Introduction to the Zohar is the second in a series written by Kabbalist and scientist Rav Michael Laitman, which will prepare readers to understand the hidden message of "The Zohar". Among the many helpful topics dealt with in this companion text to The Science of Kabbalah, readers are introduced to the 'language of root and branch', without which the stories in the Zohar are mere fable and legend. Introduction to the Zohar will certainly furnish readers with the necessary tools to understand authentic Kabbalah as it was originally meant to be, as a means to attain the 'Upper Worlds'. -- The vast and deep knowledge one can attain from this Kabbalah book is unmatched. -- Kabbalah is a historic Jewish book of thought that delves into the depths of spiritual energy. -- This Kabbalah book is a masterpiece amongst its peers. This book brings the wealthy culture of Kabbalah to life for all to understand. -- Utilizing new perspectives will grant us the ability to use Kabbalah to better ourselves. -- Up until very recently, Kabbalah was reserved for the elite, those who only after years of scholarship and practice were allowed to enter this mystical realm. Today, you can study it through these Kabbalah books.

“It gives me a secret pleasure to observe the fair character our family has in the place by Jews & Christians,“Abigail Levy Franks wrote to her son from New York City in 1733. Abigail was part of a tiny community of Jews living in the new world. In the centuries that followed, as that community swelled to several millions, women came to occupy diverse and changing roles. American Jewish Women’s History , an anthology covering colonial times to the present, illuminates that historical diversity. It shows women shaping Judaism and their American Jewish communities as they engaged in volunteer activities and political crusades, battled stereotypes, and constructed relationships with their Christian neighbors. It ranges from Rebecca Gratz’s development of the Jewish Sunday School in Philadelphia in 1838 to protest the rising prices of kosher meat at the turn of the century, to the shaping of southern Jewish women's cultural identity through food. There is currently no other reader conveying the breadth of the historical experiences of American Jewish women available. The reader is divided into four sections complete with detailed introductions. The contributors include: Joyce Antler, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, Alice Kessler-Harris, Paula E. Hyman, Riv-Ellen Prell, and Jonathan D. Sarna.

A reference guide to Jewish history and culture that includes coverage of historical events from the Old Testament to the present, profiles of key Jewish figures, and information about the arts, sciences, politics, and sports.

Comedy is full of famously funny Jews, from Groucho Marx to Larry David to Sarah Silverman. This smart and funny book includes tales from many of these much-loved comics, and will appeal to their broad audience, while revealing the history, context, and wider culture of Jewish joking.The Jewish joke is as old as Abraham, and like the Jews themselves it has wandered over the world, learned countless new languages, worked with a range of different materials, been performed in front of some pretty hostile crowds, and yet still retained its own distinctive identity. So what is it that animates the Jewish joke? Why are Jews so often thought of as "funny"? And how old can a joke get?With jokes from Lena Dunham to Woody Allen, as well as Freud and Marx (Groucho, mostly), Baum balances serious research with light-hearted humor and provides fascinating insight into this wellknown and much loved cultural phenomenon.

"[Of] the 12 well-crafted essays in this volume...the most useful are those dealing with the Holocaust." — Choice "Especially recommended for college-level students of Jewish history and culture." — The Bookwatch This is a critical exploration of the most repercussive topics in modern Jewish history and thought. A sequel to Katz's National Jewish Book Award-winning study, Post-Holocaust Dialogues, this book identifies the main issues in the contemporary Jewish intellectual universe and outlines a larger, more synthetic understanding of contemporary Jewish existence.

Dr Abraham Joshua Heschel (19071972), professor of Ethics and Mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, was one of the outstanding philosophers and theologians of our time. Internationally acclaimed author, scholar, activist and theologian, Dr Heschel's classic, "Man's Quest for God", originally published in 1954, continues to be a significant contribution to contemporary Jewish literature. In his poetic and inspiring style, Heschel offers insights that speak deeply to the essence of prayer.

