Books about Judaica from Amazon.com

A delightful excursion through the Yiddish language, the culture it defines and serves, and the fine art of complaint

Throughout history, Jews around the world have had plenty of reasons to lament. And for a thousand years, they've had the perfect language for it. Rich in color, expressiveness, and complexity, Yiddish has proven incredibly useful and durable. Its wonderful phrases and idioms impeccably reflect the mind-set that has enabled the Jews of Europe to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution . . . and enables them to kvetch about it!

Michael Wex—professor, scholar, translator, novelist, and performer—takes a serious yet unceasingly fun and funny look at this remarkable kvetch-full tongue that has both shaped and has been shaped by those who speak it. Featuring chapters on curse words, food, sex, and even death, he allows his lively wit and scholarship to roam freely from Sholem Aleichem to Chaucer to Elvis.

Perhaps only a khokhem be-layle (a fool, literally a "sage at night," when there's no one around to see) would care to pass up this endearing and enriching treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history, and folklore—an intriguing appreciation of a unique and enduring language and an equally fascinating culture.

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Price: $4.25 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The first two novels in a dramatic trilogy set in eleventh-century France about the lives and loves of three daughters of the great Talmud scholar

In 1068, the scholar Salomon ben Isaac returns home to Troyes, France, to take over the family winemaking business and embark on a path that will indelibly influence the Jewish world—writing the first Talmud commentary, and secretly teaching Talmud to his daughters.

Joheved, the eldest of his three girls, finds her mind and spirit awakened by religious study, but, knowing the risk, she must keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden. When she becomes betrothed to Meir ben Samuel, she is forced to choose between marital happiness and being true to her love of the Talmud.

Rich in period detail and drama, Joheved is a must read for fans of Tracy ChevalierÂ’s Girl With a Pearl Earring..
Price: $7.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Now a major motion picture, this remarkable classic recounts, moment by moment, the spellbinding process that gave birth to the state of Israel. Collins and Lapierre weave a brilliant tapestry of shattered hopes, fierce pride, and breathtaking valor as the Arabs, Jews, and British collide in their fight for control of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem! meticulously re-creates this historic struggle.

Collins and Lapierre penetrate the battle from the inside, exploring each party's interests, intentions, and concessions as the city of all of their dreams teeters on the brink of destruction. From the Jewish fighters and their heroic commanders to the charismatic Arab chieftain whose death in battle doomed his cause but inspired a generation of Palestinians, O Jerusalem! tells the three-dimensional story of this high-stakes, emotional conflict. Now with a new introduction by Dominique Lapierre, O Jerusalem! remains, as ever, a towering testament to the fiery dawn of Israel and an unforgettable tale of faith and violence, of betrayal and indomitable courage.

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Price: $5.73 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In 1980, a twenty-three-year-old student named Aaron Lansky set out to rescue the world’s abandoned Yiddish books before it was too late. Twenty-five years and one and a half million books later, he’s still in the midst of a great adventure Filled with poignant and often laugh-out-loud tales from Lansky’s travels across the country as he collected books from older Jewish immigrants—books their own children had no use for—Outwitting History also explores brilliant Yiddish writers and enables us to see how an almost-lost culture is the bridge between the Old World and the future..
Price: $2.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

It is through stories that we express our hopes and our fears. Stories convey to others what is in our hearts, what we feel is the essence of our life experiences They transmit our culture, inform our values, and educate our children. Stories have been essential to Jewish life from the time of the Bible itself, and they continue to hold a special place in our hearts today.
In this new collection of classic and modern folktales, Rabbi Edward M. Feinstein reminds us why stories are so important. Capturing the Moon brings together thirty-six beloved Jewish folktales in six thematic sections: What Really Matters in Life?, Doing What s Right, It s Up to You, Teachers and Friends, Hidden Truths, and The Miracle of Jewish Life. Each section explores Jewish experiences and values, and each story is followed by commentary and questions for thought or discussion.
In these pages you will discover how Yekel, the poverty-stricken Jew in The Treasure, dreams of riches for years, only to discover a treasure that s been under his feet all along. Dinah, in The Maccabees Sister, teaches us the importance of activism in such times of persecution. Other stories, such as The Knapsack, are poignant tributes to Jewish perseverance against all odds and the miracles that have made Jewish survival possible.
Those stories and the others in this collection will inspire and inform you, and prompt you to question and contemplate the big picture of your life. The perfect book for bedtime reading and group discussion alike, Capturing the Moon is sure to be a family favorite for generations..
Price: $14.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

New, larger edition of this timeless classic! A Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature Commonly known as "the Jastrow Dictionary," this work is the definitive choice for studying the Talmud, Midrashim and Targumim. With over 30,000 entries, it is far more comprehensive than any other dictionary of Aramaic/Hebrew available. Each entry is fully vocalized, defined in English and presented in various contexts, and word roots are cross-referenced wherever possible. An invaluable resource!.
Price: $27.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The latest in our top-selling series of colorful, chunky handbooks, 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth proves that simple ideas can have major environmental impact. Here are easy tips for every budget and every day, from taking canvas shopping bags to the grocery store to purchasing green energy "off sets" to make up for unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions. Cutting-edge ideas for supporting alternative energy and reducing consumption will inspire veteran recyclers. Plus, the book itself is printed with vegetable-based inks on paper from sustainably managed forests. Practical, positive, and easy to use, 1,001 Ways to Save the Earth is a book none of us can afford to miss..
Price: $3.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $16.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Physicist Dr. Lee M. Spetner's new book has biologists and geneticists across the country praising this book as one of the most serious challenges to the modern theory of evolution. "Dr. Spetner has an extraordinary ability to present complex mathematical, statistical, and biological issues in a comprehensible manner."--Rabbi Joseph Elias, The Jewish Observer "It is certainly the most rational attack on evolution that I have ever read"--Professor E. Simon, Department of Biology, Purdue University.
Price: $8.74 [Notify me when price goes down.]