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If you were to ask ten people, Who started Christianity? you might hear ten voices giving the same quick response:…
Jesus. But those ten people would be wrong. Jesus wasn’t a Christian. Jesus lived and died as a Jew. Understanding the Jewishness of Jesus is the secret to knowing him better and understanding his message in the twenty-first century. Walking through Jesus’ life from birth to death, Rabbi Evan Moffic serves as a tour guide to give Christians a new way to look at familiar teachings and practices that are rooted in the Jewish faith and can illuminate our lives today. Moffic gives fresh insight on how Jesus’ contemporaries understood him, explores how Jesus’ Jewishness shaped him, offers a new perspective on the Lord’s Prayer, and provides renewed appreciation for Jesus’ miracles.In encountering his Jewish heritage, you will see Jesus differently, gain a better understanding of his message, and enrich your own faith.
What Every Christian Needs to Know About Passover: What It Means and Why It Matters
By Evan Moffic. 2015
The Passover was celebrated by Jesus and the disciples the last time they were together. Now popular speaker and writer…
Rabbi Evan Moffic brings an understanding to the Last Supper that will forever change how Christians celebrate Communion and prepare for Easter. Beginning with the Hebrew Bible and Jewish history, Rabbi Moffic shows how these inform the roots of Christianity as he weaves together history, theology, Jewish practice and observances. Then he provides the background and resources for Christians seeking to experience an authentic Jewish Passover Seder and integrate it into their own preparation for Easter. Rabbi Moffic brings an informed and ancient perspective, explaining and bringing to life the source of so many of our modern Christian practices.By exploring and explaining the ritual and story surrounding the Jewish Passover, Rabbi Moffic shares with Christians the wisdom and inspiration of the Hebrew Bible—what Christians call the Old Testament—in a way that increases appreciation and understanding of the culture in which Jesus lived and taught. For contemporary Christians desiring to enrich their understanding of the faith they practice today, this book offers deeper understanding of their spiritual heritage shared with Judaism.
Explore the wisdom and traditions of the Jewish faith and examine what they mean for Christians."In this extraordinary book, Rabbi…
Evan Moffic takes Christians on a journey through the roots of our faith, by giving insight into the history and tradition that Jesus would have observed. In this way, Rabbi Moffic provides the backstory to the main story. If you want to get more from your faith, this book is a must-read!" —Dave Adamson, Pastor, North Pointe Church "Rabbi Moffic is an engaging teacher who excels at communicating ancient truths for modern audiences. His insights into Hebrew scriptures and the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith will be a blessing to all who want to learn." —Steve Gillen, Pastor, Willow Creek Community ChurchWhen Christians learn about Jewish tradition and history, they see the Bible and the life of Jesus with a new and enriched perspective. Knowing more about Judaism brings them closer to Jesus because Jesus lived and died as a Jew and consistently quoted the Jewish scripture and stories. In this book Evan Moffic, popular rabbi, author, and guide to Jewish wisdom for people of all faiths, continues the What Every Christian Needs to Know About series with an exploration of the wisdom and traditions of Judaism. Rabbi Moffic provides answers to hundreds of questions he receives about Judaism to provide a deeper understanding of the roots shared by Christians and Jews. Through this book’s explorations, readers will learn insights of the great Jewish sages to live a richer and more meaningful life, soak up the wisdom and traditions of Judaism, and a develop closer relationship with God. "My hope is that these teachings can serve as a way of fostering bonds focused not on the past and the troubled history between Jews and Christians, but rather one looking forward to a future in which we share wisdom with one another." – Rabbi Evan MofficProduct Features: A popular rabbi explores Jewish wisdom and traditions for Christian readers. Topics explored include: Jewish texts, spiritual life, holidays and events, and others. Highlights intersections of the Jewish and Christian faith that give deeper meaning to reading the Bible.
