My People's Passover Haggadah Vol 2


Book Description

My People’s Passover Haggadah Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries In two volumes, this empowering resource for the spiritual revival of our times enables us to find deeper meaning in one of Judaism’s most beloved traditions, the Passover Seder. Rich Haggadah commentary adds layer upon layer of new insight to the age-old celebration of the journey from slavery to freedom—and makes its power accessible to all. This diverse and exciting Passover resource features the traditional Haggadah Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let you know exactly what the Haggadah says. Introductory essays help you understand the historical roots of Passover, the development of the Haggadah, and how to make sense out of texts and customs that evolved from ancient times. Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, My People’s Passover Haggadah features commentaries by scholars from all denominations of Judaism. You are treated to insights by experts in such fields as the Haggadah’s history; its biblical roots; its confrontation with modernity; and its relationship to rabbinic midrash and Jewish law, feminism, Chasidism, theology, and kabbalah. No other resource provides such a wide-ranging exploration of the Haggadah, a reservoir of inspiration and information for creating meaningful Seders every year. “The Haggadah is a book not just of the Jewish People, but of ordinary Jewish people. It is a book we all own, handle, store at home, and spill wine upon! Pick up a Siddur, and you have the history of our People writ large; pick up a Haggadah, and you have the same—but also the chronicle of Jewish life writ small: the story of families and friends whose Seders have become their very own local cultural legacy.... My People’s Passover Haggadah is for each and every person looking to enrich their annual experience of Passover in their own unique way.”




My People's Passover Haggadah Vol 1


Book Description

My People’s Passover Haggadah Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries In two volumes, this empowering resource for the spiritual revival of our times enables us to find deeper meaning in one of Judaism’s most beloved traditions, the Passover Seder. Rich Haggadah commentary adds layer upon layer of new insight to the age-old celebration of the journey from slavery to freedom—and makes its power accessible to all. This diverse and exciting Passover resource features the traditional Haggadah Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let you know exactly what the Haggadah says. Introductory essays help you understand the historical roots of Passover, the development of the Haggadah, and how to make sense out of texts and customs that evolved from ancient times. Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, My People’s Passover Haggadah features commentaries by scholars from all denominations of Judaism. You are treated to insights by experts in such fields as the Haggadah’s history; its biblical roots; its confrontation with modernity; and its relationship to rabbinic midrash and Jewish law, feminism, Chasidism, theology, and kabbalah. No other resource provides such a wide-ranging exploration of the Haggadah, a reservoir of inspiration and information for creating meaningful Seders every year. “The Haggadah is a book not just of the Jewish People, but of ordinary Jewish people. It is a book we all own, handle, store at home, and spill wine upon! Pick up a Siddur, and you have the history of our People writ large; pick up a Haggadah, and you have the same—but also the chronicle of Jewish life writ small: the story of families and friends whose Seders have become their very own local cultural legacy.... My People’s Passover Haggadah is for each and every person looking to enrich their annual experience of Passover in their own unique way.”




My People's Passover Haggadah


Book Description

This empowering resource for the spiritual revival of our times enables us to find deeper meaning in one of Judaism?s most beloved traditions, the Passover Seder. This Haggadah commentary adds layer upon layer of new insight to the age-old celebration of the journey from slavery to freedom?and makes its power accessible to all.It features traditional Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the Haggadah says. Introductory essays help the reader understand the historical roots of the ancient holiday, the development of the Haggadah and how to make sense out of texts and customs that evolved over more than a thousand years.Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, My People?s Passover Haggadah features commentaries by scholars from all denominations of Judaism. Readers are treated to insights by experts in such fields as the Haggadah?s history; its biblical roots; its confrontation with modernity; and its relationship to rabbinic midrash and Jewish law, feminism, Chasidism, theology and kabbalah. No other volume provides the English language reader with such wide-ranging understanding of the Haggadah, the key to having the most meaningful Seder ever.Contributors:Dr. David ArnowDr. Carole BalinDr. Marc BrettlerRabbi Neil GillmanDr. Alyssa GrayRabbi Arthur Green Dr. Joel HoffmanRabbi Lawrence A. HoffmanRabbi Lawrence KushnerRabbi Daniel LandesDr. Nehemia PolenDr. Wendy I. Zierler




My People's Prayer Book Vol 2


Book Description

"The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul." My People's Prayer Book provides diverse and exciting commentaries to the traditional liturgy, written by some of today's most respected scholars and teachers from all perspectives of the Jewish world. They explore the text from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, medieval, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives. This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today's world, and makes its power accessible to all. The My People's Prayer Book series belongs on the library shelf of every home, every synagogue—every sanctuary of prayer. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries, to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book.




Doing Jewish Theology


Book Description

God -- Torah -- Israel




My People's Prayer Book Vol 4


Book Description

"The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul." This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today's world, and makes its power accessible to all. Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from 11 of today's most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine Seder K’riat Hatorah from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives. This fourth volume of the series unfolds the many layers of meaning in Seder K’riat Hatorah, the ritual and prayers surrounding the communal reading of Torah. More than any other section of the prayer book, the Torah service reflects all of Jewish history. Vol. 4 helps us to understand how the reading of Torah is an affirmation, powerful and dramatic, of the continuing covenant between the community of Israel and God. Vol. 4—Seder K’riat Hatorah (The Torah Service) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries, to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book. Even those not yet familiar with the prayer book can appreciate the spiritual richness of Seder K’riat Hatorah. My People’s Prayer Book enables all worshipers, of any denomination, to encounter their own connection to 3,000 years of Jewish experience with the world and with God.




