improved in the context of these laws? How do these laws affect areas such as dating and marriage, therapy, business interactions, and comedic performances? How are modern conceptions of privacy and confidentiality impacted? How has the culture of journalism, the Internet, and political campaigning affected, and been affected by, these laws? False Facts and True Rumors offers an essential guide for communicating in today's fast-paced world.

     · The Surface and Literal meaning of the words themselves. · Hints of a deeper meaning beyond the surface words · A Deeper inquiry · Secret and esoteric meaning Each level of biblical exegesis transcends but includes the former and will never contradict the other. In this book we will delve into the deep end of the pool, the secret and esoteric meaning. We will unlock the secrets of the Hebrew bible. More specifically, three verses from the book of exodus. " 19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night[a] without one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided." --Exodus 14:19-21 Within this text hides something profound and hidden. Within this text lies the keys to spiritual and material transformation. Within this text resides the secret of secrets. Within this text hides the 72 names of God. Today, My friend, you will learn them and you will be transformed.

    These ancient resources can speak to Jewish, non-Jewish, and secular readers alike.Science may tell us what we are, Mittleman says, but it cannot tell us who we are, how we should live, or why we matter. Traditional Jewish thought, in open-minded dialogue with contemporary scientific perspectives, can help us answer these questions. Mittleman shows how, using sources ranging across the Jewish tradition, from the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to more than a millennium of Jewish philosophy. Among the many subjects the book addresses are sexuality, birth and death, violence and evil, moral agency, and politics and economics. Throughout, Mittleman demonstrates how Jewish tradition brings new perspectives to—and challenges many current assumptions about—these central aspects of human nature.A study of human nature in Jewish thought and an original contribution to Jewish philosophy, this is a book for anyone interested in what it means to be human in a scientific age.

    Routledge, PhD., is the pen name of a retired U.S. university professor of humanities. He taught for over forty years and held tenured positions at three major U.S. universities. "Holocaust High Priest" weaves together five compelling and interrelated narratives. The book's main concern is to present the world's first unauthorized biography of Elie Wiesel. It shines the light of truth on the mythomaniac who, in the 1970s, transformed the word "Holocaust" and made it the brand name of the world's greatest hoax: the unfounded claim by an extremist segment of World Jewry to the effect that the German government's wartime policy of territorial transfer of Europe's Jews out of the Reich was in actuality an "extermination program." In these pages, both Wiesel's personal deceits and the whole myth of "the six million" are mercilessly exposed and laid bare for the reader's perusal. Unfortunately, Zionist control of the U.S. Government as well as the nation's media and academic apparatus has allowed Wiesel and his fellow extremists to force a string of U.S. presidents to genuflect before this imposter as symbolic acts of subordination to World Jewry, while simultaneously forcing U.S. school children to submit to Holocaust brainwashing by their teachers. The second strand involves close readings of several of Wiesel's published texts, with emphasis on his alleged "autobiography," the novel "Night." The author demonstrates Wiesel's appalling ignorance of both the physical details and layouts of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald camps, and this ignorance also extends to German administrative protocols and procedures. Amazingly, the novel's chronology of the events said to have "really happened" in the author's life is also disjointed, confusing and internally contradictory. The author also shows the role played by the meme of "retroactive continuity" in the telling of the Holocaust story. The third strand involves an historical account of the rise of Holocaust revisionism mainly in the U.S. and France in response to the many obvious lies contained in the Jewish Holocaust narrative. From the sudden appearance of the revisionist work of Profs. Butz and Faurisson in the 1970s, through the Zündel trials of the 1980s, to the work of contemporary revisionists like Bradley R. Smith, Germar Rudolf, Carlo Mattogno, Thomas Kues and others today, this study shows, through the words of the Holocaustian extremists themselves, how effective the revisionists have been in demolishing their lies. The fourth strand shows how certain ambitious and unscrupulous U.S. Catholic intellectuals have hitched a ride on the Holocaust bandwagon as a means of advancing their careers. Ritual denunciation of the alleged "silence" of Pope Pius XII is unfortunately very much a part of this behavior. Finally, the fifth strand concerns all those U.S. Jews, young and old, who have been turned off by one or another aspect of the Holocaust story and its use within the U.S. Jewish community, but who never criticize it openly for non-Jewish ears. As for younger U.S. Jews, Rabbi Jacob Neusner has been pointing out for years that it has not kept them Jewish. What he calls the "Holocaust and Redemption" cult within U.S. Jewry has contributed to a pronounced abandonment of Jewish identity through intermarriage with non-Jews at percentages never before seen or even imagined.

