Judaism books

The Archaeology of the Holy Land

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:29:53 +0000

What lies beneath the soil of Israel? An introduction to archaeological discovery from "the destruction of Solomon’s Temple to the Muslim conquest", from an American professor of religious studies.

The Men's Section

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:28:26 +0100

What impact has participation in egalitarian minyans made on Orthodox men? A look at a fascinating contemporary trend with implications for Jewish religious life.

The Lifestyle Five Books of Moses

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:21:52 +0100

A new commentary and translation of the Chumash, presenting the Torah as “a guide to your inner self which…can illuminate every possible human experience.” Its distillation of rabbinic teachings includes “Kabbalah Bites.”

The Arrow of Justice

Simon Rocker — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:57 +0100

Rabbi Aryeh Leib(Lionel) Broder addresses the question of why does God allow cruelty in the world and other hot topics in his examination of biblical stories, from Joab’s conquest of Jerusalem to the tragic naivety of the last king of Judah, Zedekiah.

Make Yourself A Teacher

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:32:34 +0000

Susan Handleman
University of Washington Press, $30

Bar-Ilan Professor of English Susan Handelman looks at educational ideals and teaching traditions through the stories about the talmudic sage Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus.

The Torah

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:14:26 +0000

Joel S Kaminsky, Joel N Lohr
Beginner's Guides
One World, £9.99

A brief guide to the Five Books of Moses by two American professors, looking at religious and academic approaches. An unusual feature is that it also gives examples of the use of the text by Christianity.

The Koren Mesorat Harav Siddur

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:29:01 +0000

Koren, OU, $32.95

This new siddur combines Lord Sacks' translation of the prayers with commentary from the late Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, one of the most influential Orthodox rabbis of the last century. An introduction to Soloveitchik's thought has contributions from Lord Sacks and others

Angels at the Table: a Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat

Rabbi Harvey Belovski — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:40:56 +0000

Yvette Alt Miller
Continuum, £22.99

This ambitious and unusual work combines a step-by-step guide to Shabbat observance, with recipes, song-lyrics and ideas for 'fostering meaningful conversations'. Harvard-graduate Miller's work dispels myths about the value and practicalities of Shabbat observance for modern suburban families.

I confess to having been bemused by some of her Americanisms ("Some people link arms and sway... at this point"). And the melody selections (singing Ani Ma'amin, I believe with perfect faith, to California Dreaming) I found silly. But the book is well-written, carefully planned and packed with sensible information about the wonders and physical and spiritual benefits of Shabbat. The sections on "Torah questions" for the table and guides to preparing and hosting Shabbat meals are particularly helpful.

A clever and original aspect is her attempt to show how Shabbat offers a window into many other areas of Jewish life: she convincingly asserts that once one has created a "religious space" in one's life, it can easily grow to accommodate kashrut, Torah study and prayer.

Inevitably, a book of this grand scope is somewhat shallow in places. It errs by decentralising the religious functions of Shabbat - recognising and emulating God as creator and celebrating the Exodus - in favour of an instrumental approach which focuses on "what Shabbat can do for you". And remarkably, it fails to cite Heschel's masterpiece "The Sabbath", perhaps the greatest English-language monograph on the topic.

Yet overall, Miller's project is successful, ably weaving her own experiences and excitement about Shabbat with a down-to-earth programme that will surely inspire young families to give full, traditional Shabbat observance a try.

Solomon – the Lure of Wisdom

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:57:54 +0100

Steven Weitzman
Yale University Press, £18.99

He was the wisest man on earth, he built the Temple and he had hundreds of wives and concubines…Stanford University professor Steven Weitzman revisits the life of King Solomon in a new biography.

The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:03:21 +0100

Philip R. Davis, George J. Brooke and Phillip R.Callaway
Thames & Hudson, £14.95

Three leading scholars of the Dead Sea Scrolls provide an illustrated introduction to one of the greatest manuscript discoveries in a new paperback version.