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Not Written in Stone: Jews, Constitutions, and Constitutionalism in Canada
By Michael Brown, Daniel J. Elazar, Ira Robinson. 2003
Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu
By Anshel Pfeffer. 2018
The first biography that collects the threads of Benjamin Netanyahu's tumultuous personal life, controversial public career and struggle to endure…
as the Jewish state's leader and the master of its destiny. It is told by a writer who has spent his career explaining the world to Israelis and interpreting Israel for a global readership.Benjamin Netanyahu was born a year after Israel. His story in many ways embodies that of the ideological underdogs of the Zionist enterprise: members of the right-wing Revisionist movement, the religious, the Mizrahi Jews who emigrated from Arab lands, the petit-bourgeoisie of the new towns and cities, who all were supposed to metamorphose into the new Israeli. It hasn't quite worked out that way. Netanyahu is also a child of America. He is in large part the product of the affluent East Coast Jewish community and of the generation that came of age in the Reagan era. He was formed as much by American Cold War conservatism as he was by his historian father's hardline right-wing Zionism. It is impossible to understand today's Israel without understanding this singular person's life. Netanyahu's Israel is a hybrid of ancient phobia and high-tech hope, tribalism and globalism--like the man himself. In the face of animus at home and abroad, Netanyahu has survived political defeat and personal setback. For many in Israel and overseas, Netanyahu is an anathema, an embarrassment, even a precursor of Donald Trump. But he continues to dominate Israeli public life and the Jewish narrative of the twenty-first century. As Israel approaches the seventieth anniversary of its birth, this one man more than any other embodies the nation and directs its fate.The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis: Commentary on the First Three Chapters
By David Chaim Smith. 2015
A bold line-by-line reexamination of the first 3 chapters of Genesis that reveals the essential nature of mind and creativity…
• Deconstructs each line of Genesis chapters 1-3 with esoteric methods derived from the oral teachings of the Kabbalah • Reveals the sefirot, the Tree of Life, as the Divine blueprint of the creative process • Explains how Genesis reveals the Divinity of mind and consciousness Hidden within the first three chapters of Genesis rests one of the greatest jewels of Western mystical literature. For millennia religious literalism has dominated our understanding of the Bible, imprisoning its subtle inner wisdom within the most coarse and superficial aspects of the narrative. Generations have been led to believe that Genesis 1-3 is only a primitive proto-cosmic history, a mythological explanation of the human moral disposition, a religious fairy tale. But by accepting the text as pure kabbalistic metaphor, the mystical content of Genesis springs forth, revealing the Divine nature of creativity as well as a new understanding of the human mind. Deconstructing each line of Genesis 1-3 with esoteric methods derived from the oral teachings of the Kabbalah, David Chaim Smith reveals how the ten sefirot, collectively known as the Tree of Life, are not simply a linear hierarchy. They are a unified interdependent whole with ten interactive functions, forming the template through which creative diversity manifests. Through acts of creation and creativity, the mind expresses its Divine nature. Through our Divine creative power, we are able to touch upon Ain Sof (the infinite), the lifeblood of all creative expression. Smith’s line-by-line examination of Genesis 1-3 reveals a complete model not only of Divine creativity but also of the predicament of the human mind, of the Divine nature of consciousness as well as our inability to recognize the mind’s Divinity. With this new interpretation, which removes the concept of a Creator God, we are able to transcend the contrasting notions of “being” and “non-being” at the heart of conventional habits of perception and awaken a new mystical understanding of Unity and the fathomless depth of Divinity.The Torah: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides)
By Joel N. Lohr, Joel S Kaminsky. 2011
There is no question that the Torah has had an enormous influence on Western Civilization. It is the source of…
