Judaism Books

Book Synopsis'Thoughtful, highly observant, and humane' GuardianTwo thousand years of human struggleFive tales of family breakdown, political struggle, and monomaniacal obsession from one of the defining voices of the European Jewish diaspora. Moving back through time from the First World War to Ancient Rome, these stories play on the tension between religion, society and individual with masterful irony. We encounter heroes and bookworms, visionaries and gadabouts, patriarchs and rebels - united across the centuries by faith, and by the intensity with which they live and die, their individual passions blazing out against the forces of history. Includes:'Buchmendel''Downfall of the Heart''The Miracles of Life''In the Snow''The Buried Candelabrum'Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe. Translated by Anthea Bell and Eden and Cedar Paul.Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in Vienna, a member of a wealthy Austrian-Jewish family. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and was first known as a translator and later as a biographer. Zweig travelled widely, living in Salzburg between the wars, and enjoying literary fame. His stories and novellas were collected in 1934. In the same year, with the rise of Nazism, he briefly moved to London, taking British citizenship. After a short period in New York, he settled in Brazil where in 1942 he and his wife were found dead in bed in an apparent double suicide. Anthea Bell (1936-2018) was one of the leading literary translators of her time. Her work from German, French and Danish into English encompassed the writings of Kafka, Freud, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Georges Simenon, W.G. Sebald, René Goscinny, and more - including many translations of the work of Stefan Zweig for Pushkin Press. Eden Paul (1865-1944) and Cedar Paul (1880-1972) together translated dozens of books from French, German, Italian and Russian during their thirty years of marriage. Among them were writings on psychoanalysis and socialist thought, as well as many of the works of Stefan Zweig.

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Book SynopsisThe new big thing in terms of spiritual enlightenment, the powerful principles of the Kabbalah have attracted a swathe of celebrity followers ranging from Madonna, Jerry Hall, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger and Guy Ritchie - as well as over 3.5 million other dedicated students worldwide. Previously shrouded in secrecy, its teachings were passed down orally from generation to generation to only an elite few. Now, in THE POWER OF KABBALAH, Rabbi Yehuda Berg has created a user''s manual for today''s world, in which its wisdom is conveyed in a highly accessible, practical form for all to follow.For the first time, these secret teachings are brought to bear on the real world issues faced by us everyday - in our careers, with family and friends, and in our innermost personal thoughts. Rabbi Yehuda Berg sets out a practical collection of principles and instructions for improving our lives - helping us to get to where we really want to be emotionally, spiritually, financialTrade ReviewThis book should come with a warning: Danger of enlightenment. * Guy Ritchie *The Power of Kabbalah shows you how to reveal the beauty of your spirit and embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. * Deepak Chopra *In a world jam-packed with confusion, chaos and the superficial, The Power of Kabbalah helps you throw on the brakes before you hit the wall. Love it and live it. * Sandra Bernhard *This book provides a simple yet powerful and profound message for both novices and seasoned seekers alike. * John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are *

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Book SynopsisHow identity politics failed one particular identity.A must read and if you think YOU don't need to read it, that's just the clue to know you do' SARAH SILVERMANA masterpiece'' STEPHEN FRYJews Don't Count is a book for people on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you.It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel's contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of reasoning, polemic, personal experience and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism. He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don't count as a real minority.Trade Review‘Jews Don’t Count is a supreme piece of reasoning and passionate, yet controlled, argument. From his first sentence, the energy, force and conviction of Baddiel’s writing and thinking will transfix you…as readable as an airport thriller…a masterpiece.’STEPHEN FRY ‘I don’t think I have ever been so grateful to anyone for writing a book. Baddiel’s Jews Don’t Count is incisive, urgent, surprisingly funny and short. It’s also a beautiful piece of publishing. It needs to be read’JAY RAYNER ‘Brilliant, furious, uncomfortable, funny. Essential reading.’SIMON MAYO ‘I'm about a quarter of the way into this thus far and it's very well argued and written. It's a book you know the author HAD to write, and those are the best books’JON RONSON ‘I only big up work I really believe is good and this is extra-ordinarily good. And important’JONATHAN ROSS ‘This is brilliant – funny and furious, mostly at the same time’MARINA HYDE ‘A convincing and devastating charge sheet’ Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times ‘It is so gripping – I read it in a single sitting’ Stephen Bush, The Times ‘A fascinating book, I urge you to read it’ Piers Morgan ‘I really think it’s a great book … the real triumph is its tone, its straightforwardness, and its spectacular tact and wit’ Adam Phillips, author of Monogamy ‘this short and powerful book shows, with remarkable humanity and humour, that no contemporary conversation about racism is complete without confronting antisemitism. An essential read – and a compulsory one too, if I had my way.’ Sathnam Sanghera ‘Funny, complex and intellectually satisfying – a really good piece of work’ Frankie Boyle ‘Just so brilliantly argued and written, I was completely swept along’ Hadley Freeman ‘David Baddiel is a brilliant thinker and writer. Even when I disagree with him – especially when I disagree with him – I feel profound gratitude for his intellectual and moral clarity. This is a brave and necessary book.’ Jonathan Safran Foer

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Book SynopsisThe #1 bestselling inspirational classic from the internationally known spiritual leader; a source of solace and hope for over 4 million readers.Since its original publication in 1981, When Bad Things Happen to Good People has brought solace and hope to millions. In the preface to this edition, Rabbi Kushner relates the heartwarming responses he has received over the years from people who have found inspiration and comfort within these pages.When Harold Kushner’s three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant the boy would only live until his early teens, he was faced with one of life’s most difficult questions: Why, God? Years later, Rabbi Kushner wrote this straightforward, elegant contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. In these pages, Kushner shares his wisdom as a rabbi, a parent, a reader, and a human being. Often imitated but never superseded, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a classic that offers clear thinking and consolation in times of sorrow.Trade ReviewWhen Bad Things Happen to Good People offers a moving and humane approach to understanding life’s windstorms. * Elisabeth Kübler-Ross *Whether religious or not, this book will speak because it touches–profoundly, but simply–on questions no parent and no person can avoid. * Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School *A touching, heartwarming book for those of us who must contend with suffering, and that, of course, is all of us. * Andrew M. Greeley *This is a book all humanity needs. It will help you understand the painful vicissitudes of this life and enable you to stand up to them creatively. * Norman Vincent Peale *

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Book SynopsisThe daughter of Iraqi-Jewish refugees, Samantha Ellis is the author of the books How to be a Heroine and Take Courage and her plays include How to Date a Feminist, Cling to me Like Ivy and Operation Magic Carpet. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, TLS, Spectator, Literary Review and more. She worked on both Paddington films. She lives in London.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface to the Reissue, 1977Preface to the First Edition, 1966At the Mind's LimitsTortureHow Much Home Does a Person Need?ResentmentsOn the Necessity and Impossibility of Being a JewTranslator's NotesAfterword by Sidney Rosenfeld

