Download or read book Squirrel Hill written by Mark Oppenheimer and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A piercing portrait of the struggles and triumphs of one of America's renowned Jewish neighborhoods in the wake of unspeakable tragedy that highlights the hopes, fears, and tensions all Americans must confront on the road to healing. Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in the country, known for its tight-knit community and the profusion of multigenerational families. On October 27, 2018, a gunman killed eleven Jews who were worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill--the most deadly anti-Semitic attack in American history. Many neighborhoods would be understandably subsumed by despair and recrimination after such an event, but not this one. Mark Oppenheimer poignantly shifts the focus away from the criminal and his crime, and instead presents the historic, spirited community at the center of this heartbreak. He speaks with residents and nonresidents, Jews and gentiles, survivors and witnesses, teenagers and seniors, activists and historians. Together, these stories provide a kaleidoscopic and nuanced account of collective grief, love, support, and revival. But Oppenheimer also details the difficult dialogue and messy confrontations that Squirrel Hill had to face in the process of healing, and that are a necessary part of true growth and understanding in any community. He has reverently captured the vibrancy and caring that still characterize Squirrel Hill, and it is this phenomenal resilience that can provide inspiration to any place burdened with discrimination and hate.

Download or read book From the Jewish Provinces written by Fradl Shtok and published by . This book was released on 2021-11-15 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights a brilliant and nearly forgotten voice in Yiddish letters. The collected stories, spanning Austro-Hungary and New York City, depict young women looking for love and desire in a world that spurns them.

Download or read book My Jewish Year written by Abigail Pogrebin and published by Fig Tree Books. This book was released on 2017-03-14 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs and Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses by Bruce Feiler comes Abigail Pogrebin’s My Jewish Year, a lively chronicle of the author’s journey into the spiritual heart of Judaism. Although she grew up following some holiday rituals, Pogrebin realized how little she knew about their foundational purpose and contemporary relevance; she wanted to understand what had kept these holidays alive and vibrant, some for thousands of years. Her curiosity led her to embark on an entire year of intensive research, observation, and writing about the milestones on the religious calendar. Whether in search of a roadmap for Jewish life or a challenging probe into the architecture of Jewish tradition, readers will be captivated, educated and inspired by Abigail Pogrebin’s My Jewish Year.

Download or read book My Jewish Journal written by Behrman House and published by Behrman House, Inc. This book was released on 2005-06 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Help students increase their connection to Jewish knowledge and values through journal writing exercises.

Download or read book The True Adventures of Gidon Lev written by Julie Gray and published by . This book was released on 2020-08 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By most accounts, Gidon Lev, born in 1935 in former Czechoslovakia, is an ordinary man - except for the fact that of the approximately 15,000 children who were imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp of Terezin, only an estimated 92 survived. Gidon is one of those children. The True Adventures of Gidon Lev is the story of a charming, playful octogenarian Holocaust survivor, a Californian thirty years his junior and the writing of a book about a very long and storied life. With humor, humanity, and compassion, the story of Gidon Lev offers insights into carrying on despite a painful past, a primer on Jewish and Israeli history, and observations of both the ethos of the modern state of Israel and its conflict today and the opportunities that disaster can create. Weaving Gidon's valuable first-person recollections together with the cultural and historical backstory of time and place, Julie Gray invites readers inside the process of mining memories for truths and history for lessons.

