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Renewal: A Guide to the Values-Filled Life
By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. 2010
Our culture is showing the cracks of a growing fracture. Soaring divorce rates; a crippled economy that rewards the few…
and punishes the many; religious-fueled hatred; record rates of depression--the headlines paint a grim picture. We inhabit a society that desperately needs fixing. But as Rabbi Shmuley Boteach reveals in his new book, Renewal, our society can made whole again when we as individuals make the choice to live a life based on values. For too long, conversations about values have been derailed by political movements trying to score points over hot-button issues like gay marriage or abortion. Boteach, one of our wisest and most respected counselors and spiritual experts, reaches deep into our history and into our shared religious legacy to revive the key universal values of Judaism for our struggling world. He presents these age-old ideas as guideposts for the challenges of modern times. These values, whose roots are in the Bible and thousands of years of Jewish spiritual living, can be applied to anyone in the modern world--from Christians and Muslims to atheists and agnostics--who want to renew their existence and recommit themselves to the most precious things in life. Renewal shows everyone how to use the timeless values of the Hebrew Bible and Judaism to live a more fulfilling, modern life. Destiny Unlike the Greeks, who believed that life was scripted from birth, the Jews believe in destiny. In short, they reject the idea of tragic fates and instead champion the individuals' capacity to create their own destiny through individual choice. Redemption Christians and Muslims emphasize salvation, or the need for man to become spiritual--to refine his character and earn a place in heaven. But Jews believe in world redemption, the capacity for the individuals to make heaven here on earth for,the betterment of the community. Action What you do is more important than what you believe. Good deeds always supersede good dogma. Enlightenment Jews are an infinitely curious people and believe that the great bane of existence--boredom--can only be cured by knowledge. Marriage Marriage refers not just to the institution, but rather the softening of the masculine by exposure to the feminine. A culture that does not know how to respect women is bound to collapse. Struggle It is wrestling with our nature, rather than attaining perfection, that constitutes true righteousness. Everyone is somehow flawed, but righteousness is found in the struggle to do right amid a predilection to act selfishly. Sacred Time Whereas other religions sanctify space, Jewish values privilege special moments. The Sabbath day, the holiest day of the week, provides a time for connecting with family and friends.The Art of Biblical Narrative
By Robert Alter. 2011
Since it was first published nearly three decades ago,The Art of Biblical Narrativehas radically expanded the horizons of biblical scholarship…
by recasting the Bible as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter presents the Hebrew Bible as a cohesive literary work, one whose many authors used innovative devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of human history: the revelation of a single god.Holocaust: An American Understanding
By Deborah E. Lipstadt. 2016
Immediately after World War II, there was little discussion of the Holocaust, but today the word has grown into a…
potent political and moral symbol, recognized by all. In Holocaust: An American Understanding, renowned historian Deborah E. Lipstadt explores this striking evolution in Holocaust consciousness, revealing how a broad array of Americans--from students in middle schools to presidents of the United States--tried to make sense of this inexplicable disaster, and how they came to use the Holocaust as a lens to interpret their own history. Lipstadt weaves a powerful narrative that touches on events as varied as the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Stonewall, and the women's movement, as well as controversies over Bitburg, the Rwandan genocide, and the bombing of Kosovo. Drawing upon extensive research on politics, popular culture, student protests, religious debates and various strains of Zionist ideologies, Lipstadt traces how the Holocaust became integral to the fabric of American life. Even popular culture, including such films as Dr. Strangelove and such books as John Hershey's The Wall, was influenced by and in turn influenced thinking about the Holocaust. Equally important, the book shows how Americans used the Holocaust to make sense of what was happening in the United States. Many Americans saw the civil rights movement in light of Nazi oppression, for example, while others feared that American soldiers in Vietnam were destroying a people identified by the government as the enemy. Lipstadt demonstrates that the Holocaust became not just a tragedy to be understood but also a tool for interpreting America and its place in the world. Ultimately Holocaust: An American Understanding tells us as much about America in the years since the end of World War II as it does about the Holocaust itself.Amen to That!
