Download or read book How to Be an Extremely Reform Jew written by David M. Bader and published by Extremely Limited. This book was released on 2014-11-06 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Extremely Reform Judaism is one of the world's fastest growing denominations and also its most misunderstood-ever since the ancient forefathers first lifted their eyes to God to ask, "Why can't we have a Christmas Tree?" How to Be an Extremely Reform Jew pokes irreverent yet good-natured fun its subject, with chapters on the mandatory and optional Extremely Reform Jewish holidays; maintaining the Extremely Reform Jewish home; diaspora travel tips; Extremely Reform rites of passage (circumcision, bar mitzvah, intermarriage); and how to deprogram your Extremely Reform child after he has joined a religious cult. Highlights include "The Ten Suggestions"; a "Feast and Fast Yo-Yo Diet Guide to Jewish Holidays"; and "Glengarry Glen Purim, a David Mamet Purim Play." This humorous illustrated guide contains numerous quotations from ancient Extremely Reform Jewish texts, such as, "He who gives a coin to the poor is rewarded with six blessings, but he who makes a pledge to charity receives a free tote bag," and, "Thou shalt not stand outside the synagogue on the High Holy Days scalping thy tickets to the services." First published by Avon Books in 1994, the new edition preserves the content of the original in fresh paperback and ebook formats. It's an ideal gift for Hanukkah or any occasion.
Download or read book The New Reform Judaism written by Dana Evan Kaplan and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the book that American Jews and particularly American Reform Jews have been waiting for: a clear and informed call for further reform in the Reform movement. In light of profound demographic, social, and technological developments, it has become increasingly clear that the Reform movement will need to make major changes to meet the needs of a quickly evolving American Jewish population. Younger Americans in particular differ from previous generations in how they relate to organized religion, often preferring to network through virtual groups or gather in informal settings of their own choosing. Dana Evan Kaplan, an American Reform Jew and pulpit rabbi, argues that rather than focusing on the importance of loyalty to community, Reform Judaism must determine how to engage the individual in a search for existential meaning. It should move us toward a critical scholarly understanding of the Hebrew Bible, that we may emerge with the perspectives required by a postmodern world. Such a Reform Judaism can at once help us understand how the ancient world molded our most cherished religious traditions and guide us in addressing the increasingly complex social problems of our day.
Download or read book Reform Judaism written by Charles A. Kroloff and published by Ktav Publishing House. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Why I Am a Reform Jew written by Daniel B. Syme and published by Plume Books. This book was released on 1992 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fresh and compelling work traces the history of the Reform movement from the author's unique perspective, telling how generations of his family have been intimately involved with the movement's flowering in the United States and Canada. . . . an intimate picture of the development and growth of American Reform Judiasm.--Library Journal.
Download or read book Zen Judaism written by David M. Bader and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few spiritual practices are more intriguing or elusive than those of Zen Judaism,” says David M. Bader in the foreword to Zen Judaism. “This growing movement offers a unique way to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, ideally without gaining quite so much weight.” These nearly 100 sacred teachings are capable “of bringing about an enlightenment experience so pure, so elevating, and so intense, you could plotz.” For you, some samples: To know the Buddha is the highest attainment. Second highest is to go to the same doctor as the Buddha. Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated? There is no escaping Karma. In a previous life, you never called, you never wrote, you never visited. And whose fault was that? If there is no self, whose arthritis is this? Be patient and achieve all things. Be impatient and achieve all things faster.
Download or read book The Book of Murray written by David M. Bader and published by Crown Archetype. This book was released on 2010-08-24 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For years scholars have puzzled over the contrasts between modern Judaism and the world of the ancient Israelites. Leviticus explains keeping kosher, but where is the scriptural basis for pocketing a dinner roll from a buffet "for later"? Finally, in The Book of Murray, we have answers. Here is the source for such timeless teachings as "Love the stranger, but not on the first date" and "Trust not a cardiologist who chain-smokes." This remarkable biblical text, recently unearthed from a golf course in South Florida, is the surprising, hilarious, and uplifting chronicle of the Old Testament’s most unlikely prophet—Murray, son of Irving of the Tribe of Levi (Relaxed Fit). Though a poor student and a disappointment to his parents, Murray hears God’s call. Soon he is wandering the land, spreading his unique brand of wisdom, whether from a mountaintop or at a themed bar mitzvah. He reminds followers of the Ten (or so) Commandments. He boldly predicts the future of the Israelites: "Thy people will produce philosophers and scientists and novelists and Nobel Prize winners. Yet still thou wilt be unable to find the hood release on thy car." He judges a dispute between two women fighting over a cherished black-and-white cookie—all leading to the spectacular finale. Filled with divinely inspired yet practical advice ("Thou shalt not freelance"), The Book of Murray is an affectionate and mirthful romp for readers of all faiths. Study its truths, learn the prophet’s stories, and, in the immortal words of Murray (handed down by his dyslexic scribe), "Go froth and multiply."
Download or read book Haikus for Jews written by David M. Bader and published by Harmony. This book was released on 1999-09-07 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is this haiku book different from all other haiku books? For centuries, the Japanese haiku has been one of the world's most dazzling poetic forms. In just three short lines, it captures the sublime beauty of nature--the croak of the bullfrog, the buzzing of the dragonfly, the shriek of the cicada, the scream of the cormorant. Now, with Haikus for Jews, there is finally a collection that celebrates the many advantages of staying indoors. Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, this masterful work is filled with insights that will make you exclaim, "Ah!" or at least "Oy!" Whether you are Jewish or you simply enjoy a good kosher haiku, these chai-kus (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse. What's more, with each poem limited to seventeen syllables, Haikus for Jews is perfect for people in a hurry. Find out why God has made these The Chosen Haikus.