"Engaging, innovative, and fresh, Gahl Sasson's approach to Kabbalah -- the ancient teachings of Jewish mysticism -- integrates mythology, scholarship,…
and practical exercises for seekers of both material and spiritual gratification. Based on his popular Tree of Life workshops, which incorporate meditation, dreams, and real-life synchronicities with myths, rituals, and philosophies from around the world, A Wish Can Change Your Life provides a universal path to finding and embracing all of life's riches. It teaches readers of every faith and religious background how to use the energies of the Tree of Life -- the blueprint for the creation of the universe -- to fulfill any wish, whether it is for material gain (a new car, a higher salary), personal improvement and pleasure (weight loss, a better job, more intimacy with a partner), or a life-changing message from God." -- Amazon
The Essential Jewish Cookbook: 100 Easy Recipes for the Modern Jewish Kitchen
By Marcia A. Friedman. 2021
100 Easy, must-have Jewish recipes for any occasionJewish food is steeped in diverse cultural traditions, featuring a wide array of…
ingredients, flavors, and textures from all over the world. Capture the essence of this one-of-a-kind cuisine with The Essential Jewish Cookbook, filled with easy recipes for classic Jewish dishes made simple and modern.From Challah French Toast and Classic Potato Latkes to Adafina and Doro Wot, these recipes highlight the breadth and depth of Jewish cuisine from different regions. You'll find tips and tricks for getting the most out of each recipe, from preparing certain steps in advance to swapping ingredients for making dishes kosher.The Essential Jewish Cookbook includes:A culinary history—Learn more about where these recipes come from with a historical journey through Jewish cuisine, from the Middle East, to Europe, North Africa, the Americas, and beyond.Holiday menus—Discover simple holiday menus that offer a starting place for planning memorable meals and forming your own delicious traditions.Dietary labels—Explore vegetarian, kosher, and gluten-free recipes with labels that make it easy to find dishes that will work for everyone.From weeknight dinners to holiday feasts, create delectable meals the whole family will love with this traditional Jewish cookbook.
The Little Encyclopedia of Jewish Culture: 101 People, Places, Things (and Foods) Every Jew Should Know
By Mathew Klickstein. 2022
Celebrate Jewish culture with this fun collection of facts and stories!Jewish traditions aren't just something they sing about in Fiddler…
on the Roof. Explore them all with this delightful book of essential Jewish foods, philosophers, pop culture, and more. It's sure to be way more satisfying than the typical encyclopedia—but probably not as exciting as finding the perfect bagel. Discover cultural touchstones—From babka to Mel Brooks, learn fascinating facts about the writers, entertainers, delis, and Yiddish phrases that shine a light on Jewish culture through the ages.Find what fascinates you—Paging through this book is a pleasure, whether you choose to read it cover to cover or use it as a quick reference guide. Give the perfect present—This encyclopedia's lighthearted tone and charming illustrations make it a great gift for Chanukah, housewarmings, and more. Show a little chutzpah and pick up a copy of this amusing and informative Jewish encyclopedia today!
Jewish Studies as Counterlife: A Report to the Academy
By Adam Zachary Newton. 2019
This book tells the story of a Jewish Studies that hasn’t fully happened—at least not yet. Newton asks what we…
mean when we say “Jewish Studies”—and when we imagine it not as mere amalgam but as a project. Jewish Studies offers a unique perspective from which to view the horizon of the academic humanities because, although it arrived belatedly, it has spanned a range of disciplinary locations and configurations, from an “origin story” in nineteenth-century historicism and philology, to the emancipatory politics of the Enlightenment, to the ethnicity-driven pluralism of the postwar decades, to more recent configurations within an interdisciplinary cultural studies. The conflicted allegiances with respect to traditions, disciplines, divisions, stakes, and stakeholders represent the structural and historical situation of the field, as it comes into contact with the humanities more broadly.At once a literary and philosophical thinker, Newton deploys a tableau of texts in concert with an ensemble of vivid, elastic tropes not only to theorize Jewish Studies but also to reimagine it as an agent of that potency Jacques Derrida calls “leverage”—a force multiplier for the field’s multiple possibilities. In refiguring a Jewish Studies to come, the book intervenes in a broader discourse about the challenge of professing disciplinary knowledges while promoting transit across their boundaries. Jewish Studies as Counterlife further amplifies Newton’s career-long articulation of the dialogic as the staging ground of ethical encounter.
