Jewish Holidays

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 296.43 EAN: 9780062720085 ISBN: 0062720082 Label: Collins Manufacturer: Collins Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: 1993-07-05 Publisher: Collins Release Date: 1993-07-15 Studio: Collins
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Editorial Reviews: The coeditor of the enormously popular Jewish Catalog "help[s] readers understand more fully the meaning of our holidays and thereby to observe these festivals . . . with a greater devotion and joy."--Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: An Excellent Resource for Non-Jews Too Comment: As a non-Jew, I found this book very informative, not only about Jewish holidays per se, but also aspects of Jewish history and trends in Jewish thinking. What's more, this book has helpful appendices, including a glossary of Hebrew terms. Interestingly, the author of this book does not feel the need to dispense with BC and AD in favor of BCE and CE. This book provides information on such things as the Passover Seder meal. We learn that celebration of the New Year (Rosh Hashanah) had a late start owing to the onetime association of New Year celebrations with pagan festivities. The book raises the question of the origins of Hanukah (to what extent a successful military revolt and to what extent a rejection of Hellenizing tendencies), and whether or not this relatively minor holiday has assumed the status of a Jewish answer to Christmas. History is seen as cyclic and linear, in effect combined into a spiral. Thus, each year's observance should see a person on a higher plane of spirituality than the last such observance. Theological questions are raised in this book. For instance, at Rosh Hashanah, there is the custom of throwing bread crumbs into a body of water to symbolize the fact that God drowns our sins in the deepest sea. Some rabbis raised concern that people may misuse this ritual as an actual removal of sin in place of genuine repentance (p. 102). (This recounts the fear among Christians of "easy believism".) New Jewish observances are also discussed, including Yom Ha-Shoah. Some traditional rabbis oppose this holiday. Various Jews believe that the Holocaust represents a defining moment in Jewish history; others feel that it really isn't that different from past persecutions of Jews, or of common inexplicable tragedies such as the death of one's child. Some Jews even feel that the glorification of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is a tacit acknowledgement of the need to answer the accusations of "Jewish passivity". Yom Ha-Shoah may include silence (a fasting from words rather than fasting from eating), to symbolize the silence of man and the silence of God during the Holocaust. Customer Rating: Summary: The Jewish Holidays A guide and commentary Comment: A very interesting to study Gods appointed Holidays and festivels. Good book for understanding to be read by Christians, Jews and anyone who walks as a Son of God in the steps of Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah Customer Rating: Summary: Good, but... Comment: I like this book. I use this book. I find that it written very matter-of-factly, with little room for interpretation, so it feels sort of un-Jewish in that aspect to me. But, as long as that is in mind, it does offer a lot of good jumping-off points and good ideas and good references. Customer Rating: Summary: wonderful beautiful Comment: this is a wonderful book. I cannot reccoment it enough to add to your collections of books. A must purchase to review the Jewish holidays. With lovable excerts on how to build a Sukkah and other important observations can be found in the text. Historical importance is detailed in each chapter for each holiday. Also present are wonderfulo pieces of artwork and commentaries. Customer Rating: Summary: Our standard Bar/Bat Mitzvah Gift Comment: This is our standard Bar and Bat Mitzvah gift, which has come in handy this year since one of our children is at the age where there is a simcha every weekend. It is accessible for the kids at this age, and will offer more as they keep it on the bookshelf for adulthood. The production values are nice, and the whole thing neither looks nor sounds (in tone) "too heavy," though in fact the book is thorough and serious. It also works for recipients of all points along the continuum of observance. More Reviews