    Michael Brown refutes the traditional Jewish concept that there is a binding, authoritative Oral Law going back to Moses. While showing great respect for his people's traditions, Brown demonstrates that when there is a conflict between the Bible and tradition, Jews are called to follow the Bible. This study will enrich the lives of both Jewish and Christian readers.Michael L. Brown (Ph.D., New York University) is a Jewish believer who has been active in dialogue, debate, and interaction with rabbis and countermissionaries for more that thirty-five years. He has served as a visiting or adjunct professor at many universities, including Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Fuller Theological Seminary, Denver Theological Seminary, the King’s Seminary, and Regent University School of Divinity.

    Told in understated, crystalline prose, Lax begins her story as a young teen leaving her liberal, secular home to become a Hasidic Jew, then plumbs the nuances of her arranged marriage, fundamentalist faith, and Hasidic motherhood, as her creative, sexual, and spiritual longings shimmer beneath the surface.

    The Jews considered themselves a people set apart for God's special purpose. So it is not surprising that this concept plays such an important role in Pauline theology. In this careful and provocative study, Chad Thornhill considers how Second Temple understandings of election influenced key Pauline texts. Thornhill seeks to establish the thought patterns of the ancient texts regarding election, with sensitivity to social, historical and literary factors. He carefully considers questions of "extent" (ethnic/national or remnant), the relationship to the individual (corporate or individual in focus), and the relationship to salvation (divine/human agency and the presence of "conditions"). Thornhill looks at the markers or conditions that defined various groups, and considers whether election was viewed by ancient authors as merited, given graciously or both. Thorough and measured, the author contends that individual election is not usually associated with a "soteriological" status but rather with the quality of the individual (or sometimes group) in view--the collective entity is in view in the Jewish notion of election. While Paul is certainly able to move beyond these categories, Thornhill shows how he too follows these patterns.

    She is especially known for her series, The Divine Hours, popularizing the observance of fixed-hour prayer, and for her analysis of Emergence Christianity, its precedents, history, and challenges. At every stage of her career — reflected here in essays and poems, sermons, lectures, reflections on the words of Jesus and the future of faith — her vocation has been to assist in the human struggle to come to terms with what it means to live a life with and for God. This collection will be a revelation to her newer readers, a treasury for those who have long admired and followed her work.

    Liebman published a study that boldly declared the vitality of American Jewish Orthodoxy and went on to guide scholarly investigations of the group for the next four decades. As American Orthodoxy continues to grow in geographical, institutional, and political strength, author Adam S. Ferziger argues in Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism that one of Liebman's principal definitions needs to be updated. While Liebman proposed that the "committed Orthodox" --observant rather than nominally affiliated--could be divided into two main streams: "church," or Modern Orthodoxy, and "sectarian," or Haredi Orthodoxy, Ferziger traces a narrowing of the gap between them and ultimately a realignment of American Orthodox Judaism. Ferziger shows that significant elements within Haredi Orthodoxy have abandoned certain strict and seemingly uncontested norms. He begins by offering fresh insight into the division between the American sectarian Orthodox and Modern Orthodox streams that developed in the early twentieth century and highlights New York's Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun as a pioneering Modern Orthodox synagogue. Ferziger also considers the nuances of American Orthodoxy as reflected in Soviet Jewish activism during the 1960s and early 1970s and educational trips to Poland taken by American Orthodox young adults studying in Israel, and explores the responses of prominent rabbinical authorities to Orthodox feminism and its call for expanded public religious roles for women. Considerable discussion is dedicated to the emergence of outreach to nonobservant Jews as a central priority for Haredi Orthodoxy and how this focus outside its core population reflects fundamental changes. In this context, Ferziger presents evidence for the growing influence of Chabad Hasidism - what he terms the "Chabadization of American Orthodoxy." Recent studies, including the 2013 Pew Survey of U.S. Jewry, demonstrate that an active and strongly connected American Orthodox Jewish population is poised to grow in the coming decades. Jewish studies scholars and readers interested in history, sociology, and religion will appreciate Ferziger's reappraisal of this important group.

