The vocabulary of Judaism includes religious terms, customs, Hebrew, Aramaic and Yiddish terms, terms related to American Jewish life and the State of Israel. All are represented in this new guide, with easy to read explanation and cross-references.
In "This Jewish Life: Stories of Discover, Connection, and Joy," fifty-five voices enable readers to experience a calendar's worth of Judaism's strengths-community, healing, transformation of the human spirit and the influence of the Divine. Within these pages are stories of joyous engagement and poignant loss. Readers will meet a teen who followed the path of Judaism after a chance encounter and men and women who turned to Judaism in their struggles with drug addiction and spousal abuse. Structured to mirror a complete year of Jewish life cycle events and holidays, this unique book showcases a bar mitzvah service in rural Illinois, a commitment ceremony in a California metropolis, a Soviet family's first Passover Seder, and much more. These stories will carry readers, Jew and non-Jew alike, through twelve months of Jewish Living
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms is a unique and much needed guide to the way many Hebrew, Yiddish, and Aramaic words and meanings are used by English speakers. Sol Steinmetz draws upon his years of dictionary editorial experience, as well as his lifelong study of Jewish history, traditions, and practices, to guide the reader through the essentially uncharted territory of Jewish usage. Dictionary of Jewish Usage clarifies the meanings of Jewish terms that have been absorbed into English, as well as the transliterated Hebrew terms from sacred texts that reflect differing pronunciations. The Dictionary also explains terms that are often misused, sheds light on the meaning of clusters of terminology, and delineates the etymology and pronunciation of many words, making this Dictionary an invaluable guide for anyone curious about Jewish usage.
A clear and well-illustrated guide to the main characters and legends of Judaism This book captures the richness and vitality of traditional Jewish culture: a web of legend, folklore and superstition that is crucial to understanding Judaism. Topics include Jewish law, literature and poetry; the festivals of the Jewish year; the languages and sub-groups within the Jewish community; and the many countries that Jews have lived in. The book also reveals another side of Judaism, a world populated by angels and demons, sages and Kabbalists, and creatures unknown to zoologists.
From Abraham to Saul Bellow, from Moses Maimonides to Woody Allen, from the Balla Shem Tov to Albert Einstein, this comprehensive dictionary of Jewish biographies provides a first point of entry into the richness of the Jewish heritage. With the advice of leading Jewish scholars, the Dictionary of Jewish Biography provides a rapid reference to those Jewish men and women who have, over the last four thousand years, contributed to the life of the Jewish people and the history of the Jewish religion. This dictionary will prove essential for general readers interested in the evolution of Judaism from ancient times to the present day, a perfect study aid for students and teachers.
Over 1000 entries for Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, culture, history, the Bible and other sacred texts, and worship. Each entry has a pronunciation guide and is cross-referenced to related terms.
"The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion has been the go-to resource for students, scholars, and researchers in Judaic Studies since its 1997 publication. Now, The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, Second Edition focuses on recent and changing rituals in the Jewish community that have come to the fore since the 1997 publication of the first edition, including the growing trend of baby-naming ceremonies and the founding of gay/lesbian synagogues. Under the editorship of Adele Berlin, nearly 200 internationally renowned scholars have created a new edition that incorporates updated bibliographies, biographies of 20th-century individuals who have shaped the recent thought and history of Judaism, and an index with alternate spellings of Hebrew terms. Entries from the previous edition have been be revised, new entries commissioned, and cross-references added, all to increase ease of navigation research." -- Provided by publisher.
The story of two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. And as the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother, and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places, and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again.
"Goldberg's breadth of knowledge is particularly impressive. Here is a scholar who has read everything, and has produced a rich, first-rate book that is both comprehensive and accessible, making Jewish customs meaningful even to non-specialists. A scholarly achievement that is also a great bar-mitzvah gift, with tremendous value for anyone in Jewish Studies including rabbis and members of synagogue study groups."—Jack Kugelmass, Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor and Director, Jewish Studies Program at Arizona State University "Sweeping in its reach and richly informative in its details. Jewish Passages offers a treasury of wonderfully interesting information. This is a work that will not be lost. " Samuel C. Heilman, author of When a Jew Dies