Download or read book My Jewish Journal written by Risa Towbin Aqua and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Jewish Just Like You written by Kylie Lobell and published by . This book was released on 2020-10-14 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Jewish Just Like You" is the first children's book for the children of Jewish converts, written by convert Kylie Ora Lobell. This book teaches children about the process of Jewish conversion that one or both of their parents may have gone through, as well as how converts are just like Jews who were born Jewish. It is an uplifting and empowering book that answers questions that children of converts may have. Perfect for elementary-school aged children and up, it touches on key Jewish concepts like having Shabbat dinner, lighting Hanukkah candles, saying the Shema, having strong values, studying Torah, and having pride in Israel. Praise for "Jewish Just Like You" from today's influential Jewish leaders "An emotionally uplifting, profound yet fun book, written by one of the most sincere, talented and insightful writers of our time, beautifully illustrated, that will be a blessing and a treat to children and parents alike!"- Rabbi Jason Weiner, senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and rabbi at Knesset Israel Congregation of Beverlywood "Kylie Ora Lobell is one of today's most eloquent Jewish voices in print. This book fills an important gap in the market and introduces children to sensitive and nuanced subject matter in a gentle and positive way, overflowing with Jewish pride. 'Jewish Just Like You' will capture your heart with its sincerity, powerful imagery and clear presentation." - Rabbi Elchanan Shoff of Beis Knesses of Los Angeles and author of, "Paradise: Breathtaking Strolls through the Length and Breadth of Torah" "This is a delightful and charming story with captivating illustrations. The story's positive theme about being the child of a convert is a much-needed and timely contribution to diversity in literature for young Jewish children." - Judy Gruen, author of "The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith" About the Author Kylie Ora Lobell is a writer and personal essayist who has been published in New York Magazine, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, The Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Chabad.org, Tablet Magazine, Alma, Aish, Mayim Bialik's GrokNation, and Jew in the City. Originally from Baltimore, she is a convert to Judaism who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, comedian Daniel Lobell, her daughter, and her two dogs, four chickens, two tortoises, and hedgehog. About the Illustrator Barbara "Willy" Mendes is an American cartoonist and fine artist. She is best known in the comic world for her work alongside Trina Robbins in "It Ain't Me Babe" and "All Girl Thrills." Mendes was one of the early and very influential members of the underground comix movement, working alongside the other few female artists who contributed to the newly founded underground comix movement. After completing a mural in a Sephardic synagogue in Los Angeles, Mendes felt reconnected with her heritage and then began to study the Torah and actively practice Judaism which became the driving force in both her life and art.

Download or read book The Jewish Reflection Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This keepsake journal features prompts relating to the Jewish holidays and encourages spiritual contemplation throughout the year. A handsome paperback with a ribbon marker, this is the ideal gift both for practicing Jews and those who might not attend synagogue but seek a meaningful connection with their cultural history"--

Download or read book Never Alone written by Natan Sharansky and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic account of courage, integrity, and most of all, belonging In 1977, Natan Sharansky, a leading activist in the democratic dissident movement in the Soviet Union and the movement for free Jewish emigration, was arrested by the KGB. He spent nine years as a political prisoner, convicted of treason against the state. Every day, Sharansky fought for individual freedom in the face of overt tyranny, a struggle that would come to define the rest of his life. Never Alone reveals how Sharansky's years in prison, many spent in harsh solitary confinement, prepared him for a very public life after his release. As an Israeli politician and the head of the Jewish Agency, Sharansky brought extraordinary moral clarity and uncompromising, often uncomfortable, honesty. His story is suffused with reflections from his time as a political prisoner, from his seat at the table as history unfolded in Israel and the Middle East, and from his passionate efforts to unite the Jewish people. Written with frankness, affection, and humor, the book offers us profound insights from a man who embraced the essential human struggle: to find his own voice, his own faith, and the people to whom he could belong.

Download or read book The Skeptic and the Rabbi written by Judy Gruen and published by She Writes Press. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Judy Gruen walked down the aisle and into her Orthodox Jewish future, her bouquet quivered in her shaky hand. Having grown up in the zeitgeist that proclaimed, “If it feels good, do it,” was she really ready to live the life of “rituals, rules, and restraints” that the Torah prescribed? The Skeptic and the Rabbi is a rare memoir with historical depth, spirituality, and intelligent humor. Gruen speaks with refreshing honesty about what it means to remain authentic to yourself while charting a new yet ancient spiritual path at odds with the surrounding culture, and writes touchingly about her family, including her two sets of grandparents, who influenced her in wildly opposite ways. As she navigates her new life with the man she loves and the faith she also loves—surviving several awkward moments, including when the rabbi calls to tell her that she accidentally served unkosher food to her Shabbat guests—Gruen brings the reader right along for the ride. Reading this wry, bold and compelling memoir, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and when you’re finished, you may also have a sudden craving for chicken matzo ball soup—kosher, of course.

Download or read book Radical Then Radical Now written by Jonathan Sacks and published by Bloomsbury Continuum. This book was released on 2004-01-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Jewish People in its very being constitutes a living protest against a world of hatred, violence and war. Radical Then, Radical Now is a powerful testimony to the amazing resilience of the Jewish people who have, through their endurance of four thousand years of persecution and exile, earned a unique place in history. Without land or power, they created an identity for themselves through their shared dreams of freedom, justice, dignity and human rights. Yet far more than Jewish history is contained within the pages of this book. Jonathan Sacks reminds us all of the legacy of those dreams and of our responsibility to our fellow man. He challenges us to build a better world.

