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Books can be helpful and intimate companions as you travel the way of the spirit. Here's a place where you can glimpse some of the best new Jewish works available. We've also added a sprinkling of first-rate selections that have proved the test of time.
The Dignity of Difference
by Jonathan Sacks
Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003
The Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth, Sacks is well known through his appearances on British television and through his 12 books (e.g., A Letter in the Scroll). Americans will be taken with his incisive arguments and clear writing style. What he presents here is not a treatise on Jewish faith and customs but a look at the discontents of our world and how religious values can unite rather than divide us. Sacks sees certain values (e.g., education, responsibility, charity) as imperative to any new world order, regardless of one's religious beliefs. Though these values might seem self-evident, he shows how their absence causes much that is wrong. He further exhorts us to explore more covenantal relationships, which he defines as "a bond, not of interest and advantage, but of belonging" and sees as paramount to our survival-more so than commercial relationships, however essential they are to capitalist society. Throughout, Sacks makes reference to demanding philosophical thought, but he provides some much-needed spiritual uplift in this post-9/11 world, and his work is accessible to informed lay readers. (Library Journal)Buy This Book
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Seyder Tkhines
by Devra Kay
Jewish Publication Society of America, 2004
According to Kay, "Jewish women today who are seeking a precedent for women’s prayer need look no further" than the "seyder thkines," or Yiddish prayer books for women that were popular in the mid- to late 17th century. Now largely forgotten, these works of popular piety emerged in a time of remarkable messianic expectation and fervent holiness. Kay, who began researching these prayer books for her doctoral dissertation, writes that the prayer books flourished for approximately three generations and had no precedents in the history of Jewish prayer, since they were vernacular prayers written by and for women. Kay traces the development of the cottage industry of these prayer books, which proved to be financially profitable for printers and spiritually beneficial for women, who did not participate in many of the male-oriented rituals in the synagogue. Particularly interesting is a prayer book written specifically for an unnamed pregnant woman, who is encouraged to repent of her sins and be ever-ready for a possible departure from this world. One prayer explicitly beseeches God for an easy labor and a safe delivery. Kay does readers a great service by collecting these historic prayers into this volume and providing helpful commentary. (Publisher's Weekly) Buy This Book
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American Judaism
by Jonathan D. Sarna
Yale University Press, 2004
Such scholars as Howard M. Sachar, Henry L. Feingold and Jacob R. Marcus, among others, have produced complete histories of American Jewry. Sarna, a Brandeis University professor who has published on various aspects of American Jewish history, now joins the ranks of his distinguished predecessors. Marking the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (now New York), this outstanding survey emphasizes the religious history of Jews in America. Since it is difficult to disentangle religious history from the entire story of how Jews fared generally in the United States, the book provides a sweeping overview of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of American Jews from 1654 to the present. Sarna writes in sprightly prose, usefully presenting anecdotes about some unfamiliar people and events: for example, he introduces Rachel "Ray" Frank, an obscure late-19th-century "charismatic woman Jewish revivalist." Full attention is also paid to the great rabbinical leaders, the movements they led and the problems they encountered. Sarna's fact-filled presentation demonstrates that American Jews have always worried about intermarriage, assimilation and continuity. At various times, they have found answers in regeneration, revitalization and renewal. Concluding with a consideration of contemporary dilemmas, Sarna draws from history the possibility that "American Jews will find creative ways to maintain and revitalize American Judaism." (Publishers Weekly) Buy This Book
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The Jews of the United States
by Hasia R. Diner
University of California Press, 2004
In the fourth volume in the Jewish Communities in the Modern World series, Diner (an NYU professor and author of Hungering for America) shows that, from the colonial era to the present, Jews have wanted both to "be good Jews and… full Americans." The book opens with a survey of the small Jewish community in colonial and revolutionary America. Diner then turns to the 19th-century waves of Jewish immigration. In these pages, we meet upwardly mobile peddlers, religious reformers pressing for English-language worship services and Jewish state senators. In the final section of the book, Diner charts Jewish responses to World War I, the Holocaust and the Civil Rights movement. Diner is to be commended for her thorough integration of women into her Jewish American story; she recounts the stories of female philanthropists and teachers, and examines the roles women played in political movements from Zionism to second-wave feminism. She also deserves kudos for attending to both religious and secular Judaism. She traces the 18th- and 19th-century battles for religious reform, the impact of Orthodox Jewish immigration on the American Jewish landscape and so forth, but she does not reduce the history of Judaism in America to a strictly religious story, or neglect political and cultural expressions of Judaism, like Yiddish theater. This academic synthesis of Jewish American history will find a home in the university market and will have crossover appeal to a broader readership. (Publisher's Weekly) Buy This Book
