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

Maimonides: A Biography is a comprehensive account of the life and work of one of the most important figures in Jewish history, Moses Maimonides. Written by Solomon Zeitlin, a renowned scholar of Jewish studies, this book offers a detailed exploration of Maimonides' life, from his birth in Muslim Spain in 1135 to his death in Egypt in 1204.The book begins with an overview of the historical and cultural context in which Maimonides lived, including the rise of Islam, the Reconquista, and the flourishing of Jewish scholarship in Spain. It then delves into Maimonides' early life and education, his family background, and his intellectual development.Zeitlin examines Maimonides' major works, including his commentary on the Mishnah, the Guide for the Perplexed, and the Mishneh Torah, and explores the impact of these works on Jewish thought and practice. He also looks at Maimonides' role as a physician and his contributions to the field of medicine.Throughout the book, Zeitlin provides insights into Maimonides' personality, beliefs, and relationships with other scholars and leaders of his time. He also highlights the challenges that Maimonides faced as a Jew living in a Muslim-dominated society, including persecution and forced conversion.Maimonides: A Biography is a fascinating and engaging read for anyone interested in Jewish history, philosophy, and culture. It offers a nuanced and insightful portrait of one of the most influential figures in Jewish intellectual history.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

After Yair Berman left her and shattered all her dreams, the devastated Shlomtzion Drore escaped as far as possible from him and her intensely religious life in Jerusalem, becoming an interior designer in secular Tel-Aviv. Twenty-one years later, her daughter has become engaged to his son, and Shlomtzion is forced to visit the controversial settlement in which Yair lives, not only to plan the wedding but to confront her former love and the mistakes of her life. Set in Israel between the Six Day War and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, If You Awaken Love is the intensely moving story of a stormy and spiritual young girl and her love-hate relationships with her childhood sweetheart, with her father, and with God. Translated by David Hazony.

Formerly titled "In the Face of Surrender," this updated, revised book is a compendium of short, simple stories of the love and strength of ordinary Christians who reflected the extrordinary love of Christ in the face of unspeakable evil, even if it cost them their lives. Pastor Wurmbrand calls these Christians, "the persecuted saints," and rather than be horrifed by the stories of atrocities they suffered, many of which he personally witnessed, he found grace, peace, and triumph in them. Moreover, he leads the reader into this same perspective. The effect is both inspiring and humbling.

"A celebration of the power and wonder of lifelong reading-both secular and sacred Zibby Owens, My Most Anticipated Books 2025 In Children of the Book, Ilana Kurshan explores the closeness forged when family life unfolds against a backdrop of reading together. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, at first struggles to balance her passion for literature with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of teaching independence and forging connection. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature-including the beloved classics of her childhood-helps her become both a better mother and a better reader. Chief among the books Kurshan reads with her children is the Five Books of Moses, known as the Torah, which Jews the world over read in synchrony as part of the liturgical cycle. In the five parts of this memoir, Kurshan explores the surprising resonances between the biblical text and her experiences as a mother and a reader - from the first picture books that create the world through language for little babies, to the moment our children begin reading on their own leaving us behind, atop the mountain, as they enter new lands without us. A testament to the enduring power of shared texts, Children of the Book celebrates the deep pleasures of books"-- Provided by publisher.

Historical Fiction At Its Best Ray Comfort and Anna Jackson have crafted a compelling novel of mystery and romance that breathes with suspense and intrigue. Greed over gold, a cold-blooded murder, overwhelming bitterness, abiding faith, romantic love, abuse, blackmail, secrecy, and intense personal struggles are the core elements of this great work that is set in the Wild West of the nineteenth century. How does Jake deal with his father's murder? How does it affect his relationships with his mother, his girlfriend, and God? What is Jake's fortune? Where does it come from? How does a blackmail plot threaten the central family of this book? What secret is being kept from Jake? This book is filled with intricate twists and turns that will surprise you as you read an keep reading. You will identify with Jake's inner turmoil as he endeavors to come to grips with evil in this world. You will be amazed to see how he learns to deal with his own bitterness and his tumultuous emotions. Jake's Fortune will open the door to spiritual understanding and truth, and your reading of this book will challenge you and inspire you to find solid answers for your own life.

Covenantal Rights is a groundbreaking work of political theory: a comprehensive, philosophically sophisticated attempt to bring insights from the Jewish political tradition into current political and legal debates about rights and to bring rights discourse more fully into Jewish thought. David Novak pursues these aims by presenting a theory of rights founded on the covenant between God and the Jewish people as that covenant is constituted by Scripture and the rabbinic tradition. In doing so, he presents a powerful challenge to prevailing liberal and conservative positions on rights and duties and opens a new chapter in contemporary Jewish political thinking. For Novak, "covenantal rights" are rooted in God's primary rights as creator of the universe and as the elector of a particular community whose members relate to this God as their sovereign. The subsequent rights of individuals and communities flow from God's covenantal promises, which function as irrevocable entitlements. This presents a sharp contrast to the liberal tradition, in which rights flow above all from individuals. It also challenges the conservative idea that duties can take precedence over rights, since Novak argues that there are no covenantal duties that are not backed by correlative rights. Novak explains carefully and clearly how this theory of covenantal rights fits into Jewish tradition and applies to the relationships among God, the covenanted community, and individuals. This work is a profound and provocative contribution to contemporary religious and political theory.

We read of the Messiah in Isaiah 42-"He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law." If what these verses describe is the orientation of Jesus, it should be ours as well. If justice is to be established on the earth, His followers must be a community of love and justice. Since the first publication of this book in the early 1990s, we still have not seen a shift in the Body on the issues of character standards, congregational discipline, due process, and discipleship. Dallas Willard and others have written passionately about discipleship and its foundation in obeying the commandments of Jesus. Yet discipleship is rare, and the definition of love as indulgence is increasing. Love itself is wrongly defined, along with forgiveness, leading the indulging people into sin. May God use this book to make some contribution toward the path of righteousness.