Reviews (3)

rite of passage
I disagree with the "tad tedious" review. I just finished this book and felt uplifted by Robin's honesty about her transitions through life. The book is well-written -- her ability to intertwine her struggle with her own identity and religous hunger with her dad's illness is amazing. I hope to read more books by her.

A TAD TEDIOUS...
This is a book that, at times, was ofsome interest, but, overall, I found it to be a tad tedious. The author, who is half Jewish, as her father was Jewish while her mother was Christian, had a mid-life crisis that manifested itself in the desire to find her Jewish roots and lead a life with a religious bent. What she seemed to have done was simply substitute religion for the place that drugs used to have in her life, as religion seems to provide for her the panacea that makes her life worth living.
An exodus from rootlessness
Nobody plans to stumble across God in an unexpected place, least of all someone who doesn't believe in God at all.
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Subjects:  1. Bat mitzvah    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Jews    7. Jews In The U.S.    8. Judaism    9. Judaism - General    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Religious    12. United States    13. Jewish studies    14. Schools    15. USA   

Reviews (7)

Arthur Koestler Reviewer: Shame on you for appropriating authors name.
or provide your credentials for the whole lot of nothing you wrote.
Scattered and Gathered
This remarkable book reveals recent discoveries in molecular genetics that provide scientific confirmation of Biblical and oral tradition. For those completely unfamiliar with genetics, it is advised to read chapter four first. The basics of DNA are covered there, including the history of its discovery and key concepts like genes, the human genome poject, genetic markers and mitrochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
A wonderful work, also a refutation of the review by Arthur Koestler
The following is both a review of the book as well as a counter to the review called "Based on the wrong starting point by Arthur Koestler (Spain)."Please don't take my comments as a personal attack on Arthur Koestler it is simply a refutation about his comments on the book DNA and Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews.
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Subjects:  1. Bible    2. Bible - Study - Old Testament    3. DNA    4. Evidences, authority, etc    5. Genealogy    6. Genealogy in the Bible    7. General    8. History - General History    9. Jewish - General    10. Jewish Studies    11. Jews    12. Methodology    13. O.T    14. Pentateuch    15. Religion    16. Religion & Science    17. Religion - Biblical Studies   

Reviews (5)

Too much starch in the matzo balls
Fascinating subject matter as I grew up in an area where Jews were a vocal and very assimilated minority. The author's extensive research came to the same conclusions in every chapter: it was hard to keep Kosher in the South and black household help did much of the cooking. As a Jewish woman I am proud of our reputation for a sense of humor and delicious cooking. There are very few recipes; even those were not particularly tempting or typical. The book's major flaws lie in the author's dry, labored, one-note writing style that had me laboring to stay awake.

A Wonderful Read and a Surprise
I expected a cookbook (which is why it's 4 stars instead of 5, and that's the *only* reason), but got a history book instead.
so interesting for a southern girl
This was a gift and seemed to be just right for a southern Jewish girlfriend of mine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, American    2. Cookery, Jewish    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Jewish Studies    6. Jews    7. Regional & Ethnic - American - Southern States    8. Regional & Ethnic - Jewish & Kosher    9. Southern States    10. Southern style    11. American Jewish history; Southern Jews; Jewish holidays; kashrut; southern folklore; southern foodways; barbecue; Low Country; Delta; Memphis, Tennessee; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Natchez, Mississippi; Arkansas; Mississippi River; colonial South; New South; Civil War; antebellum South; antisemitism; Leo Frank; Harry Golden    12. Central Southern states    13. Cooking / Jewish & Kosher    14. Cultural studies    15. National & regional cuisine   

Reviews (13)

Excelent
I really like this book and i think the translator is really skilled but the thing that kinda bothers me is that...i think i would probably understand the book better if it was in its orginal language. But for what it is, its excellent!

Great Surprise
The book was received promptly and in the best and newest condition one could expect. Price was most convenient. I will continue shopping for historical books at Amazon; you are amazing!!! Thank you for the great and secure service.