By Ferdie Addis. 2014
Many of us have never read or studied the Bible, yet people have been quoting from its pages for centuries,…
not knowing the origin or significance of these timeless expressions. Let there be light! Amen to That will delightfully shed clarity on how a collection of ancient stories, written in three languages over the course of a thousand years, has had such an impact on the way we speak today. Through intriguing stories and riveting tales of epic battles and acts of betrayal to miracles and beyond, you'll quickly discover the meanings behind such familiar phrases as: A drop in the bucket All things must pass As old as the hills Bite the dust Eat, drink, and be merry The powers that be Woe is me Amen to That is a wonderful look at the gripping storytelling and cultural wealth to be found in the world's best-selling book, as well as a fascinating insight into our language.The Story for Kids: Discover the Bible from Beginning to End (The Story)
By Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, Zonderkidz. 2008
"Adventure. Humor. Drama. Now kids can discover God’s great love story in a new format! As you read, you will…
uncover the “big picture.” You’ll find out that God’s story is not just a collection of random adventures—it’s a complete story that tells about God’s great love for his people. Using the New International Reader’s Version, The Story for Kids reads like a novel. Events, characters, and teachings are arranged in order to show God’s unfolding story. With fun art and thought-provoking questions, you’ll love reading the greatest story ever told!"The Wisdom of the Talmud
By Madison C. Peters. 1912
"The house that does not open to the poor shall open to the physician." "To have no faithful friends is…
worse than death." "Too many captains sink the ship." "Good deeds are better than creeds." "The sensible man drinks only when he is thirsty." "The noblest of all charities is in enabling the poor to earn a livelihood." "He who wishes to be forgiven must forgive." These and over 500 other proverbs and adages come together in this delightful collection, arranged under 22 headings such as adversity, ambition, ancestry, anger, business, charity, death, friendship, home life, honesty, immortality, labor, love, money, and truth.Yearnings
By Linda Loewenthal, Irwin Kula. 2006
"Irwin Kula shows us how to to live our humanness -- the pleasures and the challenges, the messiness and the…
triumphs -- with a profound acceptance of our desires and foibles and a joy that can only come from understanding." --Deepak Chopra "Yearning. After twenty-three years as a rabbi, I can think of no more defining human experience."Life can be messy and imperfect. We're all looking for answers. And yet, as renowned rabbi Irwin Kula points out, the yearning for answers is no different now than it was in the times that gave rise to Moses, Buddha, and Jesus. Far from being a burden, however, these yearnings can themselves become a path to blessing, prompting questions and insights, resulting in new ways of being and believing. In this, his first book, Rabbi Kula takes us on an excursion into the depths of our desires, applying ancient Jewish tradition to seven of our most wonderful yearnings. Merging ancient wisdom with contemporary insights, Rabbi Kula shows how traditional practices can inform and enrich our own search for meaning. More importantly, he invites us to embrace the messiness and complexities of the human experience in order to fully embrace the endless and glorious project of life.Yearnings
By Linda Loewenthal, Irwin Kula. 2006
"Irwin Kula shows us how to to live our humanness -- the pleasures and the challenges, the messiness and the…
triumphs -- with a profound acceptance of our desires and foibles and a joy that can only come from understanding." --Deepak Chopra "Yearning. After twenty-three years as a rabbi, I can think of no more defining human experience."Life can be messy and imperfect. We're all looking for answers. And yet, as renowned rabbi Irwin Kula points out, the yearning for answers is no different now than it was in the times that gave rise to Moses, Buddha, and Jesus. Far from being a burden, however, these yearnings can themselves become a path to blessing, prompting questions and insights, resulting in new ways of being and believing. In this, his first book, Rabbi Kula takes us on an excursion into the depths of our desires, applying ancient Jewish tradition to seven of our most wonderful yearnings. Merging ancient wisdom with contemporary insights, Rabbi Kula shows how traditional practices can inform and enrich our own search for meaning. More importantly, he invites us to embrace the messiness and complexities of the human experience in order to fully embrace the endless and glorious project of life.What Was the Holocaust? (What Was?)
By Gail Herman, Jerry Hoare, Who Hq. 2017
A thoughtful and age-appropriate introduction to an unimaginable event—the Holocaust.The Holocaust was a genocide on a scale never before seen,…
with as many as twelve million people killed in Nazi death camps—six million of them Jews. Gail Herman traces the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, whose rabid anti-Semitism led first to humiliating anti-Jewish laws, then to ghettos all over Eastern Europe, and ultimately to the Final Solution. She presents just enough information for an elementary-school audience in a readable, well-researched book that covers one of the most horrible times in history.This entry in the New York Times best-selling series contains eighty carefully chosen illustrations and sixteen pages of black and white photographs suitable for young readers.From the Trade Paperback edition.Obedience: Living a Yielded Life
By Todd Wendorff, Denise Wendorff, Dee Eastman, Brett Eastman. 1995
What does it take to build character? How do you instill godly qualities inside yourself that are displayed consistently through…
words, actions, and attitudes that reflect what Jesus himself is like? Building Character Together takes you and your small group inside the Bible to learn character-building lessons from some of its most compelling figures. In six enjoyable, interactive sessions, each volume in this six-volume series helps you deeply explore the complex issues of developing Christian character. Combining study, discussion, and shared experiences, here is a pathway to growth both individually and as a group. Explore the lives of David, Mary Magdalene, Jacob, and other men and women of the Bible. Learn lessons from their successes and failures and from their relationships with God and other people that you can readily link to yourself and your own life circumstances. Enjoy frank discussions that draw you and other group members deeper into each others’ lives. And put it all into action in a one-day group retreat, a service project, a mini-mission work, and other experiences that help you make the leap from good words to good works.NIV, Children's Bible, eBook
