Download or read book The Rhythms of Jewish Living written by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2015-07-31 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reconnect with the ancient soul of Jewish spiritual life and practice. "Jewish spirituality is organically linked to the natural rhythms of the universe. To a great extent, Jewish religious traditions serve to bring Jews into a sensitive relationship with the natural world. Many commandments and customs lead in this direction, drawing out the love and reverence that emerge from the contemplation of God's creations." ―from Chapter 1, “The Rhythms of Nature” Judaism has provided the spiritual framework for millions of people for thousands of years. Yet its basic beliefs and observances often are disconnected from their original intent in our modern day. With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc D. Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality. He draws on many classic sources, illuminating the influence of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of sixteenth-century Safed on the Sephardic tradition. The result is an approach to Judaism that is deep, rich and diverse.
Download or read book Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality written by Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-09-26 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were the Sephardic Jews of the Ottoman Empire? What lasting lessons does their spiritual life provide for future generations? “How did the Judeo-Spanish-speaking Jews of the Ottoman Empire manage to achieve spiritual triumph? To answer this question, we need to have a firm understanding of their historical experience.... We need to be aware of the dark, unpleasant elements in their environments; but we also need to see the spiritual, cultural light in their dwellings that imbued their lives with meaning and honor.” —from Chapter 1, “The Inner Life of the Sephardim” In this groundbreaking work, Rabbi Marc Angel explores the teachings, values, attitudes, and cultural patterns that characterized Judeo-Spanish life over the generations and how the Sephardim maintained a strong sense of pride and dignity, even when they lived in difficult political, economic, and social conditions. Along with presenting the historical framework and folklore of Jewish life in the Ottoman Empire, Rabbi Angel focuses on what you can learn from the Sephardic sages and from their folk wisdom that can help you live a stronger, deeper spiritual life.
Download or read book This Jewish Life written by Debra B. Darvick and published by . This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In "This Jewish Life: Stories of Discover, Connection, and Joy," fifty-five voices enable readers to experience a calendar's worth of Judaism's strengths-community, healing, transformation of the human spirit and the influence of the Divine. Within these pages are stories of joyous engagement and poignant loss. Readers will meet a teen who followed the path of Judaism after a chance encounter and men and women who turned to Judaism in their struggles with drug addiction and spousal abuse. Structured to mirror a complete year of Jewish life cycle events and holidays, this unique book showcases a bar mitzvah service in rural Illinois, a commitment ceremony in a California metropolis, a Soviet family's first Passover Seder, and much more. These stories will carry readers, Jew and non-Jew alike, through twelve months of Jewish Living
Download or read book The Week written by David M Henkin and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An investigation into the evolution of the seven-day week and how our attachment to its rhythms influences how we live We take the seven-day week for granted, rarely asking what anchors it or what it does to us. Yet weeks are not dictated by the natural order. They are, in fact, an artificial construction of the modern world. With meticulous archival research that draws on a wide array of sources—including newspapers, restaurant menus, theater schedules, marriage records, school curricula, folklore, housekeeping guides, courtroom testimony, and diaries—David Henkin reveals how our current devotion to weekly rhythms emerged in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century. Reconstructing how weekly patterns insinuated themselves into the social practices and mental habits of Americans, Henkin argues that the week is more than just a regimen of rest days or breaks from work, but a dominant organizational principle of modern society. Ultimately, the seven-day week shapes our understanding and experience of time.
Download or read book Palaces of Time written by Elisheva Carlebach and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-04 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Palaces of Time resurrects the seemingly banal calendar as a means to understand early modern Jewish life. Elisheva Carlebach has unearthed a trove of beautifully illustrated calendars, to show how Jewish men and women both adapted to the Christian world and also forged their own meanings through time.