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Book SynopsisA young Jewish student in Romania tries to make sense of a world that has decided he doesn't belong. This is the chronicle of resilience and despair, broken layers of memory and the terrible forces of history.Trade ReviewAt a dark moment of identity politics and resurgent nationalism, the books that have left the deepest impression have been those that offer a sense of what we might learn from times past. Nothing I have read is more affecting than Mihail Sebastian's magnificent, haunting 1934 novel, For Two Thousand Years (trans Philip Ó Ceallaigh), now available in English -- Philippe Sands * Guardian Books of the Year *Remarkably pertinent to our time and place. . . What's chilling about For Two Thousand Years, in this sensitive translation by Philip O Ceallaigh, is how its oppressive atmosphere foreshadows the rise of Romanian authoritarianism and the destruction of Romanian Jewry, even though it was published before the fascists came to power. . . I can't help thinking that Mihail Sebastian is sending us a message across the generations * New York Times Review of Books *The best novel of the year was written in 1934. Mihail Sebastian's For Two Thousand Years, an account of interwar Bucharest by a nameless Jewish student, took a human lifespan to find an English translation -- Janan Ganesh * Financial Times *It wonderfully captures the sense of pre-war Romania in all its sophistication, its beauty and its horror... I love Sebastian's courage, his lightness and his wit -- John Banville * Open Book, Radio 4 *An elegant and candid and horrifyingly understated account of watching violent unreason rise around you -- Ben Lerner * Paris Review *Mordant, meditative, knotty, provocative... More than a fascinating historical document, it is a coherent and persuasive novel... Penguin should be applauded for finally bringing this book to an anglophone audience. Philip Ó Ceallaigh's translation is highly convincing and sweeps us along with its protagonist's emotional shifts -- Toby Lichtig * Financial Times *Eerily prophetic... a brilliant translation of a most unusual novel. For Two Thousand Years is a book of truths -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *One of the most unusual, seductive and beautiful books I've read in years. It has lightness of touch coupled with astonishing range... Like any classic of a type we've not seen before, it is a book which needs to be read and re-read and which, over years, will become a reliable friend for life -- John Self * Jewish Quarterly *For Two Thousand Years is lucid, melancholy and playful - a fictional memoir recreating the night-life and love affairs, friendships and betrayals of a world that was falling apart -- John Gray, author of The Soul of the MarionettePhilip Ó Ceallaigh's meticulous and vibrant translation restores to us the wry, bitterly intelligent, endlessly self-castigating yet dauntingly perceptive and prophetic voice of Mihail Sebastian. For Two Thousand Years is a masterful book charged with the tension and paranoia that preceded one of the bloodiest convulsions in the history of the 20th century, and the terrifying thing is, it could have been written yesterday, today, tomorrow -- Colin Barrett, author of Young SkinsA powerful and prescient novel which throws light on darkness and disturbs as it entrances... If there is any justice [Sebastian's] posthumous profile will increase -- Malcolm Forbes * Herald Scotland *Complex, unsettling... Sebastian seldom provoked indifference in his readers. That is why he belongs in the pantheon of classic authors... For Two Thousand Years is a work that also speaks to our own discontents right now -- Gavin Jacobson * New Statesman *His prose is like something Chekhov might have written - the same modesty, candour, and subtleness of observation -- Arthur MillerRestraint is the defining mark of both For Two Thousand Years and the subsequent Journal, as it is of Sebastian's personality... In a truly atrocious time he refused to compromise on his duties as a civilized human being... Even on the darkest pages he finds room for a graceful turn of phrase, a flash of wit, a gesture of understanding and forgiveness -- John Banville * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisCrimereads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction 2023, Hey Alma’s 23 Jewish Books in 23 Selection, Featured in ITW’s Big Thrill Magazine, Book Riot’s 12 New Mystery & Thrillers To Get Sleuthing After her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Billie Levine revamped her grandfather’s private investigation firm and set up shop in the corner booth of her favorite North Jersey deli hoping the free pickles and flexible hours would allow her to take care of her mom and pay the bills. So when Tommy Russo, a rich kid with a nasty drug habit, offers her a stack of cash to find his missing girlfriend, how can she refuse? At first, Billie thinks this will be easy earnings, but then her missing person's case turns into a murder investigation and Russo is the detective bureau’s number one suspect. Suddenly Billie is embroiled in a deadly gang war that’s connected to the decades-old disappearance of a famous cabaret dancer with ties to both an infamous Jewish mob and a skinhead group. Toss in the reappearance of Billie’s hunky ex-boyfriend with his own rap sheet, and she is regretting every decision that got her to this point. Becoming a P.I. was supposed to solve her problems. But if Billie doesn’t crack this case, the next body the police dredge out of the Hudson River will be hers.Trade Review"A page-turning PI mystery with depth and heart.""An absolute must read!""I can't wait to dive into Billie's next case.”"With whip-smart prose, and a plot that will keep you guessing, you won’t set the book down until the very shocking and satisfying end!""A knockout.”"a noir lover’s dream!""A thoroughly modern, socially conscious new private investigator for the twenty-first century, "" I couldn't get enough of this slick, sharp thriller.""Readers will want to see more of Billie.""A gripping mystery novel,""...A fun, fast-paced mystery... a spunky take on hard-boiled detective drama.""Giarratano capably keeps a plethora of balls in the air in the suspect- drenched, tangled plot, but the real draw here is Billie, her family, and the sundry, offbeat characters in their orbit—all fully fleshed and filled with infectious spirit.""What a joy to keep readerly company with Billie Levine, the newly-minted (and somewhat reluctant) private detective who takes her bow in Death of a Dancing Queen.""[Billie] displays some true grit and some impressive detective chops along the way;"

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Book SynopsisYou’ll find everything you need to know about being Jewish in this indispensable, revised and updated guide to the religious traditions, everyday practices, philosophical beliefs, and historical foundations of Judaism.What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? What should I be teaching my children about being Jewish? With the first edition of Essential Judaism, George Robinson offered the world the accessible compendium that he sought when he rediscovered his Jewish identity as an adult. In his “ambitious and all-inclusive” (New York Times Book Review) guide, Robinson illuminates the Jewish life cycle at every stage and lays out many fascinating aspects of the religion—the Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, the evolution of Hasidism, and much more—while keeping a firm focus on the different Trade Review“Ambitious and all-inclusive.” * The New York Times Book Review *"An invaluable one-volume compendium." * The Philadelphia Inquirer *"Extraordinary....Robinson deserves our gratitude for his major contribution." * The Jerusalem Post *

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Book SynopsisWhy can''t we talk about antisemitism? ''I cannot wait for Off-White to be read, debated and put into practice.'' Naomi Klein, author of Doppelganger As claims of antisemitism continue to distort our politics at home and abroad, it has become almost impossible to talk about constructively, even in private. Instead, we find ourselves in a storm of misinformation, political mudslinging and bad-faith accusations. There is, however, a way to deliberate more honestly. Looking beyond our polarising headlines and interrogating the reasons racism takes hold, Off-White offers urgent analysis of one of the most divisive issues of our time. Taking in the contingency of whiteness, Judeo-Christian mythmaking, pro-Israel antisemitism, and the Palestinian struggle against colonialism, Rachel Shabi lights a hopeful way forward. *** ''Timely and valuable... [Shabi''s] key message is a vital one - that the fight against antisemitism is an essential part of the fight against all injustice and dehumanisation.'' Observer, Book of the Week ''A masterpiece defined by moral clarity, humanity and insight.'' Owen Jones ''An invaluable guide for anyone who seeks to understand issues over which we stumble far too often.'' George Monbiot ''With a generous spirit and a humane compass, Rachel Shabi guides us through a minefield.'' Gary Younge

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Book SynopsisThe development of Judaism from ancient times to the modern day, shown in over 190 pictures. It traces the history of Judaism across the centuries, from ancient, rabbinic and medieval times to the present day. It discusses the creation of a Temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritans, Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes, the emergence of rabbinic Judaism, the Jewish faith in the modern world, and untraditional Judaism. It is meticulously researched, with over 190 photographs of paintings, manuscripts, statues, important historical sites and archaeological revelations. It is a concise and readable account for both students and general readers. Judaism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. This book covers the history of the Jews from the biblical period to the fall of the Temple, as well as life in the medieval and modern world. It explores many different forms of Jewish existence from the period of the twelve tribes through to the medieval mystics, and continues to modern kabbalism and Jewish renewal. The abundance of the Jewish heritage and its influence on other religions and modes of thought are also covered, including gender issues, the environment and vegetarianism.With its magnificent illustrations and expert text, the book is a fascinating guide to a rich and complex religion.

