The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions (A JPS Desk Reference) - Hardcover

Eisenberg, Dr. Ronald L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0827607601 ISBN 13: 9780827607606

Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004

Synopsis

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of this book possible:
Miles z”l and Chris Lerman; David Lerman and Shelley Wallock

The bestselling guide to understanding Jewish traditions, now in paperback

This is a comprehensive and authoritative resource with ready answers to questions about almost all aspects of Jewish life and practice: life-cycle events, holidays, ritual and prayer, Jewish traditions and customs, and more. Ronald Eisenberg has distilled an immense amount of material from classic and contemporary sources into a single volume, which provides thousands of insights into the origins, history, and current interpretations of a wealth of Jewish traditions and customs.

Divided into four sections—Synagogue and Prayers, Sabbaths and Festivals, Life-Cycle Events, and Miscellaneous (a large section that includes such diverse topics as Jewish literature, food, and plants and animals)—this is an encyclopedic reference for anyone who wants easily accessible, accurate information about all things Jewish. Eisenberg writes for a wide, diversified audience, and is respectful of the range of practices and beliefs within today's American Jewish community—from Orthodox to liberal.

About this title

About the Author

Ronald Eisenberg, a radiologist and non-practicing lawyer living in the San Francisco Bay area, is the author of 20 books in the medical and legal fields as well as The Jewish World in Stamps.

From the Inside Flap

The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions Ronald L. Eisenberg

Have you ever wondered

why ten people are required for a minyan? why a wedding ceremony is conducted under a huppah? why the Kaddish became an important part of the service?" why the mezuzah is affixed to a door on an angle? what is behind the superstition of spitting three times? what is the traditional Jewish view on euthanasia and assisted suicide?

These and hundreds of other topics are covered in the latest addition to the acclaimed JPS Desk Reference series. It is a comprehensive and authoritative resource with ready answers to questions concerning most aspects of Jewish life and practice.

Using both classic and contemporary sources, Ronald Eisenberg has distilled an immense amount of material into this single volume, providing thousands of insights into the origins, history, and current interpretations of a wealth of Jewish traditions and customs.

The book is divided into four sections: Life-Cycle Events, Sabbath and Festivals, Synagogue and Prayers, and a final Miscellany section that touches upon such diverse topics as food, animals, and magic and superstition.

Eisenberg begins each section with an overview that provides the reader with a clear and basic understanding of the topic and then follows with more details and in-depth information. He writes for a wide audience and is respectful of the range of practices and beliefs within today s American Jewish community from Orthodox to liberal.

This in depth and factual encyclopedia of all things Jewish will be a valuable addition to synagogue and Jewish community libraries, as well as home and public libraries. It is also an excellent gift for a bar or bat mitzvah, confirmation, or wedding.

Reviews

A number of different handbooks exist to help Jews observe the many holiday rituals and life cycle events required by Jewish tradition. Eisenberg, who is not a rabbi but rather a radiologist and a lawyer, produces a major volume that attempts to encompass all the rituals in one useful compendium. He begins with the traditions associated with the ages and stages of life from birth to death; moves to a consideration of Sabbath and festivals; and follows with a section on the synagogue and prayer. A segment on the Bible and rabbinic literature interrupts the discussion of rituals but it is then resumed by identifying prescribed daily activities (mitzvot). Before getting to the dietary laws and the role of food in Jewish tradition, Eisenberg deals with miscellaneous topics such as symbols, superstition and conversion. One appendix lists the Torah portions for weekly readings, holidays and special Sabbaths; a second sets forth the tractates of the Talmud and their topics. The presentation shows a great deal of research, and Eisenberg's behavioral prescriptions sensitively take into account differences among the various Jewish denominations. Like an encyclopedia, this is not a book to read from cover to cover. Instead, it is a handy and readable reference, based on the Jewish contention that creed follows deed and that behavior precedes belief.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The ongoing debate about the growing role of religion in American life raises another important issue: the urgent need to understand the beliefs and practices of each of the many religions in our multicultural society. This highly informative work covers the major elements of Jewish life, including life-cycle events (birth, bar and bat mitzvah, marriage, divorce, parenting, and death), the Sabbath and holidays, the synagogue, prayer, and the Bible and Jewish literature, among many other topics. In addition, the volume surveys a variety of other fascinating issues, including popular superstitions, attitudes toward specific foods and animals, the Israeli flag, and conversion to Judaism. Informative sidebars scattered throughout the book provide more specific information on a variety of Jewish practices and customs; a "Notes" section offers useful bibliographical references from each chapter to other pertinent works. The book concludes with a long bibliography, a list of weekly and holiday Torah readings, and an excellent keyword index.

Although Seasons of Our Joy: A Handbook of Jewish Festivals (Bantam, 1982) is more graphically pleasing, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions is a much more comprehensive work. The author has done a masterful job in distilling the major beliefs and practices of a 3,000-year-old religion into lively and informative prose and in creating an accessible, essential reference work. Highly recommended. Donald Altschiller
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0827607601
• ISBN 13: 9780827607606
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 806