Conscience


Book Description

At this critical moment in our nation?s-and the world?s-history, we are called sharply but lovingly to think in new ways about our moral and political behavior by Harold Schulweis, one of America?s great spiritual leaders. Like the biblical prophets, he speaks to people of all faiths, all backgrounds in this call for renewal of conscience.?The urgent challenge for religion is to provide religious groups with the resources needed to resist immoral authority. Religion is morally obligated to instill the sanctity of conscience that may balance the culture of obedience with the culture of moral disobedience?. Organized religion appears unable to envision the interdependent coexistence of obedience and disobedience, a time to obey and a time to disobey.?A provocative book, it examines the idea of conscience and the role conscience plays in our relationship to law, ethics, religion, human nature and God-and to each other. From Abraham to Abu Ghraib, from the dissenting prophets to Darfur, he probes history, the Bible and the works of contemporary thinkers for ideas about both critical disobedience and uncritical obedience, illuminating the potential for evil and the potential for good that rests within us as individuals and as a society.




I Am Jewish


Book Description

Being Jewish. What does it mean--today--and for the future? Listen in as Jews of all backgrounds reflect, argue, and imagine. When Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was brutally murdered in Pakistan, many Jews were particularly touched by his last words affirming his Jewish identity. Many were moved to reflect on or analyze their feelings toward their lives as Jews. The saying "two Jews, three opinions" well reflects the Jewish community's broad range of views on any topic. I Am Jewish captures this richness of interpretation and inspires Jewish people of all backgrounds to reflect upon and take pride in their identity. Contributions, ranging from major essays to a paragraph or a sentence, come from adults as well as young people in the form of personal feelings, statements of theology, life stories and historical reflections. Despite the diversity, common denominators shine through clearly and distinctly. Contributors include: Ehud Barak - Sylvia Boorstein - Edgar M. Bronfman - Alan Colmes - Alan Dershowitz - Kirk Douglas - Richard Dreyfuss - Kitty Dukakis - Dianne Feinstein - Tovah Feldshuh - Debbie Friedman - Milton Friedman - Thomas L. Friedman - Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Nadine Gordimer - David Hartman - Moshe Katsav - Larry King - Francine Klagsbrun - Harold Kushner - Lawrence Kushner - Shia LaBeouf - Norman Lamm - Norman Lear - Julius Lester - Bernard-Henri L vy - Bernard Lewis - Daniel Libeskind - Joe Lieberman - Deborah E. Lipstadt - Joshua Malina - Michael Medved - Ruth W. Messinger - Amos Oz - Cynthia Ozick - Shimon Peres - Martin Peretz - Dennis Prager - Anne Roiphe - Sandy Eisenberg Sasso - Vidal Sassoon - Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi - Daniel Schorr - Harold M. Schulweis - Lynn Schusterman - Natan Sharansky - Gary Shteyngart - Sarah Silverman - Michael H. Steinhardt - Kerri Strug - Lawrence H. Summers - Mike Wallace - Elie Wiesel - Leon Wieseltier - Sherwin T. Wine - Ruth R. Wisse - Peter Yarrow - A. B. Yehoshua - Eric H. Yoffie




The Spirituality of Welcoming


Book Description

Synagogues should be effective and relevant centers of Jewish life but too often the focus is on programs not people, on revenue not relationships. The end result is frequently a corporate atmosphere where membership lacks commitment, core leadership and spiritual fulfillment. In this empowering, practical guide, Dr. Ron Wolfson shows you how to transform your synagogue congregation into a sacred community by focusing on strategies for successful change. Using a case-study format for creating an inviting spiritual center, Wolfson defines the welcoming congregation and the fundamental materials that are involved in building one. He addresses the services a welcoming congregation should provide, the themes the congregation should focus on, and the standards that a vital spiritual community should uphold. Tapping into his experiences as co-developer of Synagogue 2000, the transdenominational project designed to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century, Wolfson also provides essential problem-solving tools that you can use to alleviate roadblocks along the way.




Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible


Book Description

Who are the ancient role models for the sacred relationship between Jews and non-Jews today? Now more than ever, gentiles are an integral part of the Jewish community. But they are not new to the Jewish story. In fact, righteous gentiles go back to Abraham. The story of the Jewish people can’t be told without them. Noted author and educator Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin provides an informative and inspiring look at the sympathetic non-Israelite characters of the Hebrew Bible and the redemptive relationships they had with the Jewish people. Relying on biblical and extra-biblical sources, he introduces each character, drawing lessons from the life of each that will be relevant to you, whatever your faith tradition. They include the ... First gentile to bless a Jew First woman to hear the Divine voice and save a Jewish baby First teacher of morality to the Jews First gentile mother of Jewish children Gentile midwives who invented civil disobedience Mother of Moses and nurturer of the Jewish people Father-in-law and teacher of Moses First “gentile Zionist” Gentile warrior who fought for the Israelites Gentile contractor for Solomon’s Temple Gentiles who acknowledged God and repented Creator of the Second Jewish Commonwealth