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Book SynopsisWriting with his usual grace and fluency, Jonathan Sacks moves beyond the tired arguments of militant atheists such as Dawkins'' The God Delusion and Hitchens'' God is Not Great, to explore how religion has always played a valuable part in human culture and far from being dismissed as redundant, must be allowed to temper and develop scientific understanding in order for us to be fully human.Ranging around the world to draw comparisons from different cultures, and delving deep into the history of language and of western civilisation, Jonathan Sacks shows how the predominance of science-oriented thinking is embedded deeply even in our religious understanding, and calls on us to recognise the centrality of relationship to true religion, and thus to see how this core value of relationship is essential if we are to avoid the natural tendency for science to rule our lives rather than fulfilling its promise to set us free.Trade ReviewThe most persuasive argument for religious belief I have read. * Andrew Marr, BBC Radio 4 Start the Week *An intelligent, optimistic credo that allows for the happy coexistence of science and religion * The Times *One of the most engaging thinkers of our time * The Times *Britain's most authentically prophetic voice * The Daily Telegraph *Jonathan Sacks's voice carries unique moral authority far beyond the Jewish community * The Tablet *

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Book SynopsisA microhistory of the Zionist utopian project, its broader theoretical debates, and its struggles through the idea of melancholy for democratic opposition or dissent.Trade ReviewLebovic reveals a great deal about the work of Zarchi and the melancholic mindset of an entire generation of contemporary Israelis. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Lebovic's main line of argumentation in the book is original and interesting. The monograph is a compelling contribution to the literary history of Hebrew prose. . . . The monograph . . . subtly unearths a voice in Hebrew literature that resonates with Israeli left-winged politics while differing from its major standpoints. * Political Theology *It is the unique nature of Zarchi's melancholy that Lebovic aims to explore and explicate. This literary and, for Lebovic, political topic here receives scholarly attention for the first time. -- Orit Rozin, Tel Aviv University * Hebrew Studies *While Zarchi's sizable oeuvre garnered critical attention, no systematic study of his life and work exists. Nitzan Lebovic's Zionism and Melancholy: The Short Life of Israel Zarchi helps fill this gap, and through an exploration of Zarchi's archive and interviews with family members, it presents previously unknown information about Zarchi's life and work. Lebovic's book is noteworthy for this reason alone. * Reading Religion *Lebovic's book reflects (not without irony) his own attempt to restore Zarchi's work and offers a new reading of his oeuvre. The result is a splendid essay, learned and diligent. * Psychoanalysis and History *Table of ContentsList of Israel Zarchi's Works under Discussion PrefaceIntroduction1. The History of a Failure2. The Early Novels3. Jerusalem, Messianism, Emptiness4. Political Theology and Left-Wing Melancholy5. In an Unsown Land6. The History and Theory of the Melancholic Discourse7. The Revival of Hebrew: Utopia, Indistinction, RecurrenceAfterwordSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisJewish radicals manned the barricades on the avenues of Petrograd and the alleys of the Warsaw ghetto; they were in the vanguard of those resisting Franco and the Nazis. They originated in Yiddishland, a vast expanse of Eastern Europe that, before the Holocaust, ran from the Baltic Sea to the western edge of Russia and incorporated hundreds of Jewish communities with a combined population of some 11 million people. Within this territory, revolutionaries arose from the Jewish misery of Eastern and Central Europe; they were raised in the fear of God and taught to respect religious tradition, but were caught up in the great current of revolutionary utopian thinking. Socialists, Communists, Bundists, Zionists, Trotskyists, manual workers and intellectuals, they embodied the multifarious activity and radicalism of a Jewish working class that glimpsed the Messiah in the folds of the red flag.Today, the world from which they came has disappeared, dismantled and destroyed by the Nazi genocide. After this irremediable break, there remain only survivors, and the work of memory for red Yiddishland. This book traces the struggles of these militants, their singular trajectories, their oscillation between great hope and doubt, their lost illusions-a red and Jewish gaze on the history of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewIts impact on me was immense. I devoured it; my political horizons radically expanded. Not only, I came to realise, was there no contradiction between Judaism, socialism and internationalism, but, until the Nazi genocide, they existed in a profoundly interrelated way. -- Sai Englert * Salvage *An eye-opening oral history. -- Gabriel Levy, author of Judaic Technologies of the WorldA haunting, inspiring and often tragic book, Revolutionary Yiddishland uses first-hand interviews, deep archival research and sharp analysis to bring to life a complex landscape of factory workers, partisans, poets, party leaders, refugees, ghetto fighters and movement intellectuals. -- Ben Lorber * In These Times *This rich and poignant and often enthralling record traces the Yiddishland revolutionaries from their East European roots through the years of hope and struggle and hideous crimes to the heroic anti-Nazi resistance and beyond, with fascinating asides on Spain and Palestine. There are many lessons for today, not least the significance ofthe lively interaction of revolutionary intellectuals and workers and the efforts to integrate the commitment to radical social and economic change with the formation of a Jewish identity that would break sharply from the stultifying tradition and open the way to the aspirations of the Jewish workers' movement that was at the forefront of revolutionary struggle from its earliest days. -- Noam ChomskyCould there have been a future for pre-war Jewry in which Israel did not exist and Jews were gathered in a nation state within a federated Soviet Union? This is one of the questions brought up in Alain Brossat and Sylvia Klingberg's book. There is hope for the spirit and aims behind the stories this book tells. Jewish radicalism did not die out in 1942 with the Final Solution. It now expresses itself without Yiddish. -- Clive Bloom * Times Higher Educational Supplement *A fascinating window onto a lost world. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the complex relationship between the Jewish left, the general left, and Zionism. The gripping testimonies collected in these pages give the lie to the idea that Jews in the Shoah went like sheep to the slaughter. Brossat and Klingberg do not try to iron out the wrinkles of the past. Their insightful commentary illuminates the passions, paradoxes, triumphs and defeats of the witnesses who populate their book. -- Brian Klug, author of Being Jewish and Doing JusticeNowadays we know more and more about the Nazi Genocide. Unfortunately, we have much less knowledge about the everyday life which preceded the horror and was so brutally terminated. For opening up this world we must praise Alain Brossat and Sylvia Klinberg for their vital new book, Revolutionary Yiddishland. Here, life is given priority over death, and the struggles of so many in the Yiddishland allow us to see past the catastrophes. -- Shlomo Sand, author of The Invention of the Jewish PeoplePraiseworthy * Jewish Currents *Brossat and Klingberg's book is a memorial to a missing world. As an aesthetic composition, it is beautiful. -- Max Ajl * Mondoweiss *Altogether, Revolutionary Yiddishland is a thoroughly engaging read. It's an important historical document preserving the memory of this radical period of Jewish and European history. -- JP O'Malley * Haaretz *

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Book SynopsisThe classic guide to the cultural and spiritual treasures of Judaism is now updated for the first time in 15 years to reflect changes in the modern Jewish community.Living a Jewish Life describes Judaism as not just a contemplative or abstract system of thought but as a blueprint for living fully and honorably.Trade Review"An excellent first reader for the young family taking its first steps into living their Jewishness." — Rabbi Harold Kushner

