Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History

Editorial Review:

How much do you know about Judaism?

• How did the Ten Lost Tribes become lost ?
• Are circumcisions performed on the Sabbath ?
• Which country first granted Jews equal rights ?
• When was polygamy outlawed for Jews ?
• Why does Jewish law compare gossiping to murder ?

You'll find the answers to these questions -- and much more -- in this insightful and comprehensive guide. Written by esteemed rabbi and bestselling author Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy has become one of the most respected and widely used reference books on Jewish life, culture, religion, and tradition. Now revised and updated, this fascinating volume distills a vast body of scholarship into 348 short, readable chapters, making the rich and complex history of Judaism accessible to any reader.

Organized by subject, the book's fifteen sections include:

History and Contemporary Life
From the biblical and Talmudic periods through the Spanish Inquisition to modern times, with special sections on the Holocaust, Israel, and American-Jewish life.

Beliefs, Ethics, and Rituals
From monotheism to Judaism's views on the afterlife, "chosenness," and human relations with God; ethical concerns ranging from the proper treatment of animals to the real meaning of "an eye for an eye"; along with explanations of the major prayers and synagogue practices.

Jewish Holidays and Life Cycle
The origins and distinctive customs of each holiday, and the rites sanctifying every major life event from circumcision and baby naming to burial and mourning.

Answers to the questions from the front flap:

• They were dispersed when the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. (see Chapter 45).
• The United States (see Chapter 203).
• Around 1000 C.E., when it was proscribed by Rabbi Gershom; however, most Sephardic Jews did not accept the ban (see Chapter 95).
• Because gossip, like murder, can do irrevocable damage (see Chapter 271).

In 1988, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin undertook a mission to heal "Jewish ignorance," an affliction whose symptoms include the ability to name the three components of the Trinity, coupled with an inability to explain mitzvah. Telushkin's contribution to the cure is his wide-ranging, entertaining Jewish Literacy. First published in 1991, Jewish Literacy contains almost 350 entries on subjects ranging from the Ten Commandments to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Entries are numbered (for easy, encyclopedia-style reference) and organized topically (to smooth the experience of reading each page straight through). And the revised edition contains several new entries (including articles about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the vice-presidential nomination of Joseph Lieberman) as well as numerous corrections, enlargements, and updates. One might expect Rabbi Telushkin's project of inspiring Jewish literacy to be overly earnest, but the author's understated wit adds considerable levity to most entries. The entry on "Sodom and Gomorrah," for instance, ends this way: "A number of years ago, some Israeli promoters of tourism suggested transforming the modern city of Sodom into a tourist haven with casinos, nightclubs, and even strip shows. The Chief Rabbinate in Israel sharply demurred, warning that there was nothing to prevent God from destroying the city a second time. The plan was dropped." --Michael Joseph Gross

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History:

This book has helped me understand the Jewish Faith as I never have. As a Christian, I wanted to know more about the Jewish religion. Jesus was Jewish and He kept the Jewish Law and customs. This book is easy to understand and very insightful.

Great book for a refresher:

I was raised by an Israeli, with a very strong Jewish background. Most of the book, I remembered from all those years in Hebrew school. However, reading and understanding the information with an adult's comprehension is much different. I found myself reading the different stories from the Hebrew Bible saying "oh yeah!" as I remembered learning the story as a child, but grasping a totally different meaning as an adult!
This book is an excellent source for people with an interest in Judiasm, either as a... more info

Wide open Sanctuary of knowledge:

Perhaps the learned Christians should revisit the Judaic wisdom?
This book invites you to do so.
The author retraces and illustrace the multiple faces and facets of a great philosophical attitude toward life, social values and comparative societies.
Heavy subjects. But the author presented the core with clarity and an enchanting style.
Great book.

Everything I wanted to know but was afraid to ask...about Judaism:

I thoroughly enjoyed Rabbi Telushkin's book: Jewish Literacy. I started the book off skipping around reading a few sections here and there on issues I was curious about. After a bit I just gave in and started from the beginning.
Rabbi Telushkin's style of writing is very comfortable to read and even the hard subjects go down easy.
Much of what I read in Jewish Literacy I knew already, but have broader understanding of now. What I didn't know before I'm glad I learned.

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