    It is based on my M.Phil. thesis at Stellenbosch University. It deals with the concept of the Sabbath held by Jews between the period of the so-called Old and New Testaments. Was there a major Jewish view of the Sabbath or were there varied views? Was the Sabbath one of the most important issues facing the Jewish Community, or was it rather a peripheral issue? What was the place of Covenant with YHWH in relation to the Sabbath? What was the impact of the historical events of the period on views of the Sabbath? Was the understanding(s) of the Sabbath legalistic, or was there a depth of heartfelt spirituality accompanying Sabbath observance? Were the rules with regard to the Sabbath actually carried out, or were they largely ignored? The author answers the above questions by looking at five books (Jubilees, 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Damascus Document and Josephus' Jewish Antiquities). These books, written between 200 B.C.E. and 100 C.E, are representative of the literature that deals with the issue of the Sabbath in significant ways.

    Whether responding to a widow struggling to explain her husband's death to her children, or to a community whose school was the target of a terrorist attack, the Rebbe, provided support and solace to individuals and communities experiencing loss and tragedy, guiding them toward the hope for a brighter future.

    The rise of dispensationalism, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the renewal of Jewish-Christian dialogue in the post-Holocaust era have all informed a modern movement of Christians who are supportive of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.This movement is not without opposition. The United States in particular is witnessing a renewal of classical Reformed theology, sometimes called Neo-Calvinism. This growing movement, epitomized by popular teachers like John Piper, Tim Keller, and Mark Driscoll, has no place for the Jewish people or the State of Israel in its theology.In the Reformed paradigm, God has truly promised nothing to the Jewish people; God’s promises throughout the Old Testament are appropriated for the “elect,” a category that now exists within the Christian church. Where Dispensationalists and many Messianic Jews see the State of Israel as the first fruits of a coming fulfillment of God’s promise to end the Jewish exile, Reformed theologians see Israel as nothing more than a political entity—an entity whose very legitimacy these theologians freely, regularly, and publicly attack.In Israel Matters, the author of Yeshua Matters takes a theology centered on Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth one step further. Once we realize we are following a practitioner of Judaism, the King of Israel, and the promised Savior of the Jewish people, what happens to our theology of Israel? What part do Jesus’ people, the Jewish people, play—not just in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, but in God’s continuing work of salvation and redemption?Not only that—how should the church define itself in the light of Israel’s unique role and calling?

    It is religious lyric par excellence. But what is its true meaning? Is it an expression of human love and passion, pure and simple? A celebration of the covenant between God and Israel? Or something else? The latest volume in the Jewish Publication Society’s highly acclaimed Bible Commentary series, Song of Songs provides a line-by-line commentary of the original Hebrew Bible text, complete with vocalization and cantillation marks, alongside the JPS English translation. Unique to this volume are four layers of commentary: the traditional PaRDeS of peshat (literal meaning), derash (midrashic and religious-traditional sense), remez (allegorical level), and sod (mystical and spiritual intimations). Michael Fishbane skillfully draws from them all to reveal the extraordinary range of interpretations and ideas perceived in this beloved biblical book. A comprehensive introduction, extensive endnotes, a full bibliography (traditional and modern), and additional explanatory materials are included to enhance the reader’s appreciation of the work. This original, comprehensive commentary on the Song of Songs interprets historical, critical, and traditional sources drawn from the ancient Near East, the entire spectrum of Jewish sources and commentaries, and modern critical studies.