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Book SynopsisA unique chronicle of the hundred-year period when the Jewish people changed the world – and it changed them Marx, Freud, Proust, Einstein, Bernhardt and Kafka. Between the middle of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a few dozen men and women changed the way we see the world. But many have vanished from our collective memory despite their enduring importance in our daily lives. Without Karl Landsteiner, for instance, there would be no blood transfusions or major surgery. Without Paul Ehrlich no chemotherapy. Without Siegfried Marcus no motor car. Without Rosalind Franklin genetic science would look very different. Without Fritz Haber there would not be enough food to sustain life on earth. These visionaries all have something in common – their Jewish origins and a gift for thinking outside the box. In 1847 the Jewish people made up less than 0.25% of the world’s population, and yet they saw what others could not. How?Trade Review‘[Lebrecht] guides us through his chosen period… in a breathless present continuous, with an enthusiasm that holds the reader’s attention… Lebrecht’s passion is persuasive, while the depth and variety of his reading and the sweep of his writing consistently engage.’ -- TLS‘Claims to have “changed the world” tend to be exaggerations, but Lebrecht’s subtitle…seems understated. The world wasn’t changed, it was remade, by the emancipation of Jews into public life that began in the 1840s…Narrated not by a straight-faced professional historian, but by a sprightly raconteur, with anecdotes and jokes, digressions and embellishments. Lebrecht piles them high in a ziggurat of enthusiasm for those “who changed the way we see the world”’. * The Times *‘A riveting, gossipy, action-packed, seam-bursting blast through 100 years of (mainly) European history…Lebrecht is an exuberant storyteller who ably brings these personalities to life…Impressively wide-ranging in scope and unflaggingly fascinating in detail.’ * Financial Times *'[An] urgent and moving history.’ * The Spectator *‘Norman Lebrecht has a rare ability to evoke the past with the immediacy of a good journalist, broadcaster, novelist or blogger… In his new book, a magnum opus of well over 400 pages, he brings his lifelong interests together.’ * Jewish Chronicle *‘This is unapologetically a book about Jews – scores of Jews whose lives and achievements made a significant difference to the world. In themselves, their histories make for fascinating reading, but a deeper theme informs these absorbing biographical sketches… Fascinating’. * Jerusalem Post *‘An exercise in boosterism… While Genius and Anxiety presents itself as a work of serious historical research, it is also laced with journalistic pizzazz.’ * Guardian *‘This book unapologetically celebrates Jewish genius by asking some piercing questions… the book is also a reminder that the unremitting antisemitism that contextualises Jewish genius has not disappeared.’ -- Jewish Renaissance‘… the book features dozens of remarkable scientists, artists and politicians of Jewish descent. Lebrecht’s wide net captures the usual suspects — Marx, Freud, Kafka, Einstein — but also many lesser-known, and equally fascinating, individuals.’ -- New York Times‘This book is a joy. Concise, vivid, well-written, in clear antithesis to banality… One not only enjoys the wealth of interesting facts and people, but is also delighted to be treated with many of [Lebrecht’s] aphoristic pearls… A vivid psychological study of Jewishness.' -- The Times of Israel‘A dazzling masterpiece depicting the glory and tragedy of Europe’s most persecuted people.’ -- Tom Bower‘Lebrecht vividly portrays the tensions between success and discrimination, offering a timely reminder of what western civilisation owes to the Jews.’ -- David Abulafia, Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge, and author of The Great Sea

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Book SynopsisMarcia Pally is Professor in Multilingual Multicultural Studies at New York University, USA, and held the Mercator Guest Professorship in the Theology Faculty at Humboldt University-Berlin (Germany), where she is now a regular Guest Professor.Trade ReviewMarcia Pally offers here an immensely rich theological interpretation of the work of legendary Canadian poet-musician Leonard Cohen. The key theological theme I see is Cohen's claim that we human beings were made for covenant with God and one another and yet the way we were made – or the way we have turned out – makes it immensely difficult for us to keep the very covenants that we need. So the human condition is tragic, and the tragedy may ultimately be traceable to the very God who alone is our source and our destiny. This book makes me want to marinate in the music and poetry, though not the lifestyle, of Leonard Cohen. It also deepens my immense appreciation for the impressive intellectual range of Marcia Pally. This is a tour de force. -- David P. Gushee, Mercer University, USAMarcia Pally has written an absolutely brilliant and arresting book about the lyrics of Leonard Cohen. Cohen’s lyrics have fascinated me for many years - a descendant of rabbis, he has done the remarkable thing of writing prophecy and social criticism into his lyrics. Marcia Pally’s book analyzes his extraordinary talent. Please read it! -- Erica Jong, award-winning author of Fear of Flying, novelist, and cultural commentator, USADrawing upon the entirety of Cohen’s creative output, including his oft-overlooked novels, Marcia Pally takes Cohen seriously as a religious thinker, “a mystic for the post secular age,” in the words of Aubrey Glazer. Pally swaps out Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Irving Layton and Federico García Lorca in favor of Rosenzweig, Heschel, Levinas, and Wolfson as she recontextualizes Cohen as a poet engaged in a lifelong wrestling match with the Almighty. The listener—or reader, in this case—comes out the winner. -- Seth Rogovoy, author of Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet, USAFrom This Broken Hill I Sing to You is must reading for those like myself who are torn between our devotion to Leonard Cohen's work and our dismay at his personal history with women. By painstakingly charting the poet/singer's lifelong struggle to reconcile his covenantal relationships (with God and women) with his real-life behavior, Marcia Pally has forged a deeply compelling new covenant between Cohen and us, his acolytes. To which, I say Hallelujah! -- Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. magazine & author of Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female & Jewish in America, USAMarcia Pally’s From This Broken Hill I Sing to You is a superb book, from Moshe Halbertal’s inspired foreword to the piercing last chapter on Leonard Cohen’s last creed. The writing is sophisticated and accessible, fully up to the task of realizing the deep philosophic-anthropological and theological dimensions of Cohen’s work. The subtitle of the book, God, Sex Politics in the Work of Leonard Cohen, is only partly accurate - the book far more. There is a movement of the study of Cohen’s terse verse, and this book summarizes that work well and advances it with a decided focus on Cohen’s struggle with the tortured relationship between the mortal and the eternal. As someone whose relationship with “Old Priest” was rooted in theological discussions (Lurianic Kabbalah), it is such a pleasure to see his depth so beautifully and originally articulated. -- Rabbi Mordecai Finley, spiritual counselor to Leonard Cohen, spiritual leader of Ohr HaTorah congregation, and professor of liturgy, mysticism and Jewish ethics, USAI have always loved Leonard's work, and loved him personally, and knew that HE was the man along with Beatles, whose work would survive musically. Marcia Pally’s masterful book reveals that as a poet, songwriter, philosopher and ultimate mensch, Leonard Cohen, his work and his spirit are here for ALL TIME!! -- David Amram, one of the "Twenty Most Performed Composers of Concert Music in the United States" and collaborator with Leonard Bernstein, Dizzy Gillespie, Dustin Hoffman, Charlie Mingus, Elia Kazan, Odetta, Jack Kerouac, Betty Carter and Tito Puente, USATable of ContentsIntroduction and Biographical Sketch Chapter One: Theodicy: Arguments With God about Evil, Suffering, and God Himself Chapter Two: Covenantal Theology and its Place in Cohen’s Work Chapter Three: From Covenantal Theology to Theodicy: Failing Covenant with God and Persons Chapter Four: Failing Covenant with God and Persons: Doubled Imagery in Cohen’s Work Chapter Five: Those who did not fail covenant: Moses and Jesus—Cohen’s Jewish and Christian Imagery Chapter Six: The Double Bind That Is Not a Bond: Cohen and Women Chapter Seven: Betrayal of God, Betrayal of Persons, Political Betrayals—Cohen’s Trinity Concluding Remarks: You Want It Darker and Thanks for the Dance—Cohen’s Last Creed Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA fresh look at how Christianity and Judaism became two distinct religions through the parting of their intellectual traditionsTrade Review“A groundbreaking study on the intellectual and cultural history of early Christianity, this book will serve as a new starting point for any study on the subject of the parting or never-parting of the ways.”—Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem“In this thrilling book, Fiano’s arguments re-place the development of Christianity and its practice of establishing separation from something they call ‘Judaism’ in the very invention of theology as an intellectual discipline. This argument requires the Talmud skills of a Yeshiva student and the patristic knowledge of a monk. Fiano has both.”—Daniel Boyarin, author of Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity“This learned and adventurous book breathes new life into the Christian controversies of late antiquity. It shows how Jews and Christians created a dynamic view of intellectual endeavor itself as they each, in their different ways, struggled to tease out the mystery of their shared God.”—Peter Brown, author of Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350–550 AD“A significant contribution to the new intellectual history of late antiquity, at once generous and provocative. Fiano’s sociological framing of the issues gives his readings real traction.”—Mark Vessey, editor of A Companion to Augustine

