In his innovative and magisterial lead essay, Rabbi Yehuda Henkin analyzes the pervasive yet little-understood area of women's modesty. In Understanding Tzniut, Rabbi Henkin also examines the issues of handshaking, aliyot to the Torah, and dancing with a sefer Torah, as well as general topics such as questions of rabbinical misjudgment during the Holocaust and the relationship to Israel's government in the wake of the expulsion from Gush Katif. To all topics, Rabbi Henkin brings halachic stature, scholarship and erudition.
In a refreshing, straightforward style, the author of The Magic Touch addresses the subject of tzniut, modesty, providing insight and inspiration for all.
Tznius -- modesty -- is an integral facet of Jewish life. In a world where modesty is recognized more by its absence than by its presence, there has never been a greater need for a definitive work on this vital quality. But what precisely are the laws of modesty, what are its parameters, where are its applications? In this long-awaited work, the laws and ideology of modesty are tackled in an exhaustive and comprehensive manner. All the laws of Tznius, whether in dress or behavior, speech and social interaction, are collated and explained in the clear and lucid manner that is characteristic of the author. -- Back cover.
What guided Abraham in war and peace? What did Isaac really think about his two sons? How did the debacle of the Spies unfold? In New Interpretations on the Parsha, on the weekly Torah readings and on the holidays, an outstanding scholar answers these and many other questions. Combining erudition with sociological and psychological insight and written in a clear and straightforward style, this is a book of rare originality, intelligence and religious force.
This book demonstrates how to interpret Halacha in regard to women in the age of feminism, the conversion to Judaism of children in non-observant homes, and the killing of captured terrorists.
Often when people have become alienated from their religious backgrounds, they access their traditions through lifecycle events such as marriage. At times, modern values such as gender equality may be at odds with some of the traditions; many of which have always been in a state of flux in relationship to changing social, economic and political realities. Traditional Jewish marriage is based on the man acquiring the woman, which has symbolic and actual ramifications. Grounded in the traditional texts yet accessible, this book shows how the marriage is an acquisition and contextualises the gender hierarchy of marriage within the rabbinic exclusion of women from Torah study, the highest cultural practice and women's exemption from positive commandments. Melanie Landau offers two alternative models of partnership that partially or fully bypass the non-reciprocity of traditional Jewish marriage and that have their basis in the ancient rabbinic texts.
The JGirls Guide is an inspirational, interactive book designed to help pre-teen Jewish girls address the spiritual, educational, and psychological issues surrounding coming of age in today's society. Topics include: - Ideals of beauty- Friendship- Sexuality- Dealing with parents- Attitudes toward eating- Coping with stress and indentity
Berkowitz shows that interpretation of Leviticus 18:3 provides an essential backdrop for today's conversations about Jewish assimilation and minority identity.
Rabbi Safran’s compelling book about the need to incorporate the traditional view of modesty if we are to save our children from the superficiality, the decadence and the damaging influences of our modern, “progressive” society, opens with a simple question, “What can an Orthodox rabbi tell me about my children or my life?“ In his book, Rabbi Dr. Safran goes on to make clear that an Orthodox rabbi has quite a bit to say about the modern world, the power of spirituality, and the particularly powerful religious worldview of Judaism. Rabbi Safran presents the traditional view of modesty in the context of Judaism’s unique way of looking at the world. For Judaism, seeks an appropriate balance between the physical and the spiritual, denying neither and recognizing that the beauty of God’s creative wisdom inhabits both. Rabbi Safran presents the traditional Jewish view of modesty, tzniut, by first questioning the “benefit” that the modern world has bestowed upon us. Indeed, he takes the strong position that our modern world has sought to turn our children into “commodities” that serve to benefit a corporate bottom line, but not the best interests of our children. The superficiality of the modern world, with its emphasis on body image, has done a profound disservice to us and to our children. There are ever more young people turning to illicit sexual encounters, alcohol and drug abuse, and who suffer from psychological struggles like eating disorders. In this context, Rabbi Safran does not present tzniut as a “quick fix.” Far from it. He establishes the textual, spiritual and historical context for modesty and demonstrates with candor
The Routledge Handbook to Contemporary Jewish Cultures explores the diversity of Jewish cultures and ways of investigating them, presenting the different methodologies, arguments and challenges within the discipline. Divided into themed sections, this book considers in turn: How the individual terms "Jewish" and "culture" are defined, looking at perspectives from Anthropology, Music, Literary Studies, Sociology, Religious Studies, History, Art History, and Film, Television, and New Media Studies. How Jewish cultures are theorized, looking at key themes regarding power, textuality, religion/secularity, memory, bodies, space and place, and networks. Case studies in contemporary Jewish cultures. With essays by leading scholars in Jewish culture, this book offers a clear overview of the field and offers exciting new directions for the future.
