From Aaron to Zweig and from Moses to Marz, here are nearly 1000 clearly written biographies of Jews who have left an indelible mark on humankind. This A-to-Z reference includes figures from all fields: writers, philosophers, politicians, Nobel Prize winners. The
Dictionary spans four thousand years of history, covering the Jewish community from biblical times to the present day, excluding the living.
A special feature of the Dictionary is the use of boxed inserts to provide quotations or anecdotes about the subject of the biography. In addition, each entry has at least one bibliographic item. And, the Dictionary is heavily illustrated with portraits and photographs, making it a truly fascinating and accessible reference source. The Dictionary of Jewish Biography will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Jewish culture, biography, and history-and in the history of humankind.
This valuable and well-illustrated dictionary summarizes the lives of almost 1000 Jews "who have left an indelible mark on humankind" from biblical times to the present. Biographies are crisply written and generally accurate, and they supply at least one bibliographical citation. In addition, boxed insets provide apt quotations or anecdotes about many of the subjects--a feature not found in other dictionaries of this type. Excluding individuals who are alive, this volume makes no claim to comprehensiveness. Still, it is surprising to find entries for the astrologer Nostradamus but not for Jesus and for the actor Al Jolson but not for Jonah. Countless other famous Jews are omitted for lack of space. Still, this exceedingly useful work repays browsing and can answer a great many reference questions. For all libraries.
- Jonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis Univ., Waltham, Mass.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.