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Book SynopsisFor thousands of years, no book has been more shrouded in mystery than the Zohar, yet no book offers us greater wisdom. The central text of Kabbalah, the Zohar is a commentary on the Bible’s narratives, laws, and genealogies and a map of the spiritual landscape. In The Essential Zohar, the eminent kabbalist Rav P. S. Berg decodes its teachings on evil, redemption, human relationships, wealth and poverty, and other fundamental concerns from a practical, contemporary perspective. The Zohar and Kabbalah have traditionally been known as the world’s most esoteric sources of spiritual knowledge, but Rav Berg has dedicated his life to making this concentrated distillation of infinite wisdom available to people of all faiths so that we may use its principles to live each day in harmony with the divine.

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Book Synopsis***WINNER, 2011 Golden Crown Literary Award - Anthology Reconciling queerness with religion has always been an enormous challenge. When the religion is Orthodox Judaism, the task is even more daunting. This anthology takes on that challenge by giving voice to genderqueer Jewish women who were once silenced—and effectively rendered invisible—by their faith. Keep Your Wives Away from Them tells the story of those who have come out, who are still closeted, living double lives, or struggling to maintain an integrated "single life" in relationship to traditional Judaism—personal stories that are both enlightening and edifying. While a number of films and books have explored the lives of queer people in Orthodox and observant Judaism, only this one explores in depth what happens after the struggle, when the real work of building integrated lives begins. The candor of these insightful stories in Keep Your Wives Away from Them makes the book appealing to a general audience and students of women’s, gender, and LGBTQ studies, as well as for anyone struggling personally with the same issue. Contributors include musician and writer Temim Fruchter, Professor Joy Ladin, writer Leah Lax, nurse Tamar Prager, and the pseudonymous Ex-Yeshiva Girl. Keep Your Wives Away from Them official website: http://www.keepyourwivesawayfromthem.com/

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Book SynopsisIntroducing the contemporary conversation on internalised Jew-hate, Reclaiming Our Story is the second instalment of world-renowned educator Ben M. Freeman's seminal manifesto of the modern Jewish Pride movement that has revolutionised the Jewish world. In this groundbreaking work, Freeman takes his readers - both Jewish and non-Jewish - on a powerful journey that explores the impact of Jew-hate on Jews and the long history of internalised anti-Jewishness. Most importantly, Freeman will educate, inspire and empower his Jewish readers to look inside themselves - with empathy and without shame - to identify their own experiences with internalised anti-Jewishness so they can reclaim their Jewish stories, ultimately moving from prejudice to pride.

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Book SynopsisShlomo Sand was born in 1946, in a displaced person's camp in Austria, to Jewish parents; the family later migrated to Palestine. As a young man, Sand came to question his Jewish identity, even that of a "secular Jew." With this meditative and thoughtful mixture of essay and personal recollection, he articulates the problems at the center of modern Jewish identity. How I Stopped Being a Jew discusses the negative effects of the Israeli exploitation of the "chosen people" myth and its "holocaust industry." Sand criticizes the fact that, in the current context, what "Jewish" means is, above all, not being Arab and reflects on the possibility of a secular, non-exclusive Israeli identity, beyond the legends of Zionism.Trade ReviewPerhaps books combining passion and erudition don't change political situations, but if they did, this one would count as a landmark. (In praise of The Invention of the Jewish People) -- Eric Hobsbawm * Observer *Sand's quiet earthquake of a book is shaking historical faith in the link between Judaism and Israel. (In praise of The Invention of the Jewish People) -- Rafael Behr * Observer *No discussion of the region any longer seems complete without acknowledgement of this book. (In praise of The Invention of the Jewish People) * Independent on Sunday *A radical dismantling of a national myth. (In praise of The Invention of the Jewish People) * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFrom the viral social media account @oldjewishmen comes a hilarious and irresistible guide and perfect gift for every OJM and the people who put up with him Here is a humorous, surprisingly stylish, and crotchety celebration of a most fascinating group of fellas: Old Jewish Men. In this essential guide, readers learn how to eat, dress, get around town, and schmooze like a seasoned OJM. Ever wonder why Old Jewish Men eat so much cottage cheese and melon? If Larry David and Bernie Sanders have the same barber? Who is the next great up-and-coming OJM? (NOTE: You don’t need to be old, Jewish, or a man—it’s a lifestyle.) Plus, there’s helpful jargon, detailed deli and coffee shop rundowns, and the ten OJM archetypes, from New York Schlubs to Tough Guys to Grumpy Intellectuals. A perfect gift for any Jewish dad/granddad/uncle/brother or anybody who likes a healthy shmear of classic Jewish h

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Book SynopsisA sumptuously illustrated volume detailing the history of the Jewish peoples and their religious beliefs and practices.