Bestiarium Judaicum: Unnatural Histories of the Jews
By Jay Geller. 2018
Given the vast inventory of verbal and visual images of nonhuman animals—pigs, dogs, vermin, rodents, apes disseminated for millennia to…
debase, dehumanize, and justify the persecution of Jews, Bestiarium Judaicum asks: What is at play when Jewish-identified writers tell animal stories? Focusing on the nonhuman-animal constructions of primarily Germanophone authors, including Sigmund Freud, Heinrich Heine, Franz Kafka, and Gertrud Kolmar, Jay Geller expands his earlier examinations (On Freud’s Jewish Body: Mitigating Circumcisions and The Other Jewish Question: Identifying the Jew and Making Sense of Modernity) of how such writers drew upon representations of Jewish corporeality in order to work through their particular situations in Gentile modernity. From Heine’s ironic lizards to Kafka’s Red Peter and Siodmak’s Wolf Man, Bestiarium Judaicum brings together Jewish cultural studies and critical animal studies to ferret out these writers’ engagement with the bestial answers upon which the Jewish and animal questions converged and by which varieties of the species "Jew" were identified.
Dynamic Judaism: The Essential Writings of Mordecai M. Kaplan
By Mel Scult, Emanuel Goldsmith. 1985
Available in a new digital edition with reflowable text suitable for e-readersMordecai M. Kaplan was born in a small Lithuanian…
town on the outskirts of Vilna on a Friday evening in June of 1881. Kaplan was raised in a predominately Jewish atmosphere, which is shown by the fact that he knew his day of birth only by the Jewish calendar until he went to the New York Public Library as a young man to look up the corresponding date. His family was extremely traditional, and his father, Israel Kaplan, was a learned man.Kaplan's concept of Judaism as an evolving religious civilization was widely influential in 20th-century American Jewish life, and his founding of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College created a new denomination. This book contains a biographical essay and excerpts from all of his major works.
The Banality of Heidegger
By Jean-Luc Nancy. 2017
Heidegger and Nazism: Ever since the philosopher’s public involvement in state politics in 1933, his name has necessarily been a…
part of this unsavory couple. After the publication in 2014 of the private Black Notebooks, it is now unambiguously part of another: Heidegger and anti-Semitism.What do we learn from analyzing the anti-Semitism of these private writings, together with its sources and grounds, not only for Heidegger’s thought, but for the history of the West in which this thought is embedded? Jean-Luc Nancy poses these questions with the depth and rigor we would expect from him. In doing so, he does not go lightly on Heidegger, in whom he finds a philosophical and “historial” anti-Semitism, outlining a clash of “peoples” that must at all costs arrive at “another beginning.” If Heidegger’s uncritical acceptance of prejudices and long-debunked myths about “world Jewry” shares in the “banality” evoked by Hannah Arendt, this does nothing to lessen the charge. Nancy’s purpose, however, is not simply to condemn Heidegger but rather to invite us to think something to which the thinker of being remained blind: anti-Semitism as a self-hatred haunting the history of the West—and of Christianity in its drive toward an auto-foundation that would leave behind its origins in Judaism.