It is not about Josephus..
but about the edition itself.I found it a little bit difficult to read due to the size and style of the fonts.but otherwise Josephus is Josephus - you cannot beat that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. History    3. History Of Jews    4. Jews    5. Judaism - History    6. Rebellion, 66-73    7. Reference    8. Religion    9. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    10. To 70 A.D    11. Jewish studies    12. Other prose: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (6)

interesting but uneven
This book is a collection of a dozen essays, each of which can easily be read without reference to the others.The essays fall into three categories:
We Jews
We Jews is an excellent read . Rabbi S. has distilled Jewish thought and life both religious and secular.

The Jewish situation incompletely addressed

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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Attitudes    3. History Of Jews    4. Identity    5. Jewish - General    6. Jewish Law    7. Jews    8. Judaism - General    9. Religion    10. Religion - Judaism    11. Social conditions    12. Jewish studies    13. Religion / Judaism / General    14. Social & cultural anthropology   

Editorial Review

While living in Argentina in 1960, Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was kidnapped and smuggled to Israel where he was put on trial for crimes against humanity. The Read more

Reviews (39)

Evil as the absence of ....
In writing her book, "Thinking," Arendt claims that it was Eichmann's absence of thought that underlay his evil deeds; and that her conclusion drew her to write the book ("Thinking").
Very problematic theology
This is a philosophical book passed off as history.It is also a renowned and famous book.Arendt, famous for her affair with Nazi philosopher Hiedegger even after the Holaust and an expert on totalitarianism, presents the thesis that without the help of the collaborationist Jews in many of the Nazi occupied countries those Banal men who were 'just following orders' such as Eichman could not have acheived the Holocaust.Thus she pus the blame for the Holocaust squarely on the 'actions' of Jews while reserving no judgement for the Nazis who ran the camps(themsleves mostly collaborators such as French, Austrians, Ukrainians, Germans from non-German lands and Poles), those Nazis are 'banal' which is to say 'boring' and therefore uner the rubric of moral relativism their actions cannot be judged, after all anti-semitism was part of their 'culture' it was not their fault they murdered 6 million people, because some of those people went willingly.
i'VE JUST RE-READ THIS
AND WHO COMES TO MIND? W. CHENEY. RUMDSFELD.RICE.SANTORUM.GONZALES.
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Subjects:  1. 1906-1962    2. Eichmann, Adolf,    3. Europe - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Holocaust    8. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    9. Jerusalem    10. Middle East - Israel    11. War crime trials    12. Eichmann, Adolf    13. Europe    14. History / Jewish    15. International humanitarian law    16. The Holocaust   

Reviews (3)

Best book on Anti-Semitism
As I see it, Laqueur's book has advantages over the many other works on the same subject:
An excellent book
This thoughtful and rather comprehensive book got me to come up with my own definition of anti-Semitism:
Advance Praise for The Changing Face of Antisemitism

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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Antisemitism    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Christianity    5. Christianity and antisemitism    6. Discrimination & Racism    7. History    8. History: World    9. Judaism    10. Relations    11. Sociology    12. World - General    13. History / World    14. History of religion    15. Jewish studies    16. Politics | Comparative Politics   

Editorial Review

So often, day books are vaguely fancy calendars that seem afraid to commit to any one particular year, the sort of well-meaning gift one never really cracks open. Of course, Abrams' Read more

Reviews (1)

A small treasure
I have had the pleasure of visiting the 'Israel Museum' inJerusalem many times. Thus it was a delightful surprise to come across this volume which excellently provides reproductions of its most important holdings. The Museum is very rich in Archaeology of the Holy Land, in Jewish enthnography and culture. The illustrations here are beautifully done. The accompanying texts are informative in regard to describing the artifacts themselves.
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Subjects:  1. Art, Jewish    2. History - General History    3. Jewish - General    4. Jewish art and symbolism    5. Jews    6. Judaism    7. Judaism - History    8. Liturgical objects    9. Middle Eastern    10. Religion    11. Jewish studies    12. Religion / Judaism / History   

Reviews (2)