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I am Jewish
by Ruth & Judea Pearl (editors)
Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004
In February 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was brutally murdered by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan. Just before he died, he said, "My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish." His parents decided to honor his memory by asking several hundred Jews to record their reactions to his words-statements that form the core of this book. Most of the 146 contributors are well-known authors, educators, rabbis, reporters, entertainers and political figures, including Joseph Lieberman, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Elie Wiesel, Dianne Feinstein, Kerri Strug, Richard Dreyfuss and Wendy Wasserstein. The length of their statements varies from a sentence or two to essays that cover several pages. Their thoughts are organized around the five basic themes of identity; heritage; covenant, chosenness and faith; humanity; and tikkun ha'olam (repairing the world). The respondents provide anecdotes, theological formulations, personal reactions, biblical references and historical reflections, ranging widely from the superficial to the profound. Among the few Israeli contributors is Avrum Burg, an outspoken critic of the Sharon government and its policies. He argues eloquently that being a Jew places on him a special obligation to work for peace. Others place different constructions on what it means to be Jewish. Lack of consensus highlights the extreme variations in Jewish views, indicating that one value of this collection is its demonstration that a healthy diversity of opinion continues to characterize the Jewish community. (Publishers Weekly)
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Contemporary Orthodox
by Rabbi Barry Freundel
KTAV Publishing House, 2003
Freundel, who counts former presidential candidate Joe Lieberman among his Washington, D.C., congregants, invites readers, Jewish and non-Jewish, to gain a better understanding of Jewish law, tradition and belief in his succinct but thorough analyses of 31 different topics crucial to Orthodox Judaism, such as teshuvah (repentance), Israel, prayer and Shabbat and Kashrut. Each chapter summarizes the central sources upon which the Halakhah (Jewish law) is based in clear, understandable terms and explains the development of the tradition as well as its practical application in today's world. Additionally, Freundel provides all the relevant Orthodox opinions on the matter, including those that he or the law ultimately rejects, and elucidates how and why Jewish law maintains its ancient positions even as modernity infringes on them. He does not shy away from or gloss over sensitive or controversial issues; instead he seems eager to take them on and debunk popular myths, including the widespread notions that Judaism considers women inferior and that Jews do not believe in an afterlife. Even though most chapters number only a few pages, his essays are accurate, entirely to the point, easy to finish without losing interest and convenient to pick up or put down at any time. Freundel's evident mastery of the vast breadth of materials within Jewish thought and law combined with his eloquent and cogent writing makes for an exceptionally worthwhile, inspirational and instructive work that no informed person should be without. (Publishers Weekly) Buy This Book
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The Jewish Study Bible
by Adele Berlin, Marc Zvi Brettler Michael Fishbane (Editors)
Oxford University Press, 2003
Oxford University Press breaks exciting new ground in the field of study Bibles with The Jewish Study Bible. This innovative volume will, for the first time, offer readers of the Hebrew Bible a resource that is specifically tailored to meet their needs. The JSB presents the center of gravity of the Scriptures where Jews experience it--in Torah. It offers readers the fruits of various schools of Jewish traditions of biblical exegesis (rabbinic, medieval, mystical, etc.) and provides them with a wealth of ancillary materials that aid in bringing the ancient text to life. The nearly forty contributors to the work represent the cream of Jewish biblical scholarship from the world over. (Oxford University Press)
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More Money Than God
by Steven Z. Leder
Bonus Books, Inc., 2003
More Money Than God explores how money affects our families, friends, work, loves, ethics, and feelings of self-worth. Where does money lust come from? How do you teach your children the value of money and giving? What do you do when money is tearing apart your marriage or relationship? How do you deal with losing money through death, divorce, or job loss? Author Steven Leder will use his 15 years of experience as a religious leader and spiritual counselor to tackle the questions with which all of us wrestle on a daily basis. (Bonus Books, Inc.)