Download or read book Living Together Living Apart written by Jonathan Elukin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-12-08 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book challenges the standard conception of the Middle Ages as a time of persecution for Jews. Jonathan Elukin traces the experience of Jews in Europe from late antiquity through the Renaissance and Reformation, revealing how the pluralism of medieval society allowed Jews to feel part of their local communities despite recurrent expressions of hatred against them. Elukin shows that Jews and Christians coexisted more or less peacefully for much of the Middle Ages, and that the violence directed at Jews was largely isolated and did not undermine their participation in the daily rhythms of European society. The extraordinary picture that emerges is one of Jews living comfortably among their Christian neighbors, working with Christians, and occasionally cultivating lasting friendships even as Christian culture often demonized Jews. As Elukin makes clear, the expulsions of Jews from England, France, Spain, and elsewhere were not the inevitable culmination of persecution, but arose from the religious and political expediencies of particular rulers. He demonstrates that the history of successful Jewish-Christian interaction in the Middle Ages in fact laid the social foundations that gave rise to the Jewish communities of modern Europe. Elukin compels us to rethink our assumptions about this fascinating period in history, offering us a new lens through which to appreciate the rich complexities of the Jewish experience in medieval Christendom.
Download or read book Jews and Judaism in the 21st Century written by Edward Feinstein and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this thought-provoking book, five celebrated leaders in Judaism, representing a broad spectrum of contemporary Jewish experience, reinterpret Jewish life, re-envision its institutions, and re-imagine its future in the shadow of the events of the twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Maimonides Spinoza and Us written by Marc Angel and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A challenging look at two great Jewish philosophers, and what their thinking means to our understanding of God, truth, revelation and reason. Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) is Jewish history's greatest exponent of a rational, philosophically sound Judaism. He strove to reconcile the teachings of the Bible and rabbinic tradition with the principles of Aristotelian philosophy, arguing that religion and philosophy ultimately must arrive at the same truth. Baruch Spinoza (1632-77) is Jewish history's most illustrious "heretic." He believed that truth could be attained through reason alone, and that philosophy and religion were separate domains that could not be reconciled. His critique of the Bible and its teachings caused an intellectual and spiritual upheaval whose effects are still felt today. Rabbi Marc D. Angel discusses major themes in the writings of Maimonides and Spinoza to show us how modern people can deal with religion in an intellectually honest and meaningful way. From Maimonides, we gain insight on how to harmonize traditional religious belief with the dictates of reason. From Spinoza, we gain insight into the intellectual challenges which must be met by modern believers.
Download or read book The Jewish Book of Days written by Jill Hammer and published by Jewish Publication Society. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the ages, Jews have connected legends to particular days of the Hebrew calendar. Abraham's birth, the death of Rachel, and the creation of light are all tales that are linked to a specific day and season. The Jewish Book of Days invites readers to experience the connection between sacred story and nature's rhythms, through readings designed for each and every day of the year. These daily readings offer an opportunity to live in tune with the wisdom of the past while learning new truths about the times we live in today. Using the tree as its central metaphor, The Jewish Book of Days is divided into eight chapters of approximately forty-five days each. These sections represent the tree's stages of growth--seed, root, shoot, sap, bud, leaf, flower, and fruit--and also echo the natural cadences of each season. Each entry has three components: a biblical quote for the day; a midrash on the biblical quote or a Jewish tradition related to that day; and commentary relating the text to the cycles of the year. The author includes an introduction that analyzes the different months and seasons of the Hebrew calendar and explains the textual sources used throughout. Appendixes provide additional material for leap years, equinoxes, and solstices. A section on seasonal meditations offers a new way to approach the divine every day.
Download or read book Sefer Ha berakhot written by Marcia Falk and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of blessings, poems, meditations, and rituals presented in English and Hebrew offers a traditional perspective to weekday, Sabbath, and New Moon festival observances.
