Judaism Books - Page 9

Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World

George Greenstein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

LOVE IT!! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've been baking bread for 20 years as a home baker, and this is by far the best book I've run across! I checked it out from the library, then ended up buying my own copy and sending one as a gift. I have made several breads in the book. His method is easy to follow, I especially appreciate the organization tips. I also like that the recipes have directions for hand mixing, food processor, and stand mixer. I made sour dough yesterday. . . it turned out to be one of the best I've ever made!

My Favorite Bread Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This has become my absolute favorite bread baking book. Mr. Greenstein has recipes for the breads that my father would "drag" us to NYC to buy way back when. I only wish my father were still alive to enjoy these. The recipes are excellent, and I love the little baker's secrets he shares. I have yet to make the same recipe twice, as each one has been so good I want to try another. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Editorial Review:

Winner of the James Beard award for best baking book, this classic title is being repackaged and expanded by venerable baker George Greenstein. This beloved book is full of excellent, accessible recipes for yeasted and quick breads.

Jews, God, and History: 2nd Edition

Max I. Dimont

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Non-Lachrymose Jewish History; Nazi Genocide of Jews and Slavs; etc. 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This fact-filled book [review based on the 1962 edition] offers so much! One might be surprised to learn that the Karaite revolt was quite similar to the later Protestant Reformation (pp. 204-208), that the Hasmonean John Hyrcanus had converted the Idumeans and the Galileans to Judaism by force (p. 91, 98), and that some Jews burned Maimonides' works even before Christians ever burned a single copy of the Talmud. (p. 182, 240) Thereafter, many more unauthorized copies of the New Testament went up in flames than Talmuds, while Jewish translations of the Old Testament were never burned by Christians. (p. 240)

Ironically, early laws restricting Jewish life were commonly modeled after similar Old Testament and Talmudic laws that restricted non-Jews (p. 219), and the later Inquisition's authority for executing heretics (BTW rarely Jews, except Marranos: p. 226, 315) was based directly upon Deuteronomy 17:2-5. (p. 224) Jews generally chose to live apart from gentiles (p. 251, 254). Compulsory ghettoization didn't occur until much later, and then only in specific locations (p. 251, 255).

Dimont focuses on Jewish achievements and privileges (e. g., most medieval Jews were freer than most gentiles: p. 303), and puts pre-Nazi European Jewish sufferings in perspective: "It must not be supposed that the majority of Christians hated the Jews. Quite the contrary. Only a small segment were Jew-baiters. When left to themselves, Jew and Christian lived peacefully side by side...It must also be remembered that the ritual-murder charges, the Host-desecration libels, and pogroms took place over a period of seven hundred years and over an entire continent. By and large, most of the ghettos and shtetls were not affected by pogroms or general maraudings." (p. 258)

Compulsory ghettoization, and accusations of ritual murder, Host-desecration, well-poisoning, etc., didn't begin until about 1100 AD (p. 220), and usually were the most common and extreme in Germany and Austria. (pp. 239, 242, 246-247, 251, 254, 255) The first expulsion of Jews from a nation wasn't until 1290--from England (p. 229) The Crusaders, whose ranks included not only the devout but also criminally-minded adventurers, were equal-opportunity killers of Jews and non-Jews. (p. 220-221) Compulsory wearing of the yellow badge didn't begin until 1215 (p. 220) and didn't apply to Jews living in the shtetl. (p. 257)

Dimont (pp. 377-378) gives details on the anti-Christian character of Nazism, and rejects the emphasis upon "unequal victims": "If the Christian reader dismisses what had happened in Germany as something which affected a few million Jews only, he has not merely shown his contempt for the 7 million Christians but has betrayed his Christian heritage as well. And, if the Jewish reader forgets the 7 million Christians murdered by the Nazis, then he has not merely let 5 million Jews die in vain but has betrayed his Jewish heritage of compassion and justice." (p. 388)

Unfortunately, Dimont repeats Polonophobic whoppers--the "Polish nonhelp" to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the later "well-armed" Warsaw Polish insurgents (p. 384), and--even more unbelievable-- "Poles turning over" 2.8 million Jews to the Germans for extermination. (p. 386)

As for non-Jewish victims, Dimont writes: "The chilling reality is that when the Russians overran the concentration camps in Poland they found enough Zyklon B crystals to kill 20 million people. Yet there were no more than 3 million Jews left in Europe. The ratio of contemplated mass killing was no longer 1.4 Christians for every Jew, but 5.3 Christians for every Jew. Nazi future plans called for the killing of 10 million non-Germanic people every year." (p. 388).