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Book Synopsis''This acutely argued book will engender a thousand conversations'' Cynthia OzickThe prescient New York Times writer delivers an urgent wake-up call exposing the alarming rise of anti-semitism -- and explains what we can do to defeat itOn 27 October 2018 Bari Weiss''s childhood synagogue in Pittsburgh became the site of the deadliest attack on Jews in American history. For most of us, the massacre came as a total shock. But to those who have been paying attention, it was only a more violent, extreme expression of the broader trend that has been sweeping Europe and the United States for the past two decades.No longer the exclusive province of the far right and far left, anti-Semitism finds a home in identity politics, in the renewal of ''America first'' isolationism and in the rise of one-world socialism. An ancient hatred increasingly allowed into modern political discussion, anti-Semitism has been migrating toward the mainstream in dangeTrade ReviewHer childhood synagogue in Pittsburgh was the site of last year's Shabbat morning massacre. This passionate, vividly written, regularly insightful book is her pained, fighting * Guardian *A brave book. . . . a praiseworthy and concise brief against modern-day anti-Semitism * The New York Times *This acutely argued book will engender a thousand conversations -- Cynthia OzickThey said 'Never Again', yet here we are again. Bari Weiss' neat exposition of modern anti-Semitism traces this hate to what I call 'the triple threat': the far-left, the far-right, and Islamist theocrats. Jews are the canary in the coal mine. And if our Jewish friends are raising the alarm, we'd all better hear them, before it's too late -- Maajid NawazThis is the most important book you will read this year. Concise, morally certain, it's a bullet train from the first sentence to the last. There needs to be a copy in every classroom in the country. If you think something dark is rising, you're right. What can you do? This is what you do -- Caitlin Flanagan, author of To Hell With All ThatWhile European anti-Semitism has put Jews in mortal danger for too long, the 'shining city upon a hill' -- America -- has descended into this same toxic darkness. Bari Weiss's book is a powerful wake-up call against complacency and should push all free-thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic to take a stand against new guises of the oldest form of hate in the world -- Bernard-Henri Lévy, author of The Empire and the Five KingsHow to Fight Anti-Semitism is violently stunning. It broke my heart-and then made me want to repair someone else's. In these pages and everywhere else, Bari Weiss is heroic, fearless, brilliant and great-hearted. Most importantly, she is right -- Lisa Taddeo, author of Three WomenUrgent, frank and fearless. There is something here to offend everyone - because there is something here to awaken everyone -- Rabbi David Wolpe, author of David: The Divided HeartA liberal humanist whose guiding principle is free expression in art, love, and discourse. . . Weiss's work is heterodox, defying easy us/them, left/right categorization * Vanity Fair *Weiss's book feels like one long, soul-wrenching letter, written in a charmingly accessible style by a proud American reeling from the realization that the haters are on the rise * Jewish Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisBeginning with an overview of Judaism in North America, this book presents a survey of the tradition, provides historical context, and addresses key contemporary issues. It covers the essential topics in the study of Judaism in North America including the major texts of Judaism, the Jewish life cycle, rabbinic literature, and the Jewish calendar.Key topics include Jewish identity and diversity, how Americans perceive Jews, and the rise of the Jewish GenZ. With over 50 illustrations throughout, each chapter contains suggested further reading and a glossary of key terms and concepts.The chapters in this book were first published in the digital collection Bloomsbury Religion in North America. Covering North America's diverse religious traditions, this digital collection provides reliable and peer-reviewed articles and ebooks for students and instructors. Learn more and get access for your library at www.theologyandreligiononline.com/bloomsbury-re

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Book SynopsisThe forgotten legacy of religious Jewish anarchism, and the adventures and ideas of its key figures, finally comes to light in this book. Set in the decades surrounding both world wars, No masters but God identifies a loosely connected group of rabbis and traditionalist thinkers who explicitly appealed to anarchist ideas in articulating the meaning of the Torah, traditional practice, Jewish life and the mission of modern Jewry. Full of archival discoveries and first translations from Yiddish and Hebrew, it explores anarcho-Judaism in its variety through the works of Yaakov Meir Zalkind, Yitshak Nahman Steinberg, Yehudah Leyb Don-Yahiya, Avraham Yehudah Heyn, Natan Hofshi, Shmuel Alexandrov, Yehudah Ashlag and Aaron Shmuel Tamaret. With this ground-breaking account, Hayyim Rothman traces a complicated story about the modern entanglement of religion and anarchism, pacifism and Zionism, prophetic anti-authoritarianism and mystical antinomianism.Trade Review'The panoramic view of these thinkers over the course of the book’s ten chapters is an especially important contribution for the English reader since it fills a noticeable gap in scholarship by offering first-ever English translations of Hebrew and Yiddish texts and lays the foundation for future research.'Lehrhaus'A pioneering, thoroughly researched, and comprehensive portrait of [...] 8 advocates of religious Jewish anarchism.'Lilian Türk, Religion, State and Society, Volume 50 (2022) -- .Table of Contents1 An anarchist minyan2 Historical and theological context Part I: The activists3 Yaakov Meir Zalkind (1875–1938)4 Yitshak Nahman Steinberg (1888–1957) Part II: The mystics5 Shmuel Alexandrov (1865–1941)6 Yehuda Ashlag (1885–1954) Part III: The pacifists7 Yehuda-Leyb Don-Yahiya (1869–1941)8 Avraham Yehudah Heyn (1880–1957)9 Natan Hofshi (1890–1980)10 Aaron-Shmuel Tamaret (1869–1931)Conclusion: Contemporary relevanceIndex

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Book SynopsisA fine example of the best scholarship that lies at the intersection of philosophy, religion, and history. Dynamic Repetition proposes a new understanding of modern Jewish theories of messianism across the disciplines of history, theology, and philosophy. The book explores how ideals of repetition, return, and the cyclical occasioned a new messianic impulse across an important swath of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German Jewish thought. To grasp the complexities of Jewish messianism in modernity, the book focuses on diverse notions of “dynamic repetition” in the works of Franz Rosenzweig, Walter Benjamin, Franz Kafka, and Sigmund Freud, and their interrelations with basic trajectories of twentieth-century philosophy and critical thought. Trade Review“The slightest gap separates the repetition of the same and repetition with a difference, but through that opening messianic redemption may somehow find its way. Or so suggested four of the most powerful Jewish thinkers of the 20th century, Rosenzweig, Kafka, Benjamin, and Freud, according to Gilad Sharvit’s arresting new reading of their legacy. Analytically rigorous, boldly imaginative, and lucidly written, Dynamic Repetition demonstrates how that most improbable of hopes is itself a revenant that refuses to die.” -- Martin Jay, author of Genesis and Validity: The Theory and Practice of Intellectual History“Many have pondered the peculiar form of messianism characteristic of early 20th century German Jewish thought, but Sharvit’s elegant hypothesis is a winner. According to Sharvit, the messianic drive of Rosenzweig, Kafka, Benjamin, and Freud is neither the Hegelian progressive thrust, which strives towards the completion of history, nor the apocalyptic death-wish, which hopes for the abrupt end of the world: it is based on a dynamic repetition, conceived not as a compulsion to repeat and stabilize, but rather as an impulse to reach forward into the future and innovate. Pace the popular opinion which perceives Weimar Jewish messianism as radical and uncompromising, Sharvit proposes a more moderate view which may be summed up by the talmudic equivalent of Søren Kierkegaard, Rabbi Tarphon: ‘You are not required to complete the work, but neither you are free to desist from it.’” -- Agata Bielik-Robson, University of NottinghamTable of ContentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Scenarios of RepetitionI. Preliminaries, 1. From Eternal Return to Modern Repetition2. Tradition and Repetition in German Jewish ModernityII. Repetition and Its Others3. “Weltliche Unlebendigkeit”: Eternity and Repetition in Rosenzweig4. Repetition and Alterity: Rosenzweig’s Translations of Yehuda Halevi, Intermezzo: Abrahamic Variations in Kafka and KierkegaardIII. The Breaking History5. To Know No History: Benjamin’s Eternal Return6. Revelatory Discovery: On Benjamin’s “Repetition of Opposites”7. Freud on Moses: The Return of the Repressed and the End of EssenceBibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Book of Sarah is missing from the bible, so artist Sarah Lightman sets out to make her own: questioning religion, family, motherhood and what it takes to be an artist in this quietly subversive visual autobiography from NW3.

