Judaism Books

Book Synopsis For millennia, messianic visions of redemption have inspired men and women to turn against unjust and oppressive orders. Yet these very same traditions are regularly decried as antecedents to the violent and authoritarian ideologies of modernity. Informed in equal parts by theology and historical theory, this book offers a provocative exploration of this double-edged legacy. Author Jayne Svenungsson rigorously pursues a middle path between utopian arrogance and an enervated postmodernism, assessing the impact of Jewish and Christian theologies of history on subsequent thinkers, and in the process identifying a web of spiritual and intellectual motifs extending from ancient Jewish prophets to contemporary radicals such as Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Zizek. Trade Review “Insightful, astute, thoughtful, this book traces the developments of liberal Jewish and Christian theologies of history… Creatively synthesizing many primary and secondary texts, this book will interest religion and philosophy students, theologians, and historians. Recommended.” • Choice “[this book] provides an utterly cogent methodological response to contemporary scholarly debates about genealogical origins of secular modernity. It offers in five chapters a meticulous close reading of a fascinating variety of texts demonstrating how prophetic and messianic takes on historical meaning have continued to inform the history of historical, philosophical, and political thought.” • Religious Studies Review “The evolution of the concept of history and its apocalyptic elements are lucidly brought forth in a fascinating new book by the Swedish theologian and historian Jayne Svenungsson, exploring uses of history from the Old Testament prophets to today’s Paul-inspired philosophers.” • Politiken “Svenungsson’s analysis of contemporary theory is as historically insightful as one could wish. She shows how the motifs found in biblical texts… recur in the works of varied thinkers writing as if they were independent of this historical tradition… Even those with no interest in theology of history or deep-seated religious motifs should consider reading Svenungsson’s book.” • ResponsTable of Contents Preface Chapter 1. The God of History Chapter 2. The Ages of History Chapter 3. Romantic History Chapter 4. History after God Chapter 5.The Politics of History Postface: A Theopolitical Vision Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Jewish Menorah is one of the world’s most sacred artefacts, a man-size lampstand with seven arms, made from a single block of gold, that is an iconic symbol for the Jewish people. King Solomon placed it in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Jerusalem, but by the 5th century AD, all trace of it had disappeared from the official record, and it was assumed lost. Two historical researchers, Corjan Mol and Christopher Morford, now reveal the astounding secret of what happened to the Menorah. Through their meticulous research as well as a jaw-dropping stroke of luck, Mol and Morford discovered that the Menorah was dug up from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the time of the Crusades by the Knights Templar and smuggled to France with the help of the French King Louis IX. From there it was taken to Portugal, to end up in North America after interventions by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The secret was hidden in plain sight in both France and North America, on a scale so big that it took 800 years for it to be discovered.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WINGATE LITERARY PRIZE 2024 A WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK OF THE YEAR NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER 'Beautiful, sober and affecting - a testament to remembrance and friendship' - DALIA SOFER 'A momentous historic retrieval and work of literary art' - PHILLIP LOPATE Nearly a century of life behind her, Stella Levi had never shared the full details of her past with anyone. That is until she met Michael Frank, and asked him to help her polish a talk she was to give about life in the Juderia of Rhodes. Neither of them could know that this was the first of one hundred Saturdays that they would spend in each other's company. Courageous and sharp, elegant and sly, Stella is a formidable modern Scheherazade whose Saturday instalments give a window into the vibrant, vanished world of the Jews of Rhodes. She unspools for the first time the long threads of her history - from the sun-soaked shores of her childhood, to the fifteen harrowing months she spent in camps scattered throughout Europe, and finally to the United States and New York as one of only 150 Jews from Rhodes to survive. Featuring colour illustrations based on Stella's family photographs, One Hundred Saturdays is an unusual and extraordinary memoir. It is a testament to the soul-saving power of relationships; to memories revisited; to resilience. It's not only a vital slice of history that has largely been ignored, but a story of the possibility of an ever-evolving self, even after confronting Hell.Trade ReviewNever underestimate the power of friendship at any stage in life. That's one of the lessons from Michael Frank's beautiful portrait of the wise and charming nonagenarian, Stella Levi, one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors from the vanished Sephardic community of the Juderia on the Greek island of Rhodes. In relaying her life story, Mr. Frank has pulled off something special: One Hundred Saturdays is a sobering yet heartening book about how friendship, remembrance, and being heard can help assuage profound dislocation and loss. It is also a reminder that the ability to listen thoughtfully is a rare and significant gift. -- Heller McAlpin * The Wall Street Journal *Gifted... Told from the author's point of view over the course of 100 meetings, each with its own short chapter, this story is a unique glimpse at a forgotten history that we all must learn. * Good Morning America (Most Anticipated September 2022) *This intimate story of one remarkable woman is also the history of a people. One Hundred Saturdays is an important book, brilliantly told and illustrated, and profoundly moving. -- Hilma Wolitzer, author of Today a Woman Went Mad in the SupermarketA stunning achievement-both as a momentous historic retrieval and a work of literary art. I was gripped throughout by this thoughtful, psychologically rich conversation. -- Phillip Lopate, film critic and editor of The Art of the Personal EssayThrough the polyphonic story of Stella Levi, a woman severed from her origin but deeply connected to it through memory, Michael Frank conjures up not only the eradication of the Jewish community in Rhodes, but also what preceded it: the life. His book-beautiful, sober, and affecting-is a testament to remembrance and friendship. -- Dalia Sofer, author of The Septembers of ShirazIn One Hundred Saturdays Michael Frank entices readers to fall in love with Jewish Rhodes and its perspicacious bard, Stella Levi, a nonagenarian for whom he, too, seems to have fallen in the course of one hundred Saturdays of intimate, evocative, sometimes painful conversation. Maira Kalman's dreamy illustrations are the perfect companion to this moving book. -- Sarah Abrevaya Stein, author of Family PapersIncandescent... Distilled through Frank's intelligent prose and enlivened with eye-catching illustrations from [Maira] Kalman, Levi's recollections bring to vivid life the unique culture of the Juderia, its complicated colonial history, and her colorful, multilingual family as she describes how, under Italian Fascist rule in the 1920s and '30s, all traces of Judaism vanished from the public eye... Frank's narrative shines with an ebullience, thanks to the 'unusually rich, textured, and evolving' life of his utterly enchanting muse. The result provides an essential, humanist look into a dark chapter of 20th-century history. * Publishers Weekly *Michael Frank has beautifully preserved the lost world of the Jews of Rhodes. He manages to give us-deftly and with great economy-both Stella's moving personal story and a vivid sense of the society that shaped her: a unique blend of Judeo-Spanish, Italian, French, Turkish, and Greek languages and cultures, an insular and yet cosmopolitan world that the Nazis effectively extinguished. -- Alexander Stille, author of Excellent Cadavers: the Mafia and the Death of the First Italian RepublicStella Levi, now in her late nineties, is a reluctant Scheherazade. Michael Frank, her interlocutor, has a storyteller's genius for listening. Theirs is a bond that transcends generations, languages, and lived experience. Together they have collaborated on a riveting portrait of a singular young woman who grew up in the old Jewish quarter of Rhodes, dreamed of a vibrant life in Europe, suffered deportation to a series of Nazi death camps, lost her family and her bearings, and made it to the other side. But Scheherazade told stories to survive. Stella Levi's story illuminates the mysteries of survival. -- Judith Thurman, author of Cleopatra’s NoseLike his subject, Stella Levi, Michael Frank is a master storyteller. He knows how to dole out information in a way that is nothing short of brilliant, and in One Hundred Saturdays he even manages to infuse the ghostly past with an air of lively, sympathetic suspense. -- Wendy Lesser, author of Why I ReadA poignant and absolutely necessary addition to the canon of Holocaust literature. Through Michael's questions, which showcase trust and friendship that grows between interviewer and interviewee, and gorgeous illustrations from artist Maira Kalman, One Hundred Saturdays paints remarkable dual portraits. The first is of a vibrant Sephardic community which was decimated by the Nazis and is still often omitted from Holocaust histories. And the second is, of course, of Stella Levi and the chapters of her life: child, prisoner, survivor, wanderer, wife and mother and, now, storyteller. * Hey Alma *Reading [One Hundred Saturdays] is like watching an artist piece together a mosaic. A splash of blue sea here. A mother's song over there. The smell of Purim pastries. The flash of first love... Maira Kalman's illustrations, heavily influenced by Matisse with their deceptive simplicity, rich colors and delicate textures, are perfect complements to Levi's story, portraying vanished scenes from life on Rhodes before the Holocaust. Together with the text of Frank's beautiful book, they create a sensitive portrait of an extraordinary woman. * BookPage *One Hundred Saturdays is, quite simply, essential reading. * BookTrib. *Praise for The Mighty Franks -- :A marvelous, clear-eyed memoir ... almost thriller-like ... beautifully written * Wall Street Journal *It was so good that I had to read it twice * The New Statesman *Frank is a master of self-reflection, under the bowl of blue sky and in those closeted canyons. He says nothing in an ordinary way; everything has a dreamlike smoothness, born out of his extended act of retrieval and the remembered violence of emotion and inconstancy ... I doubt you'll read a better memoir this year * Guardian *Witty, moving ... beautifully written and timely * The Times Literary Supplement *[Michael Frank] seems to have had an unearthly quality of perspective ... There is a lastingly sane quality to his riveting memoir that's reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird ... an extraordinary tale * Daily Telegraph *A narrative that could unfold only in a place where fantasy and reality blur with treacherous ease ... The author connects the dots subtly between his relatives' capacity for self-invention and their employment in the dream factory ... [A] probing and radiantly polished account * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThe essay that forms the core of this book is an attempt to understand the developments that have occurred in Orthodox Jewry in America in the last seventy years, and to analyse their implications. The prime change is what is often described as ‘the swing to the right’, a marked increase in ritual stringency, a rupture in patterns of behaviour that has had major consequences not only for Jewish society but also for the nature of Jewish spirituality. For Haym Soloveitchik, the key feature at the root of this change is that, as a result of migration to the ‘New Worlds’ of England, the US, and Israel and acculturation to its new surroundings, American Jewry—indeed, much of the Jewish world— had to reconstruct religious practice from normative texts: observance could no longer be transmitted mimetically, on the basis of practices observed in home and street. In consequence, behaviour once governed by habit is now governed by rule. This new edition allows the author to deal with criticisms raised since the essay, long established as a classic in the field, was originally published, and enables readers to gain a fuller perspective on a topic central to today’s Jewish world and its development.Trade Review'One of the most influential essays in the past thirty years [...] As an account of the development of what we know as right-wing Orthodoxy, Soloveitchik’s is compact and cogent. And some of his insights perhaps apply beyond observant Orthodoxy.'Simon Rocker, The Jewish Chronicle'Rereading “Rupture” in light of Dr. Soloveitchik’s clarifications affords us the opportunity to consider anew how its brilliant descriptions can help us understand our present and develop prescriptions for our future.'Rabbi Aryeh Klapper, Jewish Press‘Few scholarly works have managed to meaningfully penetrate both the academy and the Orthodox Jewish community like Haym Soloveitchik’s Rupture and Reconstruction. Republished—as an expanded monograph—for the first time in over 25 years, Soloveitchik puts forward a compelling thesis on the development of Orthodox Jewish practice in America over the past 70 years.’ Yaakov Taubes, Religious Studies ReviewTable of ContentsPreface Rupture and Reconstruction Clarifications Afterword