widely known characters like Joseph, Moses, and Noah, and timeless stories such as the Garden of Eden and the Exodus. Jointly authored by professors of Judaism and Christianity, The Torah: A Beginner's Guide takes a unique approach, exploring the interplay and dynamics of how these two religions share this common scripture. Drawing on both scholarly and popular sources, Kaminsky and Lohr examine the key debates, while simultaneously illustrating the importance of the Torah in western jurisprudence, ethics, and contemporary conceptions of the family, morality, and even politics. Joel S. Kaminsky is Professor in the Department of Religion at Smith College where he teaches courses on the Hebrew Bible and on ancient Jewish religion and literature. Joel N. Lohr teaches in the areas of Bible and Old Testament at the department of religious studies at Trinity Western University, Canada.Obstinate Hebrews: Representations of Jews in France, 1715-1815
By Ronald Schechter. 2003
A path-breaking study of the Jews in France from the time of the philosophies through the Revolution and up to…
Napoleon. Examines how Jews were thought of during this time, by both French writers and the Jews themselves.Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America
By Kenneth L. Marcus. 2010
Given jurisdiction over race and national origin but not religion, federal agents have had to determine whether Jewish Americans constitute…
a race or national origin group. They have been unable to do so. This has led to enforcement paralysis, as well as explosive internal confrontations and recriminations within the federal government. This book examines the legal and policy issues behind the ambiguity involved with civil rights protections for Jewish students. Written by a former senior government official, this book reveals the extent of this problem and presents a workable legal solution.Historical Fictions and Hellenistic Jewish Identity: Third Maccabees in Its Cultural Context
By Sara Raup Johnson. 2004
This book investigates the creation of historical fictions in a wide range of Hellenistic Jewish texts. Surveying Jewish novels, she…
demonstrates that the use of historical fiction in these texts does not constitute a uniform genre. Instead it cuts across all boundaries of language, provenance, genre, and even purpose.An Introduction to Ethics
By John Deigh. 2010
This book examines the central questions of ethics through a study of theories of right and wrong that are found…
in the great ethical works of Western philosophy. It focuses on theories that continue to have a significant presence in the field. The core chapters cover egoism, the eudaimonism of Plato and Aristotle, act and rule utilitarianism, modern natural law theory, Kant's moral theory, and existentialist ethics. Readers will be introduced not only to the main ideas of each theory but to contemporary developments and defenses of those ideas. A final chapter takes up topics in meta-ethics and moral psychology. The discussions throughout draw the reader into philosophical inquiry through argument and criticism that illuminate the profundity of the questions under examination. Students will find this book to be a very helpful guide to how philosophical inquiry is undertaken as well as to what the major theories in ethics hold.Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism
By Lynn Davidman. 1991
Recently, some women have turned away from the myriad, complex choices presented by modern life and chosen instead a Jewish…
Orthodox tradition that defines women's roles primarily in terms of their duties as wives and mothers in nuclear families.The Guide of the Perplexed, Volume 1
By Moses Maimonides. 1963
This monument of rabbinical exegesis written at the end of the twelfth century has exerted an immense and continuing influence…
upon Jewish thought. This edition contains extensive introductions by Shlomo Pines and Leo Strauss, leading authorities on Maimonides.Judaism has survived for four millennia, and many of its customs, laws, and traditions have remained exactly the same today…
as in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Everything Judaism Book explains the major precepts of this robust religion in language anyone can understand and appreciate. From High Holy Days, such as Passover and Yom Kippur, to symbols and objects, such as the Star of David and the tallis prayer shawl, Jews and non-Jews alike will gain new understanding and insights into the rich diversity and seemingly endless complexity of Jewish practices and culture. Authoritative and thought-provoking, The Everything Judaism Book has been exhaustively reviewed for accuracy by Orthodox Rabbi Jacob Rosenthal and Reform Rabbi Robert Leib. The Everything Judaism Book is a terrific introduction if you're learning the religion for the first time, a great way to brush up on facts you may have forgotten from Hebrew school, and the perfect mitzvah (good deed) gift for a friend or relative.The Universal Kabbalah
By Leonora Leet. 2004
Presents a new understanding of the laws of cosmic manifestation through the sacred geometry of the Sabbath Star diagram• Explores…