"Part activist memoir, part crash course in Jewish and Palestinian history, Genocide Bad dismantles Zionist propaganda and maps a course towards collective liberation in ten unapologetic essays. Drawing connections between Biblical promises and exploding pagers, medieval dress codes and modern-day apartheid, Kern sketches a sweeping history of imperialism with their characteristic blend of far-ranging research, pop-culture insights, and scathing humor. Kern, a former teacher, journalist, novelist, and book influencer, gained international recognition as an anti-Zionist Jewish activist in the days after October 7th, 2023. At a time when social media was flooded with 'I Stand with Israel' posts, Kern started sharing content encouraging their followers to read Palestinian books, learn Palestinian history, and question Western reporting on Palestine--videos which went viral into tens of millions of views. Despite facing hate messages, death threats, and exile from the Zionist Jewish community, Kern has remained steadfast in their advocacy over the past year. They've posted daily videos on Palestinian, Jewish, and colonial history, and they've raised over $500,000 in direct aid for families in Gaza--all while navigating the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting a newborn. In Genocide Bad, Kern reflects on the life experiences that led them to anti-Zionist activism, while capturing and expanding upon their online educational content. Kern doesn't flinch when confronting the horrors of genocides past and present, but there is also tremendous hope contained in these pages--hope that springs from examples of courage and resilience in the face of extreme violence, and from the kinds of resistance that might just lead to our collective liberation."--

Science and religion have two seemingly opposing views of the universe's biggest questions. But what if the real story told you they were both right? Vancouver, 2009. Physics engineer and CEO Daniel Friedmann loves solving problems. When the avid scientist dives deep into scripture, he's faced with questions he feels compelled to answer: Is it possible to harmonize the scientific timeline for the development of the universe with the biblical timeline described in Genesis 1? How do the evolution of human history and prophecies surrounding the End of Days fit in?His quest for answers takes him and his nephew Seb on an incredible journey through the ages, discovering the lives and works of mystics, prophets, sages, philosophers, scientists and biblical commentators.Follow Dan and Seb as they discover answers to some of the biggest questions in science and religion, including: -Does the six-day creation account actually link with science's 13.8 billion-year timeline?- How do world history, Genesis, and the End of Days fit within the context of God's Plan in heaven?- How can the appearance of life on Earth, as depicted by the fossil record, match the sequence and timing of life on Earth described in Genesis 1?- Do Genesis and the evolution of human history reveal the events and timing for the End of Days?- Are there texts predating modern science that describe the Big Bang and contain the scientifically calculated age of the universe?- And finally, is there a secret harmony resolving the creation-versus-evolution debate?The Biblical Clock is a fascinating and entertaining read, digging deep into the universe and solving its well-kept mysteries. Order your copy today

Complete, authoritative, and indispensable, The New Jewish Wedding provides the couple with options--some new, some old--to create a wedding combining spiritual meaning and joyous celebration. Step-by-step, Diamant guides readers through planning the cermony and the party that follows--from finding a rabbi and wording the invitations to hiring a caterer.

"A witty and wide-ranging exploration of a book that has perplexed and delighted people for centuries: the Talmud"--

Nice Jewish Girls: A Lesbian Anthology, Revised and Updated Edition (2023) "A brave and pioneering anthology." - Ms. Magazine "Nice Jewish Girls is a ....celebration of survival, by and about Jewish lesbians....who speak to the part of us that rejoices in people reclaiming their identities....that shouts in anger at injustice." - Gay Community News To read this germinal collection of essays, poetry, fiction, testimony, and analysis, is to be introduced to identities that have historically been hidden and often reviled. Intimate, honest, and brash, this is a lovely, unflinching glimpse of who we were, and a map toward who we may become. Newly restored with high resolution photos, this edition preserves a set of voices to be treasured--discovered and rediscovered by Nice Jewish Girls and the women they love. - Jeannelle M. Ferreira, author of The Fire and the Place in the Forest Evelyn (“Evi”) Torton Beck, scholar/teacher/activist, is Professor Emerita of the Harriet Tubman Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland and is associated with the Fielding Graduate University. Her wide-ranging research includes analyses of antisemitism and homophobia, Jewish women's contributions to literature and art; feminist perspectives on the life and work of Franz Kafka and Frida Kahlo, and in recent years, Sacred Circle Dance as a healing practice.