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts - including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms - differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.   Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross. Comparing various interpretations -

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Book SynopsisProvides a corrective to a neglected aspect of Jewish history in the SouthDiane C. Vecchio examines the diverse economic experiences of Jews who settled in what we today call Upstate South Carolina. Like other parts of the so-called New South, Upcountry South Carolina was a center of textile manufacturing and new business opportunities that drew entrepreneurial energy to the region. Previous histories of economic development in the South Carolina Piedmont have tended to overlook the significance of Jewish involvement and instead focused on northern investment and low labor costs. Working with a rich set of oral histories, memoirs, and traditional historical documents, Vecchio provides an important corrective to the history of manufacturing in South Carolina, and that revision is part of a large retelling of southern Jewish history, one that adds social and cultural dimensions to the traditional economic story. Vecchio explores Jewish community development, how Jewish business leaders also became civic leaders and affected social, political, and cultural life in what we now call the mountainous Upcountry. Their impact in all facets of life across the Upstate is important to understanding the growth of today's Spartanburg–Greenville corridor.

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Book SynopsisThe Zohar, or Book of Splendour, is the foundation text of the Kabbalah, the famous theosophical teaching central to Jewish mysticism. This marvellous book, attributed to a 2nd-century rabbi, Schimeon Ben Yochai, was at first kept secret and only brought to wider notice by the 13th-century Spanish rabbi Moses de León. Kabbalah is the principal source of Jewish mysticism and has inspired centuries of mystical experience, influenced initially by personal encounters with God, such as those of Ezekiel and Moses in the Hebrew Bible. Its influence has penetrated Christian esotericism, and today Jews and non-Jews alike derive spiritual meaning from the Kabbalah. This fine and authoritative translation of essential passages in the Zohar is by Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers, a key figure in the Order of the Golden Dawn. The foreword is by the renowned Kabbalah scholar Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi. The Sacred Text series offers essential selections from the major writings of the world's spiritual traditions in reliable and accessible translations – editions to treasure and inspire.

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, the Jewish people have faced catastrophe after catastrophe. They have been expelled, ghettoised, murdered and forcibly converted. The question that Jonathan Sacks asks in this original and compelling book is not how Judaism survived four thousand years of persecution, but how it found ways to flourish and thrive.Originally written as a wedding gift for his son over twenty years ago, now featuring a new foreword by Natan Sharansky, this revised edition is a reminder of the enduring beauty and wisdom of one of the world's oldest religions. A fascinating cultural and religious journey through Judaism's long history and the revolutionary ideas that shaped the moral civilisation of the West, Jonathan Sacks urges readers not to embrace secularisation or lose the script of the Jewish story but to add their own chapters instead. A deeply personal celebration of faith and community filled with hope for the future of the Jewish people, this book is a must-read for anyo

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Book SynopsisA powerful, next-generation manifesto declaring that the future prosperity of Western civilization is dependent upon the ongoing security and success of the Jewish State of Israel, and that the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland demands a realist foreign policy emphasizing the U.S.-Israel alliance that will require military strength and a focus on Israeli self-defense for the country as well as its individual citizens. Israel is the West’s man on the spot—the tip of the spear in the battle against Islamist terrorism and secularist nihilism alike. But the old-guard voices advocating for the full support of Israel as a nation-state and as an idea are being drowned out from all sides—theistic, secularist, right, left, and everything in between. To combat the uproars of multiculturalism, postmodern relativism, “tolerance,” and Jew-hating social media, the time is now for voices from a new generation. We must address modern antisemitism and sound a call not just to accept, but to enthusiastically embrace the centrality of Judaism to the very character of Western civilization. In Israel and Civilization, acclaimed journalist, legal expert, and pundit Josh Hammer makes a righteous case that the key to the prosperity of the West is the flourishing of the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel. Hammer’s uplifting offense is our best defense against the enemies of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. And as Hammer makes clear, manifesting the promise of Israel requires action by the United States and its allies. There can be no overstating the impact of the trauma of October 7, 2023, on the Jewish people. Yet the anti-Israel reactions the world over have been equally devastating. Rallies of hundreds of thousands explicitly or implicitly promoting Hamas violence; demonstrations of Ivy League professors celebrating the pogrom as “awesome” and “exhilarating;” so-called human rights organizations that refuse to unequivocally condemn the use of rape as a weapon of war; and a hydra of multiculturalism, postmodern relativism, and “tolerance”—it all threatens the physical and metaphysical survival of the West and our essential Jewish heritage. Preserving the best of what’s been thought and said throughout history and ensuring that there will be centuries more requires a West that is proud of its Jewish heritage. In other words, the continued existence of the Jewish people is inextricably tied to the endurance of Western civilization. Israel is the center of the battle, and Israel and Civilization explains why and how the Jewish state must win.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Israel's founder by one of Israel's most celebrated historians. As the founder of Israel, David Ben-Gurion long ago secured his reputation as a leading figure of the twentieth century. Determined from an early age to create a Jewish state, he took control of the Zionist movement, declared Israel's independence, and navigated his country through wars, controversies and remarkable achievements. In this definitive biography, Tom Segev uses previously unreleased archival material to give an original, nuanced account that transcends the myths and legends that have built up around the man. He reveals Ben-Gurion's secret negotiations with the British on the eve of Israel's independence, his willingness to countenance the forced transfer of Arab neighbors, his relative indifference to Jerusalem, and his occasional eccentric moments – from UFO sightings to plans for Israel to acquire territory in South America. The result is a full and startling portrait of a man who sought a state 'at any cost' – at times through risk-taking, violence, and unpredictability, and at other times through compromise, moderation and reason. Segev's Ben-Gurion is neither a saint nor a villain but a twentieth-century leader whose iron will and complex temperament left a contentious legacy, and one of the world's most intractable national conflicts. Praise for A State at Any Cost: 'A must for anybody interested in both the glorious and the dark pages of the history of Zionism and Israel, as reflected throughout the life and times of the Jewish State's most important founding father' SAUL FRIEDLÄNDER 'The story of a hard-headed, pragmatic and ruthless politician, told without sentimentality or nostalgia. It also serves as a key to understanding today's Israel, which is still very much Ben-Gurion's creation' THE TIMES 'Fascinating... A masterly portrait of a titanic yet unfulfilled man... This is a gripping study of power, and the loneliness of power' THE ECONOMISTTrade ReviewTom Segev's meticulously researched and most elegantly written new biography of David Ben-Gurion is a must for anybody interested in both the glorious and the dark pages of the history of Zionism and Israel, as reflected throughout the life and times of the Jewish State's most important founding father -- Saul Friedländer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Nazi Germany and the Jews and Where Memory LeadsIn the course of six years of research, Segev [...] discovered a leader fraught with dramatic contrasts... The author has come up with significant historical revelations' * Ofer Aderet, Haaretz *Fascinating... A masterly portrait of a titanic yet unfulfilled man... This is a gripping study of power, and the loneliness of power' * Economist *[A] carefully researched and nonjudgemental biography... Tom Segev's A State at Any Cost aptly summarizes the lodestar of Ben-Gurion's life' -- Avraham Avi-hai, Jerusalem PostDeserves to be the definitive biography of Ben-Gurion. It is the story of a hard-headed, pragmatic and ruthless politician, told without sentimentality or nostalgia. It also serves as a key to understanding today's Israel, which is still very much Ben-Gurion's creation * The Times *Tom Segev has completed a monumental task. The work includes the research of a true detective -- Avner Cohen, author of Israel and the Bomb[A] body of work that has no equal either for the brilliance of his storytelling or the ironies of his analysis * London Review of Books *Without doubt one of the best biographies to have been written about David Ben-Gurion... Segev manages to hold the reader's attention' * Literary Review *The book offers an appreciation of the life of an extraordinary man and an understanding of the values, political attitudes and the very concept of the Zionist State... For readers with an interest in the subject, the book is worthwhile, informative and rewarding' * Pennant Magazine. *Authoritative... [Segev] gives us a many-sided character, showing Ben-Gurion's strengths and weaknesses, great moments and cruelties, successes and failures. If you want a balanced account of what has long been a controversial state, this is a good place to start, and Segev is already well known for the excellence of his writing on Israel' * Sorted. *