three higher levels of consciousness above the four worlds of the classical Kabbalah• Reveals the mathematical code of the laws of all cosmic manifestationThis landmark work by an innovative modern Kabbalist develops a scientific model for kabbalistic cosmology and soul psychology derived from the kabbalistic diagram of the Tree of Life and the author's own Sabbath Star diagram--a configuration of seven Star of David hexagrams. This geometric model begins with the four worlds of the classical Kabbalah, which bring us to the present time and birthright level of the soul, and is then expanded to three higher enclosing worlds or levels of evolving consciousness. The Sabbath Star diagram therefore accommodates both the emanationist cosmology of the earlier Zoharic Kabbalah and the future orientation of the later Kabbalah of Isaac Luria. The hexagram elements that construct each expansion of the Sabbath Star diagram configure the cosmic stages of each of its “worlds.” The matrix that is produced by these construction elements configures the level of the multi-dimensional soul that is correlated with each cosmic world. In its final stage, this model unites the finite and infinite halves of the Sabbatical world in a way that exemplifies the secret doctrine of the Kabbalah. Not only does this work offer a new, inclusive model for the Kabbalah but it also provides a basis for complexity theory, with its final extrapolation to infinity. The universality of this model is further shown by its applicability to such other domains as physics, sociology, linguistics, and human history. This universal model encodes the laws of all cosmic manifestation in terms that are particularly coherent with the formulations of the Kabbalah, giving a mathematical basis to many aspects of this mystical tradition and providing a new synthesis of science and spirituality for our time that may well write a new chapter to the Kabbalah.101 Things Everyone Should Know About Judaism: Beliefs, Practices, Customs, And Traditions
By Richard D Bank. 2005
What's the difference between Reform and Orthodox Judaism? What does it mean to keep kosher? And what are mizvot? Compact…
and comprehensive, 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Judaism touches on all these basics and more. You'll learn all you need to know about this ancient religion and culture - from the significance of the Torah and Talmud, to the importance of holidays and the meaning of religious objects and symbols. You'll also find out about:Major Biblical events that have shaped Jewish history and traditionJudaism's concept of God, the soul, and the afterlifeThe structure of Jewish liturgy and prayer servicesThe Ten Statements, and other Jewish lawsPractices associated with life milestonesLanguage, literature, food, and other cultural elementsThoughtful and engaging, this portable volume packs in a wealth of fascinating, detailed information that is sure to leave you with a deepened appreciation for this rich tradition.Birthing a Mother: The Surrogate Body and the Pregnant Self
By Elly Teman. 2010
Birthing a Mother is the first ethnography to probe the intimate experience of gestational surrogate motherhood. In this book, Elly…
Teman shows how surrogates and intended mothers carefully negotiate their cooperative endeavor.This book explores the unique phenomenon of Christian engagement with Yiddish language and literature from the beginning of the sixteenth…
century to the late eighteenth century. By exploring the motivations for Christian interest in Yiddish, and the differing ways in which Yiddish was discussed and treated in Christian texts,A Goy Who Speaks Yiddishaddresses a wide array of issues, most notably Christian Hebraism, Protestant theology, early modern Yiddish culture, and the social and cultural history of language in early modern Europe. Elyada's analysis of a wide range of philological and theological works, as well as textbooks, dictionaries, ethnographical writings, and translations, demonstrates that Christian Yiddishism had implications beyond its purely linguistic and philological dimensions. Indeed, Christian texts on Yiddish reveal not only the ways in which Christians perceived and defined Jews and Judaism, but also, in a contrasting vein, how they viewed their own language, religion, and culture.Rabbis and Revolution: The Jews of Moravia in the Age of Emancipation
By Michael Laurence Miller. 2011
The Habsburg province of Moravia straddled a complicated linguistic, cultural, and national space, where German, Slavic, and Jewish spheres overlapped,…