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Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers
by Stephanie Wellen Levine
New York University Press, 2003
This absorbing ethnography acts as one subculture's corrective to Reviving Ophelia, in that it offers a refreshing portrait of
adolescent girls who are far from insecure. While a graduate student in American studies at Harvard, Levine spent a year living as a
"participant observer" in the Lubavitcher community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, entering with the following assumption: "The possibility
that these girls' lives could be anything other than the Platonic essence of feminine subjugation seemed as unlikely as a suckling pig
on a Shabbos table." What she found instead is that Lubavitch culture nurtures most girls' inner and outer voices. Though they are not
immune from adolescent concerns about fashion, weight, looks and cliques, the Lubavitch emphasis on each person's godly mission to
bring the Messiah deepens their spiritual outlook; the single-sex environment in which they mature helps develop vibrant, expressive
personalities. Levine invites readers to share the "pure delight" of knowing these girls, and challenges us to draw on Hasidism as an
unexpected source in helping our own girls develop into secure, confident adults. (Publishers Weekly)
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Practicing the Sacred Art of Listening
by Kay Lindahl
Skylight Paths Publishing, 2003
This is a companion volume to Lindahl's first book, The Sacred Art of Listening, which provided 40 short, distinct entry points into the realm of real listening. Here, she organizes her thinking around broader themes such as "contemplative," "reflective" and "heart" listening, three modes that she says can help us to listen deeply to the divine, ourselves and one another. Lindahl hopes that people can slowly strengthen their listening "muscles" and pull themselves back from the brink of non-communication. She explores the implications of listening to friends, family, co-workers and ourselves. Calling thoughtful attention to the myriad ways we share conversation, she delineates among the formats and intentions of debates, arguments, councils, consultations, discussions, dialogues, negotiations, mediation and chitchat. The spiritual value of being present while listening shines within her clear, guileless strategies. Each chapter offers concrete techniques to practice listening, and the "Daily Practices" section is filled with ways to restore loving kindness to language. She also has clear directions for "Interfaith Café" etiquette, where lively conversation can spark lasting change among people of different faiths, viewpoints or life experiences. Similar to her first book, this is by turns both obvious and profound; on the whole, however, it has deep merit for all who want to reclaim the essential art of spiritual listening. (Publishers Weekly)
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Wise Men and Their Tales
by Elie Wiesel
Schocken, 2003
Wiesel's compelling portraits focus on disturbing episodes and character flaws, drawn with an unexpected zing that brings fresh perspective to these time-worn but timeless texts. Why did Lot's wife look back? To Wiesel, that's more understandable than why Lot did not. The stories "continue to guide and enlighten us" in facing incomprehensible events and contemporary challenges. Wiesel's dramatic narratives are bolstered by generous helpings of midrash, commentary, and a sense of humor. He raises the human, social, psychological, religious and historical dimensions of each conflict and character, but integrates them in a seamless way so they do not feel like the lectures they are. It's a treat to see how Wiesel's mind works, to be privy to his literary wisdom, his insights into human character, his narrative directness and self-admitted lack of answers. (Publisher's Weekly)
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Guide for the Romantically Perplexed
by Lisa Aiken
Pitspopany Press, 2003
1) A self-help guide that works for singles, married, divorced and second marriages. 2) Pertinent to individuals from every level of the Jewish spectrum. 3) Includes case studies that highlight the reasons for success and failure in interpersonal relationships. 4) Well documented from both a Jewish and contemporary psychology standpoint. 5) Best-selling author and speaker on marriage and relationships; she has condensed and refined her life's work into this one exhaustive volume. (Pitspopany Press)
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The Prophets
by Norman Podhoretz
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 2002