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Book SynopsisScholar, theologian and philosopher, Martin Buber is one of the twentieth century''s most influential thinkers. He believed that the deepest reality of human life lies in the relationship between one being and another. Between Man and Man is the classic work where he puts this belief into practice, applying it to the concrete problems of contemporary society. Here he tackles subjects as varied as religious ethics, social philosophy, marriage, education, psychology and art. Including some of his most famous writings, such as the masterful What is Man?, this enlightening work challenges each reader to reassess their encounter with the world that surrounds them.Trade Review'Martin Buber, mystic, Zionist leader, Bible translator, is also one of the outstanding religious philosophers of our time.' - Time and Tide'The address to the individual is inescapable. Spirit is not something that is, but something that happens. To learn this we must enter into life's spiritual experiences, not merely look into them. Spirit is nourished by unity of life, and unity with the world.' - Times Literary Supplement'Stimulating and moving.' - Times Educational SupplementTable of ContentsDialogue (Zwiesprache, 1929) 1 Section One: Description Section Two: Limitation Three: Confirmation Conversation with the opponent 2 The Question to the Single One (Die Frage an den Einzelnen, 1936) The question 3 Education (Rede über das Erzieherische, 1926) An address to the Third International Educational Conference, Heidelberg, August 1925, whose subject was "The Development of the Creative Powers in the Child" 4 The Education of Character (Über Charaktererziehung, 1939) An address to the National Conference of Palestinian Teachers, Tel-Aviv, 1939 5 What is Man? (Was ist der Mensch? 1938) Section One: The Progress of the Question I. Kant’s questions II. From Aristotle to Kant III. Hegel and Marx IV. Feuerbach and Nietzsche Section Two: Modern Attempts I. The crisis and its expression II. The doctrine of Heidegger III. The doctrine of Scheler IV. Prospect, Translator’s Notes Afterword: The History of the Dialogical

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Book SynopsisA masterpiece. The rich tradition of the Kabbalah comes to life in a language that is accessible even to those unfamiliar with this ancient and classic tradition. -Caroline Myss, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Anatomy of the SpiritMystics are adventurers of the spirit who dare to push beyond the boundaries of orthodox tradition to pursue a common goal-the direct experience of God. Kabbalah: Key to Your Inner Power explores the once-secret Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah.With intriguing new perspectives, it shows how we can use Kabbalah''s extraordinary revelations about the creation of the universe, our relationship to God and our purpose in life to unlock our own spiritual power. It brings to life the path of the Jewish mystics-their joys and ecstasies, their sacred visions, and their practical techniques for experiencing the sacred in everyday life. Includes 36 illustrations, 19 charts and diagrams, pronunciation guide.

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Book SynopsisIt is a unique book -there has been no comparable synthesis published for a hundred years. It offers a coherent and accessible read, with introductions and summaries for each chapter.

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Book SynopsisThis career-spanning anthology from prominent Jewish historian David Biale brings over a dozen of his key essays together for the first time. These pieces, written between 1974 and 2016, are all representative of a method Biale calls "counter-history": "the discovery of vital forces precisely in what others considered marginal, disreputable and irrational." The themes that have preoccupied Biale throughout the course of his distinguished career—in particular power, sexuality, blood, and secular Jewish thought—span the periods of the Bible, late antiquity, and the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Exemplary essays in this volume argue for the dialectical relationship between modernity and its precursors in the older tradition, working together to "brush history against the grain" in order to provide a sweeping look at the history of the Jewish people. This volume of work by one of the boldest and most intellectually omnivorous Jewish thinkers of our time will be essential reading for scholars and students of Jewish studies.Trade Review"Over the course of his career, David Biale has distinguished himself for both his critical acumen and his capacious interests. Written in the contrarian spirit of "counter-history," these essays exemplify his singular passion for unsettling conventional ideas concerning the norms and boundaries of the Jewish past. A superb, thought-provoking collection."—Peter E. Gordon, author of Migrants in the Profane: Critical Theory and the Question of Secularization"David Biale has always been a trailblazer. This collection highlights the many ingenious roads he has opened for scholars of the Jewish past. Rigorous in method, delicate in touch, Biale sheds light on corners of history that others deemed marginal or taboo, inviting us to engage in an exploration of "counter-history" that remains directly at the field's heart."—Sarah Abrevaya Stein, co-editor of Wartime North Africa: A Documentary History 1934-1950"Intellectually exciting and apleasure to read, the essays in this collection are a fine introduction to many important thinkers in the Jewish tradition."—Bob Goldfarb, Jewish Book Council"Taking a constructivist approach, Biale'sexamination of historical contexts includes the Tanakh, the midrash, myth, politics, and more to arrive at a complex exploration of radicalism embedded within Jewish traditions. His genealogical methodology traces critical topics from their historical or textual origins to present understandings, exploring and connecting diverging exegeses along the way.... Recommended."—A. Lieberman, CHOICE"Throughout the essays in this compilation, Biale traces diverse voices that some might call counter-canonical or even 'heretical,' or as Biale puts it, 'feature inversions of convention or hidden traditions that challenge the canon.' ...For those familiar with Jewish history, these essays provide interesting perspectives and alternative views."—David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries ReviewsTable of ContentsIntroduction: Between Canon and Counterhistory 1. The God with Breasts: El Shaddai in the Bible 2. Korah in the Midrash: The Hairless Heretic as Hero 3. Counterhistory and Jewish Polemics against Christianity: The Sefer Toldot Yeshu and the Sefer Zerubavel 4. "The Torah Speaks the Language of Human Beings": Abraham Ibn Ezra's Radical Interpretation of the Bible 5. Between Melancholy and a Broken Heart: A Note on Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav's Depression 6. The Kabbalah in Nachman Krochmal's Philosophy of History 7. Masochism and Philosemitism: The Strange Case of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch 8. Historical Heresies and Modern Jewish Identity 9. Shabbtai Zvi and the Seductions of Jewish Orientalism 10. Leo Strauss: The Philosopher as Weimar Jew 11. Arendt in Jerusalem: Hannah Arendt on the Eichmann Trial 12. Gershom Scholem's "Ten Unhistorical Aphorisms on the Kabbalah": Text and Commentary 13. The Threat of Messianism: An Interview with Gershom Scholem (August 14, 1980) 14. Mysticism and Politics in Modern Israel: The Messianic Ideology of Abraham Isaac Ha-Cohen Kook 15. The End of Enlightenment? Epilogue: By the Waters of San Francisco: A Partial Autobiography