Download or read book A Life of Meaning written by Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan, PhD and published by CCAR Press. This book was released on 2017-11-28 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reform Judaism is constantly evolving as we continue to seek a faith that is in harmony with our beliefs and experiences. This volume offers readers a thought-provoking collection of essays by rabbis, cantors, and other scholars who differ, sometimes passionately, over religious practice, experience, and belief. Its goal is to situate Judaism in a contemporary context, and it is uniquely suited for community discussion as well as study groups.
Download or read book Explaining Reform Judaism written by Eugene B. Borowitz and published by Behrman House, Inc. This book was released on 1985 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the history and theology of the Jewish Reform movement.
Download or read book A Guide for Reform Jews written by Frederic Aubrey Doppelt and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Jewish with Feeling written by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A how-to for Jewish spirituality that works. "A spiritual seeker is a person whose soul is awake. In this book I make no assumptions about how much you know about Judaism, what holidays you keep, or whether you believe in God. I want us to start from your soul's experience and carry on from there." --from the Introduction "Virtually anyone remotely affiliated with Judaism should read this book," wrote Publishers Weekly, which listed Jewish with Feeling among its Best Religion Books of the Year. "Without question the best, most readable introduction to Reb Zalman's philosophy of Judaism, it is also the best beginner's guide to Jewish spirituality available today," wrote the Forward, "the perfect book for both the spiritual seeker and the curious skeptic." Taking off from basic questions like "Why be Jewish?" and whether the word God still speaks to us today, Reb Zalman lays out a vision for a whole-person Judaism. This is not only Sinai then but Sinai now, a revelation of the Torah inside and all around us. Complete with many practical suggestions to enrich your own Jewish life, Jewish with Feeling is "a mystical masterpiece filled with spiritual practices and an exciting vision of the future" (Spirituality & Health). Spiritual experience, as Reb Zalman shows, repays every effort we make to acquire it.
Download or read book Basic Judaism written by Milton Steinberg and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1947 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The classic, essential guide to the beliefs, ideals and practices that form the historic Jewish faith.
Download or read book Whose Torah written by Rebecca Trachtenberg Alpert and published by Whose Religion. This book was released on 2008 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this thoughtful, articulate, and well-reasoned treatise, Alpert (religion & women's studies, Temple Univ.), one of the first women to be ordained as a reconstructionist rabbi, argues for the value of progressive and liberal Judaism reclaiming itself as a religion rooted in the pursuit of justice. Tackling complex and controversial moral and political issues such as homosexuality, abortion, race relations, the peace movement, and the need to deal more effectively with issues of poverty and the state of the environment, Alpert invokes "a loving and compassionate God who wants justice for the Jewish people and the world," using the book of Deuteronomy's notion of the phrase tzedek, tzedek, tirdof as an alembic through which to evaluate the concept of true justice and compassion. Never strident and always attempting to acknowledge the more conservative and traditional positions of historical and religious Jewish thought and teachings, Alpert expresses a much-needed balanced perspective on complex and important issues facing Jews and others. She is able to write both for an audience familiar with traditional biblical texts and for those less familiar with established Jewish religion and traditions. Recommended for synagogue libraries and Judaic study collections.--Herbert E. Shapiro, Empire State Coll., Rochester, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Download or read book One People Two Worlds written by Ammiel Hirsch and published by Schocken. This book was released on 2009-09-09 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After being introduced by a mutual friend in the winter of 2000, Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Reinman embarked on an unprecedented eighteen-month e-mail correspondence on the fundamental principles of Jewish faith and practice. What resulted is this book: an honest, intelligent, no-holds-barred discussion of virtually every “hot button” issue on which Reform and Orthodox Jews differ, among them the existence of a Supreme Being, the origins and authenticity of the Bible and the Oral Law, the role of women, assimilation, the value of secular culture, and Israel. Sometimes they agree; more often than not they disagree—and quite sharply, too. But the important thing is that, as they keep talking to each other, they discover that they actually like each other, and, above all, they respect each other. Their journey from mutual suspicion to mutual regard is an extraordinary one; from it, both Jews and non-Jews of all backgrounds can learn a great deal about the practice of Judaism today and about the continuity of the Jewish people into the future.
Download or read book Choosing a Jewish Life Revised and Updated written by Anita Diamant and published by Schocken. This book was released on 1998-02-24 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive guide to the conversion process—for a new generation of Jews-by-choice. However you choose to fashion your personal journey to Judaism, Anita Diamant is the perfect guide. In this comprehensive, wide-ranging book you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, and a Hebrew name; how to discuss your decision with your birth family; what happens at the mikveh (ritual bath) and at the hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family and create a new Jewish identity; and how you and your children can maintain bonds to your family of origin. Also included are suggestions for readings, prayers, and poems that can personalize conversion rituals; a glossary of terms; and a short history of conversion in Judaism. This revised edition contains a completely updated chapter on how the mikveh is used in the conversion process and an updated list of online resources and books for further reading. Whether you are just beginning to consider converting or have already started down the path to Judaism, here is everything you will need to make the process joyous, sacred, and meaningful.
Download or read book Essential Judaism Updated Edition written by George Robinson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-04-12 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An award-winning journalist tells you everything you need to know about being Jewish in this user-friendly guide that explains not only what Jews do and believe, but why.