Jews and the Ends of Theory
By Shai Ginsburg, Martin Land, and Jonathan Boyarin. 2019
Theory, as it’s happened across the humanities, has often been coded as “Jewish.” This collection of essays seeks to move…
past explanations for this understanding that rely on the self-evident (the historical centrality of Jews to the rise of Critical Theory with the Frankfurt School) or stereotypical (psychoanalysis as the “Jewish Science”) in order to show how certain problematics of modern Jewishness enrich theory.In the range of violence and agency that attend the appellation “Jew,” depending on how, where, and by whom it’s uttered, we can see that Jewishness is a rhetorical as much as a sociological fact, and that its rhetorical and sociological aspects, while linked, are not identical. Attention to this disjuncture helps to elucidate the questions of power, subjectivity, identity, figuration, language, and relation that modern theory has grappled with. These questions in turn implicate geopolitical issues such as the relation of a people to a state and the violence done in the name of simplistic identitarian ideologies.Clarifying a situation where “the Jew” is not readily or unproblematically legible, the editors propose what they call “spectral reading,” a way to understand Jewishness as a fluid and rhetorical presence. While not divorced from sociological facts, this spectral reading works in concert with contemporary theory to mediate pessimistic and utopian impulses, experiences, and realities.Contributors: Svetlana Boym, Andrew Bush, Sergey Dolgopolski, Jay Geller, Sarah Hammerschlag, Hannan Hever, Martin Land, Martin Jay, James I. Porter, Yehouda Shenhav, Elliot R. Wolfson
Freud and Monotheism: Moses and the Violent Origins of Religion (Berkeley Forum in the Humanities)
By Karen S. Feldman, Gilad Sharvit. 2018
Over the last few decades, vibrant debates regarding post-secularism have found inspiration and provocation in the works of Sigmund Freud.…
A new interest in the interconnection of psychoanalysis, religion and political theory has emerged, allowing Freud’s illuminating examination of the religious and mystical practices in “Obsessive Neurosis and Religious Practices,” and the exegesis of the origins of ethics in religion in Totem and Taboo, to gain currency in recent debates on modernity. In that context, the pivotal role of Freud’s masterpiece, Moses and Monotheism, is widely recognized. Freud and Monotheism brings together fundamental new contributions to discourses on Freud and Moses, as well as new research at the intersections of theology, political theory, and history in Freud’s psychoanalytic work. Highlighting the broad impact of Moses and Monotheism across the humanities, the contributors hail from such diverse disciplines as philosophy, comparative literature, cultural studies, German studies, Jewish studies and psychoanalysis.Jan Assmann and Richard Bernstein, whose books pioneered the earlier debate that initiated the Freud and Moses discourse, seize the opportunity to revisit and revise their groundbreaking work. Gabriele Schwab, Gilad Sharvit, Karen Feldman, and Yael Segalovitz engage with the idiosyncratic, eccentric and fertile nature of the book as a Spӓtstil, and explore radical interpretations of Freud’s literary practice, theory of religion and therapeutic practice. Ronald Hendel offers an alternative history for the Mosaic discourse within the biblical text, Catherine Malabou reconnects Freud’s theory of psychic phylogenesis in Moses and Monotheism to new findings in modern biology and Willi Goetschel relocates Freud in the tradition of works on history that begins with Heine, while Joel Whitebook offers important criticisms of Freud’s main argument about the advance in intellectuality that Freud attributes to Judaism.
Other Others: The Political after the Talmud
By Sergey Dolgopolski. 2018
Denying recognition or even existence to certain others, while still tolerating diversity, stabilizes a political order; or does it? Revisiting…
this classical question of political theory, the book turns to the Talmud. That late ancient body of text and thought displays a new concept of the political, and thus a new take on the question of excluded others. Philosophy- and theology-driven approaches to the concept of the political have tacitly elided a concept of the political which the Talmud displays; yet, that elision becomes noticeable only by a methodical rereading of the pages of the Talmud through and despite the lens of contemporary competing theological and philosophical theories of the political. The book commits such rereading of the Talmud, which at the same time is a reconsideration of contemporary political theory. In that way, The Political intervenes both to the study of the Talmud and Jewish Thought in its aftermath, and to political theory in general.The question of the political for the excluded others, or for those who programmatically do not claim any “original” belonging to a particular territory comes at the forefront of analysis in the book. Other Others approaches this question by moving from a modern political figure of “Jew” as such an “other other” to the late ancient texts of the Talmud. The pages of the Talmud emerge in the book as a (dis)appearing display of the interpersonal rather than intersubjective political. The argument in the book arrives, at the end, to a demand to think earth anew, now beyond the notions of territory, land, nationalism or internationalism, or even beyond the notion of universe, that have defined the thinking of earth so far.