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Book SynopsisIn this exciting addition to Bloomsbury's Short Histories series, Steven Leonard Jacobs critically yet concisely examines the history of Judaism and the Jewish people, drawing from maps, photographs and archives to illuminate the history of one of the world's oldest religions.Beginning by establishing a definition of Judaism, Jacobs explores the historiography of the Jewish people, in addition to the role of memory in charting history. Including a comprehensive breakdown of the history of Judaism, the author splits discussion into defined eras, taking readers from the beginnings of Judaism, to the split between Judah in the South and Israel in the North, the united Monarchy, and the Age of the Prophets. Exploring the social structures and institutions of ancient Israel, Jacobs incorporates key themes such as civic life, economics, and art before analysing the interactions of Judaism with Romanism and Hellenism. Moving through the Middle Ages and Pre-Modernity, and acknowledgingTrade ReviewDo not be fooled by the title. This “short history” is every bit as deep and wide as we have come to expect from Professor Jacobs. It is beautifully written and includes hundreds of citations to secondary sources that will be of tremendous value to students and scholars alike. * Michael Dickerman, Adjunct Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton University, USA *A Short History of Judaism and the Jewish People by Steven Jacobs is written with the general reader in mind. That is the text is clear and offers a full history never assuming that the reader already knows the details. It is even so comprehensive in this compacted text so that any student will be able to follow the history from the ancient world to the complex reality of modern Judaism. As Prof. Jacobs does this, he also draws on contemporary images (such as a reference to “Indiana Jones”). All of this makes for an excellent text well suited for the beginning student in any college classroom. * James Moore, Senior Research Professor, Valparaiso University, USA *Table of Contents1. Introduction The Operating Definition of Judaism Sociologically Speaking The Importance of the Literary Tradition The Centrality of the God of Israel Judaism, Jewish People, and God 2. Beginnings until the Monarchy Migratory Tribes Egyptian Monarchy Confederation of Tribes 3. Kingdoms of Judah and Israel Reign of Saul Reign of David Reign of Solomon Downfall of the Two Kingdoms 4. Social Structures of Ancient Israel Patriarchal Structure Rise of Urbanization 5. Before the Destruction of the First Temple to Alexander the Great The Age of the Prophets Babylonian Captivity Return to Palestine 6. The Second Temple Period and the Conflicts with “Hellenism” and “Romanism” Hasmonean Revolt and Rule Oppression under Roman Rule Destruction of the Second Temple 7. Aftermath of the Roman War Bar Kokhba Revolt Rise of Rabbinical Academies 8. The 4th to the 7th Centuries Constantine, Christianity, and the Edict of Milan Emergence of Islam 9. The 8th to the 15th Centuries: The Middle Ages The First Crusade Later Crusades and Jewish Oppression A Golden Age Jewish Expulsions and Diasporas 10. The 16th and the 17th Centuries: The Middle Ages and Transitions Internal Jewish Dynamics Further Christian Persecutions False Messiahs 11. The 18th and 19th Centuries: Pre-Modernity to Modernity Period of Jewish Emancipation Four Jewish Movements: Haskalah, Hasidism, Reform Judaism, Zionism Impact of Secularism 12. The 20th Century and Beyond: Modernity Immigration and Emigration Antisemitism in Europe Germany and the Holocaust/Shoah 13. The 21st Century Moment and Beyond American, Israeli, and Worldwide Jewish Survival American Jewish Communities State of Israel Jews Worldwide Antisemitism: Hatred Old and New The Middle East: Israel and Her Neighbours 14. Conclusions Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The degradations of the death camps, and the prospect of his own imminent end, propel Zalmen Gradowski to an act of witness that rises now and then to Biblical heights of eloquence. To read this tragically riven collaborator in the Holocaust is to be shaken to the bone.” * J. M. Coetzee *“Grad­ows­ki aston­ish­es with fresh insights that only a camp insid­er could pos­si­bly have. . . . [C]ogent, frank, and sen­si­tive—well worth a long pondering. In the book’s inci­sive after­word, Pro­fes­sor Arnold I. David­son con­cludes that Grad­ows­ki ​‘left us a writ­ten con­so­la­tion of courage, deter­mi­na­tion, and posthu­mous vic­to­ry. He was and remains a hero’. Indeed, until we learn from this Son­derkom­man­do mem­ber, none of us can think our­selves tru­ly knowl­edge­able about the Shoah.” * Arthur B. Shostak, Jewish Book Council *"Drop whatever you are doing right now and go order the first complete English translation of his manuscripts, newly published as The Last Consolation Vanished. You may never be able to read another Holocaust-related book again.” * Dara Horn, Jewish Review of Books *“These two historically precise and shattering Yiddish-language testimonies by Zalmen Gradowski rank among the most important documents of the twentieth century. An outstanding translation by Monet, and two fine essays accompanied by a superb critical apparatus by editors Davidson and Mesnard bring these documents of murder and resistance to life like no edition before. The outcome is a major achievement in Holocaust historiography.” * Robert Jan van Pelt, author of 'The Case for Auschwitz' *

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be a Jew? How does one begin to answer so extensive a question?In this insightful and completely updated tome, esteemed rabbi and bestselling author Joseph Telushkin helps answer the question of what it means to be a Jew, in the largest sense. Widely recognized as one of the most respected and indispensable reference books on Jewish life, culture, tradition, and religion, Jewish Literacy covers every essential aspect of the Jewish people and Judaism. In 352 short and engaging chapters, Rabbi Telushkin discusses everything from the Jewish Bible and Talmud to Jewish notions of ethics to antisemitism and the Holocaust; from the history of Jews around the world to Zionism and the politics of a Jewish state; from the significance of religious traditions and holidays to how they are practiced in daily life. Whether you want to know more about Judaism in general or have specific questions you''d like answered, Jewish

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisFusing philosophy and theology, this work assigns both Judaism and Christianity distinct but equally important roles in the spiritual structure of the world, and finds in both biblical religions approaches toward a comprehension of reality.Trade Review“Franz Rosenzweig’s The Start of Redemption is one of the few lasting books of our century, a work whose originality transcends the disciplinary limits of philosophy and religion and which must be read by anyone whose concern with the meaning of daily life is urgent and abiding.” —Maurice Natanson, Yale University

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Book SynopsisThe Mishna, a six-part codification of oral rabbinic law, is the basis of the Talmud. It is one of the two holy books upon which Judaism has been constructed. This edition aims to provide as close to a literal translation as possible, following the syntax of Mishnaic Hebrew.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of Maimonides, the medieval philosopher, physician, and religious thinker, author of The Guide of the Perplexed, from one of the world’s foremost bibliophilesTrade Review“If you want to watch a formidable writer and scholar with the world’s literature at his fingertips, creatively taking on medieval Judaism’s greatest mind, you will have a lot of fun.”—Carlos Fraenkel, Literary Review“In our confusing time, when rationality is fighting for its deserved place, Alberto Manguel’s brilliant book offers a historical and analytical premise for searching for the deserved place in the spiritual confrontation with the sacred.”—Norman Manea, author of The Fifth Impossibility: Essays on Exile and Language

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Book SynopsisThe oldest of the world's major faiths, Judaism as practiced today represents a tradition that goes back nearly 6,000 years. Accessible and wide-ranging, Judaism: The Basics is a must-have resource covering the stories, beliefs and expressions of that tradition.Key topics covered include: the Torah Israel the state and its people Passover Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism and Zionism the impact of the Holocaust. With a glossary of terms and extensive suggestions for further reading, Judaism: The Basics is an essential guide through the rich intricacies of the Jewish faith and people.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Defining a Religion and Judaism in Particular 1. Defining Judaism through Stories 2. Who and What is Israel? The Community of Judaism and Passover 3. The Israelite Before God and the Days of Awe 4. The Individual Israelite and Israel in History: The Huppah, the Covenant of Abraham, Eating Lunch 5. The Purpose of the Law, the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath 6. God is One, Merciful and Just 7. The Formation of Normative Judaism 8. The Articulation of Normative Judaism 9. Reform, Orthodox and Conservative Judaisms, Zionism 10. The Holocaust and How Judaism Speaks Today

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Book SynopsisThe revised and expanded edition of an unrivaled resource for Jewish esotericism

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Book SynopsisCelebrate the Festival of Lights with this adorable Hanukkah llama figurine that plays an upbeat Hanukkah song. Specifications: Comes with a 3' Hanukkah llama figurine decked out with a menorah throw blanket, winter hat and scarf, and sunglasses With Sound: A Hanukkah song with a toe-tapping beat plays when the button is pressed Book Included: Mini book features the Hanukkah story with llamas and full-color illustrations Perfect Gift: This cute llama is a great holiday gift for friends and family or as a self-purchase Portable: Small size allows for festive fun anytime, anywhere Includes button cell batteries. 