Editorial Review:

From ancient Palestine through Europe and Asia, to America and modern Israel, Max I. Dimont shows how the saga of the Jews is interwoven with the story of virtually every nation on earth.

Quick & Kosher - Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing

Jamie Geller

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Features:

• Binding: hard cover
• Pages :368
• Dimensions: 9.5 x 10''

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great cookbook for new and experienced cooks - simple & sumptuous recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I originally bought this cookbook for a new bride who did not know how to cook. I have to admit that once I opened Quick & Kosher, I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed reading the author's stories and comments. The photographs are beautiful and inspirational. The recipes are truly quick and simple, but delicious. To date, I have purchased 10 copies of this wonderful book. I had to keep one copy for myself. The others were bought as gifts: two for new brides, two for my twenty-something sons, and the other five for friends who have been married from 19 to 35 years with two to seven kids! If someone likes to spend hours in the kitchen creating exotic dishes with many ingredients and steps to follow, then this is not the cookbook for them. I have already made many different dishes from the cookbook and my family and friends have raved about each selection. I get periodic calls from all of the gift recipients updating me on their latest creations and thanking me over and over for buying them their copy of Quick & Kosher. This cookbook is for everyone who needs to cook, wants delicious meals, but wants to get out of the kitchen!

Editorial Review:

short description

God's Prayer Book: The Power and Pleasure of Praying the Psalms

Ben Patterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Illuminating look at the Book of Psalms 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

God's Prayer Book by Ben Patterson is a beautifully written guide and encouragement to praying the Psalms. The book of Psalms was used by the Jewish people for hundreds of years as a way to praise God, appeal to him, and beg his forgiveness, and we can do the same thing. Patterson really opens up the book with Biblical history, Scripture, and deep insight into why they were written and why they are still applicable today. I have loved reading this book. Sometimes my prayers feel stale or worn, but reading these Psalms with new eyes has allowed me to pray for my country, my family, my church, and my soul in new ways. Each chapter feels like a refreshing dip in warm water: comforting, cleansing, uplifting, renewing. Patterson lists several different ways to pray through the Psalms, making them your own personal prayer book so they will never grow old and will always offer new wisdom and comfort. Jesus quoted from Psalm 31 in his final words on the cross, "Father, into your hands, I entrust my spirit." Patterson says that some biblical scholars believe that Psalm 31: 5 was one of the earliest prayers Jewish mothers taught their children to pray for sleep each night. I entrust my spirit into your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God. Knowing that Jesus prayed that prayer before death, a child's prayer before slipping into slumber, brings the Psalm to life and lodges it firmly in my heart. Full of depth, heart and wisdom, this is a book I will reread again and again.

Editorial Review:

There is no better place in all of Scripture than the Psalms to learn to be with God and see with the eyes of faith the face of the One who longs to form us fully in his image. The psalms often stretch and perplex as they teach, but they open a divine window on prayer. How could it be otherwise? The Psalms are God's prayer book, and they teach us to talk to God in his own language.
Features meditations for more than 75 psalms, arranged in numerical order, Scripture and topical indexes. Each devotional includes the complete text of the Psalm(s) from the New Living Translation, a "devotional window" (brief meditative thoughts and/or background on the Psalm), a prayer route (one or more key phrases or verses from the Psalm, followed by suggested ways to use the Psalm in prayer).

The Thirteenth Tribe

Arthur Koestler

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Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Genetic Studies Prove Koestler Correct: True Hebrews/Palestinians Are The SAME race 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Recent genetic studies have shown Koestler was correct. Genetic studies are continuing to prove conclusively that the Ashkenazi (common European/Western Jew) have no genetic connection with the semitic peoples of the middle east. In fact, the middle eastern Hebrews and the Palestinians are the SAME genetic race -- which is NOT related to the Ashkenazi Jews, who never occupied the middle east. Genetic studies also are proving that Ashkenazi Jews (Khazars) are not a semitic race.

Journal axes gene research on Jews and Palestinians
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/nov/25/medicalscience.genetics
Excerpts:
"In common with earlier studies, the team found no data to support the
idea that Jewish people were genetically distinct from other people in
the region.(middle east) In doing so, the team's research challenges claims that Jews are a special, chosen people and that Judaism can only be
inherited."

"Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East share a very similar gene
pool and must be considered closely related and not genetically
separate, the authors state. Rivalry between the two races is
therefore based 'in cultural and religious, but not in genetic
differences', they conclude."

Editorial Review:

Traces the history of the ancient Khazar Empire, a major but almost forgotten power in Eastern Europe, which in the Dark ages became converted to Judaism. Khazaria was finally wiped out by the forces of Ghengis Khan, but evidence indicates that the Khazars, themselves migrated to Poland and formed the cradle of Western Jewry.