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Book SynopsisOutcast is an exploration - and explanation - of how the very possibility of recognising anti-Jewish racism has been displaced by the commonplace leftist belief that when Jewish people cry 'antisemitism!' their true intent is to cover up the real racism propagated by Israel against the Palestinians. This has come about through the academic notion that racism is a colonial phenomenon of 'white over black' domination, as well as the antisemitic idea of 'the Jewish question': that something must be done about the harm Jews pose to humanity. Outcast shows that when both are translated into an understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Zionism and all associated Jews become the representation of racism incarnate, demanding the unprecedented wipe-out of Israel. As a route forward, Camila Bassi offers an analysis of the conflict through the wider historical context of European antisemitism, colonialism and nationalism, and free from 'the Jewish question'. Escaping the confines of identity politics, including 'racial' identity politics, based on the idea that there are intrinsic differences dividing and excluding humanity, Outcast makes the case for a genuinely universal politics of human liberation.Trade Review'Through a forensic and detailed excavation, Bassi illustrates the subtle and insidious ways antisemitic tropes, presumptions and fallacies continue to creep into a wide range of academic arguments and left-wing political policies. Singular in its willingness to swim against the currents of so many contemporary political tides, this is a substantive academic work that should stimulate academic debate far beyond its immediate subject matter.' -- Dr Mitch Rose, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, Aberystwyth University'Outcast makes an original and unusually valuable contribution to the existing literature on contemporary Left antisemitism. This compelling book, drawing as it does on direct experience as well as on key scholarly work, provides a searching analysis which also demonstrates some welcome hope of redemption.' -- Lesley Klaff, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism

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Book SynopsisNew edition of bestseller that critiques Jewish fundamentalism and shows its negative impact on Israeli policy.Table of ContentsPreface New Introduction 1. Jewish Fundamentalism Within Jewish Society 2. The Rise of the Haredim in Israel 3. The Two Main Haredi Groups 4. The National Religious Party and the Religious Settlers 5. The Nature of Gush Emunim Settlements 6. The Real Significance of Baruch Goldstein 7. The Religious Background of Rabin’s Assassination Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This book is a must-have for all scholars of religions in antiquity. . . . Schäfer has collected decisive proof in the form of a wide range of Jewish texts from the Bible to the Bavli that are not only discussed, but provided in the form of extensive quotations that makes the book a handy reference work."---Lieve M. Teugels,, Journal for the Study of Judaism

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Book SynopsisFully illustrated with detailed color plates, this is a fascinating study into the armies, organization, armor, weapons, and fortifications of the Khazars. The Khazars were one of the most important Turkic peoples in European history, dominating vast areas of southeastern Europe and the western reaches of the Central Asian steppes from the 4th to the 11th centuries AD. They were also unique in that their aristocratic and military elites converted to Judaism, creating what would be territorially the largest Jewish-ruled state in world history. They became significant allies of the Byzantine Empire, blocking the advance of Islam north of the Caucasus Mountains for several hundred years. They also achieved a remarkable level of metal-working technology, and their military elite wore forms of iron plate armor that would not be seen in Western Europe until the 14th century. The Khazar state provided the foundations upon which medieval Russia and modern Ukraine were builtTable of ContentsIntroduction – the Khazars in the history of Eastern Europe * Chronology of major events * Khazar campaigns: Wars with the Muslim Arabs – Wars with Kievan Russia – Khazars and Magyars: the emergence of the Hungarians * Arms and armour: spears and javelins – battleaxes – swords and sabres – helmets – armour * Fortresses: stone fortifications – timber fortifications * Further reading * Plate commentaries

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Book Synopsis• Shares 159 short exercises and practices to tap instantly into your subconscious mind and receive answers to your most important questions • Explains how to dialogue with and understand the imagery and metaphors that arise during these practices • Offers powerful practices to discover your areas of “stuckness” and quickly clear them, thus releasing past traumas and ancestral patterns and freeing the flow of the imagination for enhanced creativity and joy in life In this step-by-step guide to kabbalistic practices to connect with your natural inner genius and liberate the light within you, Catherine Shainberg reveals how to tap instantly into the subconscious and receive answers to urgent questions. This method, called the Kabbalah of Light, originated with Rabbi Isaac the Blind of Posquieres (1160-1235) and has been passed down by an ancient kabbalistic family, the Sheshet of Gerona, in an unbroken transmission spanning more than 800 years. The modern lineage holder of the Kabbalah of Light, Shainberg shares 159 short experiential exercises and practices to help you begin dialoguing with your subconscious through images. The images that pop up during these practices are unexpected and revelatory, and she discusses how to open them to greater understanding. At first, they may show you aspects of yourself you don’t like. But seeing them serves as both a diagnosis and a direct path to transformation. Fast and simple, the practices can help you discover your areas of “stuckness,” release past traumas and ancestral patterns, free the imagination, and open the way to the bliss promised us in the Garden of Eden. Beginning this fertile dialogue with your inner world leads you to uncover your soul’s purpose and manifest your dreams in this world. Once your inner dream world and outer reality have merged, you will be able to see your superconscious--your soul’s ­blueprint--and experience the ecstatic illumination of a heart-centered life.Trade Review“This book is a gift to dreamers, to Kabbalists, to meditators, and to the world. Amid the fascination with Kabbalah, seekers have thirsted for a way into the mystical experience. The Kabbalah of Light is that way in.” * Rabbi Jill Hammer, Ph.D., author of Undertorah *“Catherine Shainberg teaches us how our dreams can become real and the unknowable known. Her book will give you courage to learn from the creativity of your dreams.” * Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus *“In her wonderful new book Catherine Shainberg inspires us to plunge deep into the ocean of dreams and access gifts of the great unconscious. She declares with informed passion that dreaming is a royal road to enlightenment and shows us that it opens doors to many worlds.” * Robert Moss, author of Conscious Dreaming *“Catherine’s done it again, assembling the hidden ingredients of mindfulness and brewing them in a cauldron of ancient and early medieval Hebraic mystery wisdom. An excellent guide whose magic we have yet to fathom and of which, through the book’s many exercises, we might finally catch a glimpse.” * Rabbi Gershon Winkler, author of Magic of the Ordinary *“Catherine Shainberg’s new book is serious, delightful, and tinged with the magical, as is the author. It is a creative effort, filled with wonderful practices and exercises to raise the great Leviathan from the depths of the unconscious so as to awaken our creative imagination and life force. Shainberg’s readings into biblical and Kabbalistic myth are wonderfully creative.” * Melila Hellner-Eshed, author of A River Flows from Eden *“The Kabbalah of Light is an audacious endeavor to present the esoteric wisdom of the Jewish mystical tradition as the science of letting the unconscious speak. The guidance in this book is to lead one to spiritual enlightenment and psychic well-being, the experience that Kabbalists call dveikut, cleaving to the divine, the highest rung on the ladder of dreams.” * Elliot Wolfson, Marsha and Jay Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies, University of California, Santa Barba *“In this brilliant book, Catherine has given us a great gift. Not only is this work dazzling in its depth and beauty, it is also eminently useful and practical. Catherine guides us on a grand journey, a voyage of self-discovery. There lies buried treasure--the riches of a more fulfilling transformed life, illumined by the golden sunlight of divine revelation.” * Kevin Melville Jennings, past contributor of The Daily Scope for Vogue.com *“In her thrilling new book, Catherine Shainberg’s treasure trove of playful and profound ‘inductions’ will guide you to plunge deeper and deeper into the innermost realms of your soul. What a gift this book is to all seekers of light and delight. The Kabbalah of Light is mind-expanding. It’s fun and fabulous!” * Didi Conn, actress and playwright *"This book is so full of spiritual practices that it must be the most applicable use of Jewish mysticism ever published in a single volume. Never have we seen a book that presents Kabbalah with so many exercises designed to enhance understanding. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are 160 numbered exercises from 'Awake while Falling Asleep' (#1) to 'Oneness' (#160)." * Jon M. Sweeney, Spirituality & Practice *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction PART I The Leviathan, Great Beast of the DeepFishing in the Ocean of the Subconscious 1 The Mystery of Dreams 2 Tikun and a Ladder to the Light 3 Incubation and Saphire Imagery 4 The Creative Act 5 Signs of Transformation: The Grammar of the Imagination 6 Symbol or Metaphor PART IITaming the Leviathan Interactions with the Subconscious7 Playing with Manifestation 8 Dreamfields and Complexes 9 Ancestral Patterns 10 The Inner Child: From Duality to Singularity11 Misery and Splendor: Restoring Relationships 12 Time and Choice 13 Healing: Will It Be Leprosy, Wellness, or Wholeness? PART III Raising the Leviathan The Serpent of the Deep, Your Superconsciousness or, as the French Like to Call it, Your Sur-nature14 The Heart-Centered Way 15 Prayer and the Leviathan GlossaryNotes Bibliography Learn More Index LIST OF EXERCISES PART I The Leviathan, Great Beast of the Deep1 The Mystery of Dreams 2 Tikun and a Ladder to the Light 3 Incubation and Saphire Imagery 4 The Creative Act5 Signs of Transformation: The Grammar of the Imagination6 Symbol or MetaphorPART II Taming the Leviathan 7 Playing with Manifestation8 Dreamfields and Complexes 9 Ancestral Patterns 10 The Inner Child: From Duality to Singularity11 Misery and Splendor: Restoring Relationships 12 Time and Choice 13 Healing: Will It Be Leprosy, Wellness, or Wholeness?PART III Raising the Leviathan 14 The Heart-Centered Way 15 Prayer and the Leviathan