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Book SynopsisA self-proclaimed Messianic Jew discusses the growth and dangers of the Messianic Judaism movement, reiterating God's intention for his church to serve as "one new man" and advocating unity among the body of believers.

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Book SynopsisRespected scholar and Messianic Jew answers sixty common questions Christians have about Jewish people, culture, practices, and the Jewish background to the New Testament.

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Book Synopsis “. . . a rare jewel, a powerhouse of spiritual wisdom that you can read and reread.”—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. author of A Woman’s Journey to God and Seven Paths to God “[Open Secrets] invites us into the most intimate of settings, the whispered wisdom passed from an authentic Hasidic master to his student. It radiates warmth, passion for the divine, and earthy confidence in sacredness. A treasure for the spiritual seeker of any tradition.” —Judith Simmer-Brown, Naropa University, author of Dakini’s Warm Breath “Open Secrets is my favorite way to introduce readers to the essence and depth of Judaism.”—Bo Lozoff, author and founder of the Human Kindness Foundation “A master teacher.”—Thomas Keating A prophetic voice for a 21st-century Judaism”—Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi The fictional East European Hasidic Master Reb Yerachmeil wr

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Book SynopsisWhat connects the phenomenon of music as an art with the belief in one indivisible God? What has music, a non-linguistic medium, to say about the personal, loving, communicative God of Scripture and the Prophets, or the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, transcendent God of the Philosophers and can it bring these ''concepts of God'' together? To answer these questions, this book takes divine Creation as its starting point, that the God of monotheism must be the Creator of all that is. It thus argues that anything which instantiates and facilitates communication within the created realm has been enabled to do so by a God who communicates with His Creation, and who wishes that His Creation be communicative. Indeed, it will argue that the communication allowed by music, and aesthetic experience in general, is the very raison d''être of Abrahamic monotheism and might thus allow an opportunity for dialogue between monotheistic faiths.

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Book SynopsisJewish Ethics: The Basics demonstrates how ancient and contemporary ideas have shaped and reshaped Jewish traditions about how to act toward others. Readers are introduced to foundational questions, controversies, and diverse ethical conclusions developed by Jewish thinkers throughout the ages. Topics addressed include:â Assumptions about Authorityâ Love, Compassion, Justice and Humilityâ Human Rights, War, Land and Power â Gender and Sexualityâ Personal and Social Ethicsâ Environmental and Animal Ethicsâ Bioethical Issues Concise, readable and engaging, this is the ideal introduction for anyone interested in religious ethics, secular traditions, Judaism, and the field of Jewish ethics.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the Jewish conception of law from biblical to modern times. It traces the political, social, intellectual, and cultural circumstances that spawned competing Jewish approaches to the nomian character of the tradition, and its relationship to secular legal systems, including that of the modern state of Israel.Table of ContentsList of contributors; Acknowledgements; Introduction. Can we even speak of 'Judaism and law'? Christine Hayes; 1. Law in biblical Israel Chaya Halberstam; 2. Law in Jewish society of the Second Temple period Seth Schwartz; 3. Law in classical Rabbinic Judaism Christine Hayes; 4. Approaches to secular law in biblical Israel and classical Judaism through the medieval period Beth Berkowitz; 5. Law in medieval Judaism Zev Harvey; 6. The transition to modernity and the invention of the Jewish religion Verena Kasper-Marienberg; 7. Enlightenment conceptions of Judaism and law Eliyahu Stern; 8. Antinomianism and its responses – eighteenth century Menachem Lorberbaum; 9. Antinomianism and its responses – nineteenth century David Ellenson; 10. New developments in modern Jewish thought Yonatan Brafman; 11. Judaism, Jewish law in pre-state Palestine Amihai Radzyner; 12. Judaism, Jewish law, and the Jewish State in Israel Arye Edrei; 13. What does it mean for a state to be Jewish? Daphne Barak Erez; 14. Fault lines Patricia Woods; Primary source index; General index.

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Book SynopsisOffering a breadth unmatched by any other study to date, this book deals with the intense Jewish engagement with Martin Heidegger's philosophy. It demonstrates that while his anti-Semitism made his Jewish reception inevitably fraught, no other philosopher has impacted and fomented twentieth century Jewish European thought more than Heidegger.Trade Review'… Through meticulous philological and textual control, and an acute theoretical sophistication, Daniel M. Herskowitz illumines the historical and conceptual frame of reference for the Jewish reception of Heidegger … Eschewing a simplistic political disavowal of Heidegger on account of his Nazi affiliation, the book demonstrates the complexity of thought and the need to look beyond platitudes to understand the depth of philosophical reflection. The book will most surely provoke discussion and stimulate further research into this important and timely topic.' Elliot R. Wolfson, Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara'Daniel M.Herskowitz does not avoid Heidegger's infamous antisemitism in his brilliant new book … in Heidegger and His Jewish Reception, Herskowitz shows that the German philosopher influenced an astonishingly wide array of twentieth century Jewish philosophers, theologians, and scholars.' Steven E. Aschheim, Jewish Review of Books'The book engages with an impressive range of immediate recipients of Heidegger … commendable work done in this text …' Deborah Casewell, Political Theology'This is a major work in Jewish intellectual history that will be of interest to a variety of scholars of religion who deal with secularization in its various forms.' Martin Kavka, Journal of the American Academy of ReligionTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Herkunft and Zukunft: Heidegger, Christianity, and secularization; 2. Kant's legacy and new thinking: Heidegger, Cassirer, and Rosenzweig; 3. A Christian anthropology? Early Jewish readings of Sein und Zeit; 4. Dwelling prophetically: Martin Buber's response to Heidegger; 5. The destruktion of Jerusalem: Leo Strauss on Heidegger; 6. God, being, pathos: Abraham Joshua Heschel's theological rejoinder to Heidegger; 7. Uprooting paganism: Emmanuel Levinas faces Heidegger; Conclusion. Which God will save us? Heidegger and Judaism.