A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse: Cultural Interaction in the Ancient Mediterranean
By Yaron Eliav. 2023
A provocative account of Jewish encounters with the public baths of ancient RomePublic bathhouses embodied the Roman way of life,…
from food and fashion to sculpture and sports. The most popular institution of the ancient Mediterranean world, the baths drew people of all backgrounds. They were places suffused with nudity, sex, and magic. A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse reveals how Jews navigated this space with ease and confidence, engaging with Roman bath culture rather than avoiding it.In this landmark interdisciplinary work of cultural history, Yaron Eliav uses the Roman bathhouse as a social laboratory to reexamine how Jews interacted with Graeco-Roman culture. He reconstructs their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the baths and the activities that took place there, documenting their pleasures as well as their anxieties and concerns. Archaeologists have excavated hundreds of bathhouse facilities across the Mediterranean. Graeco-Roman writers mention the bathhouse frequently, and rabbinic literature contains hundreds of references to the baths. Eliav draws on the archaeological and literary record to offer fresh perspectives on the Jews of antiquity, developing a new model for the ways smaller and often weaker groups interact with large, dominant cultures.A compelling and richly evocative work of scholarship, A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse challenges us to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Graeco-Roman society, shedding new light on how cross-cultural engagement shaped Western civilization.
The Holocaust and Latin America: Migration, Resettlement and Memory (The Holocaust and its Contexts)
By Daniela Gleizer, Emmanuel Kahan, Yael Siman. 2025
This book explores the history of the Holocaust in relation to Latin America. It is estimated that about 100,000 Jewish refugees…
immigrated to the region between 1933 and 1945. Despite the critical role Latin America played in sheltering Jewish refugees from Nazism, the region has remained largely on the margins of Holocaust studies. The volume adopts a global perspective, examining the Holocaust’s connections to Latin America, both as a region and as a mosaic of distinct national contexts. Structured around three key themes —migration, settlement, and memory— the book not only addresses the immigration policies of Latin American governments but also amplifies the experiences and voices of Jewish survivors who found refuge in this culturally diverse region.
One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor
By Richard Michelson. 2024
For fans of All-of-a-Kind Family, here is the true story of how Sarah Brenner, a poor girl from New York…
City&’s Lower East Side, became Sydney Taylor: dancer, actress, and successful children&’s book author.Sarah Brenner might have come from an all-of-a-kind family (five sisters who all dressed alike), but she was always one of a kind. Growing up in a Jewish immigrant family on New York&’s impoverished Lower East Side, Sarah loved visiting the library, celebrating holidays with her family, and taking free dance classes at the Henry Street Settlement. But she was always aware of things that weren&’t fair—whether it was that women couldn&’t vote, or how girls were treated in her school, or that her parents had had to leave Europe because they were Jewish. When she grew up, Sarah changed her name to Sydney and became an actress and a dancer, but she never forgot the importance of fighting unfairness, whether it was anti-Semitism at her job or the low wages of workers. And when her daughter complained that it wasn&’t fair that there were no books about Jewish children like her, Sydney put pen to paper and wrote a one-of-a-kind children&’s book.From well-known Jewish children&’s author Richard Michelson, this is the story of how Sarah became Sydney and how she showed children the joy of seeing their culture reflected on the page.
Universal Aspects of the Kabbalah and Judaism
By Leo Schaya. 2014
Leo Schaya (1916-1986) was a brilliant author and editor whose only book to appear in English was the much-acclaimed The…
Universal Meaning of the Kabbalah, which is often cited in books on Jewish mysticism. This new book, Universal Aspects of the Kabbalah and Judaism, is a collection of writings by Schaya, including some previously unpublished material, that highlight the particular way in which Judaism expresses universal truths and concepts. Schaya explains in great depth and beauty how the God of Israel manifests His goodness, power, and mercy in multiple levels of creative emanations, which are the main focus of the Kabbalah. Even more, however, Schaya looks through Judaism&’s particular forms and demonstrates that at its core Judaism reveals the same mysterious universal source from which all of the great religious traditions of the world draw their spiritual sustenance and energy. Please note: This ebook contains foreign characters that may not be visible on all ebook devices.
