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Essential Judaism : A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs Rituals
Essential Judaism A Complete Guide to Beliefs Customs Rituals Author:George Robinson The Jews are known as the "People of the Book." But even though a library on Judaism would fill many miles of bookshelf space, there has been no single comprehensive, hands-on volume that provides an up-to-date overview of the practices and beliefs of the Jews. Until now. For the Jew and the non-Jew alike, here is a book that tells you not onl... more »y what Jews do and believe, but why. Essential Judaism is a readable and indispensable guide to the religious traditions, everyday practices, philosophical beliefs, and historical foundations of Judaism -- everything you need to know about being Jewish. Essential Judaism encompasses the entire range of Jewish practice and belief, from the Orthodox to the secular, making it the first primer of Judaism to reflect the diversity of the Jewish people, allowing all readers to find the level of practice with which they feel comfortable. What happens at a synagogue service? What do the prayers and rituals mean? How do I keep kosher? What are the Properfoods and rituals for the seder? What is the role of the rabbi? How do I light the Hanukah candles? What is the jewish calendar? What is in the Hebrew Bible? How do I study the Torah? What are the Jewish holidays and what do they signify? What is the Jewish view of marriage? What should I be teaching my children about being Jewish? Robinson illuminates the Jewish life cycle at every stage: from birth and circumcision to bar/bat mitzvahs, to weddings, to death and mourning. He also lays out many fascinating aspects of Judaism that may have seemed too dense to tackle -- the role of the Kabbalah and mysticism in Jewish history, the evolution of Hasidism, the impact of the Holocaust on Jewish philosophical thought, and more -- while keeping a firm focus on the many different paths to living a good Jewish life in today's world. An ideal bar/bat mitzvah gift, an essential source of information for Jews in search of their roots, and a superb reference for everyday reading, Essential Judaism summarizes 4,000 years of learning and belief into an insightful guide that can be turned to again and again. Essential Judaism will be the standard one-volume reference of its kind for many years to come.« less