In Living Judaism, Rabbi Wayne Dosick, Ph.D., author the acclaimed Golden Rules, Dancing with God, and When Life Hurts, offers an engaging and definitive overview of Jewish philosophy and theology, rituals and customs. Combining quality scholarship and sacred spiritual instruction, Living Judaism is a thought-provoking reference and guide for those already steeped in Jewish life, and a comprehensive introduction for those exploring the richness and grandeur of Judaism.
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.
In this popular introduction to Jewish mindfulness practice, Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater examines Jewish sources and applies their teachings to the practices of mindfulness and meditation. Drawing from Hasidic texts, as well as liturgical, talmudic, and midrashic sources, the author demonstrates how Jewish teachings can make us aware of the spiritual essence of our lives.
In our frantic, fast paced society, we need constant guidance to remind us that we can only find the peace of mind we sorely lack by looking inward. Judaism, like many other spiritual traditions, offers a unique path to cultivating fulfillment and presence of mind. In cultivating peace of mind, we do not aim to achieve transcendence. Rather, our goal is to enter fully into whatever is occurring in our lives and meet it with full presence. But being a better Jew and a happier person are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they are mutually interdependent. From the moment we wake to the moment we fall asleep, biblical commandments provide us with guidelines that encourage us to be aware of the present moment. A Guide to Jewish Mindfulness provides concise and clear instructions on how to cultivate peace of mind in order to attain a life of greater commitment and inspiration for the present moment.
This book challenges the standard conception of the Middle Ages as a time of persecution for Jews. Jonathan Elukin traces the experience of Jews in Europe from late antiquity through the Renaissance and Reformation, revealing how the pluralism of medieval society allowed Jews to feel part of their local communities despite recurrent expressions of hatred against them. Elukin shows that Jews and Christians coexisted more or less peacefully for much of the Middle Ages, and that the violence directed at Jews was largely isolated and did not undermine their participation in the daily rhythms of European society. The extraordinary picture that emerges is one of Jews living comfortably among their Christian neighbors, working with Christians, and occasionally cultivating lasting friendships even as Christian culture often demonized Jews. As Elukin makes clear, the expulsions of Jews from England, France, Spain, and elsewhere were not the inevitable culmination of persecution, but arose from the religious and political expediencies of particular rulers. He demonstrates that the history of successful Jewish-Christian interaction in the Middle Ages in fact laid the social foundations that gave rise to the Jewish communities of modern Europe. Elukin compels us to rethink our assumptions about this fascinating period in history, offering us a new lens through which to appreciate the rich complexities of the Jewish experience in medieval Christendom.
"A feast for the eyes...bringing alive a long vanished world that's still eerily present."--Daniel Czitrom, New York Post The premiere national Jewish newspaper has opened its never-before-seen archives, revealing a photographic landscape of Jews in the twentieth century and beyond. This extraordinary volume features classic photographs of the history one has learned to associate with the Jewish Daily Forward--Lower East Side pushcarts, Yiddish theater, labor rallies--along with gems no one would expect. The book also features essays by Leon Wieseltier, Roger Kahn, and Deborah Lipstadt, and a rousing introduction by Pete Hamill.
Rabbi Berel Wein once again exhibits his admirable talent for clear, lucid explanation in this highly informative work. Though each chapter is brief, the sweep of the book is broad - exploring life-cycle events from birth through death, the Jewish view of family life and values, character refinement, Sabbath, holidays and specific religious practices. An enriching reading experience, Living Jewish enables every reader to find deeper meaning in Jewish traditions and reconnect with the ancient values that have found new expression in the modern era. Rabbi Wein is well known as a historian, raconteur, lecturer and author of numerous works on Jewish history and Jewish thought. His enlightening and entertaining style will captivate your interest, and his inspiring insights will add meaning to your life.
The author of Living When a Loved One Has Died draws from Jewish wisdom and tradition to provide thoughtful advice on moving through loss with grace and hope Earl Grollman's Living When a Loved One Has Died has brought comfort to more than 250,000 readers. In Living with Loss, Healing with Hope, Grollman speaks directly to mourners of the Jewish faith. By weaving quotations from Jewish writers and philosophers into his comforting and expert prose, Grollman guides readers through the journey of mourning, healing, and hope. A colleague of Grollman's once told him, “Earl, I am not a member of your faith, but if I wanted the soundest emotional and spiritual approach to death, I would be a Jew.” Occasionally quoting from sacred texts as well as Jewish writers and philosophers, Living with Loss, Healing with Hope illuminates Judaism's powerful recognition of the trauma of grief and of the mourner's responsibility eventually to return to the rhythm of life. In a brief final section, the author guides readers through Jewish funeral observances, Shiva, and beyond, and reminds all that these symbolic customs are ‘about change-remembrance, letting go, and moving on.’ “Earl Grollman is still the master of consolation. Every word of this little book is a polished jewel.” —Harold S. Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Jews in the United States are uniquely American in their connections to Jewish religion and ethnicity. Sylvia Barack Fishman in her groundbreaking book, Jewish Life and American Culture, shows that contemporary Jews have created a hybrid new form of Judaism, merging American values and behaviors with those from historical Jewish traditions. Fishman introduces a new concept called coalescence, an adaptation technique through which Jews merge American and Jewish elements. The author generates data from diverse sources in the social sciences and humanities, including the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey and other statistical studies, interviews and focus groups, popular and material culture, literature and film, to demonstrate the pervasiveness of coalescence.