The New American Anti-Semitism: The Left, the Right, and the Jews
By Benjamin Ginsberg. 2024
The New American Anti-Semitism: The Left, the Right, and the Jews is a clarion call—not only to Jews, but to…
all Americans. As a nation, we must wake up and face the rising anti-Semitic threat and act accordingly.But that threat is not coming from its usual source. The most virulent form of anti-Semitism today, Ginsberg warns, is the result of toxic identity politics and anti-Israeli sentiment coming from today&’s political Left. Perhaps the most persecuted people in all of history, Jews have stood tall in the face of unprecedented persecution in all places, at all times. Their culture&’s rigorous emphasis on education and achievement catapults them, Ginsberg argues, to the upper echelons of the societies in which they live. But their success too often breeds resentment and jealousy, leading to an ugly anti-Semitism that has led, historically, to unspeakable violence. In this urgent new work, Dr. Benjamin Ginsberg—political scientist, professor, and bestselling author—exposes the ugly face of this new, progressive anti-Semitism (which is also thriving in Europe). To combat it, he urges American Jews to form new political alliances, particularly with evangelical Christians. The stakes of not doing so, says Ginsberg, are horrifically high—not only for the survival of the Jewish people, but for America&’s survival. After all, the Jews have contributed immeasurably to America&’s scientific, cultural, and economic achievements. Jews have been good for America; and America has been good to the Jews. But what once was so can change ... and Jews can never afford to forget their history. Read this book and learn: Why Jewish people have always persisted in the face of persecution; Why the new face of Jewish persecution has found a home on university campuses, Left-leaning media outlets, and other unlikely places; The high and horrible costs of anti-Semitism; The profound benefits of philo-Semitism; The details of the new alliances that must be made to ensure the continuing success of American Jews—and America itself; And much, much more... In this must-read tour de force, Ginsberg enlightens readers by tracing the history of the Jewish people—starting from the children of Abraham and ending with Jews today—and urging Jews and Americans to learn the lessons of that history. Now.
God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah Is True
By Mark Gerson. 2025
Can the Torah—a 3,000-year-old book—really ask and answer the most interesting and important questions in contemporary life?For three millennia, individuals…
in all walks of life have asked the same question: Is the Torah true? Entrepreneur, philanthropist and Biblical teacher Mark Gerson has found a new, unique, and only now possible way to answer that question. In God Was Right, Gerson examines the Torah on the basis of what it declares itself to be—a guidebook, which identifies, asks and answers the practical, relevant and important questions that enable us to live our best lives. Gerson shows in detail that the Torah&’s questions and claims are exactly those asked and investigated by modern social scientists. Their work has enabled perhaps the biggest discovery of all: The Torah is true—absolutely, comprehensively, and enthusiastically so. This extensive, revelatory, and fascinating exploration into the truth of the Torah features: Answers to life&’s questions, such as: How long should I date before getting married? What should I do when I&’m angry or offended? Can I become a better person? How can I help my child succeed in school? How should I allocate my time? How can I become happier? Surprising insights on contemporary activities, including insurance rates, casual sex, hockey uniforms, educational outcomes, and basketball championships An examination of social phenomena including peer pressure, antifragility, diversity, fear, future orientation, reframing, victimization and the key to personal transformation Suitable for reading chapter by chapter, or for focusing only on a particular subject of interest, God Was Right is an extraordinary book that will enlighten, inspire, and delight every reader.
Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice
By Yiscah Smith. 2025
Experiencing deep personal fulfillment, happiness, and sustenance comes from feeling connected to our authentic selves, which involves building an ongoing…
relationship with the Divine Presence within us, says author Yiscah Smith. Quite organically, then, we may begin sensing the Divine in our interactions with other people. This is because, for each of us, &“our essence, as a creation by God, is God.&”Planting Seeds of the Divine elucidates how Judaism&’s sacred texts can provide the foundation for the &“end destination&” of experiencing intimate encounters with the Divine Presence within—the God-consciousness that so many of us find elusive. Imagining ourselves as spiritual gardeners, we can cultivate our unique gardens with seeds centered on middot (emotional dispositions, character traits, spiritual sensitivities). Each seed corresponds to an aspirational Torah commentary, consisting of a selected Torah verse linked to one of the middot, a summary of the biblical text preceding the verse, classical commentaries, teachings of Hasidic and Neo-Hasidic masters and the author, and step-by-step experiential practices to help us internalize the middot and encounter the Divine. Each seed contributes to the garden&’s beauty—the beauty of the self in God-consciousness—which hopefully blossoms into a magnificent garden of the soul.