Exploring Jewish tradition : a transliterated guide to everyday practice and observance

Format:

Book

Title:

Exploring Jewish tradition : a transliterated guide to everyday practice and observance

Author:

Witty, Abraham.

ISBN:

9780385494540

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

xxxii, 540 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

General Note:

Includes index.

Contents:

What is Torah? -- The synagogue -- Prayer and Jewish liturgy -- The Jewish calendar -- The Sabbath -- The days of awe -- The pilgrimage festivals -- The minor festivals -- The Jewish life cycle -- Special words and phrases.

Summary:

This book provides a thorough review and how-to manual to traditional observance of Jewish life, for both everyday and holidays.

Subject(s):

Judaism -- Customs and practices.

Fasts and feasts -- Judaism.

Added Author:

Witty, Rachel J. (Rachel Jean), 1943-

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Woodburn Public Library	296.4 WITTY 2001	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

An introduction to the rituals, traditions, and customs of the Jewish faith explores the vocabulary and concepts of Judaism in chapters that discuss the interpretation of scripture, prayer, Jewish liturgy, high holy days and festivals, and synagogue.

Author Notes

Rabbi Abraham B. Witty holds master's degrees in international relations from the City University of New York and in Jewish educational administration from New York University, where he was a fellowship recipient. He was ordained by the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University.
Rachel J. Witty is a graduate of Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University. She is an award-winning writer with many years of professional experience in the publishing industry.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Not every Jew knows how to "be Jewish," but the Wittys, a rabbi-writer team, intend to remedy that lack. In this comprehensive primer of Jewish precepts and practices, they leave no custom unexplained, no term undefined. Their eye for detail enriches this easy-to-read reference to the complexities of traditional Jewish observance, with chapters on Torah; the synagogue and its artifacts; prayer and Jewish liturgy; the Jewish calendar; the Sabbath; the holidays; the life cycle; and special words and phrases used in everyday Jewish life. In addition to instructions for occasions and situations common to Jewish life, they include information not readily available in other guides, from the 40 categories of work prohibited on the Sabbath to a 10-year calendar for the first days of all the holidays. Hebrew words and phrases are written in transliteration and listed alphabetically at the end of each chapter. Boxed quotes easily identify material from biblical, rabbinic and liturgical sources (but often there are so many that they interrupt the flow of the narrative). The authors' focus on the practicalities of observance sometimes leaves the answers to deeper questions distilled into brief phrases: What is the purpose of a Jew's life? "To get closer to God and... to attain spiritual perfection." Nevertheless, this reference has great value to those who want to introduce Jewish traditions into their homes or would like to learn more about Judaism. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Foreword	p. xxiii
Preface	p. xxvii
1 What Is Torah?	p. 1
1.1 Defining Torah	p. 3
1.2 The Written Law	p. 4
1.3 The Oral Law	p. 10
1.4 Jewish Law	p. 16
1.5 The Midrash	p. 17
1.6 The Essence of Being a Jew	p. 18
1.7 Jewish Customs	p. 20
2 The Synagogue	p. 25
2.1 The Holy Temples	p. 26
2.2 The Synagogue	p. 29
2.3 Inside the Synagogue	p. 29
2.4 The Torah Scroll	p. 32
2.5 The Religious Leaders	p. 40
3 Prayer and Jewish Liturgy	p. 49
3.1 The Origin of Prayer	p. 50
3.2 The Names of God	p. 51
3.3 In the Image of God	p. 54
3.4 The Concept of Blessings	p. 57
3.5 The Concept of Prayer	p. 70
3.6 Getting Ready to Pray	p. 77
3.7 The Morning Service	p. 85
3.8 The Reading of the Law	p. 104
3.9 The Afternoon Service	p. 109
3.10 The Evening Service	p. 111
3.11 The Additional Service	p. 111
3.12 The Closing Prayers	p. 112
4 The Jewish Calendar	p. 119
4.1 The Hebrew Months and Years	p. 120
4.2 The Formulation of the Jewish Calendar	p. 121
4.3 The Leap Year	p. 122
4.4 Blessing the New Month	p. 125
4.5 Sanctifying the New Moon	p. 128
4.6 An Outline of the Jewish Year	p. 129
4.7 The Liturgy of Rosh Chodesh	p. 142