The former editor of Commentary and a contributor to the National Review and the Wall Street Journal, Podhoretz steps away from the political writing for which he is noted to address the prophets of the Old Testament. Writing with a deep appreciation of the Bible, he provides an analysis and commentary that brings the prophets to life. He starts by describing the biblical setting and ends with a chapter that relates the prophets and their messages to the contemporary period. The specific prophets whom he considers are Amos, Hosea, Micah, First Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Second Isaiah. Each chapter describes the prophet's message, historical and social context, and religious setting through narrative and both biblical and scholarly quotes. (Library Journal)
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Culture of the Jews
by David Biale
Schocken Books, 2002
This insightful collection of essays by today's leading Judaica scholars (such as Ilana Pardes and Isaiah Gafni) transports the reader from the nascent Jewish nation first emerging from bondage in Egypt through both its cultural and religious decline and efflorescence in the Middle Ages to modern-day Israeli and American Jewish culture. Divided into three sections, "Mediterranean Origins," "Diversities of Diaspora" and "Modern Encounters," the compilation provides an array of creative perspectives. Objects of material culture a map, an amulet, a ketubbah (a Jewish marriage contract) are used as lenses through which to examines various aspects of Jewish life in a given time and place; e.g., a menorah topped by an eagle symbolizing Polish sovereignty opens Moshe Rosman's study of Polish-Lithuanian-Jewish culture. The contributors assume that Jewish history did not develop in a vacuum, but that Jewish culture and religion were at times influenced by the surrounding cultures, and that Jews incorporated elements of what they saw around them while striving to refashion them as distinctly Jewish. Furthermore, if Jewish identity changed according to differing historical contexts, editor Biale (a professor of Jewish history at UC-Davis and author of Power and Powerlessness in Jewish History) suggests, referring to Jewish culture in the singular is inadequate and oversimplified. The authors raise questions central to the understanding of Judaism and Jewish life, and propose answers that try to reconcile ideas with their historical realities. Intellectually stimulating, articulately written and extensively documented, this collection is sure to raise excitement in aficionados looking for something to whet their historical appetite. (Publishers Weekly)
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Masters of the Talmud
by Alfred J. Kolatch
Jonathan David Publishers, 2002
Startling in its scope, scholarly yet popularly written, The Masters of the Talmud is an essential tool for those interested in penetrating the surface of one of Judaism's most treasured creations. (Amazon.com)
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Living a Year of Kaddish
by Ari L. Goldman
Schocken Books, 2003
Living a Year of Kaddish is a deeply affecting journey through grief, loss, and acceptance--a book that will resonate for people of all faiths who struggle with the inevitability of losing the ones they love. (Amazon.com)
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A Baptist Among the Jews
by Mary Blye Howe
Jossey-Bass, 2003
With exceptional grace and clarity, Mary Blye Howe recounts her tale of discovery and in doing so gives us all— whether Christian or Jew— a story of hope, reconciliation, and mutual respect and admiration across traditions of faith. (Amazon.com)
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Sacred Art of Listening
by Kay Lindahl
Skylight Paths Publishing, 2002
Surely one test of belief is its application in everyday life. Restoring the sacred to the daily art of communication is an oft-overlooked avenue of practice, but one that finds its voice in this slender, substantive volume. Lindahl, the founder of the Listening Center in Laguna Niguel, Calif., summons us back to "the possibility of Listening as a key to peace in the world." For her, "listening is far more than hearing words"; it is a sacred art that requires reflection, illustration, meditation and practice. These 40 meditations are exercises in mindfulness that entreat us to slow down and practice silence, contemplation and presence with ourselves, others and God. The brief passages can be read superficially with little gain, but quieted learners can find gems among them about commitment, humility and favoring integration over balance, to name a few of the themes. Hand-drawn ink mandalas by Amy Schnapper complement each passage and should prove helpful to practitioners who might need a visual anchor while contemplating Lindahl's various themes. The meditation that is prescribed here feels Eastern, but the volume will be of great use to many types of readers, regardless of beliefs. The closing section, "Principles of Dialogue" (nine guidelines on listening to other people), crystallizes the tenets lovingly explored in the previous pages. The book is not large in size, but it is potentially powerful in application. (Publishers Weekly)
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If God is Good, Why is the World Bad?