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Book SynopsisRabbi Sacks argues that preoccupation with self is a mistake and that ethics are concerned with the life we live together, talking with as much authority about Sigmund Freud or Karl Marx as he does about the Bible. With a new foreword by Rowan Williams.The only force equal to a fundamentalism of hate is a counter-fundamentalism of love.'Jonathan Sacks was an outstanding moral authority of our time and bestselling author of The Dignity of Difference. One of Judaism's most distinctive and challenging ideas is its ethics of responsibility. We have been given the gift of freedom and we in turn have to honour and enhance the freedom of others. More than in any previous generation, we have been tempted to imagine that it is the individual's needs which are the sole source of meaning.This is a clarion call to the outside world to come to its senses.

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Book Synopsis''A breathtaking story'' Daily Mail Extraordinary' The Telegraph on the Cook sistersDesperate circumstances can cause ordinary women to achieve extraordinary things.No one would have predicted such glamorous and daring lives for Ida and Louise Cook two decidedly ordinary women who lived quiet lives in the London suburbs. But throughout the 1930s, the remarkable sisters rescued dozens of Jews facing persecution and death.Ida''s memoir of the adventures she and Louise shared remains as fresh, vital, and entertaining as the woman who wrote it. Even when Ida began to earn thousands as a successful romance novelist, the sisters directed every spare resource, as well as their considerable courage and ingenuity, towards saving as many as they could from Hitler''s death camps.Trade Review'A breathtaking story'Daily Mail “They defy the generalisation of social history: they wereextraordinary.”The Telegraph on the Cook sisters

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Book SynopsisThe story of the prophet Elijah’s transformation from fierce zealot to compassionate hero and cherished figure in Jewish traditionTrade Review“For those who want to get inside the Jewish mindset of the ever evolving use of scripture, it is both enjoyable and invaluable.”—Anthony Phillips, Church TimesWinner of the Rabbi Sacks Book Award, sponsored by Yeshiva University“In a series on Jewish Lives, this volume is about the Jewish life—the one that goes on forever. Becoming Elijah blends meticulous scholarship with bold literary and poetic imagination. Don’t miss it!”—Arthur Green, author of Judaism for the World“Becoming Elijah is a work of rare intellectual and spiritual depth. With erudition, Daniel Matt captures the unique role Elijah has played in the Western religious imagination and demonstrates how this prophet continues to inspire millions of spiritual seekers today!”—David Ellenson, Brandeis University“A jewel of scholarship and poetic imagination, this lucid and beautifully crafted book highlights the tensions in Elijah’s personality as it evolves from the biblical narratives through to its final, Hasidic reconfiguration.”—Avivah Zornberg, author of Moses

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Book SynopsisHistorically, Jews have thought of themselves in terms of the biblical phrase, ''The people that dwells alone.'' In the current global environment, this is dangerous. It leads to the isolation of Jews, Judaism and Israel. Too much contemporary Jewish writing is self-referential: Jews talking to Jews, preaching to the converted. Yet Jews cannot cure anti-Semitism alone. We need to persuade Jews and non-Jews alike that Jews, Judaism and Israel have something unique to contribute to the future.FUTURE TENSE does this. It moves beyond the ''they hate us'' school of Jewish thought to provide an overarching vision for the future of Judaism, Jewish life and Israel for the twenty-first century.Trade Review'One of the most engaging thinkers of our time' * The Times *'Always thought-provoking' * The Times *Britain's most authentically prophetic voice * Daily Telegraph *He has done more than anyone in Britain today to focus our attention on the needs and challenges of community in the global world * Prime Minister Gordon Brown *'A towering figure in the intellectual life of Britain today'. * Former Prime Minister, Tony Blair *

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Book SynopsisFifty Key Jewish Thinkers is a panoramic survey of over 2,000 years of Jewish thought, religious and secular, ancient and modern. Now in its second edition, this essential reference guide contains new introductions to the lives and works of such thinkers as: Hannah Arendt, Immanuel Levinas, Judith Plaskow, Sigmund Freud, and Walter Benjamin.Also including fully updated guides to further reading on figures from the middle ages through to the twenty-first century, historical maps and a chronology placing the thinkers in context, this is an essential and affordable one-volume reference to a rich and complex tradition.Trade Review'I know of no book that does what this one accomplishes: to present briefly, but in sufficient detail to be very useful, introductions to the major thinkers of the past 1000 years of Jewish history.' - Alan Avery-Peck, College of the Holy Cross, USATable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. Chronological Table. Maps. Introduction. Fifty Key Jewish Thinkers

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Book SynopsisSarah Imhoff tells the story of the queer, disabled, Zionist writer Jessie Sampter (18831938), whose body and life did not match typical Zionist ideals and serves as an example of the complex relationships between the body, queerness, disability, religion, and nationalism.Trade Review“Sarah Imhoff presents the remarkable story of Jessie Sampter, whose life breaks with all the conventional associations of a Zionist pioneer. Disabled due to polio, living with a woman in mandate-era Palestine, and a pacifist and internationalist with right-wing Zionist politics, Sampter violated expectations and flouted conventions. Using feminist theory and crip theory, Imhoff reconstructs Sampter’s life and the vital challenges she presented in her day and in our own.” -- Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth CollegeTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction 1 1. A Religious Life 27 2. A Life with Disability 68 3. A Queer Life 106 4. A Theological-Political Life 144 5. Afterlives 193 Notes 223 Bibliography 249 Index 263

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Book SynopsisA 2025 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION STONEWALL HONOR BOOK In this “searing testament to the strength in claiming one’s destiny” (The Washington Post), a young woman desperately attempts to protect her children and family while also embracing her queer identity in a controlling Hasidic community. This memoir is perfect for fans of Unorthodox and Educated.Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn’s Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she desperately wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women and trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, she ultimately could not conform to her religious upbringing and eventually made the difficult decision to walk away from the world she knew. Sara’s journey to self-acceptance began with the battle for a divorce and custody of her children, an act that left her on the verge of estrangement from her family and community. Controlled by the fear of losing everything, she forced herself to remain loyal to the compulsory heteronormativity baked into Hasidic Judaism and married again. But after suffering profound loss and a shocking sexual assault, Sara decided to finally be completely true to herself. Kissing Girls on Shabbat is both an unflinching window into the world of ultra-conservative Orthodox Jewish communities and an inspiring celebration of learning to love yourself that ultimately “leaves a mark” (Publishers Weekly).

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