A Guide to Jewish Studies: General Resources

"The landmark Encyclopaedia Judaica, lauded as the standard work on Judaism since first appearing in the early 1970s, has been extensively revised and expanded for this long-awaited new edition. Nothing compromised, included are more than 21,000 signed entries on Jewish life, culture, history and religion, written by Israeli, American and European subject specialists. Expanding the scope and relevance of this invaluable set are more than 2,600 brand-new entries, many focusing on gender issues and New World geographic areas of the United States, Canada and Latin America. Even more clarity and substance is incorporated through the updating of some 11,000 entries across all topics. The Holocaust segment alone features more than 50 entirely new articles. Scholars, general readers and students alike will use this 22-volume set. Extensive cross-referencing and large subject index are just two of the many features making this huge set easy to use. Quick references are also facilitated through place-name lists, a chronology, a Hasidism chart, lists of newspapers and periodicals. More than 600 maps, charts, tables, photographs, illustrations and other visuals concisely illustrate key textual elements, and among other features making this scholarly work accessible, are entry-specific bibliographies to help guide further research." - from the publisher

"An ideal introduction to Judaism as a religion and way of life. In addition to surveying the nature and development of Judaism, this Very Short Introduction outlines the basics of practical Judaism -- its festivals, prayers, customs, and various sects. Modern concerns and debates of the Jewish people are also addressed, such as the impact of the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, the status of women, and medical and commercial ethics." - from the publisher

"In this new edition, contemporary Judaism is presented in all its rich diversity, including both traditional and modern theologies as well as secular forms of Jewish identity. While the focus of the book is on developments that have taken place in the past 200 years, they are set against a historical background, going back to the Bible. Beginning with a description of the Jewish people as it exists in today's world, it studies the unique concept of Jewish peoplehood and its survival over the centuries in the face of many challenges. An account of the key texts is followed by studies of the different interpretations of the religion, and the ways that life is lived out both in the home and in the community. Jewish theology is described both historically and in terms of contemporary issues. An important and distinctive section considers the goals of Jewish life and faith." - from the publisher

"An introductory textbook that examines how Jews are a culture, ethnicity, nation, nationality, race, and religion. With each chapter revolving around a single theme--Narratives, Sinais, Zions, Messiahs, Laws, Mysticisms, Cultures, Movements, Genocides, Powers, Borders, and Futures--this introductory textbook interrogates readers' understanding of the Jewish community. Written for a new mode of teaching--one that recognizes the core role that identity formation plays in our lives--this book weaves together alternative, marginalized voices to illustrate how Jews have always been in the process of reshaping their customs, practices, and beliefs. Judaisms is the first book to assess and summarize Jewish history from the time of the Hebrew Bible through today using multiple perspectives." - from the publisher

"The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies covers all the main areas currently taught and researched as part of Jewish studies in universities throughout the world, especially in Europe, the United States, and Israel. The span of the volume chronologically and geographically is thus enormous, but all international contributors have in common their expertise in the study of the history, literature, religion, and culture of the Jews. Jewish studies is a comparatively young discipline which has grown over the past fifty years in a somewhat undisciplined way. In a period of great upheaval for Jews following the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel, the emergence of new forms of dialogue between Jews and Christians, deepening divisions between secular and religious Jews, and unprecedented assimilation by diaspora Jews to the wider culture, the study of Jewish traditions and history has rarely been dispassionate. There have been some attempts in recent years to encapsulate current conclusions about particular aspects of Jewish studies, but these other works aim to provide compendia of agreed facts rather than a survey of interests and directions such as is found in this text. The book begins with an examination of Jewish studies as an academic discipline in its own right. The first half of the volume is organized chronologically, followed by sections on languages and literature, general aspects of religion, and other branches of Jewish studies which have each accumulated a considerable corpus of scholarship over the past half-century." - from the publisher

"You’ll find everything you need to know about being Jewish in this indispensable, revised and updated guide to the religious traditions, everyday practices, philosophical beliefs, and historical foundations of Judaism.

What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? What should I be teaching my children about being Jewish?