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Book SynopsisThis newly revised all-encompassing textbook is a guide to the history, beliefs and practice of Judaism. Beginning with the ancient Near Eastern background, it covers early Israelite history, the emergence of classical rabbinic literature and the rise of medieval Judaism in Islamic and Christian lands. It also includes the early modern period and the development of Jewry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Extracts from primary sources are used throughout to enliven the narrative and provide concrete examples of the rich variety of Jewish civilization.Specially designed to assist learning, Judaism: Introduces texts and commentaries, including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, mystical literature, Jewish philosophy and Jewish theology Provides the skills necessary to understand these step-by-step with the help of a companion website Explains how to interpret the major events in nearly four thousand years of Jewish Trade ReviewAlready an indispensable resource, this second edition of Judaism: History, Belief and Practice, with its outstanding clarity and comprehensive range, has a yet stronger claim to the status of core text for any student or general reader new to the serious study of Judaism. Melissa Raphael, University of Gloucestershire and Leo Baeck College, London.This Second and revised edition of Judaism: History, Belief and Practice is to be welcomed not only by those of us who teach survey courses in Judaism where this is the text for our students, but colleagues who now have at hand a ready and complete encyclopedic reference in one volume. Steve Jacobs, The University of Alabama, USATable of ContentsList of mapsList of figures Preface Tips for students Sources Acknowledgements Part I: History 1 Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization 2 The Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Civilization 3 Israelite Monotheism and Law 4 The Patriarchs 5 Exodus 6 Conquest and Settlement7 The Rise of Monarchy 8 Solomon and the Divided Monarchy 9 Kings of Israel and Judah 10 Jeroboam II to the Fall of the Northern Kingdom 11 Ahaz and Hezekiah 12 From Manasseh to Babylonian Captivity 6813 Aftermath of the Fall of Judah 14 Return and Restoration 15 The Rise of Hellenism 16 Judaism under Hellenism 17 The Kingship of Herod 18 Rebellion against Rome 19 The Rise of Christianity 20 Roman Jewish War and Aftermath 21 Jews in the Roman Empire 22 Jews in Babylonia 23 Rabbinic Scriptural Interpretation24 Rabbinic Theology 25 Judaism under Islamic Rule 26 Karaism 27 Jews in Muslim Spain and other Islamic Lands 28 Jewry in Christian Europe in the Middle Ages 29 The Jews in Christian Spain 30 Dispersion of the Marranos 31 Early Medieval Thought 32 The Philosophy of Maimonides 33 Jewish Philosophy after Maimonides 34 Rabbinic Mysticism 35 The Hasidei Ashkenaz 36 The Emergence of Kabbalah 37 Jews in the Ottoman Empire 38 The Shabbatean Movement 39 Jewry in Eastern and Western Europe 40 The Rise of the Hasidic Movement 41 The Status of Jewry in Europe 42 Jews in Eastern Europe 43 The Emergence of Jewish Thought in the Enlightenment 44 The Origins of Reform45 The Rise of Anti-Semitism 46 The Zionist Movement 47 Jews in the United States, Palestine, Africa and Asia 48 The Nazi Regime 49 The Death Camps 50 Jewry after the Holocaust 51 The State of Israel52 The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict53 The Ongoing Struggle54 Women in Modern Judaism55 Jews and Culture56 Jews in Medicine and Science57 The Future of JudaismPart II: Belief and Practice BELIEF58 The Unity of God 59 Divine Transcendence and Immanence 60 Eternity 61 Omnipotence and Omniscience 62 Creation 63 Providence 64 Divine Goodness 65 Revelation 66 Torah and Mitzvot 67 Commandments 68 Sin and Repentance 69 The Chosen People 70 The Promised Land71 Prayer 72 Love and Fear of God 73 Messiah74 The Afterlife PRACTICE75 Community Life 76 Jewish Education 77 The Jewish Calendar 78 Places of Worship 79 Worship 80 The Sabbath 81 Special Sabbaths 82 Pilgrim Festivals 83 New Year and Day of Atonement 84 The Days of Joy 85 Fasts 86 Life Cycle Events 87 Marriage 88 Divorce 89 The Home 90 Dietary Laws 91 Death and Mourning 92 Jewish Ethics 93 Conversion Glossary Reference Bibliography Judaism on the Internet Index

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Book SynopsisFinalist, 2018 National Jewish Book Award for Modern Jewish Thought and Experience, presented by the Jewish Book CouncilWinner, 2019 Jordan Schnitzer Book Award, in the Jewish Literature and Linguistics Category, given by the Association for Jewish StudiesA fascinating glimpse into the world of the coffeehouse and its role in shaping modern Jewish cultureUnlike the synagogue, the house of study, the community center, or the Jewish deli, the café is rarely considered a Jewish space. Yet, coffeehouses profoundly influenced the creation of modern Jewish culture from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. With roots stemming from the Ottoman Empire, the coffeehouse and its drinks gained increasing popularity in Europe. The otherness, and the mix of the national and transnational characteristics of the coffeehouse perhaps explains why many of these cafés were owned by Jews, why Jews became their most devoted habitués, and how cafés acquired Trade Review"[H]ugely entertaining and intimidatingly well researched, with scarcely a café in which a Jewish writer raised a cup of coffee from Warsaw to New York left undocumented." -- Adam Gopnik * The New Yorker *"Shachar Pinsker masterfully documents the impact of café life on Jewish culture throughout the civilized world. . . . A Rich Brew is aptly named. Engagingly illustrated with many contemporary photos and cartoons, it offers a deep dive into the café world of six cities that gave birth to modern Jewish thought and culture." * Moment Magazine *"A Rich Brew evokes the sense of lingering in a timeless café, savoring the flavor and scent of good coffee and the conversation that goes along with it." * The Jewish Week *"Pinsker . . . believes that cafés in six cities created modern Jewish culture. Its the kind of claim that sounds as if it might be a game-changer, and there are enough grounds and gossip in A Rich Brew to keep this customer engrossed from cup to cup." * The Wall Street Journal *"Pinsker makes clear the vital role literary cafes played in 19th- and 20th-century Western Jewish culture in this smart volume." * Publishers Weekly *"Pinsker takes the reader on a journey across the important centers of modern Jewish culture: Odessa, Warsaw, Vienna, Berlin, New York and Tel Aviv, using a host of different sources and making for a captivating read." * The Forward *"This meticulously researched book pays tribute to an electrifying network of cafes that once incubated modern Jewish culture." -- Hadassah"Weaving stories of writers, artists, activists, and revolutionaries in the cafes of Odessa, Warsaw, Vienna, Berlin, New York City, and Tel Aviv, Pinsker takes us on a journey from Moses Mendelssohn’s philosophical writings in Berlin’s Gelehrtes Kaffehause in 1755 to the funeral of the last Yiddish-speaking café owner in 1979 Tel Aviv, 'attended by a crowd of thousands.'" -- Marginalia Review of Books"A captivating tale of Jewish intellectual life, fueled by caffeine and good company in cities across the world." -- Metropole"Shachar Pinskers absorbing new work of nonfiction, A Rich Brew, uses the café as a vehicle both to describe the development of modern Jewish culture and to delve into the topics that drove its progression." * Jewish Book Council *"Pinsker packs his history with titillating behind-the-scenes snapshots of a cast of fascinating and enigmatic Jewish figures in cafés throughout history . . . makes for engaging, as well as nostalgic, reading, and begs the question: what has replaced the café in contemporary Jewish life?" * In geveb *"Pinsker’s greatest strength is in assembling evocative descriptions, both of individual cafés, and of cafés as a species of urban space. He expertly weaves together real-life accounts of cafés, including many in the journalistic-literary genre of the feuilleton, and their fictional depiction in the work of some of the most important Jewish writers of the 19th and 20th centuries." -- Reading Religion"Shachar Pinsker concocts a rich and pleasing brew of material culture, history, sociology, and text analysis to explore the roots of modern Jewish culture as we know it today. Describing the café as a 'thirdspace,' a liminal zone between the intimate and the public spheres, Pinsker follows the emergence of Jewish culture from the synagogue and the traditional house-of-study and its recreation as a modern, urban, secular intellectual heritage. Masterfully constructed and beautifully written, A Rich Brew is an illuminating and pleasurable read." -- Ruby Namdar,author of The Ruined House"A Rich Brew is an innovative work of Jewish cultural and literary history that illuminates how the café served as a laboratory that nourished Jewish writers, artists, and intellectuals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the European cafes of Odessa, Warsaw, Vienna, and Berlin, to New York and Tel Aviv Jaffa, Pinsker charts a new account of the public spaces of Jewish culture and the new literary and cultural forms that where imagined there." -- Allison Schachter, author of Diasporic Modernisms: Hebrew and Yiddish Literature in the Twentieth Century"Shachar Pinsker, in part building on research he did for his admirable first book, Literary Passports, has produced a scrupulously documented and finely instructive account of the role of cafes in modern Jewish culture. A Rich Brew, providing apt discussions of many long-forgotten or unknown texts and a generous sampling of photographs of the sundry cafes, should be of considerable interest both for historians and students of modern Jewish literature." -- Robert Alter, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley"The best part of this book is that it offers a new cultural history of Jewish modernity by utilizing literary studiesusing examples of poetry and prose written in and about cafés, it gives voice to artists who populated these cafés." -- Anna Shternshis, University of Toronto"A Rich Brew is an enjoyable, well-written book, accessible to a wide audience. Pinsker does a fine job introducing the reader to the larger historical contexts, especially of each individual city under examination; offers clear overviews of representative Jewish literary and artistic personalities; and, most importantly, brings to life the many (but now defunct) cafés that stand at the heart of his narrative." * AJS Review *"A great strength of A Rich Brew is the attention given to precisely what is absent from [Jürgen] Habermas’s text: the physical spaces of cafés and their relationship to the bourgeois public sphere. It is marvelous to see how much a literary historian learned about places (and people) from his close scrutiny of literature and art." * Sociological Forum *"The focus on examining individual cities is one of the book’s strongest points, as each chapter is a mini-historiography of class, religion, ethnicity, and gender. More than anything, however, A Rich Brew is an examination of the role of nostalgia for home in shaping everything from café discussions to creative output to historical reflection." * Digest: A Journal of Foodways & Culture *"[Pinsker] has uncovered a vibrant, far-flung network of neighborhood cafes that were patronized by Jewish writers with a taste for coffee, conversation, and difference." * Sociological Forum *"A Rich Brew takes us on a spectacular tour of urban Jewish cafés across several continents, invigorating our sense of Jewish modernity in the making." * The American Historical Review *"The power of this book is not merely in reminding the reader of the lost world of Jewish cafés but in showing how comparative analysis illuminates what is common and what is unique about Jews as a social group and the institutions they create." * American Jewish History *