Moses Mendelssohn was a leading figure of the Enlightenment and the Jewish Haskalah. In his work Jerusalem or On Religious Power and Judaism, he argues for religious freedom and the separation of state and religious authority. Mendelssohn maintains that governments should regulate civil affairs while matters of faith belong to individual conscience and cannot be imposed through coercion. The book also defends Judaism as a rational religion compatible with Enlightenment ideals and is widely regarded as an important contribution to modern ideas of tolerance and civil equality.

Jerusalem is more than a holy city built of stone. Domain of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Jerusalem is a perpetual contest, and its shrines, housing projects, and bulldozers compete in a scramble for possession. Now one of Jerusalem's most respected authorities presents a history of the city that does not fall prey to any one version of its past. Meron Benvenisti begins with a reflection on the 1996 celebration of Jerusalem's 3000-year anniversary as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. He then juxtaposes eras, dynasties, and rulers in ways that provide grand comparative insights. But unlike recent politically motivated histories written to justify the claims of Jews and Arabs now living in Jerusalem, Benvenisti has no such agenda. His history is a polyphonic story that lacks victors as well as vanquished. He describes the triumphs and defeats of all the city's residents, from those who walk its streets today to the meddlesome ghosts who linger in its shadows. Benvenisti focuses primarily on the twentieth century, but ancient hatreds are constantly discovered just below the surface. These hostilities have created intense social, cultural, and political interactions that Benvenisti weaves into a compelling human story. For him, any claim to the city means recognizing its historical diversity and multiple populations. A native son of Jerusalem, Benvenisti knows the city well, and his integrated history makes clear that all of Jerusalem's citizens have enriched the Holy City in the past. It is his belief that they can also do so in the future.

"In a work Freud characterized as "brilliant," the author, an acknowledged pioneer in the study of the psychology of religion, analyzes a variety of rituals - couvade, puberty rites, the prayers and religious customs of modern Jews - in order to reconstruct the nature of the original impulses from which ritual is derived. He applies psychoanalytic methods of investigation to some of the most highly valued products of civilization - a task Freud called a "scientific duty." Connecting the superstitious beliefs of prehistoric times with contemporary practices, Dr. Reik illuminates the significance of modern and ancient religion. The author's lively style, combined with his scholarly documentation, makes this a book that will appeal alike to psychiatrists, psychologists, and students of comparative religion" -- Back cover.

The Faith and Doubt of Holocaust Survivors reveals the victims' frank and thought-provoking answers to searching questions about their experiences: Was the Holocaust God's will? Was there any meaning or purpose in the Holocaust? Was Israel worth the price six million had to pay? Did the experience in the death camps bring about an avowal of faith? A denial of God? A reaffirmation of religious belief? Did the Holocaust change beliefs about the coming of the Messiah, the Torah, the Jews as the chosen people, and the nature of God? Drawing on the responses of seven hundred survivors, Reeve Robert Brenner reveals the changes, rejections, reaffirmations, doubts, and despairs that have so profoundly affected the faith, practices, ideas, and attitudes of survivors, and, by extension, the entire Jewish people. Many survivors carried their deepest secrets and innermost beliefs silently, from internment to interment. But Brenner's quest provided the impetus for many survivors to end their silence about the past and come forth with their feelings. In poignant vignettes scattered throughout the book, their answers to these profound questions are offered, disclosing ardent, overpowering passions and sensibilities.

Tales of magic and wonder can be found in every phase of Jewish literature, from the sacred to the secular. The fairy tale in particular--set in enchanted lands and populated with a variety of human and supernatural beings, both good and evil--holds a very special place in the Jewish tradition. For in the fairy tale, where good and evil engage in a timeless struggle, we have a clear reflection of the Jewish world view, where faith in God can defeat the evil impulse. In Elijah's Violin, Howard Schwartz offers a sumptuous collection of thirty-six Jewish fairy tales from virtually every corner of the world. At once otherworldy and earthy, pious and playful, these celebrated tales from Morocco and India, Spain and Eastern Europe, Babylon and Egypt, illustrate not only their Jewish character but also their universality of themes. Invoking the biblical tale of David and Goliath, we read as King David defeats the giant by hovering above its spear in King David and the Giant. In the romantic tale of The Princess in the Tower, a variant of Rapunzel, we watch as the cautious King Solomon recognizes the vanity in trying to prevent Providence from taking place. And we see the religious nature of the quest for Elijah's violin in the title story. The successful completion of the king's quest enables the violin's imprisoned melodies, emblematic of the Jewish spirit, to be set free. Throughout this richly illustrated collection, one can find the quests and riddles of the traditional fairy tale along with the divine intervention that characterizes the Jewish fairy tale. Skillfully translated, these stories will captivate children and adults alike in which romance and magic become enchantingly entwined with faith, duty, and wisdom.