With the first edition of Essential Judaism, George Robinson offered the world the accessible compendium that he sought when he rediscovered his Jewish identity as an adult. In his “ambitious and all-inclusive” (New York Times Book Review) guide, Robinson illuminates the Jewish life cycle at every stage and lays out many fascinating aspects of the religion—the Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, the evolution of Hasidism, and much more—while keeping a firm focus on the different paths to living a good Jewish life in today’s world.

Now, a decade and a half later, Robinson has updated this valuable introductory text with information on topics including denominational shifts, same-sex marriage, the intermarriage debate, transgender Jews, the growth of anti-Semitism, and the changing role of women in worship, along with many other hotly debated topics in the contemporary Jewish world and beyond." - from the publisher

"What does it mean to be a Jew? How does one begin to answer so extensive a question? In this insightful and completely updated tome, esteemed rabbi and bestselling author Joseph Telushkin helps answer the question of what it means to be a Jew, in the largest sense. Widely recognized as one of the most respected and indispensable reference books on Jewish life, culture, tradition, and religion, Jewish Literacy covers every essential aspect of the Jewish people and Judaism. In 352 short and engaging chapters, Rabbi Telushkin discusses everything from the Jewish Bible and Talmud to Jewish notions of ethics to antisemitism and the Holocaust; from the history of Jews around the world to Zionism and the politics of a Jewish state; from the significance of religious traditions and holidays to how they are practiced in daily life. Whether you want to know more about Judaism in general or have specific questions you'd like answered, Jewish Literacy is sure to contain the information you need. [...] Rabbi Telushkin's expert knowledge of Judaism makes the updated and revised edition of Jewish Literacy an invaluable reference. A comprehensive yet thoroughly accessible resource for anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of Judaism, Jewish Literacy is a must for every Jewish home." - from the publisher

"Relations between Christians and Jews over the past two thousand years have been characterised to a great extent by mutual distrust and by Christian discrimination and violence against Jews. In recent decades, however, a new spirit of dialogue has been emerging, beginning with an awakening among Christians of the Jewish origins of Christianity, and encouraging scholars of both traditions to work together. An Introduction to Jewish-Christian relations sheds fresh light on this ongoing interfaith encounter, exploring key writings and themes in Jewish-Christian history, from the Jewish context of the New Testament to major events of modern times, including the rise of ecumenism, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the creation of the state of Israel. This accessible theological and historical study also touches on numerous related areas such as Jewish and interfaith studies, philosophy, sociology, cultural studies, international relations and the political sciences." - from the publisher

"This pioneering study is the first full-length exploration of the relationship between Judaism and the world's religions. Beginning with an examination of the biblical view of pagan worship, the book traces the history of Jewish attitudes towards other religious traditions in the rabbinic period, the Middle Ages, the early modern age and contemporary times. In the final part of this volume, the author formulates a radically new Jewish theology of religious pluralism. In his view, what is now required is for Jews to free themselves from the absolutes of the past. No longer should they regard Judaism as embodying God's full and final revelation; instead, the Divine should be placed at the centre of the universe of faiths. Given such a shift in perspective, the way would then be open for interfaith dialogue of the most profound kind. From its ancient origins Judaism adopted a generally tolerant attitude to other traditions - what is possible today is for this spirit of tolerance to deepen and serve as a foundation for a common quest with like-minded adherents of other faiths for spiritual insight and religious truth. This study is a vital source for all those who seek to understand Judaism in relation to the world's major religions." - from the publisher

"Suicide killings - both in America and Israel - have focused world attention on international terrorism. The involvement of people claiming that their Islamic faith justifies murderous suicide action has intensified the demonisation of Islam in the West, and in turn highlighted the need to understand and relate to Muslims in all their diversity. Rabbi Jonathan Magonet in this book explores the issues that arise with such an encounter and challenges the Jewish community to broaden its commitment to interfaith dialogue in a complex and rapidly changing world." - from the publisher

"In this panoramic and multifaceted book, Meir Bar-Asher examines how Jews and Judaism are depicted in the Qur’an and later Islamic literature, providing needed context to those passages critical of Jews that are most often invoked to divide Muslims and Jews or to promote Islamophobia. He traces the Qur’anic origins of the protection of Jews and other minorities living under the rule of Islam, and shows how attitudes toward Jews in Shi‘i Islam are substantially different from those in Sunni Islam. Bar-Asher sheds light on the extraordinary contribution of Jewish tradition to the Muslim exegesis of the Qur’an, and draws important parallels between Jewish religious law, or halakha, and shari‘a law. An illuminating work on a topic of vital relevance today, Jews and the Qur’an offers a nuanced understanding of Islam’s engagement with Judaism in the time of Muhammad and his followers, and serves as a needed corrective to common misperceptions about Islam." - from the publisher