ABUSING ANTI-SEMITISM
In the 1980s, Ostow led a group of psychologists in a study that examined the causes of anti-Semitism. Reviewing the case histories of patients, the group found that negative feelings toward Jews could be traced to early childhood, The New York Times reported. They suggested that troubles in toilet training or an Oedipal rivalry, in which a son's negative feelings toward his father could be projected onto Jews, could be the cause.
Book is fair and insightful
This is one of only a few book I've read that is fair when looking at all aspects of antisemitism and theories about its cause.The book is not moralistic nor judgemental against antisemites, but instead looks at it compassionately, yet impassionately.The reason that I bought this book is because it is one of only a few written since the second world war that discusses Sigmond Freud's theory of antisemitism being caused by the equation of Jewish circumcision with castration -- something he believed was intrinsically feared.In general this book treats antisemitism as psychodynamically driven, rather than socailly driven.The text of the book really speaks to me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Antisemitism    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. History & Theory - General    5. Psychological aspects    6. Psychology Of Special Subjects    7. Sociology    8. Jewish studies    9. Political Science / History & Theory    10. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (5)

A LANDMARK TRANSLATION
Jacob Neusner's translation of the Mishnah (which he undertook in collaboration with several of his pupils) was first published in 1988. It is a landmark among modern popular translations of ancient Rabbinic texts, and has rapidly become a standard work, taking its place alongside the earlier English translations by Herbert Danby and Philip Blackman.
Good for the beginner
The great advantage of this work is that it has the entire Mishnah in one volume. It is also by and large readable. However it is no substitute for the Hebrew original and certainly not a proper tool for in- depth learning. The translation is not always completely accurate. I do not want to show ingratitude for at one point this work helped me a lot. I do however believe it is a tool for a stage in ' learning' and that the deeper understanding awaits those who will at some point be able to meet with the Hebrew original and its many great commentators.

Complimentary..
This book's greatness is a quantitative one [ie a single volume;] it's attempts to offer an extremely literal translation of the original hebrew text, and emulate the terseness that the hebrew has, can lead the uninitiated reader to many dead-ends in understanding. The truth is that minor literal variations from the actual intent of the hebrew simply do not appear to the all-english reader; nothing can make up for looking back to the actual hebrew when a difficulty arises in the presentation of the text. So, if you have a knowledge of hebrew, hebrew grammar, and are looking for a text to either compliment your library or saturate the desires of the completely uninitiated individuals you come into contact with until they realize that they need to work on their hebrew comprehension, then this book could be what you're looking for; if, on the other hand, you speak/read only english and are trying to get close to the text despite your current difficulty, then you should realize that to become a "master of the mishna" you will eventually have to learn hebrew, something you should be working on continually anyway, and until you have learned hebrew [,a thing that happens gradually,] you'll want a book, or a set of books, that addresses your growing needs and potentials, something this book does not, something The Philip Blackman Set certainly does as well as providing a form of the text of the mishna that's incredibly easier to follow, by means of notation and blocked-text and the orginal hebrew [to reference increasingly as your comprehension of the language increases,] than the bulleted form offered by Neusner. Lastly, if you're Just looking for the cheapest way to get an entire english translation of the mishna into your hands, then you have the wrong attitude, one you'll regret as your learning increases. So, While this book, [Neusner's Mishna,] is wholly a translation of the text, in combination with another book [or set of books] containing English commentary on the Mishnah and then another book, [or set of them,] containing a completely hebrew version of the Mishnah, it could prove itself to be of substantial value. Neusner's scholarship and skill as an intensely technical and descriptive author, and thoroughly learned individual, shouldn't be questioned for an instant; he's a wonderfully intellegent man [ something that's evidenced in the introduction and foreward he provides in the book, to the book. But, this is simply a translation -- something that doesn't allow his true understanding of these issues to shine through to one who can't understand the myraid meanings and implications that abound in the entire canon of Jewish Religious Literature.] Ultimately, I feel as though this translation's truest value is when it's in the author and his immediate students' own hands, [eg as a sort of classroom text, referrenced in conference and consort with the other book(s) I mentioned.] ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Judaism - Sacred Writings    2. Religion    3. Religion - Judaism    4. Jewish studies    5. Judaism    6. Religion / Judaism / Sacred Writings    7. Sacred texts   

Reviews (7)

The best guide on the subject I know
This is the best guide on ' Jewish Death and Mourning' I know. It is clearly written. It presents the Halachic aspects of the process in a good way. It shows sympathy and understanding. It will answer most if not all of the procedural questions the person has who is in the process of mourning.
Moving and thoughtful
My father had just died and I was given this book by his synagogue. As I spent the week sitting shivah with my family I read through it. It was comforting, informative and very very helpful. I think it would be helpful not only to Jewish mourners but to anyone who has lost a loved one.

