The Jewish Book of Why

The Jewish Book of Why PDF Author: Alfred J. Kolatch
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0142196193
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Why do Jews eat gefilte fish? Why is a glass broken at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony? Why must the chapter of curses in the Torah be read quickly in a low voice? Why are shrimp and lobster not kosher? Why do Jews fast on Yom Kippur? Why are some Matzot square while others are round? If you've ever asked or been asked any of these questions, The Jewish Book of Why has all the answers. In this complete, concise, fascinating, and thoroughly informative guide to Jewish life and tradition, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch clearly explains both the significance and the origin of nearly every symbol, custom, and practice known to Jewish culture-from Afikomon to Yarmulkes, and from Passover to Purim. Kolatch also dispels many of the prevalent misconceptions and misunderstandings that surround Jewish observance and provides a full and unfettered look at the biblical, historical, and sometimes superstitious reasons and rituals that helped develop Jewish law and custom and make Judaism not just a religion, but a way of life. L'chaim!

The Jewish Book of Why

The Jewish Book of Why PDF Author: Alfred J. Kolatch
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0142196193
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Get Book

Book Description
Why do Jews eat gefilte fish? Why is a glass broken at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony? Why must the chapter of curses in the Torah be read quickly in a low voice? Why are shrimp and lobster not kosher? Why do Jews fast on Yom Kippur? Why are some Matzot square while others are round? If you've ever asked or been asked any of these questions, The Jewish Book of Why has all the answers. In this complete, concise, fascinating, and thoroughly informative guide to Jewish life and tradition, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch clearly explains both the significance and the origin of nearly every symbol, custom, and practice known to Jewish culture-from Afikomon to Yarmulkes, and from Passover to Purim. Kolatch also dispels many of the prevalent misconceptions and misunderstandings that surround Jewish observance and provides a full and unfettered look at the biblical, historical, and sometimes superstitious reasons and rituals that helped develop Jewish law and custom and make Judaism not just a religion, but a way of life. L'chaim!

The Second Jewish Book of why

The Second Jewish Book of why PDF Author: Alfred J. Kolatch
Publisher: Jonathan David Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 440

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Book Description
Contains answers to hundreds of questions about Judaism, examining topics within the conduct of everyday life, including milestones of the individual, holidays, and dietary laws; and looking at what Jewish law has to say about complex issues such as abortion, conversion, and Jewish-Christian relations. Includes a cumulative index.

The Jewish Mourner's Book of Why

The Jewish Mourner's Book of Why PDF Author: Alfred J. Kolatch
Publisher: Jonathan David Publishers
ISBN: 9780824603823
Category : Jewish mourning customs
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Comprehensive volume on Jewish death and mourning. Question-and-answer format explores the laws, observances and customs that relate to Jewish mourning. Includes a special inspirational section and readings for the bereaved.

The Big Jewish Book for Jews

The Big Jewish Book for Jews PDF Author: Ellis Weiner
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101457112
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
A hilarious compendium of traditional wisdom, recipes, and lore from the authors of the bestselling Yiddish with Dick and Jane. Modern Jews have forgotten cherished traditions and become, sadly, all- too assimilated. It's enough to make you meshugeneh. Today's Jews need to relearn the old ways so that cultural identity means something other than laughing knowingly at Curb Your Enthusiasm- and The Big Jewish Book for Jews is here to help. This wise and wise-cracking fully-illustrated book offers invaluable instruction on everything from how to sacrifice a lamb unto the lord to the rules of Mahjong. Jews of all ages and backgrounds will welcome the opportunity to be the Jewiest Jew of all, and reconnect to ancestors going all the way back to Moses and a time when God was the only GPS a Jew needed.

Exiled in the Word

Exiled in the Word PDF Author: Jerome Rothenberg
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description


The Jewish Book of Days

The Jewish Book of Days PDF Author: Jill Hammer
Publisher: Jewish Publication Society
ISBN: 0827610130
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
Throughout the ages, Jews have connected legends to particular days of the Hebrew calendar. Abraham's birth, the death of Rachel, and the creation of light are all tales that are linked to a specific day and season. The Jewish Book of Days invites readers to experience the connection between sacred story and nature's rhythms, through readings designed for each and every day of the year. These daily readings offer an opportunity to live in tune with the wisdom of the past while learning new truths about the times we live in today. Using the tree as its central metaphor, The Jewish Book of Days is divided into eight chapters of approximately forty-five days each. These sections represent the tree's stages of growth--seed, root, shoot, sap, bud, leaf, flower, and fruit--and also echo the natural cadences of each season. Each entry has three components: a biblical quote for the day; a midrash on the biblical quote or a Jewish tradition related to that day; and commentary relating the text to the cycles of the year. The author includes an introduction that analyzes the different months and seasons of the Hebrew calendar and explains the textual sources used throughout. Appendixes provide additional material for leap years, equinoxes, and solstices. A section on seasonal meditations offers a new way to approach the divine every day.