intermingled, and sometimes clashed. Situated in the heart of Central Europe, Moravia was exposed to major Jewish movements from the East and West, including Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment), Hasidism, and religious reform. Moravia's rooted and thriving rabbinic culture helped moderate these movements, and in the case of Hasidism, keep it at bay. During the Revolution of 1848, Moravia's Jews took an active part in the prolonged and ultimately successful struggle for Jewish emancipation in the Habsburg lands. The revolution ushered in a new age of freedom, but it also precipitated demographic, financial, and social transformations, disrupting entrenched patterns that had characterized Moravian Jewish life since the Middle Ages. These changes emerged precisely when the Czech-German conflict began to dominate public life, throwing Moravia's Jews into the middle of the increasingly virulent nationality conflict. For some, a cautious embrace of Zionism represented a way out of this conflict, but it also represented a continuation of Moravian Jewry's distinctive role as mediator-and often tamer-of the major ideological movements that pervaded Central Europe in the Age of Emancipation.Pledges of Jewish Allegiance
By Daniel Gordis, David Ellenson. 2012
Since the late 1700s, when the Jewish community ceased to be a semiautonomous political unit in Western Europe and the…
United States and individual Jews became integrated—culturally, socially, and politically—into broader society, questions surrounding Jewish status and identity have occupied a prominent and contentious place in Jewish legal discourse. This book examines a wide array of legal opinions written by nineteenth- and twentieth-century orthodox rabbis in Europe, the United States, and Israel. It argues that these rabbis' divergent positions—based on the same legal precedents—demonstrate that they were doing more than delivering legal opinions. Instead, they were crafting public policy for Jewish society in response to Jews' social and political interactions as equals with the non-Jewish persons in whose midst they dwelled. Pledges of Jewish Allegiance prefaces its analysis of modern opinions with a discussion of the classical Jewish sources upon which they draw.Halakhah in the Making: The Development of Jewish Law from Qumran to the Rabbis
By Aharon Shemesh. 2009
Halakhah in the Making offers the first comprehensive study of the legal material found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and…
its significance in the greater history of Jewish religious law. Aharon pioneering study revives an issue long dormant in religious scholarship: namely, the relationship between rabbinic laws.The Case for Auschwitz: Evidence from the Irving Trial
By Robert Jan van Van Pelt. 2001
From January to April 2000 historian David Irving brought a high-profile libel case against Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt in…
the British High Court, charging that Lipstadt’s book, Denying the Holocaust (1993), falsely labeled him a Holocaust denier. The question about the evidence for Auschwitz as a death camp played a central role in these proceedings. Irving had based his alleged denial of the Holocaust in part on a 1988 report by an American execution specialist, Fred Leuchter, which claimed that there was no evidence for homicidal gas chambers in Auschwitz. In connection with their defense, Penguin and Lipstadt engaged architectural historian Robert Jan van Pelt to present evidence for our knowledge that Auschwitz had been an extermination camp where up to one million Jews were killed, mainly in gas chambers. Employing painstaking historical scholarship, van Pelt prepared and submitted an exhaustive forensic report that he successfully defended in cross-examination in court.Climbing Jacob's Ladder: One Man's Journey to Rediscover a Jewish Spiritual Tradition
By Alan Morinis. 2002
Jewish by birth, though from a secular family, Alan Morinis explored Hinduism and Buddhism as a young man. But in…
1997, in the face of personal crisis, he turned to his Jewish heritage for guidance. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar. Gradually he realized that he had stumbled upon an insightful discipline for self-development, complete with meditative, contemplative, and other well-developed transformative practices designed to penetrate the deepest roots of the inner life. Eventually reaching the limits of what he could learn on his own, he decided to seek out a Mussar teacher. This was not an easy task, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he found an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived in the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Morinis's journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, revealing the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar. To learn more about the author, Alan Morinis, go to www.mussarinstitute.org.