4.8 Blessing of the Sun	p. 143
4.9 The Sabbatical Year	p. 145
4.10 The Jubilee Year	p. 148
5 The Sabbath	p. 153
5.1 Remembering and Observing the Sabbath Day	p. 154
5.2 Ushering in the Sabbath at Home	p. 156
5.3 Welcoming the Sabbath in the Synagogue	p. 160
5.4 Prelude to the First Sabbath Meal	p. 166
5.5 The First Sabbath Meal	p. 169
5.6 The Liturgy of the Sabbath	p. 177
5.7 The Second Sabbath Meal	p. 182
5.8 The Third Sabbath Meal	p. 183
5.9 The Concept of Work	p. 183
5.10 The Conclusion of the Sabbath	p. 194
6 The Days of Awe	p. 201
6.1 The Month of Elul	p. 202
6.2 Standing in Judgment	p. 204
6.3 Rosh HaShanah	p. 205
6.4 Yom Kippur	p. 206
6.5 Getting Ready for the Yamim Nora'im	p. 208
6.6 The Liturgy of Rosh HaShanah	p. 209
6.7 Ma'ariv of Rosh HaShanah	p. 209
6.8 Shacharit of Rosh HaShanah	p. 213
6.9 Kriat HaTorah for Rosh HaShanah	p. 216
6.10 The Call to Repentance	p. 217
6.11 Musaf of Rosh HaShanah	p. 219
6.12 Minchah of Rosh HaShanah	p. 230
6.13 Casting Away Our Sins	p. 233
6.14 The Second Day of Rosh HaShanah	p. 234
6.15 Customs and Observances of Rosh HaShanah	p. 235
6.16 Havdalah after Rosh HaShanah	p. 239
6.17 The Fast of Gedaliah	p. 240
6.18 The Sabbath of Return	p. 240
6.19 The Day of Atonement	p. 241
6.20 Customs and Observances of Yom Kippur	p. 241
6.21 The Liturgy of Yom Kippur	p. 245
6.22 Minchah of Yom Kippur Eve	p. 246
6.23 Kol Nidrei	p. 247
6.24 Ma'ariv of Yom Kippur	p. 250
6.25 Shacharit of Yom Kippur	p. 258
6.26 Kriat HaTorah for Yom Kippur	p. 258
6.27 Yizkor: Remembering the Souls of the Dead	p. 259
6.28 Musaf of Yom Kippur	p. 261
6.29 Minchah of Yom Kippur	p. 270
6.30 Kriat HaTorah for Minchah	p. 270
6.31 Ne'ilah: The Concluding Service	p. 271
7 The Pilgrimage Festivals	p. 277
7.1 Passover	p. 278
7.2 Remembering the Redemption	p. 284
7.3 Preparing for Passover	p. 287
7.4 The Seder	p. 294
7.5 The First Two Days of Passover	p. 314
7.6 The Intermediate Days of Passover	p. 315
7.7 The Last Two Days of Passover	p. 315
7.8 The Liturgy of Passover	p. 315
7.9 Kriat HaTorah for Passover	p. 323
7.10 Between Pesach and Shavuot	p. 324
7.11 The Festival of Weeks	p. 326
7.12 Customs and Observances of Shavuot	p. 329
7.13 The Revelation	p. 330
7.14 The Liturgy of Shavuot	p. 335
7.15 Kriat HaTorah for Shavuot	p. 335
7.16 Special Readings for Shavuot	p. 336
7.17 The Festival of Tabernacles	p. 338
7.18 Customs and Observances of Sukkot	p. 340
7.19 The Ritual of the Four Species	p. 344
7.20 The Seven Days of Sukkot	p. 346
7.21 The Liturgy of Sukkot	p. 347
7.22 Kriat HaTorah for Sukkot	p. 348
7.23 The Eighth Day of Holy Convocation	p. 349
7.24 The Liturgy of Shemini Atzeret	p. 350
7.25 Kriat HaTorah for Shemini Atzeret	p. 350
7.26 Bidding Farewell to the Sukkah	p. 351
7.27 The Day of Rejoicing with the Law	p. 351
7.28 Kriat HaTorah for Simchat Torah	p. 352
8 The Minor Festivals	p. 357
8.1 The Festival of Lights	p. 358
8.2 The Chanukah Candles	p. 359
8.3 The Chanukah Blessings	p. 361
8.4 The Delights of Chanukah	p. 363
8.5 The Liturgy of Chanukah	p. 366
8.6 Kriat HaTorah for Chanukah	p. 367
8.7 Publicizing the Miracle	p. 367
8.8 The Jolly Feast of Purim	p. 371
8.9 The Mitzvot of Purim	p. 376
8.10 Reading the Megillah	p. 379
8.11 Blotting Out the Name of Haman	p. 381
8.12 Purim Day	p. 381
8.13 The Minor Festivals Are Major	p. 383
9 The Jewish Life Cycle	p. 387
9.1 A Guide for Living	p. 387
9.2 Faith in the One God	p. 388
9.3 Preparing for Marriage	p. 396
9.4 The Engagement	p. 400
9.5 The Jewish Wedding	p. 401
9.6 The Concept of Family Purity	p. 412
9.7 The Jewish Home	p. 415
9.8 The Birth of a Child	p. 430
9.9 Naming a Jewish Child	p. 432
9.10 The Covenant of Circumcision	p. 434
9.11 The Redemption of the First-Born Son	p. 438
9.12 Adoption	p. 443
9.13 Raising a Jewish Child	p. 445
9.14 Rites of Passage	p. 454
9.15 When a Marriage Fails	p. 457
9.16 When a Jew Dies	p. 459
10 Special Words and Phrases	p. 485
10.1 With God in Mind	p. 485
10.2 The Traveler's Prayer	p. 487
10.3 Avoiding Even a Hint of Impropriety	p. 489
10.4 With Every Good Wish	p. 489
10.5 Evil Eyes and Amulets	p. 490
10.6 Bad Dreams	p. 491
10.7 Respect for the Living and the Dead	p. 492
10.8 What's in a Name?	p. 493
10.9 The Holocaust	p. 494
10.10 Israel: Ancient Homeland, Modern State	p. 495
10.11 Responsa Literature	p. 500
10.12 The Chasidim	p. 501
10.13 To Perfect the World	p. 503
10.14 Above All, Peace	p. 508
Indices
Word Works	p. 511
Sum and Substance	p. 521

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Table of Contents