"This book recounts the transformation of a relationship of irreconcilable enmity to one of respectful coexistence and constructive dialogue. From the Inquisition to the Passion Play at Oberammergau, the Catholic Church for centuries perpetuated a theology of contempt that reinforced antipathy between the two faiths. Focusing primarily on the Catholic doctrinal view of the Jews and its ramifications, Egal Feldman traces the historical roots of antisemitism, examining tenacious Catholic beliefs such as displacement theology, deicide, and the conviction that the Jews' purported responsibility for the Crucifixion justified all their subsequent misery and vilification. A new era of Catholic-Jewish relations opened in 1962 with Vatican II's Nostra Aetate, No. 4. This document brought about a reversal of the theology of contempt, a de-emphasis on converting Jews to Christianity, and a determination to initiate constructive dialogue between Catholics and Jews. Feldman explores the strides made in improving relations and discusses recent disputes, including the erection of a convent near Auschwitz and the proposed canonization of the wartime pope, Pius XII, that reflect the fragility of the interfaith relationship. This book underscores the magnitude of the change in Catholic thinking about Jews since Vatican II and the courage of thinkers and leaders on both sides in forging new bonds across the lines of faith." - from the publisher

"At Vatican II, the Catholic Church renounced the teaching that Jews had killed Christ and pivoted toward reconciliation. Jewish leaders responded in kind. Karma Ben-Johanan pierces the veil of interfaith dialogue, emphasizing rabbinical literature suspicious of the sudden Catholic turn and Catholic theologians struggling to maintain tradition." - from the publisher

"When Christians learn about Jewish tradition and history, they see the Bible and the life of Jesus with a new and enriched perspective. Knowing more about Judaism brings them closer to Jesus because Jesus lived and died as a Jew and consistently quoted the Jewish scripture and stories. In this book Evan Moffic, popular rabbi, author, and guide to Jewish wisdom for people of all faiths, continues the What Every Christian Needs to Know About series with an exploration of the wisdom and traditions of Judaism. Rabbi Moffic provides answers to hundreds of questions he receives about Judaism to provide a deeper understanding of the roots shared by Christians and Jews. Through this book's explorations, readers will learn insights of the great Jewish sages to live a richer and more meaningful life, soak up the wisdom and traditions of Judaism, and a develop closer relationship with God. 'My hope is that these teachings can serve as a way of fostering bonds focused not on the past and the troubled history between Jews and Christians, but rather one looking forward to a future in which we share wisdom with one another.'" - from the publisher

"Written by Jewish and Christian educators for use by college and adult learners, this volume explores eight basic questions that lie at the core of both traditions and that can serve as a bridge for understanding. Among the questions are: Do Jews and Christians worship the same God? Do Jews and Christians read the Bible the same way? What is the place of the land of Israel for Jews and Christians? Are the irreconcilable differences between Christians and Jews a blessing, a curse, or both? Each chapter includes discussion questions." - from the publisher

"A documentary designed to foster greater understanding between Jews and Christians through mutual appreciation for each faith's history and teachings." - from the publisher

"An A-to-Z companion to 2,000 years of encounter between Judaism and Christianity, A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations is a pioneering work which explores and defines the many factors which characterise the historic and ongoing relationship between the two traditions. From Aaron to Zionism, the editors have brought together over 700 entries - including events, institutions, movements, people, places and publications - contributed by more than 100 internationally renowned scholars." "The Dictionary, compiled under the auspices of the Cambridge-based Centre for the study of Jewish-Christian Relations, offers a focus for the study and understanding of Jewish-Christian relations internationally, both within and between Judaism and Christianity. It provides a comprehensive single reference to a subject which touches on numerous areas of study such as theology, religious studies, history, Jewish studies, literature and social and political studies, and will also attract the interest of a wide international readership beyond these disciplines." - from the publisher