The Book of Jewish Values

The Book of Jewish Values PDF Author: Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Publisher: Harmony
ISBN: 0307794458
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 546

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Book Description
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin combed the Bible, the Talmud, and the whole spectrum of Judaism's sacred writings to give us a manual on how to lead a decent, kind, and honest life in a morally complicated world. "An absolutely superb book: the most practical, most comprehensive guide to Jewish values I know." —Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People Telushkin speaks to the major ethical issues of our time, issues that have, of course, been around since the beginning. He offers one or two pages a day of pithy, wise, and easily accessible teachings designed to be put into immediate practice. The range of the book is as broad as life itself: • The first trait to seek in a spouse (Day 17) • When, if ever, lying is permitted (Days 71-73) • Why acting cheerfully is a requirement, not a choice (Day 39) • What children don't owe their parents (Day 128) • Whether Jews should donate their organs (Day 290) • An effective but expensive technique for curbing your anger (Day 156) • How to raise truthful children (Day 298) • What purchases are always forbidden (Day 3) In addition, Telushkin raises issues with ethical implications that may surprise you, such as the need to tip those whom you don't see (Day 109), the right thing to do when you hear an ambulance siren (Day 1), and why wasting time is a sin (Day 15). Whether he is telling us what Jewish tradition has to say about insider trading or about the relationship between employers and employees, he provides fresh inspiration and clear guidance for every day of our lives.

Feeling Jewish

Feeling Jewish PDF Author: Devorah Baum
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300231342
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
In this sparkling debut, a young critic offers an original, passionate, and erudite account of what it means to feel Jewish—even when you’re not. Self-hatred. Guilt. Resentment. Paranoia. Hysteria. Overbearing Mother-Love. In this witty, insightful, and poignant book, Devorah Baum delves into fiction, film, memoir, and psychoanalysis to present a dazzlingly original exploration of a series of feelings famously associated with modern Jews. Reflecting on why Jews have so often been depicted, both by others and by themselves, as prone to “negative” feelings, she queries how negative these feelings really are. And as the pace of globalization leaves countless people feeling more marginalized, uprooted, and existentially threatened, she argues that such “Jewish” feelings are becoming increasingly common to us all. Ranging from Franz Kafka to Philip Roth, Sarah Bernhardt to Woody Allen, Anne Frank to Nathan Englander, Feeling Jewish bridges the usual fault lines between left and right, insider and outsider, Jew and Gentile, and even Semite and anti-Semite, to offer an indispensable guide for our divisive times.

Why Be Jewish?

Why Be Jewish? PDF Author: Edgar Bronfman
Publisher: Twelve
ISBN: 1455562882
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Edgar M. Bronfman's clarion call to a generation of secular, disaffected, and unaffiliated Jews, this book addresses the most critical question confronting Judaism worldwide. Completed in December 2013, just weeks before he passed away, WHY BE JEWISH? expresses Edgar Bronfman's awe, respect, and deep love for his faith and heritage. Bronfman walks readers through the major tenets and ideas in Jewish life, fleshing out their meaning and offering proof texts from the Jewish tradition gleaned over his many years of study with some of the greatest teachers in the Jewish world. With honesty, poignancy, and passion, Bronfman shares In WHY BE JEWISH? insights gleaned from his own personal journey and makes a compelling case for the meaning and transcendence of a secular Judaism that is still steeped in deep moral values, authentic Jewish texts, and a focus on deed over creed or dogma.

The Jewish Book of Numbers

The Jewish Book of Numbers PDF Author: Ronald H. Isaacs
Publisher: Jason Aronson
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Why is the number 13 considered lucky in Jewish tradition? What role do mathematics play in the Bible? How can numbers be used to uncover the "hidden" meanings of the Torah? Discover the fascinating world of Jewish numerology in The Jewish Book of Numbers. Noted rabbi and best-selling author Ronald H. Isaacs presents a delightful, easy-to-read introduction to the ways in which numbers are utilized in the Bible and rabbinic writings. Included are references to biblical arithmetic and the methods of expressing numbers in the Bible, examples of sacred numbers, biblical and rabbinic units of weights and measures, numbered Jewish lists, a section on gematria - the method of textual interpretation based on the numerical value of words, and notable Jewish quotations that feature numbers. In some cases, numbers in sacred texts are meant to be taken at face value, but more often they are noteworthy for their symbolic nuances. Since each Hebrew letter has a numerical equivalent, Jewish numerology is often used as a commentary to explain Jewish texts. Often used in the study of kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), gematria offers untold insights into Jewish tradition, as well as novel and curious interpretations of both biblical and rabbinic texts. Throughout the generations, Jewish folklore has also made use of interpretive numerology and expressed the importance of numbers in all phases of life. From 1 to 100,000,000, numbers play a variety of roles in Jewish tradition. They are used to mark life-cycle events such as the bris and religious observances such as the counting of the omer between Passover and Shavuot. They play prominent roles in our most well-known stories - such as Noah and the flood that lasted for 40 days and nights - and in our most sacred liturgy, like the Shema ("Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One"). Filled with interesting facts and intriguing details, The Jewish Book of Numbers is an entertaining way to explore Jewish literature that will most likely inspire further study.