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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 Synopsis"Anti-Semitism revisited in a wholly original way" Philippe Sands"Rippling with ideas on every page" Jewish Chronicle"Tackles the issue [of anti-semitism] from the perspective of a country where its manifestations have been more vicious and deadly" Financial TimesRabbi Delphine Horvilleur analyses the phenomenon of anti-semitism as it is viewed by those who endure it and who, through narration and literature, succeed in overcoming it. Jewish texts are replete with treatments of anti-semitism, of this endlessly paradoxical hatred, and of the ways in which Jews are perceived by others. But here, the focus is inverted: Anti-Semitism Revisited explores the hatred of Jews as seen through the lens of the sacred texts, rabbinical tradition and Jewish lore. Delphine Horvilleur gives a voice to those who are too often deprived of one, examining resilience in the face of adversity and the legacy of an ancient hatred that is often misunderstood. An engaging, hopeful and very original examination of anti-semitism: what it means, where it comes from, what are the ancient myths and tropes that are weaponised against Jewish people, and how do we take them apart.Translated from the French by David BellosTrade ReviewTackles the issue [of anti-Semitism] from the perspective of a country where its manifestations have been more vicious and deadly * Financial Times *Rippling with ideas on every page -- Simon Rocker * Jewish Chronicle *Highly recommended -- Andrea Heiz * Der Standard *Horvilleur's elegantly and ironically written text provides plenty of food for thought -- Martina Läubli * NZZ am Sonntag *Provides illuminating insights into exegetical discussions of the rabbinical tradition -- Lea de Gregorio * Zeit *

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Book SynopsisA spiritual crisis sent Orthodox rabbi Gershon Winkler to remote regions of the Southwest, where he studied with Native American healers. From them he began to recover the long-lost wisdom of what he calls “Aboriginal Judaism”: the religion’s tribal roots. This book tracks his personal journey and draws from a dazzling mix of sources to detail the surprising connections between two seemingly unrelated religions.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe Biblical narrative is usually very terse and cryptic. Over the millennia, Jewish scholars often painted a patriarchal picture with women "in their place." Yes, ancient Middle Eastern society was patriarchal, but matriarchs had power as well. Yes, kings ruled, but the king’s mother had major influence over him. Powerless women existed, but so did female prophets and judges. The narrative describes real people, with human weaknesses as well as strengths. There are love stories and lust stories, as well as stories of the dangers of favoritism, greed, and envy. This book puts these women—some are role models—into the context of an ancient society, bringing them imaginatively from the sidelines onto center stage.Trade Review“Reguer fills her narrative with minute details of what life was like in the women’s respective historical periods, which helps well-trod biblical stories come to life… Onto Center Stage is written by an academic and published by an academic press, but these facts should not scare potential readers off. The prose is easy to read and engaging, making it accessible to a wide array of readers… Onto Center Stage is an enjoyable peek inside the lives and times of biblical-era women.”— Leah Grisham, Jewish Book CouncilTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Sara2. Rebecca3. Rahel and Leah4. Powerless Women: Dina and Tamar5. Miriam and Tzippora: Sisters-in-Law6. Deborah the Judge7. Ruth8. Chana9. David’s Wives: Michal, Avigayil, Bathsheba10. Esther11. Addendum: Reclaiming the Heroic Jewish Judith

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Book SynopsisThis first book by the author of the bestselling More Beautiful Than Before and The Beauty of What Remains has been reissued with a new foreword by Steve Leder, reflecting anew--20 years later--on these inspirational essays and the influence they have had.Through vignettes at times funny and poignant, Rabbi Leder points out those easily overlooked connections between everyday experiences and the teachings of Judaism. God and spirituality can be found in every aspect of our daily routines. Ordinary things--a pet frog, a weekend fishing trip, a roller coaster ride--become extraordinary when re-examined through Jewish eyes. Woven throughout Rabbi Leder's essays are midrashic texts, talmudic excerpts, and passages from the Torah, reflecting thousands of years of Jewish wisdom. Whether recalling a memorable walk along the beach with Dad, teaching a child the commandment of tzedakah, or stepping into the shoes of an anxious father-to-be as he paces the halls of the maternity ward, these stories reveal Judaism's power to illuminate our lives.Trade Review"Uplifting" --William Safire"It is through the unremarkable events of daily life that we discover universal and wondrous spiritual truths. Finding meaning in the mundane is just a matter of knowing where to look, says Leder, a rabbi at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The author notes that it's hard to find the sacred in the everyday when every day is a blur. Through vignettes both poignant and funny, Leder points out connections between our everyday experiences and the teachings of Judaism. Leder uses stories about an accident-prone pet frog, handing over pocket change to a homeless person, a weekend fishing trip and a roller-coaster ride to show how God can be found in the nooks and crannies of our familiar routines. Leder incorporates thousands of years of Jewish wisdom in his stories by weaving into them passages from the Torah, the Talmud and Midrash. His stories are an engaging way to explore Judaism's relevance to our lives, and his anecdotes show us that true holiness can be found in the humble corners of daily life." --Publishers Weekly Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc. "Rabbi Leder is everything we search for in a modern wise man; learned, kind, funny, and non-judgmental. For those of us whose daily issues are those of family, love, and loss, he offers remarkably healing guidance. In this book, he finds the true fabric of our spiritual lives." -- Wendy Wasserstein, playwright."Steven Leder's polished gems of insight confirm the teaching that words issued from the heart have the power to enter our hearts." -- Harold Kushner, author, When Ban Things Happen to Good People "Many Jews relate to God only on holidays and only in synagogue. Rabbi Leder makes us aware that true religiosity means finding God everywhere, everyday. An inspiring, profoundly religious book." -- Joseph Telushkin, author, Jewish Literacy

