Synopses & Reviews
Stolen Words is an epic story about the largest collection of Jewish books in the worldandmdash;tens-of millions of books that the Nazis looted from European Jewish families and institutions. Nazi soldiers and civilians emptied Jewish communal libraries, confiscated volumes from government collections, and stole from Jewish individuals, schools, and synagogues. Early in their regime, the Nazis burned some books in spectacular bonfires, but most they saved, stashing the literary loot in castles, abandoned mine shafts, and warehouses throughout Europe. It was the largest and most extensive book-looting campaign in history.and#160;After the war, Allied forces discovered these troves of stolen books but quickly found themselves facing a barrage of questions. How could the books be identified? Where should they go? Who had the authority to make such decisions? Eventually, the army turned the books over to an organization of leading Jewish scholars called Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc.andmdash;whose chairman was the acclaimed historian Salo Baron, and whose on-the-ground director was the philosopher Hannah Arendtandmdash;with the charge to establish restitution protocols.and#160;Stolen Words is the story of how a free civilization decides what to do with the material remains of a world torn asunder, and how those remains connect survivors with their past. It is the story of Jews struggling to understand the new realities of their post-Holocaust world and of Western societyandrsquo;s gradual realization of the magnitude of devastation wrought by World War II. Most of all, it is the story of people andmdash;of Nazi leaders, ideologues, and Judaica experts; of Allied soldiers, scholars, and scoundrels; and of Jewish communities, librarians, and readers around the world.
Review
“In this remarkable volume, Avigdor Shinan and Yair Zakovitch have channeled their prodigious learning into a narrative about the legacy of the Bible that is not only readable but compelling. Anyone who loves the Bible and the interpretive challenges it has bequeathed generations of readers will enjoy the encounter with these two illustrious commentators.”—Gary A. Anderson, Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Notre Dame Christopher Lewis - Dad of Divas' Reviews
Review
and#8220;Shinan and Zakovitch approach 30 specific Bible stories (e.g., Was Goliath really slain by a young boy named David?) as literary archaeologists. . . . Their thoughtful and sympathetic exegesis uncovers possible explanations why the biblical authors saw their interpretations of these stories as best suited to instruct a nation. Most important, they introduce the oral and literary traditions of ancient Israel with breathtaking clarity and ease.and#8221;and#8212;Christopher McConnell, Booklist
Review
and#8220;A meticulously researched primer on the Hebrew Bibleand#8217;s role as part of an evolving theological and political discourse. . . . Shinan and Zakovitch paint a richly nuanced portrait of the biblical literature as an interlocutor in the debates of its day. . . . An illuminating, challenging look at the original significance of many of the Bibleand#8217;s stories.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus
Review
"This was a well researched book and shares some strong arguments on how we have come to be where we are today."—Christopher Lewis, Dad of Divas’ Reviews Rabbi Rachel Esserman - Reporter
Review
"This book is wonderful, not just for its scholarship or for its many fascinating themes, but also because it is, simply, a joy to read."and#8212;Bob Rickard, Fortean Times
Review
"Readers interested in the legends of ancient Israelites or examining the possibilities of the biblical text from a different viewpoint will enjoy exploring the lessons of From Gods to God."and#8212;Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Reporter
Review
andquot;This book will open readers' eyes to a whole new way of reading our sacred texts. It could forever change the way its readers will approach the subject. The term andquot;must readandquot; may be overused, but I believe it is appropriate in describing this book.andquot;andmdash;Stuart Lewis, Jewish Chronicle
Review
andquot;This was a well researched book and shares some strong arguments on how we have come to be where we are today.andquot;andmdash;Christopher Lewis, Dad of Divasandrsquo; Reviews
Review
and#8220;Julie Baretzand#8217;s impressive knowledge of history and Bible combined with her awesome aesthetic perspective and credible imagination transform our travels into what feels like a magic carpet ride.and#8221;and#8212;Rabbi Norman M. Cohen
Review
and#8220;I have had the privilege of having Julie Baretz as our guide in Israel numerous times. She is an expert storyteller, opening up imaginations and making the listener believe he or she is part of the history of each site.and#8221;and#8212;Pastor Randy Myers
Review
“The characteristic diversity within Reform Judaism is underscored on virtually every page of Plaut’s volumes.”—Rabbi Howard A. Berman, executive director of the Society for Classical Reform Judaism
Review
“The work of Rabbi Plaut is not only crucial for an understanding of Reform Judaism; it is also indispensable for grasping the development and history of Judaism in the modern world.”—Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor and past president of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
Review
“This valuable collection of source materials is designed to acquaint the reader with the primary forces in the development of Reform Judaism in Europe. From a wide range of essays, articles, speeches, and other writings, Dr. Plaut judiciously selects those that best represent the thinking of the leaders as well as of the lesser, more obscure figures of the Reform movement.”—Commentary magazine
Review