    We hear about him from the pulpit and the stage. We read about him in the Gospels. As his disciples, we follow him; we revere him; we glorify him. But how well do we really know him?Monks, imams, gurus, priests, and pastors of all kinds have tried to define him. But how does he define himself?What if the Jesus of history doesn’t look like the Jesus we’re trying to follow?What if we’re wrong—not about Jesus’ theological identity, but about his priorities? His politics? His mission? His message?What if we’re wrong about Jesus’ religion?Yeshua Matters is the story of a pastor who discovers that Jesus Christ was not just a Jewish person, but a practicing Jew, a teacher of Judaism—a rabbi, known during his earthly ministry as Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth.Yet despite this emerging scholarly consensus, Jesus has lost his Jewishness in the collective heart and mind of the church. We simply don’t imagine, interpret, or follow him as a part of the broader tapestry of Jewish life and history.If the author is correct, then the root of modern Christianity’s maladies is not disconnection between generations, conflict over worship styles, doctrinal differences, or a failure to keep up with cultural trends, but is instead a failure to apprehend and embrace the historical figure of Jesus.What would change if the church were to rediscover that at the very center of its faith stands a practitioner of Judaism? What would change if the Christian world were to rally around a risen Rabbi?What would change if we all realized that Jesus’ Jewishness changes everything—that Yeshua matters?

    But that’s before an art dealer alleges that Del’s grandfather, a victim of the Nazi death camps, stole the masterpiece from a Paris gallery seventy years before. After the dealer is found dead, and Del's father is implicated, Del sets out to uncover the truth.From present-day San Francisco to war-torn France, to the Nazi death camps and betrayal, A TWIST OF HATE is a story of family honor. One man's quest for answers about the grandfather he never knew, the father he idolizes, and the secrets behind a missing painting that lay buried deep within his family's past.

    This book opens the reader’s eyes to the wealth of Jewish legal material surrounding gender and prayer, with a particular focus on who can lead the prayers in a traditional service and who can constitute the communal quorum—or minyan—that they require. With honesty, transparency, and rigor, Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law is a powerful resource for grappling with these complex questions. The authors not only explore this specific issue in depth, but they also model how we can mine the Jewish legal tradition for its underlying values, enabling its complex sources to serve as effective guides for contemporary communal decision-making.

    But will she also be the key to his demise?Azrail is an archangel, one of the original four. He's also the Angel of Death, the harvester of souls, the One who comes to your deathbed and offers redemption. Time and Man's constant atrocities, however, turn him into a bitter cynic until he finds Kay. She becomes his light, the beacon that brings him back from the depths of his darkened soul. But Lucifer couldn't have that, and orchestrates the perfect plan that causes Az's permanent downfall. Az is thrown far deeper than ever before into his hopelessness and contempt for Man. As he looms over the outcome of his brother's malefic plan, all he can see is his own end, all he can think of is a final and destructive revenge.Az - Revenge of an Archangel, is a dark fantasy centered around the highest form of sibling rivalry: the fight between Lucifer and the Angel of Death for the human soul. But it is also about love, deception and self-discovery, and when a small light can touch you so deeply that you change and start believing once again. Az is a fast-paced, action packed story full of emotion, witty dialogue, and dark humor as narrated by the edgy angel of death himself.

    Offering a thorough exploration, this book covers:-- The five books of Moses, Jewish law, history, and the important Jewish scholars-- Information on Jewish life, the home and family unit, and what to expect at synagogue.-- A guide to celebrating the Jewish Holy Days and the what the holidays entail.-- Twenty frequently asked questions about Judaism, with quick answers.-- Knowledge on how Christianity and Judaism are similar, yet different.

    The Hebrew Bible reveals a variety of traditions of women associated with divination. This sensitive and incisive book by respected scholar Esther J. Hamori examines the wide scope of women’s divinatory activities as portrayed in the Hebrew texts, offering readers a new appreciation of the surprising breadth of women’s “arts of knowledge” in biblical times. Unlike earlier approaches to the subject that have viewed prophecy separately from other forms of divination, Hamori’s study encompasses the full range of divinatory practices and the personages who performed them, from the female prophets and the medium of En-dor to the matriarch who interprets a birth omen and the “wise women” of Tekoa and Abel and more. In doing so, the author brings into clearer focus the complex, rich, and diverse world of ancient Israelite divination.