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Book SynopsisHow to transform the model of twentieth-century Jewish institutions into twenty-first-century relational communities offering meaning and purpose, belonging and blessing."What really matters is that we care about the people we seek to engage. When we genuinely care about people, we will not only welcome them; we will listen to their stories, we will share ours, and we will join together to build a Jewish community that enriches our lives." —from the IntroductionMembership in Jewish organizations is down. Day school enrollment has peaked. Federation campaigns are flat. The fastest growing and second largest category of Jews is “Just Jewish.” Young Jewish adults are unengaged and aging baby boomers are disengaging. Yet, in the era of Facebook, people crave face-to-face community.“It's all about relationships.” With this simple, but profound idea, noted educator and community revitalization pioneer Dr. Ron Wolfson presents practical strategies and case studies to transform the old model of Jewish institutions into relational communities. He sets out twelve principles of relational engagement to guide Jewish lay leaders, professionals and community members in transforming institutions into inspiring communities whose value-proposition is to engage people and connect them to Judaism and community in meaningful and lasting ways.Trade Review"Catalogs endless ways to revitalize Jewish life through deep, on-going human connections. Effective twenty-first-century lay and professional leaders will need this road map for the journey ahead." —Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president, Union for Reform Judaism "Lively ... shows us how to transform our institutions by focusing on how we connect to one another. A must read for anyone who cares about the future of American Jewish life." —Alisa Rubin Kurshan, senior vice president, UJA–Federation of New York “Judaism is about relationship—with others, with God, with the tradition itself. There is no more sure-footed guide to the relationships in our lives than Ron Wolfson, teacher extraordinaire. Here is his latest gift to the seeking soul.” —Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles “Skips the self-flagellation and offers a people-to-people paradigm that individuals and organizations can embrace.” —Wayne Firestone, president and CEO, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life “With passion of insight and humor of experience, Ron Wolfson weaves a vision for our future.” —Rabbi Elyse Frishman, editor, Mishkan T'filah: A Reform Siddur “Had Martin Buber written a practical guide, it would be Ron Wolfson's book. It is filled with theory, practice, successful examples and, most importantly, hope for the future of the American Jewish community and its institutions.” —Dr. Kerry M. Olitzky, executive director, Jewish Outreach Institute “Consecrate the new: rejuvenate the old. With these two imperatives, Ron Wolfson demonstrates that without belonging, believing and behaving are orphaned.... His writing confirms the insight of the philosopher of relationship, Martin Buber: 'all real living is meeting.’” —Rabbi Harold Schulweis, Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California “A highly readable description and analysis of the most exciting and innovative programs and personalities in North American Judaism today.... This book should be read and studied by all concerned with the modern American Jewish condition.” —Rabbi David Ellenson, president, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion “Any book that quotes Steve Jobs and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik in the span of a few pages knows how to apply some of the best thinking from the business and non-profit sectors, along with the wisdom of Jewish text and tradition, to address the question of how we can live lives of meaning and purpose. A must read.” —Rachel Levin, executive director, Righteous Persons Foundation “Open[s] doors of engagement and learning that make life more profound and wondrous. Takes a theology of relationship and translates it into lives well lived, and communities more vibrant!” —Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, dean, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University; author, Passing Life’s Tests: Spiritual Reflections on the Trial of Abraham, the Binding of Isaac “A needed dose of truth from someone who has done his homework. An honest tour through today’s Jewish landscape, skipping the all too familiar nostalgia in favor of concrete ideas, commitment and hope.” —Rabbi Noa Kushner, The Kitchen, San Francisco “Challenges the Jewish community to embrace a wholly new and boldly different paradigm.... Brings much-needed fresh thinking to a Jewish community striving to reinvent itself, and seeking to engage new generations with renewed depth, vibrancy and relevance.” —Larry Moses, senior philanthropic advisor and president emeritus, The Wexner Foundation “The definitive account of how Jewish institutions are moving from programs, turf and walls to relationships, openness and engagement. A must read for anyone serious about transforming today into a successful and significant tomorrow.” —Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD, author, Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life “An invaluable resource full of common sense wisdom.... What emerges is a vision for a Jewish future full of meaning and purpose and most of all engagement. A must read for every Jewish leader.” —Rabbi Naomi Levy, author, Hope Will Find You; spiritual leader, Nashuva: The Jewish Spiritual Outreach Center “Combines a clear understanding of purpose and meaning with a detailed and useful description of how relationships empower all of our institutions.” —Barry Shrage, president, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston “Essential reading.... It calls to all of us in leadership: Reclaim that which is sacred in Jewish life by encountering the other!” —Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, senior vice president, Union for Reform Judaism “Hits on the key challenge for us as Jewish leaders—engagement of Jews with each other.... Reading this book will serve to focus all of us on our common work in today’s new reality.” —Allan Finkelstein, president and CEO, Jewish Community Centers Association “A superb organizational roadmap for any synagogue willing to put substance behind their aspiration to be warm and welcoming.” —Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein, Central Synagogue, New York City “If you worry about the Jewish future, read this book and then send a copy to every Jewish leader you know.” —Rabbi Ed Feinstein, Valley Beth Shalom; author, Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult’s Guide to Building a Jewish Life “With compassion, stark honesty and enduring hope, tells the story of the next chapter of institutional Jewish life.... Any person, team or community struggling with creating and practicing a relevant Judaism in this very consumerist day will benefit tremendously from the transformative dialogue ... stories and well-articulated challenges woven throughout the pages of this book.” —Rabbi Stephanie Kolin, co-director, Union for Reform Judaism’s Just Congregations “Groundbreaking ... call[s] us to return to the central mission of Judaism and offer[s] practical guidance on how to get there. A must read.” —Rabbi Baruch HaLevi, co-author, Revolution of Jewish Spirit; spiritual leader, Congregation Shirat Hayam, Greater Boston “Exemplifies how Judaism and its institutions will only grow stronger if the focus is on the personal relationships they create. I hope Jewish leaders across the board read this book and allow for the transformation to happen within their organizations.” —David Cygielman, CEO, Moishe House “A must read if you want to learn how to make the tikkun that the Jewish community is desperate for: places that will nurture real relationships, human connectedness, personal engagement, holy community.” —Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (BJ), New York City “Challenge[s] every congregational leader, seminary educator and community professional to rethink how they will reshape their institutions and embrace twenty-first-century Jews.” —Steven Windmueller, Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion “With his usual charm, humor and intellect, Wolfson provides us with the next steps following welcoming.” —Rabbi Steven C. Wernick, CEO, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism “A must read for anyone who cares about the future of Jewish life in America, or anywhere for that matter.” —Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel, Temple Micah, Washington, DC “Eloquent and persuasive ... provocative and practical, [this book] can be the spark for a revolution in Jewish organizational life that is both sorely needed and enormously exciting.... I guarantee that you’ll be glad you found this book.” —Dr. Jonathan S. Woocher, chief ideas officer and director, Lippman Kanfer Institute, JESNA “A must read for all professionals and lay leaders who want their Jewish organizations to succeed in the age of networks ... [and] a roadmap for the new Jewish leader, one who listens and gathers Jewish people and their families to create meaning, purpose, belonging and blessing.” —Lisa Farber Miller, senior program officer, Rose Community Foundation, Denver, Colorado “A vital resource for rabbis, cantors, educators and lay leaders striving to transform their communities into places where people care about one another, and where powerful internal relationships can be catalyzed into a force for creating a more just world.” —Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director, Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; author, Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community “Important ... captures the spirit and drive behind the most profound transformation of American Judaism in a century.... A must read for rabbis, professionals and lay leaders who steward the Jewish community.” —Rabbi Noah Farkas, Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California “Readable and usable ... it is about how to ensure Judaism’s and the Jewish people’s contribution to the world as we near completion of the fourth millennium of Jewish history. As he asks on the last page, 'What are we waiting for?’ I, for one, will not.” —Dr. Bruce Powell, head of school, New Community Jewish High School, West Hills, California “Brilliantly takes the emphasis [on our communal nature] and shows how it can become a reservoir of meaning in our lives, a strong tie to God and to the Jewish community, and a way for Jewish institutions to regain the allegiance of Jews of all ages.” —Rabbi Elliot Dorff, rector and distinguished professor of philosophy, American Jewish University “An extraordinary resource.... No one will ever think about the significance of building enduring relationships in quite the same way.” —Rabbi Peter S. Berg, The Temple, Atlanta, Georgia “Codifies what would seem to be uncodifiable, the secret of how to rejuvenate Jewish life.... Gives practical and inspiring advice on how to build relationships in every sphere of life—and at the end we will not only have happier people, happier friends and happier synagogues, but we will also have a vibrant Jewish community. We will no longer be asking ‘Will Judaism in America survive?’ as we will be too busy thriving.” —Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author, Jewish Literacy and A Code of Jewish EthicsTable of ContentsA Note to the Reader xiii Introduction 1 A Cautionary Tale 1 The Beating Heart of My Jewish Soul 3 Beyond Welcoming 4 Telling Stories, Asking Questions 6 Two Questions 6 A Different Worry 12 Now, What? 15 1 Shifting the Shape of Jewish Engagement 19 A New Goal 22 Relationships as Drivers for Engagement 23 A Relational Jew 27 Who Needs Institutions? 30 2 Toward a Relational Judaism 33 Terms of Engagement 33 The Challenge of Individualism 38 Three Levels of Community 39 Listening, Sharing, Doing, Trusting 41 3 The Nine Levels of Relationship 45 The Sacred Fountain of Relationships 46 The "Bayns" of Our Existence 48 The First Level: Bayn Adam l'Atzmo—Self 49 The Second Level: Bayn Adam l'Mishpachah—Family 56 The Third Level: Bayn Adam l'Haveiro—Friends 59 The Fourth Level: Bayn Adam l’Yahadut—Jewish Living 61 The Fifth Level: Bayn Adam l’Kehillah—Community 64 The Sixth Level: Bayn Adam l’Am—Peoplehood 68 The Seventh Level: Bayn Adam l’Yisrael—Israel 70 The Eighth Level: Bayn Adam l’Olam—World 73 The Ninth Level: Bayn Adam l’Makom—God 75 Re-viewing the Nine Levels of Relationship 82 4 Transforming Programmatic Institutions into Relational Communities: Six Case Studies 85 Chabad 86 Hillel 96 Congregation-Based Community Organizing 107 Next-Generation Engagement Initiatives 113 Social Media 129 Passing the Baton 136 Fundraisers’ Wisdom 141 5 The Twelve Principles of Relational Engagement 149 1) Personal Encounters 152 2) Telling Stories 160 3) Learning Together / Doing Together 170 4) Connecting 173 5) Experiences 188 6) Volunteerism 195 7) Follow-Up 199 8) Transition Points 202 9) Reengagement 205 10) Relational Space 207 11) Relational Membership Models 209 12) Relational Leadership 218 A Word of Caution 229 6 The Challenges Ahead 231 Options for a Shrinking Community 231 The Challenge Facing National Organizations and Movements 233 Jewish Professionals: Fewer Jobs, Great Opportunity 235 Epilogue: A Relational People 239 An Invitation to Action 241 In Gratitude 242 Notes 246 Selected Bibliography 251 Index 257

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