The Torah: A Modern Commentary, Revised Edition

David E. S. Stein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Missed opportunity 3 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

The original 1981 edition of the Plaut commentary on the Torah marked a dramatic improvement over the fundamentalist Hertz Torah commentary (The Pentateuch and Haftorahs: Hebrew Text English Translation and Commentary by Joseph H. Hertz) which it replaced in Reform Jewish congregations. It attempted to give both a traditional Jewish and a modern historical view of the text. In this connection, the frequent references to the widely recognized sources (J, E, D, P) is particularly welcomed in a Jewish study Pentateuch. However, it did have a number of weaknesses only some of which have been addressed in this new edition. These weaknesses included:

1. It was informed throughout by the Albright-Wright/Biblical Archaeology view that the "essential historicity" of the Patriarchal stories in Genesis and the conquest narratives have been verified by archaeology. This view, which held sway in the USA and Israel roughly 1930-1965 started to be undermined by scholarship in the 1960s and had been totally demolished by 1975. (See, for example, Shifting Sands : The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology by Thomas W. Davis). Since that time, few serious scholars would suggest that there is any retrievable historic information relating to the period before 1000 BCE, or even later, recoverable from the Pentateuch. Thus, much of the historical interpretive information in the commentary was known to be wrong or misleading well before the publication of the commentary.

2. Its occasional egregious errors such as transliteration of the divine name "YHVH" (see new edition p. 36) when the virtual universal scholarly opinion is, and has been for at least a century, that the third letter of the name was pronounced similarly to the English letter "w".

3. No attempt was made to make use of gender-neutral language where possible.

4. Its layout was suitable for study but not for synagogue liturgical use (subdivision of parashot into short chapters, placement of supplementary essays, placement of haftarot together at the end of each book of the Torah);

5. Its lack of commentaries on the haftarot.

6. The complete lack of drawings from Karaite (Jewish but not rabbinic) and Samaritan (Israelite but not Jewish) texts in the otherwise excellent "gleanings" sections which included abundant Christian and occasional Muslim, Babylonian etc. texts.

7. Positioning of the English translation below the Hebrew which made parallel reading of the Hebrew and English difficult.

8. Its very thin paper, small Hebrew type, lack of accent signs (te'amim) in the Hebrew text.

This new edition should have been an opportunity to correct these problems which, to a certain extent, has been done. Taking the above points item by item -

1. The reliance on the invalid Albright-Wright/Biblical Archaeology historic reconstruction is unchanged. In the original edition this reliance showed a lack of awareness of current research. Now, twenty four years later it is hard to understand why a serious revision has not been undertaken. One glance at the bibliography (pp. 1568-1569) pointedly shows the datedness of the materials. Of great importance is the lack of any reference of the great strides over the last decades in understanding the historic nature of early Israelite history and religion (e.g. the work of Smith, Zevit and Dever).

2. Its occasional egregious errors - uncorrected.

3. Gender-neutral language - this is one area where the new edition strikingly excels. The use of the term "Eternal" for the divine name is to be especially commended.

4. Layout - layout by parashah followed by haftarah improve its usability in synagogue while making it less easy to use as a tool for private study.

5. Haftaraot now include very basic commentary although I consider them inferior to that included in Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary.

6. Lack of drawings from Karaite and Samaritan traditions - unchanged.

7. Positioning of the English translation below the Hebrew - now changed to the traditional, and useful, parallel layout

8. Its very thin paper, small Hebrew type, lack of accent signs (te'amim) in the Hebrew text - these problems have all been addressed.

I did notice one additional problem with this new edition. In the first edition the titles of the topical essays were included in the table of contents thus increasing their findability. The new edition does not do this thus effectively burying them in 1,600 pages of text.

Editorial Review:

Nearly twenty-five years after the groundbreaking publication of the first-ever English language liberal Torah commentary, we present The Torah: A Modern Commentary, Revised Edition. This volume features updated commentary and translations, including a gender-sensitive version of the JPS translation, with largely gender-neutral God language and a completely fresh translation of Genesis and of the haftarot by the late Rabbi Chaim Stern. In addition, the volume is reorganized by parashah and includes a helpful index and aliyot markers, improving upon the 1981 original. As Rabbi David Ellenson, President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, states, "This book provide a dazzling compendium of sources both classical and modern, and a variety of voices that will enhance worship and study of everyone."