By Zonderkidz. 1973
This special children's edition of the best-selling New International Version (NIV) Bible gives kids a 'grown-up' Bible -- but one…
with child friendly features: a Bible dictionary, timeline, maps, and 32 realistic color illustrations of familiar Bible stories by artist Nancy Munger.Have a Little Faith: A True Story
By Mitch Albom. 2009
What if our beliefs were not what divided us, but what pulled us together In Have a Little Faith, Mitch…
Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds--two men, two faiths, two communities--that will inspire readers everywhere. Albom's first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor--a reformed drug dealer and convict--who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat. As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Albom and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers, and histories are different, Albom begins to recognize a striking unity between the two worlds--and indeed, between beliefs everywhere. In the end, as the rabbi nears death and a harsh winter threatens the pastor's wobbly church, Albom sadly fulfills the rabbi's last request and writes the eulogy. And he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself. Have a Little Faith is a book about a life's purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man's journey, but it is everyone's story. Ten percent of the profits from this book will go to charity, including The Hole In The Roof Foundation, which helps refurbish places of worship that aid the homeless.It Will Yet Be Heard: A Polish Rabbi's Witness of the Shoah and Survival
By Leon Thorne. 2019
Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer once described Dr. Leon Thorne’s memoir as a work of “bitter truth” that he compared…
favorably to the works of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Proust. Out of print for over forty years, this lost classic of Holocaust literature now reappears in a revised, annotated edition, including both Thorne’s original 1961 memoir Out of the Ashes: The Story of a Survivor and his previously unpublished accounts of his arduous postwar experiences in Germany and Poland. Rabbi Thorne composed his memoir under extraordinary conditions, confined to a small underground bunker below a Polish peasant’s pigsty. But, It Will Yet Be Heard is remarkable not only for the story of its composition, but also for its moral clarity and complexity. A deeply religious man, Rabbi Thorne bore witness to forced labor camps, human degradation, and the murders of entire communities. And once he emerged from hiding, he grappled not only with survivor’s guilt, but also with the lingering antisemitism and anti-Jewish violence in Poland even after the war ended. Harrowing, moving, and deeply insightful, Rabbi Thorne’s firsthand account offers a rediscovered perspective on the twentieth century’s greatest tragedy.Judaism: The Genealogy of a Modern Notion (Key Words in Jewish Studies #35)
By Daniel Boyarin. 2019
Judaism makes the bold argument that the very concept of a religion of ‘Judaism’ is an invention of the Christian…
church. The intellectual journey of world-renowned Talmud scholar Daniel Boyarin, this book will change the study of “Judaism”—an essential key word in Jewish Studies—as we understand it today. Boyarin argues that although the world treats the word “Judaism” as appropriate for naming an alleged religion of the Jews, it is in fact a Christian theological concept only adopted by Jews with the coming of modernity and the adoption of Christian languages.1 and 2 Peter: Courage In Times of Trouble
By John Macarthur. 2000
NRSV Adventure Bible
By Lawrence O. Richards. 1989
Take your kids on an adventure through God’s Word with the #1 Bible for kids! Do you want to take…
your kids on an adventure through the Bible? The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) edition of the bestselling Adventure Bible® will get them excited about God’s Word! Kids will be captivated by the full-color features that make reading Scripture and memorizing their favorite verses engaging and fun. Along the way you&’ll meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of things about the Bible. Most importantly you’ll grow closer in your relationship with God. Features include:Full color throughout: Makes learning about the people, places, and culture of the Bible even more engaging.Hiding Edith: A true story
By Kathy Kacer. 2006
Hiding Edith tells the true story of Edith Schwalb, a young Jewish Girl sent to live in a safe house…
after the Nazi invasion of France. Edith's story is remarkable not only for her own bravery, but for the bravery of those that helped her: an entire village, including its mayor and citizenry, heroically conspired to conceal the presence of hundreds of Jewish children who lived in the safe house.This young readers’ edition tells the remarkable story, largely forgotten until now, of the young Jewish women who became resistance…
fighters against the Nazis during World War II. It has already been optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture.As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women and teenage girls across Poland began transforming Jewish youth groups into resistance factions. These “ghetto girls” helped build systems of underground bunkers, paid off the Gestapo, and bombed German train lines.At the center of the book is eighteen-year-old Renia Kukielka, who traveled across her war-torn country as a weapons smuggler and messenger. Other women who joined the cause served as armed fighters, spies, and saboteurs, all risking their lives for their missions. Never before chronicled in full, this is the incredible account of the strong Jewish women who fought back against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi regime. It follows the women through arrests, internment, and for a lucky few, into the late 20th century and beyond.It also includes a section of black-and-white photos, so that readers can see firsthand the extraordinary women who bravely fought for their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds.Anne Frank
By Kem Knapp Sawyer. 2004
Tells the incredible story of this courageous young writer. In this groundbreaking new series, DK brings together fresh voices and…
DK design values to give readers the most information-packed, visually exciting biographies on the market today. Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts, definitions of key words, and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relevance to stories of famous lives that students will love to read.Kindertransport
By Olga Levy Drucker. 1992
The author describes the circumstances in Germany after Hitler came to power that led to the evacuation of many Jewish…
children to England and her experiences as a young girl in England during World War II.