Indispensable (unfortunately)
I turned to this book when my father died.I found it to be a comprehensive and indispensable guide.I still take it with me whenever I visit the cemetary so that I can use its text for graveside prayers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General    2. General    3. Jainism    4. Judaism - Rituals & Practice    5. Religion    6. Religion - Christian Life    7. Family & Health    8. Jewish studies    9. Judaism   

Reviews (1)

panoramic coffee table book
This super 380-page coffee table book documents the history, art and literature of the Jewish Nation from tracts from the Jewish Bible (Tanach) to articles about Israel in the early 1990's.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Art, Jewish    4. General    5. Jewish    6. Jewish literature    7. World    8. Jewish studies    9. The Arts: General Issues   

Editorial Review

Arnold Eisen is like MichaelLerner with an intellectual twist. Both men seek to help American Jews figure out how to live authentically Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Cultural assimilation    3. Jews    4. Judaism    5. Judaism - General    6. Judaism - History    7. Religion    8. Religion - Judaism    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. Criticism & exegesis of sacred texts    12. Jewish studies    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

New, small paperback teaches Judaism
Thoroughly readable, yet acknowledging scholarly differences, FROM MESOPOTAMIA TO MODERNITY presents the history and literature of Judaism from Tanakh to the State of Israel in 245 pages. The instructor can basean adult education series, an undergraduate course or a graduate seminar onthis book, its references and other sources as s/he chooses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History and criticism    5. History: World    6. Jewish - General    7. Jewish literature    8. Jews    9. Judaism    10. World - General    11. Jewish studies    12. Literary studies: general   

Reviews (5)

An outstanding and inspiring guide
This is more than the usual guide to the holidays. It is written by one of the pre-eminent Jewish thinkers of our time, and therefore rich in insight and wisdom. Rabbi Greenberg's great love of the Jewish tradition and the Jewish people pervades the work.
I love this book
I am a Christian, and I read this book years ago. Since then it has become a standard on my shelf. If I want inspiration, especially the Jewish view of Sabbath, I pick up this book and read the parts I have highlighted. My heart continues to be stirred by its contents.

Definitely the Jewish way
A wonderful overview of Shabbat and the Jewish holidays.I use it as a refresher before every holiday and recommend it as a resource for friends wanting to learn more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fasts and feasts    2. Holidays - Jewish    3. Jewish way of life    4. Judaism    5. Judaism - Rituals & Practice    6. Religion    7. Religion - Judaism    8. Jewish studies    9. Religion / Judaism / General   

Reviews (6)

An account from one of the survivors
A good book written by one of the few survivors of the uprising.The author tells a harrowing story about what seemed to be a hopeless situation for the Jewish fighters as the Nazis decimated the ghetto around them with bombing and fire.The Jewish resistance fighters held off the Germans longer than the Polish army did.The author freely admits that he is not a writer and the story gets a little rough in spots but overall a good book from an insider who was there and lived to tell his heroic story.

Good Account. Not a great book.
The author is sincere and spontaneous in telling his personal experience. The description of events, places and facts is also very well. But from the very beggining it is clear that the author is not a writer (or, at least, not a good one.)
The young man that survived
Kazik was a 19-year-old Jewish lad who survived the Nazi terror and systematic mass killings of Jews, the Warsaw ghetto uprising of 1943 and the Warsaw uprising of 1944.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Historical - General    5. Historical - Holocaust    6. Holocaust    7. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    8. Jewish Holocaust Personal Narratives    9. Jewish resistance    10. Jews    11. Military    12. Persecutions    13. Personal narratives    14. Poland    15. Warsaw    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography: historical    18. Biography: political    19. European history: Second World War    20. History / General    21. Jewish studies    22. Second World War, 1939-1945 &nbs