    This volume contains some thirty chapters covering everything from the fearsome to the furry—for example, lions, leopards, bears, hippopotami, hyraxes and hares. Rabbi Slifkin combines Torah erudition with wide-ranging knowledge of zoology and natural history to explain an abundance of sources regarding the identity, laws, symbolism and significance of these animals in Jewish thought and observance.The book is spectacular, with full color photographs on virtually every page. Stunning images of animals in their natural habitat make this large-format book as appropriate for the coffee table as for the library or classroom. With its engaging style and beautiful photography, The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom is sure to become the definitive resource on this topic.

    David Mevorach Seidenberg challenges the anthropocentric reading of the Torah, showing that a radically different orientation to the more-than-human world of nature is not only possible, but that it also leads to a more accurate interpretation of scripture, rabbinic texts, Maimonides, and Kabbalah. Deeply grounded in traditional texts and fluent with the physical sciences, this book proposes not only a new understanding of God's image but also a new direction to restore religion - to its senses and to a more alive relationship with the more than human, with nature and with divinity.

    

    This incredible book contains more than 40 prose poems to complement the liturgy of the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.​A must for Jews, activists, queers, and anyone who's ever found themselves on the margins of a religion who's looking for a meaningful, irreverent, poetic way in.

    He is depicted there in a surprising way: with and against God; with and against his people; bringer of the Tablets of the Law, which he breaks; a stuttering prophet, guide to a Promised Land entry to which remains forbidden to him, and dead in an unknown tomb... Highly confusing for those who imagine a Moses carved out of a single block. By way a series of possible portraits - including one of a female Moses - Jean-Christophe Attias follows the metamorphoses of the Hebrew liberator through ages and cultures. Drawing on rabbinical sources as well as the Bible itself, he examines the words of the texts and especially their silences. He discovers here a fragile prophet, teacher of a Judaism of the spirit, of wandering, and of incompleteness. Receive and transmit. Listen, even when the message is confusing. Insistently question, especially when there is no answer. And always, remain free. This seems to be the Judaism of Moses. A Judaism that speaks to believers and others - to Jews, of course, but also far beyond them, inviting its hearers to have done with tribal pride, the violence of weapons, and the tyranny of a special place.

    Jeffrey Gorsky vividly relates this colorful period of Jewish history, from the era when Jewish culture was at its height in Muslim Spain to the horrors of the Inquisition and the Expulsion.Twenty percent of Jews today are descended from Sephardic Jews, who created significant works in religion, literature, science, and philosophy. They flourished under both Muslim and Christian rule, enjoying prosperity and power unsurpassed in Europe. Their cultural contributions include important poets; the great Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides; and Moses de Leon, author of the Zohar, the core text of the Kabbalah.But these Jews also endured considerable hardship. Fundamentalist Islamic tribes drove them from Muslim to Christian Spain. In 1391 thousands were killed and more than a third were forced to convert by anti-Jewish rioters. A century later the Spanish Inquisition began, accusing thousands of these converts of heresy. By the end of the fifteenth century Jews had been expelled from Spain and forcibly converted in Portugal and Navarre. After almost a millennium of harmonious existence, what had been the most populous and prosperous Jewish community in Europe ceased to exist on the Iberian Peninsula.

    By the end of the 1950s, Mizrahim, also known as Oriental Jewry, represented the ethnic majority of the Israeli Jewish population. Despite their large numbers, Mizrahim were considered outsiders because of their non-European origins. Viewed as foreigners who came from culturally backward and distant lands, they suffered decades of socioeconomic, political, and educational injustices.In this pioneering work, Roby traces the Mizrahi population's struggle for equality and civil rights in Israel. Although the daily bread and work demonstrations are considered the first political expression of the Mizrahim, Roby demonstrates the myriad ways in which they agitated for change. Drawing upon a wealth of archival sources, many only recently declassified, Roby details the activities of the highly ideological and politicized young Israel. Police reports, court transcripts, and protester accounts document a diverse range of resistance tactics, including sit-ins, tent protests, and hunger strikes. Roby shows how the Mizrahi intellectuals and activists in the 1960s began to take note of the American civil rights movement, gaining inspiration from its development and drawing parallels between their experience and that of other marginalized ethnic groups. The Mizrahi Era of Rebellion shines a light on a largely forgotten part of Israeli social history, one that profoundly shaped the way Jews from African and Asian countries engaged with the newly founded state of Israel.