Download or read book The Israeli Century written by Yossi Shain and published by Wicked Son. This book was released on 2021-11-02 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The Israeli Century is one of the most important books of our generation, emphasizing how Israel is becoming the center of the Jewish People’s existence and is laying the solid foundations for its future.” —Isaac Herzog, President of Israel In this important breakthrough work, Yossi Shain takes us on a sweeping and surprising journey through the history of the Jewish people, from the destruction of the First Temple in the sixth century B.C.E. up to the modern era. Over the course of this long history, Jews have moved from a life of Diaspora, which ultimately led to destruction, to a prosperous existence in a thriving, independent nation state. The new power of Jewish sovereignty has echoed around the world and gives Israelis a new and significant role as influential global players. In the Israeli Century, the Jew is reborn, feeling a deep responsibility for his tradition and a natural connection to his homeland. A sense of having a home to return to allows him to travel the wider world and act with ease and confidence. In the Israeli Century, the Israeli Jew can fully express the strengths developed over many generations in the long period of wandering and exile. As a result, Shain argues, the burden of preserving the continuity of the Jewish people and defining its character is no longer the responsibility of Diaspora communities. Instead it now falls squarely on the shoulders of Israelis themselves. The challenges of Israeli sovereignty in turn require farsighted leaders with a clear-eyed understanding of the dangers that confront the Jewish future, as well as the incredible opportunities it offers.

Download or read book The Return of History written by Jonathan Pearlman and published by The Jewish Quarterly. This book was released on 2021-05-06 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “For a long time now, the authority of knowledge has been under siege from those who march under the banner of pure belief.” —Simon Schama Welcome to the new JQ. The Return of History investigates rising global populism, and the forces propelling modern nativism and xenophobia. In wide-ranging, lively essays, Simon Schama explores the age-old tropes of Jews as both purveyors of disease and mono-polists of medical wisdom, in the wake of a global pandemic; Holly Case takes us by train to Hungary; Mikołaj Grynberg reflects on Poland’s commitment to forgetting its atrocities; and Deborah Lipstadt puts white supremacy under the microscope, examining its antisemitic DNA. Recently discovered letters about Israel from Isaiah Berlin to Robert Silvers are published here for the first time. In new sections on History and Community, Ian Black revisits a turning point in the Arab–Israeli conflict, and Elliot Perlman traces the roots of the Jewish farmers in Uganda. And in three insightful, erudite book reviews, Hadley Freeman, Benjamin Balint and Robert Manne cast light on second-generation Holocaust memoirs and the work of Paul Celan and Götz Aly. The Return of History is a truly global issue, bringing together esteemed, well-known voices and those you’ll be exhilarated to read for the first time.

Download or read book Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean written by Carolina López-Ruiz and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-04 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An important new book...offers a powerful call for historians of the ancient Mediterranean to consider their implicit biases in writing ancient history and it provides an example of how more inclusive histories may be written.” —Denise Demetriou, New England Classical Journal “With a light touch and a masterful command of the literature, López-Ruiz replaces old ideas with a subtle and more accurate account of the extensive cross-cultural exchange patterns and economy driven by the Phoenician trade networks that ‘re-wired’ the Mediterranean world. A must read.” —J. G. Manning, author of The Open Sea “[A] substantial and important contribution...to the ancient history of the Mediterranean. López-Ruiz’s work does justice to the Phoenicians’ role in shaping Mediterranean culture by providing rational and factual argumentation and by setting the record straight.” —Hélène Sader, Bryn Mawr Classical Review Imagine you are a traveler sailing to the major cities around the Mediterranean in 750 BC. You would notice a remarkable similarity in the dress, alphabet, consumer goods, and gods from Gibraltar to Tyre. This was not the Greek world—it was the Phoenician. Propelled by technological advancements of a kind unseen since the Neolithic revolution, Phoenicians knit together diverse Mediterranean societies, fostering a literate and sophisticated urban elite sharing common cultural, economic, and aesthetic modes. Following the trail of the Phoenicians from the Levant to the Atlantic coast of Iberia, Carolina López-Ruiz offers the first comprehensive study of the cultural exchange that transformed the Mediterranean in the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Greeks, Etruscans, Sardinians, Iberians, and others adopted a Levantine-inflected way of life, as they aspired to emulate Near Eastern civilizations. López-Ruiz explores these many inheritances, from sphinxes and hieratic statues to ivories, metalwork, volute capitals, inscriptions, and Ashtart iconography. Meticulously documented and boldly argued, Phoenicians and the Making of the Mediterranean revises the Hellenocentric model of the ancient world and restores from obscurity the true role of Near Eastern societies in the history of early civilizations.