by Benjamin Blech
Simcha Press, 2003
As the title suggests, Blech picks up where Harold Kushner's classic When Bad Things Happen to Good People leaves off, and offers a Jewish corrective to Kushner's view. (For more on Kushner's latest work, see below.) If we believe that we are not at fault for what happens to us, Blech argues, "the feeling that the world is spinning out of control leaves one more frightened than ever." It is this "gloomy anarchistic view" that Blech counters in his "quest for serenity in the face of adversity." Biblical heroes who faced suffering and divine tests-Job, Abraham, Moses among them-serve as models for Blech's questions and answers, which are further enriched by Talmudic and midrashic teachings. Divided into three parts (Why Bad Things Happen to Good People; Why We Die; Why We Suffer), the book addresses prickly and poignant questions like life after death; the death of children; blame and guilt; aging, pain and illness; and faith after the Holocaust. An Orthodox rabbi and the child of Holocaust survivors, Blech offers several perspectives in the hope that each reader will find his or her truth in at least one; all are grounded in his belief that faith holds the answer. We will never be able to fully explain why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, he posits; maybe we need the suffering to allow us to mature, change and gain understanding. The bottom line, he stresses, is that "having questions doesn't make you a non-believer. Doubting isn't the same as denying." (Publishers Weekly)
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A Jew in America
by Arthur Hertzberg
HarperCollins Publishers, 2003
This engrossing memoir by a leading American rabbi, an activist and historian, now in his 80s, who has been central to American political life, is a testament to the power of joining faith and political vision. "[T]he saving grace of times gone mad is the lonely person who keeps his sanity," Hertzberg (The Jews in America, etc.) was told as a child by his Orthodox father. Hertzberg's life was not a typical immigrant search for America ("My experience points away from assimilation and the melting pot," he writes). Charting his acute sense of difference from others because of his Orthodox life as a boy in Youngstown, Ohio, Hertzberg also speaks of this as liberation-"I never identified… the ghetto with backwardness." He uses this lens to view his life of thinking, action and resistance-his years studying to become a rabbi, his work to help Jewish war refugees relocate to Israel, his years in the civil rights movement and as a chaplain in the air force, and his continued work as a political critic and public intellectual. One wishes, at times, that Hertzberg might supply more context and less personal detail. When he is at his best, he maintains his steady political vision of faith tempered by tolerance ("The lasting danger to humanity is the uncompromising defender of the faith-any faith") and criticizes the Jewish urge to assimilate into "self-indulgent" consumerist U.S. culture. Readers may find much to disagree with here, but there is also much that will enlighten them. (Publishers Weekly)
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The Art of Blessing the Day
by Marge Piercy
Alfred A. Knopf, 1999
This exuberant selection from a premier Jewish poet captures the mystery and spirit of everyday life. Readers will find poems to celebrate marriage, good deeds, prayer and a host of holidays throughout the Jewish calendar.
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The Book of Blessings
by Marcia Falk
Beacon Press., 1999
In a groundbreaking new edition of the traditional prayer book, poet Marcia Falk offers worshippers a new, contemporary and lyrical language for their prayers. She has written poetry, reflections and words of explanation in addition to her gender-sensitive translations of the traditional text. In Hebrew and English.
