Jewish Days: A Book of Jewish Life and Culture Around the Year - Hardcover

Klagsbrun, Francine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374179239 ISBN 13: 9780374179236

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1996

Synopsis

Essays take readers through every month of the Hebrew calendar and offer insight into the joys and traumas of the long Jewish history

About this title

Reviews

Like a yeasty loaf of bread rich in nutrients, "Jewish Days" transcends the usual flat, bland fare on Jewish holidays. Klagsburn, an author, editor and teacher, takes a fresh look at the cycle of the Jewish year, going beyond the holidays to include events and people that have shaped Jewish life. While she focuses on major and minor holidays and special observances, she also fills each month of the calendar with commemorative dates?the deaths of the matriarch Rachel and medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides, the establishment of the first ghetto in Venice and the completion of the Septuagint, the first Greek translation of the Torah. She defines the biblical and Talmudic framework of each holiday, explains customs, rituals and themes and adds layers of legend, debate and interpretation. Klagsburn's clear voice and thought-provoking entries make this scrupulously detailed resource a journal of the Jewish year and of Jewish life for both the uninformed and the informed. Podwal's obvious knowledge of Jewish sources colors his paintings with as much beauty as his palette; his witty black-and-white drawings bring to life the year's varying moods. Together, Klagsburn and Podwal have succeeded in portraying the holiness of time in Jewish life.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Klagsbrun, a Jewish feminist, writes insightfully about the religion's holy days and the effect this sacred cycle has had on the Jewish people. Klagsbrun takes readers on a tour of the year, beginning with the High Holy Days in autumn. In addition to the familiar holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover, Klagsbrun discusses days set aside to remember the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness, nonbiblical events such as the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and more contemporary events such as Israel Independence Day. The text, readable and stimulating, incorporates history, midrash, and legend. Mark Podwal's folk-art paintings add zest. A useful and unique meditation on the nature of time. Ilene Cooper

Fascinating bits of biblical history, midrashic commentary, legend, and lore make up this discursive tour through the Hebrew calendar. Beginning with Rosh Hashana?the Jewish New Year?in Heshvan and ending with the beginning of the creation and Rosh Hashana Eve in Elul, Klagsbrun, an influential Jewish feminist and author (Voices of Wisdom: Jewish Ideals and Ethics for Everyday Living, Jonathan David, 1986) traces the holidays, celebrations, and other notable days of the Jewish year with broad and careful research and some inspired touches of creative speculation. Mark Podwal's highly imaginative watercolor illustrations make this a beautiful as well as a unique addition to both Jewish and general library collections. Highly recommended.?Marcia G. Welsh, Guilford Free Lib., Conn.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374179239
• ISBN 13: 9780374179236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Podwal Mark H.
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240