Download or read book The Last Million written by David Nasaw and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 673 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From bestselling author David Nasaw, a sweeping new history of the one million refugees left behind in Germany after WWII In May 1945, after German forces surrendered to the Allied powers, millions of concentration camp survivors, POWs, slave laborers, political prisoners, and Nazi collaborators were left behind in Germany, a nation in ruins. British and American soldiers attempted to repatriate the refugees, but more than a million displaced persons remained in Germany: Jews, Poles, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and other Eastern Europeans who refused to go home or had no homes to return to. Most would eventually be resettled in lands suffering from postwar labor shortages, but no nation, including the United States, was willing to accept more than a handful of the 200,000 to 250,000 Jewish men, women, and children who remained trapped in Germany. When in June, 1948, the United States Congress passed legislation permitting the immigration of displaced persons, visas were granted to sizable numbers of war criminals and Nazi collaborators, but denied to 90% of the Jewish displaced persons. A masterwork from acclaimed historian David Nasaw, The Last Million tells the gripping but until now hidden story of postwar displacement and statelessness and of the Last Million, as they crossed from a broken past into an unknowable future, carrying with them their wounds, their fears, their hope, and their secrets. Here for the first time, Nasaw illuminates their incredible history and shows us how it is our history as well.

Download or read book Like Dreamers written by Yossi Klein Halevi and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Everett Family Jewish Book of the Year Award (a National Jewish Book Award) and the RUSA Sophie Brody Medal. In Like Dreamers, acclaimed journalist Yossi Klein Halevi interweaves the stories of a group of 1967 paratroopers who reunited Jerusalem, tracing the history of Israel and the divergent ideologies shaping it from the Six-Day War to the present. Following the lives of seven young members from the 55th Paratroopers Reserve Brigade, the unit responsible for restoring Jewish sovereignty to Jerusalem, Halevi reveals how this band of brothers played pivotal roles in shaping Israel’s destiny long after their historic victory. While they worked together to reunite their country in 1967, these men harbored drastically different visions for Israel’s future. One emerges at the forefront of the religious settlement movement, while another is instrumental in the 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. One becomes a driving force in the growth of Israel’s capitalist economy, while another ardently defends the socialist kibbutzim. One is a leading peace activist, while another helps create an anti-Zionist terror underground in Damascus. Featuring an eight pages of black-and-white photos and maps, Like Dreamers is a nuanced, in-depth look at these diverse men and the conflicting beliefs that have helped to define modern Israel and the Middle East.

Download or read book Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor written by Yossi Klein Halevi and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestseller Now with a new Epilogue, containing letters of response from Palestinian readers. "A profound and original book, the work of a gifted thinker."--Daphne Merkin, The Wall Street Journal Attempting to break the agonizing impasse between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli commentator and award-winning author of Like Dreamers directly addresses his Palestinian neighbors in this taut and provocative book, empathizing with Palestinian suffering and longing for reconciliation as he explores how the conflict looks through Israeli eyes. I call you "neighbor" because I don’t know your name, or anything personal about you. Given our circumstances, "neighbor" might be too casual a word to describe our relationship. We are intruders into each other’s dream, violators of each other’s sense of home. We are incarnations of each other’s worst historical nightmares. Neighbors? Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is one Israeli’s powerful attempt to reach beyond the wall that separates Israelis and Palestinians and into the hearts of "the enemy." In a series of letters, Yossi Klein Halevi explains what motivated him to leave his native New York in his twenties and move to Israel to participate in the drama of the renewal of a Jewish homeland, which he is committed to see succeed as a morally responsible, democratic state in the Middle East. This is the first attempt by an Israeli author to directly address his Palestinian neighbors and describe how the conflict appears through Israeli eyes. Halevi untangles the ideological and emotional knot that has defined the conflict for nearly a century. In lyrical, evocative language, he unravels the complex strands of faith, pride, anger and anguish he feels as a Jew living in Israel, using history and personal experience as his guide. Halevi’s letters speak not only to his Palestinian neighbor, but to all concerned global citizens, helping us understand the painful choices confronting Israelis and Palestinians that will ultimately help determine the fate of the region.