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Being Jewishby Ari L. Goldman
Simon & Schuster 2001; US$ 11.99Increasing numbers of Jews are returning to their religious roots in a search for meaning, eager to explore a heritage that is deeply embedded in history and at the same time rapidly changing. But what is Judaism today? And what does it mean -- culturally, spiritually, and ritually -- to be Jewish in the twenty-first century? In Being Jewish, Ari L. Goldman offers eloquent, thoughtful answers to these questions through an absorbing exploration of modern Judaism. A bestselling author and widely respected chronicler of Jewish life, Goldman vividly contrasts the historical meaning of Judaism's heritage with the astonishing and multiform character of the religion today. The result will be a revelation for those already involved with Judaism,... more...
Kosher for Everybodyby Trudy Garfunkel
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004; US$ 19.95You don?t have to be Jewish to enjoy the benefits of kosher food. In fact, of the millions of people who buy kosher products, only 8% do so for religious reasons. In Kosher for Everybody, the ultimate guide to the ever growing world of kosher foods and services. more...
How to Keep Kosherby Lise Stern
HarperCollins 2009; US$ 11.99"Traditional Judaism injects sanctification into the ordinary habits of everyday life.Keeping kosher helps us pause and think about what we eat, and how we eat it, and elevates the act of eating." What does it mean to keep kosher? Many may be familiar with the basics: no bacon, no shrimp, no cheeseburgers. But the Jewish dietary laws go deeper than that, and How to Keep Kosher explores the ins and outs. Why are some foods deemed kosher while others are not? Why can't you mix meat and dairy dishes? How do you turn a nonkosher kitchen into a kosher one? Do you really need multiple sets of everything -- dishes, pots, pans, and utensils? How do you keep track of what's what? Whether you are thinking about adopting a kosher lifestyle or... more...
Jewish Passagesby Harvey E. Goldberg
University of California Press 2003; US$ 12.95American or Middle Eastern, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, insular or immersed in modern life?however diverse their situations or circumstances, Jews draw on common traditions and texts when they mark life's momentous events and rites of passage. The interplay of past and present, of individual practice and collective identity, emerges as a central fact of contemporary Jewish experience in Harvey E. Goldberg's multifaceted account of how Jews celebrate and observe the cycles of life. A leading anthropologist of Jewish culture, Goldberg draws on his own experience as well as classic sources and the latest research to create a nuanced portrait of Jewish rituals and customs that balances the reality of "ordinary Jews" with the authority of tradition.... more...
Why Aren?t Jewish Women Circumcised?by Shaye J. D. Cohen
University of California Press 2005; US$ 15.95Why aren't Jewish women circumcised? This improbable question, first advanced by anti-Jewish Christian polemicists, is the point of departure for this wide-ranging exploration of gender and Jewishness in Jewish thought. With a lively command of a wide range of Jewish sources?from the Bible and the Talmud to the legal and philosophical writings of the Middle Ages to Enlightenment thinkers and modern scholars?Shaye J. D. Cohen considers the varied responses to this provocative question and in the process provides the fullest cultural history of Jewish circumcision available. more...
Marriage rituals Italian styleby I.B. Weinstein
BRILL 2004; US$ 212.00This work aims to present the wealth of primary documents elating to marriage rituals in Jewish Italian communities - response, private letters, court protocols, defamating books, love stories, material objects - and place them in historical context. more...
MitzvahChicby Gail Anthony Greenberg
Simon & Schuster 2006; US$ 13.99An indispensable, modern-day guide to planning the perfect bar or bat mitzvah, celebrating substance and style There used to be only two approaches to the bar or bat mitzvah party -- a low-key event that reflects the solemnity of this sacred rite of passage or a big bash that has no connection to the religious service. For many, it was an impossible dilemma. Will a big bash trivialize and overshadow the bar or bat mitzvah experience? Will too much spirituality suck the life out of an otherwise fabulous party? MitzvahChic is the first book that proves that if you want a truly amazing experience, you can and must have it all! Blending meaningful Jewish elements with high-style contemporary party planning, this inspiring and useful... more...
Nazirites in Late Second Temple Judaismby Stuart Chepey
BRILL 2005; US$ 129.00Jesus made a Nazirite vow and so did Paul according to the New Testament. This book discusses the role of the Nazirite as evidenced in early Christian and other sources relevant to the period (250 BC ? AD 70). more...
Saying Kaddishby Anita Diamant
Knopf Publishing Group 2007; US$ 13.99Anita Diamant's knowledge, sensitivity, and clarity have made her one of the most respected writers of guides to Jewish life. In Saying Kaddish , she shows how to make Judaism's time-honored rituals into personal, meaningful sources of comfort. Diamant guides the reader through Jewish practices that attend the end of life, from the sickroom to the funeral to the week, month, and year that follow. There are chapters describing the traditional Jewish funeral and the customs of Shiva , the first week after death when mourners are comforted and cared for by community, friends, and family. She also explains the protected status of Jewish mourners, who are exempt from responsibilities of social, business, and religious life during Shloshim , the... more...
The Book of Customsby Scott-Martin Kosofsky
HarperCollins 2009; US$ 14.99Fifteen years ago while researching Jewish imagery, award-winning book designer Scott-Martin Kosofsky happened upon a 1645 edition of the Minhogimbukh -- the "Customs Book" -- a beautifully designed and illustrated guide to the Jewish year written in Yiddish, the people's vernacular. Captivated, he investigated further and learned that from 1590 to 1890, this cross between a prayer book and a farmer's almanac was immensely popular in households all across Europe. Published in dozens of editions and revised over the centuries in Venice, Prague, Amsterdam, and throughout Germany before moving eastward in the nineteenth century to Poland and Russia, these books detail the evolution of Jewish custom over three hundred years. But by the 1890s,... more...