The image of the West looms large in the American imagination. Yet the history of American Jewry and particularly of American Jewish women-has been heavily weighted toward the East. Jewish Women Pioneering the Frontier Trail rectifies this omission as the first full book to trace the history and contributions of Jewish women in the American West. In many ways, the Jewish experience in the West was distinct. Given the still-forming social landscape,...

Since 1925 the Streit’s matzo factory has sat in a low-slung tenement building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. While other matzo companies have modernized, Streit’s remained a piece of living history, churning out 40 percent of the nation’s unleavened bread on pre-War machinery as old as the factory itself. In a neighborhood where the Jewish immigrants long ago moved on, in a nation where progress and profits trump all else, where manufacturing...

"The Jewish language consists of many different strands. This dictionary weaves together those strands and provides a sole source for the wealth of Jewish terms, concepts, expressions, and beliefs dating back to biblical times, which are experiencing a renaissance in the 20th and 21st centuries." "The language par excellence of the Jewish people is Hebrew. Religious concepts, as well as everyday words, are derived from this ancient yet fully modern...

Enrich your wedding with your own creative use of Jewish ritual and tradition. Wedding planning can be a stressful experience. Keeping track of all the details-deciding who to invite, choosing a caterer, arranging the reception-can sometimes lead to a couple forgetting about the bigger picture and the significance of this day in their lives: a joyous occasion that should reflect not only your personality, but your values, as well. Updated...

"Honorable Mention for the 2011 PROSE Award in Theology & Religious Studies, Association of American Publishers" Leora Batnitzky is the Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish studies and professor of religion at Princeton University, where she also directs the Tikvah Project on Jewish Thought. She is the author of Leo Strauss and Emmanuel Levinas: Philosophy and the Politics of Revelation and Idolatry and Representation: The Philosophy of Franz Rosenzweig...

"Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren't happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that's not Hoodie's problem. That is, until he meets...

An accessible introduction to the Jewish understanding of the natural world and the key concepts central to Jewish environmentalism. At a time of growing concern about environmental issues, this book explores the relationship Jews have with the natural world and the ways in which Judaism contributes to contemporary social/environmental issues. It also shows readers the extent to which...

"An urgent and deeply necessary work, Dear Zealots offers three ... essays that speak directly to our present age, on the rise of zealotry in Israel and around the world. From the incomparable Amos Oz comes a series of three essays: on the universal nature of fanaticism and its possible cures, on the Jewish roots of humanism and the need for a secular pride in Israel, and on the geopolitical standing of Israel in the wider Middle East and internationally....

Judaism implies faith and beliefs, complex practices and a whole way of life. These are mirrored in this encyclopedia which includes hundreds of special articles covering subjects in analytical depth, as well as short biographies of the major figures in the story of Judaism. Issues of practical interest today are give special attention, such as the article MEDICAL ETHICS which relates to Abortion, Artificial insemination, Autopsies, Birth control,...

The inside story and practical lessons from one of the most exciting developments in contemporary Judaism. Part description and part prescription, Empowered Judaism is a manifesto for transforming the way Jews pray and more broadly for building vibrant Jewish communities. [It] represents the latest chapter in [an] uplifting history of religious creativity. This is a book that every Jewish leader will want to read and every serious Jew will want to...