andldquo;[This is] a compelling and emotionally powerful story.andrdquo;andmdash;Daniel M. Bronstein, historian and contributor to The Cambridge Dictionary of Jewish History, Religion, and Culture
Review
andldquo;A wonderfully written book about an extremely important event in history, neglected until now: the loss and retrieval of Jewish cultural treasures during the Holocaust.andrdquo;andmdash;David E. Fishman, professor of Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary and senior research scholar at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
Review
andldquo;In this riveting account, Mark Glickman tells how and why the Nazis stockpiled millions of Jewish volumes, and how those books were rediscovered and repatriated after the war. A little-known story powerfully told, Stolen Words kept me on the edge of my seat.andrdquo;andmdash;Aaron Lansky, president of the Yiddish Book Center and author of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventues of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books
Review
andldquo;A genuine page turnerandmdash;written with engaging prose and heartfelt passion. . . . This book will appeal to a broad audience not only because it is interesting, informative, and enriching, but becauseandmdash;as Rabbi Glickman artfully reminds usandmdash;books are ultimately the couriers of human civilization. In their redemption we keep faith with our past and sustain hope in our future.andrdquo;andmdash;Gary P. Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives at Hebrew Union Collegeandndash;Jewish Institute of Religionand#160;
Synopsis
The ancient Israelitesand#160;believed things that the writers of the Bible wanted them to forget: myths and legends from a pre-biblical world that the new monotheist order needed to bury, hide, or reinterpret.and#160;Ancient Israel was rich in such literary traditions before the Bible reached the final form that we have today. These traditions were not lost but continued, passed down through the ages. Many managed to reach us in post-biblical sources: rabbinic literature, Jewish Hellenistic writings, the writings of the Dead Sea sect, the Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and other ancient translations of the Bible, and even outside the ancient Jewish world in Christian and Islamic texts. The Bible itself sometimes alludes to these traditions, often in surprising contexts.and#160;Written in clear and accessible language, this volume presents thirty such traditions. It voyages behind the veil of the written Bible to reconstruct what was told and retold among the ancient Israelites, even if it is and#8220;not what the Bible tells us.and#8221;
and#160;
Synopsis
In this innovative guidebook Julie Baretz takes readers to twenty-one off-the-beaten-path locations in Israel where Bible stories are said to have happened. At each site she sets the scene by relating the historical context of the event, then follows with the biblical text itself and her own lively commentary. Captivating and complex Bible characters bring the locations to life as they face social, ethical, and spiritual dilemmas not unlike our own today. Baretzand#8217;s narratives draw on history, archaeology, academic scholarship, and rabbinic literature for interpretations that enhance the meaning of the biblical events. Each story is told in the voice of Baretz as the tour guideand#8212;knowledgeable yet informal and friendly.
and#160;The Bible on Location traces the chronology and narrative arc of the historical books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The book begins with the Israelitesand#8217; arrival in the land of Israel (following the exodus from Egypt and the forty years of wandering) and continues over more than six hundred years, until the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to their homeland.
and#160;Baretzand#8217;s descriptions are accompanied by colorful maps and photographs that put actual and armchair visitors in the middle of the action. Each location reveals a new episode in the biblical narrative and provides inspiration and commentary that will enhance visits to the various sites.
Synopsis
This fiftieth anniversary edition of W. Gunther Plauts classic volume on the beginnings of the Jewish Reform Movement is updated with a new introduction by Howard A. Berman. The Rise of Reform Judaism covers the first one hundred years of the movement, from the time of the eighteenth-century Jewish Enlightenment leader Moses Mendelssohn to the conclusion of the Augsburg synod in 1871.
In these pages the founders who established liberal Judaism speak for themselves through their journals and pamphlets, books and sermons, petitions and resolutions, and public arguments and disputations. Each selection includes Plauts brief introduction and sketch of the reformer. Important topics within Judaism are addressed in these writings: philosophy and theology, religious practice, synagogue services, and personal life, as well as controversies on the permissibility of organ music, the introduction of the sermon, the nature of circumcision, the observance of the Sabbath, the rights of women, and the authenticity of the Bible.
About the Author
Avigdor Shinan is the Yitzhak Becker Professor of Jewish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of numerous books in Hebrew on rabbinic literature, Jewish liturgy, and the Aramaic translations of the Bible.and#160;Yair Zakovitch is the Emeritus Father Takeji Otsuki Professor of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a professor of Jewish Peoplehood at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya. He is the author of numerous books in Hebrew on biblical literature and ancient interpretation of the Bible.and#160;Valerie Zakovitch is a translator and editor of works in Jewish studies and the humanities.
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