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Eyes Remade for Wonder
by Lawrence Kushner
Jewish Lights, 1998
A collection of some of the finest writing of one of America’s best-loved rabbis. Included are writings on spiritual development, encouraging the reader to discover a deeper understanding of God, the self, and the world. It also explores Jewish texts, ethics, politics, and meditations. This consummate storyteller also relates parts of his book on tape, available from Sounds True.
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God is a Verb
by Rabbi David A. Cooper
Penguin USA, 1997
Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism, has become a trendy topic of late, producing a flurry of books, tapes, and videos. David Cooper’s warm and accessible introduction is probably the best of the latest books on Kabbalah. Clear, accessible, and punctuated with lively anecdotes, it offers an easy and gentle entrance-point to this formerly arcane area.
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The Essential Kabbalah
by Daniel C. Matt (editor)
Harper SanFrancisco, 1995
Daniel Matt's continued wonder at the confounding brilliance of kabbalistic writings is evident in this loving presentation of the key texts from the Jewish mystical tradition. This fine sampling of works from the earliest medieval European texts to 20th-century interpretations includes poems, symbolic stories, meditations, and ruminations by such important figures as Moses de Leon, Moses Cordovero, Isaac Luria, and Abraham Isaac Kook. (Amazon.com)
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Living a Jewish Life
by Anita Diamant with Howard Cooper
Harper Perennial, 1991
Spanning the spectrum of liberal Jewish thought -- Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform, unaffiliated, new age and secular -- this book provides a sensitive and practical introduction to making Judaism a meaningful part of your life. (Amazon.com)
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Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures
The Jewish Publication Society translation.
Jewish Publication Society, 1985
This original translation of the Holy Scriptures into English, is the culmination of three decades of collaboration by academic scholars and rabbis, representing the three largest branches of organized Judaism in the United States. The result is a triumph of literary style and biblical scholarship, unsurpassed in accuracy and clarity.
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The Thirteen Petalled Rose
by Adin Steinsaltz
Basic Books, 1980
A classic of Jewish mysticism, the world-renowned scholar seeks to answer the major questions asked by the modern Jews about the nature of their existence in God's universe. (Amazon.com)
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A Woman’s Book of Grieving
by Nessa Rapoport
William Morrow, 1994
This slim collection of evocative prose poems, plus a smattering of prayers, night thoughts, parables and a dialogue, speaks especially to women who are grieving over the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage or relationship, or the hard knocks of ill fortune. Instead of offering easy reassurances, Rapoport, author of the novel Preparing for Sabbath, gently encourages readers to work through their sorrow, rage and despair, remembering that "the opposite of depression is not happiness . . . but vitality, to feel alive each minute you are given." (Publishers Weekly)
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Wisdom of the Jewish Sages
by Rami M. Shapiro
Bell Tower, 1993
Pirke Avot is a treasury of maxims on justice, integrity, and virtue, and represents the spiritual teaching of 65 rabbis who spanned the preceding 600 years. For centuries it has been the most widely studied book in Jewish homes. Shapiro's interpretation makes the book's timeless wisdom available to a new generation of Jews and non-Jews alike. (Ingram)
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Wrapped in a Holy Flame
by Zalman Schacter Shalomi
Jossey-Bass Inc., 2003
Shalomi sets himself a difficult assignment with this book: to get to the heart of Hasidic inner life and spirituality. While he lauds both Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber for bringing Hasidism to the consciousness of modern readers, he thinks they did not venture far enough. (Publishers Weekly)
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Rebbe's Army
by Sue Fishkoff
Schocken Books, Incorporated, 2003
This remarkable ethnographic profile goes behind the scenes of Lubavitcher Judaism to explore how the movement's enthusiastic young emissaries, or schlihim, carry the Rebbe's message throughout the world. (Publishers Weekly)
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Jews in America
by David Gantz
Jewish Publication Society, 2002
A grandiose history, superbly produced…carefully researched and engagingly presented to inform and appeal to readers of all ages. (Library Bookwatch, June 2002)
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