Download or read book Inner Rhythms written by DovBer Pinson and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 2000 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Jewish Music? What makes a song sound Jewish? What is the place of music in Jewish history and philosophy? The author writes, What is known to us as Jewish music is actually a compilation of styles and rhythms gathered over centuries and obtained in various manners and from countless sources. However, musicologists the world over agree that the purity of the Jewish song has always been retained. The quality which makes it uniquely Jewish, regardless of the influence on it, has remained untouched and clearly identifiable. What is this quality? What is it that makes a song sound Jewish? It is a note of longing, of a child yearning to unite with his parent, a nation pining for its homeland and lost temple, a soul in this world remembering the holiness above and longing to reunite. Each song resonates with the entirety of the Jewish experience, the devastations and victories, the separations and reunifications and above all the constant bound with the eternal. The study of Jewish music is vast and requires volumes to contain it. There are many who have analyzed its unique qualities and have written extensively on it. Their examination of music is essentially a lesson in history, another means of glimpsing a rich and diverse past. There is yet another way to examine a song, and that is, to view it as an eternal message, as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago, at the time of its composition. Each song tells its own story in the heart of the one who sings it. It evokes a unique response in each listener. A tune can touch a soul, in a way no words ever could. The study of music as response is what I aim to portray in this work. Music can be used in a myriad of ways in our everyday lives. Especially today with all of the gadgets that can convey music, we are bombarded by sound. Just by taking a long walk, a person changes zones of melodies, beats, and compositions of various types. Our bodies seem to vibrate to uninvited songs and noises that permeate the air around us. But invited
Download or read book Exploring Sephardic Customs and Traditions written by Marc Angel and published by KTAV Publishing House, Inc.. This book was released on 2000 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the centuries, Jewish communities throughout the world adopted customs that enhanced and deepened their religious observances. These customs, or minhagim, became powerful elements in the religious consciousness of the Jewish people. It is important to recognize that minhagim are manifestations of a religious worldview, a philosophy of life. They are not merely quaint or picturesque practices, but expressions of a community's way of enhancing the religious experience. A valuable resource for Sephardim and Ashkenazim alike.
Download or read book Time and Difference in Rabbinic Judaism written by Sarit Kattan Gribetz and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-11-17 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the rabbis of late antiquity used time to define the boundaries of Jewish identity The rabbinic corpus begins with a question–“when?”—and is brimming with discussions about time and the relationship between people, God, and the hour. Time and Difference in Rabbinic Judaism explores the rhythms of time that animated the rabbinic world of late antiquity, revealing how rabbis conceptualized time as a way of constructing difference between themselves and imperial Rome, Jews and Christians, men and women, and human and divine. In each chapter, Sarit Kattan Gribetz explores a unique aspect of rabbinic discourse on time. She shows how the ancient rabbinic texts artfully subvert Roman imperialism by offering "rabbinic time" as an alternative to "Roman time." She examines rabbinic discourse about the Sabbath, demonstrating how the weekly day of rest marked "Jewish time" from "Christian time." Gribetz looks at gendered daily rituals, showing how rabbis created "men's time" and "women's time" by mandating certain rituals for men and others for women. She delves into rabbinic writings that reflect on how God spends time and how God's use of time relates to human beings, merging "divine time" with "human time." Finally, she traces the legacies of rabbinic constructions of time in the medieval and modern periods. Time and Difference in Rabbinic Judaism sheds new light on the central role that time played in the construction of Jewish identity, subjectivity, and theology during this transformative period in the history of Judaism.
Download or read book Stepping Stones to Jewish Spiritual Living written by James L. Mirel and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides spiritual activities, meditations, prayers and simple rituals to accommodate any lifestyle. Bridges the gap between tradition and innovation, acceptance of the past and transformation for the future, helping us embrace the Divine in daily life.
Download or read book The Provincials written by Eli N. Evans and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2006-03-13 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this classic portrait of Jews in the South, Eli N. Evans takes readers inside the nexus of southern and Jewish histories, from the earliest immigrants to the present day. Evoking the rhythms and heartbeat of Jewish life in the Bible belt, Evans weaves together chapters of recollections from his youth and early years in North Carolina with chapters that explore the experiences of Jews in many cities and small towns across the South. He presents the stories of communities, individuals, and events in this quintessential American landscape that reveal the deeply intertwined strands of what he calls a unique "Southern Jewish consciousness." First published in 1973 and updated in 1997, The Provincials was the first book to take readers on a journey into the soul of the Jewish South, using autobiography, storytelling, and interpretive history to create a complete portrait of Jewish contributions to the history of the region. No other book on this subject combines elements of memoir and history in such a compelling way. This new edition includes a gallery of more than two dozen family and historical photographs as well as a new introduction by the author.
Download or read book The Orphaned Adult written by Marc D. Angel and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this compassionate work, Rabbi Marc Angel addresses a universal but largely overlooked phenomenon: adult orphanhood. This book presents a thoughtful discussion of the processes of adult orphanhood, including anticipating the death of a parent, mourning the parent, and internalizing the reality of the parent's death.
Download or read book Mystics Mavericks and Merrymakers written by Stephanie Wellen Levine and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2004-08-06 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A look at young Jewish women who are typecast as pious and reserved but have as much imagination and similar desires as other young women.