To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life

Hayim H. Donin

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Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

To Be a Jew, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin's classic guide to Jewish life, philosophy, and law has guided generations of Americans, Europeans, and Israelis to discover the treasures of their own religious traditions. First published in 1972, the book still stands as a reliable, practical and versatile resource for everyone from young girls preparing for bat mitzvah to old men returning to their spiritual roots. The book begins with an overview of Judaism's basic credo (including chapters on Israel's people, land, God, and Torah), moves on to describe the laws governing Jews' daily lives, the Jewish calendar, and "The Special Occasions of Life" from birth to death and mourning. One great strength of To Be a Jew is its blending of folk wisdom and scholarly learning. Rabbi Donin not only describes what right belief and righteous action look like but provides a rationale for these observances that engages and embraces the basic conditions of modern life. --Michael Joseph Gross

Great Prayers of the Old Testament

Walter Brueggemann

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Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs & Rituals

George Robinson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Thorough and thoroughly interesting. 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

George Robinson returned to Judaism as an adult looking for spiritual centeredness, a deeper understanding of himself and his place in the world. He's a journalist, not a rabbi. His writing prowess is immediately evident, as is the fact that he has educated himself extensively in the material he treats. His book is primarily conceived as a broad-ranging educational text and guide for those who departed from the Judaism of their youth but are seeking 'something' or feeling drawn back. The book is actually a unique resource for anyone interested in Judaism. Being just such an 'anyone', Robinson's book is for me too, even though I'm not Jewish.

Beginning with a chapter on prayer and ritual, it becomes apparent that the reader will need to familiarize himself with many Hebrew words to appreciate Robinson's discourse. There's no way around it, but it's well worth the effort. The book is so thoroughly interesting that, regardless of the language and length (500 pages plus appendices), it may not seem like an effort at all. Robinson's scholarship is generally exceptional.
This reader was quickly struck with how fluid Judaism has proven to be. As the author states, "A people's ideas are informed by their history, and vice versa. . . and a lot of this book is about that relationship. . . There are some who would have you believe that Judaism is a transhistorical, immutable system of belief, but that just isn't true."

A look at the topics treated might whet your curiosity:

1- Service of the Heart: Prayer and Ritual
2- Rejoice in your Festivals: The Jewish Year
3- Birth to Death: A Jewish Life Cycle
4- 613 Ways: Living a Jewish Life
5- In the Beginning: The Hebrew Bible
6- The Rabbis Said: The Talmud and other Rabbinical Writings
7- Jewish Mysticism: Emanations of the Eternal
8- The Philosophers: The Continuing Evolution of Jewish Thought
9- Beyond the Rabbis: How Judaism Got Where it is Today
Appendices (5) and Glossary

I expected that I would use the book only topically, that is, to educate myself on Kabbalist mysticism, the Zohar, rabbinical writings, Jewish philosophers (Buber, for example), the difference between Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and so forth, in a piece-meal manner. In other words, use it as one uses a glossary or encyclopedia, which in a sense, this book is. But upon reading the Introduction I found myself venturing into the book the old fashioned way, from the first chapter (okay, so I jumped around a little too). Either way, it ends up being a reference resource simply because there is such a wealth of religious, philosophical and historical information.

Thorough, thoroughly interesting, a book that may have no peers among books similarly conceived. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals is a brief but comprehensive layman's handbook to Jewish prayer, worship, festivals, customs, history, language, philosophy, and ideology. Its author, George Robinson, returned to synagogue after a 20-year absence and found himself utterly confused about the basics of his religion, despite having attended Hebrew school. He looked far and wide for a reference work that would help him get his bearings but did not find one; so he wrote one himself. Robinson's background as a journalist proved to be an asset in this project, which shows evidence of much detective work, the results of which are plainly described and clearly organized. Robinson is sensitive to the many perspectives of contemporary Judaism without being mealy-mouthed. His work is a triumph of diplomacy and clear thinking; his overview of Hebrew Scripture, and his excellent Kosher primer, would be worth the price of this book in themselves.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Judaism, 2nd Edition (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Overview 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for a non Jew to get an overall appreciation for the beliefs, practices and customs of the Jewish religion. I am a Christian who wanted to get a better understanding and appreciation for Judaism. In Jan. 2007 I spent two weeks in the Holy Land and when I came back I wanted to get a fuller appreciation for Judaism. This book gave me that.

Great Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book provides an accurate basic account of the Jewish faith for all who are interested. It also adds amusing references to pop culture and real-life sitations.

Editorial Review:

One of the Guides' most popular religion titles, Understanding Judaism covers:

€ The major denominations of Judaism and how modern times have changed them
€ A history, from ancient times to current events
€ Threats to the religion; Israel and anti-Zionism; anti-Semitism
€ New concerns for the 21st century, and much more.

Understanding Judaism, its roots, its beliefs, and its traditions is crucial to understanding its people and its leaders. And, in light of current world events, this understanding is more important now than ever before