Why did the Jews reject Jesus? Was he really the son of God? Were the Jews culpable in his death? These ancient questions have been debated for almost two thousand years, most recently with the release of Mel Gibson’s explosive The Passion of the Christ . The controversy was never merely academic. The legal status and security of Jews—often their very lives—depended on the answer. In WHY THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS, David Klinghoffer reveals that the Jews since ancient times accepted not only the historical existence of Jesus but the role of certain Jews in bringing about his crucifixion and death. But he also argues that they had every reason to be skeptical of claims for his divinity. For one thing, Palestine under Roman occupation had numerous charismatic would-be messiahs, so Jesus would not have been unique, nor was his following the largest of its kind. For another, the biblical prophecies about the coming of the Messiah were never fulfilled by Jesus, including an ingathering of exiles, the rise of a Davidic king who would defeat Israel’s enemies, the building of a new Temple, and recognition of God by the gentiles. Above all, the Jews understood their biblically commanded way of life, from which Jesus’s followers sought to “free” them, as precious, immutable, and eternal. Jews have long been blamed for Jesus’s death and stigmatized for rejecting him. But Jesus lived and died a relatively obscure figure at the margins of Jewish society. Indeed, it is difficult to argue that “the Jews” of his day rejected Jesus at all, since most Jews had never heard of him. The figure they really rejected, often violently, was Paul, who convinced the Jerusalem church led by Jesus’s brother to jettison the observance of Jewish law. Paul thus founded a new religion. If not for him, Christianity would likely have remained a Jewish movement, and the course of history itself would have been changed. Had the Jews accepted Jesus, Klinghoffer speculates, Christianity would not have conquered Europe, and there would be no Western civilization as we know it. WHY THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS tells the story of this long, acrimonious, and occasionally deadly debate between Christians and Jews. It is thoroughly engaging, lucidly written, and in many ways highly original. Though written from a Jewish point of view, it is also profoundly respectful of Christian sensibilities. Coming at a time when Christians and Jews are in some ways moving closer than ever before, this thoughtful and provocative book represents a genuine effort to heal the ancient rift between these two great faith traditions.

Profound and often raucously funny, Kamenetz's quirky tale carries him from a conversation with the Dalai Lama (in which he valiantly "contravened forty-six years of my own noisy cultural conditioning" to keep from stepping on the silence) to breaking matzah with him a year later at a Passover seder for Tibetan freedom. Along the way he learns kabbalah poolside at the Beverly Hilton, meditates in a T-shirt shop with Baton Rouge's three resident Tibetan Buddhists, observes the Sabbath in a plastic tent with Jewish addicts and cons in an inter-city slum, and "calls out" to God with new-Hasidic abandon while racing down the San Bernadino freeway. Stalking Elijah teaches at every step of the path how to celebrate the Jewish tradition in the context of feminism, contemporary science, and interfaith dialogue.

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. has the uncanny ability to combine the wisdom of the Torah with the science of the mind. In this Haggadah, From Bondage to Freedom, he does just that, taking us from the bondage of our personal "Egypts" to the promised land of self-fulfillment and joy. The introduction includes fascinating essays on spirituality and the festivals, the meaning of the Exodus, and the significance of the four cups of wine. The commentary is suffused with explanations and anecdotes that reveal the lessons we are to take away from the Seder night, among them, increased spirituality, gratitude to Hashem, and enhanced devotion in prayer. This Haggadah is indeed a testimony to the eternal relevance of Torah! Full color soil resistant laminated cover.