Showing titles in Judaism

After his father died, Leon Wieseltier began to observe the traditional year-long period of mourning, going to the synagogue three times a day to recite the prayer known as the mourner's Kaddish. Struck by the profound, yet unexpected power of this practice and the poverty of his knowledge about it, Leon began to study the history and meaning of this ancient ritual.

Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code in an old Egyptian synagogue - the amazing story of one of the most important discoveries in modern religious scholarship. In 1897, Rabbi Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University stepped into the attic of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, and there found the largest treasure trove of medieval and early manuscripts ever discovered.

In A Stranger in Jerusalem, Trevan Hatch attempts to situate the stories about Jesus within their Jewish context. Jesus was a Jew, his friends were Jews, his first followers were Jews, he studied the Hebrew Scriptures (either orally or from texts), he worshiped in the synagogue, and he occasionally traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Israelite festivals. Hatch illustrates that Jesus does not seem to have rejected Judaism or acted as a radical outsider in relation to his Jewish peers, but rather, he worked within a Jewish framework.

Kabbalah, Science and the Meaning of Life traces the milestones of the evolution of science with which we are familiar, such as Newton's and Einstein's theories. It goes further to present the science of Kabbalah as the basis for understanding the hidden parts of reality which scientists are now discovering.

A podcast dedicated to sharing inspirational Jewish stories that teach valuable and vital lessons from the Torah. Listeners will be moved by a daily story of spirituality. Featuring Jewish stories from the sages, the chassidic masters, and contemporary Jewish storytellers.

In this audiobook, I will examine Melchizedek throughout the various traditions in which he is found. I will attempt to use the language of the source material I used to add clarity.

The Book of Ruth is a moving story of loyalty, faith, and the transformative power of kindness and devotion. It recounts the journey of Ruth, a woman who, despite being a foreigner in a new land, demonstrates unwavering commitment to her family and faith. Through her actions, listeners witness the profound impact of steadfast loyalty, courage, and integrity in shaping personal and communal destinies.

The Kosher Capones tells the fascinating story of Chicago’s Jewish gangsters from Prohibition into the 1980s. Author Joe Kraus traces these gangsters through the lives, criminal careers, and conflicts of Benjamin “Zukie the Bookie” Zuckerman, last of the independent West Side Jewish bosses, and Lenny Patrick, eventual head of the Syndicate’s “Jewish wing.”

Doris Lessing reads from her introduction to Ecclesiastes or, the preacher. Ancient tradition suggests that this world-weary lament is the work of Solomon in old age. Casting its eye over the transient nature of life, the book questions the story for wisdom and the truth, choosing instead to espouse the value of living for the moment. The introduction is preceded by a reading from the book by Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh.

In this course, objectively delivered by Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, listeners will engage in a discussion on how that collection came into being and how it was passed down and interpreted throughout the ages. You will sample approaches both traditional and modern, making use of the works of a broad sampling of scholars - ancient, medieval, and modern - to understand the message of the Hebrew Scriptures and the stories they told

Renowned French occultist Eliphas Levi left behind a vast legacy of fundamental esoteric writings that have influenced a century and a half of writers that followed in his footsteps. Here he examines the true science of the Holy Kabbalah, with attention paid to the Tetragrammaton, the Shemhamphorash and other symbolic parts of the overall tradition.

Imagine having the entire Jewish people over for dinner—and hosting a raucous, creative, riveting debate about their collective future. Jewish Priorities offers, for the first time, a wide-ranging, ambitious, and genuinely "pan-Jewish" conversation. Encompassing more than sixty top authors from around the Jewish world—Israelis and Diaspora writers; younger influencers and veteran opinion leaders; rabbinic and communal leaders, journalists and scholars, and literary and cultural figures, ranging from secular to ultra-Orthodox—each contributor offers a different priority for the Jewish people.

Finding the Light Through the Darkness invites listeners on a transformative journey. These inspirational essays, rooted in the Bible and the Zohar, help us understand the lessons our soul chose to experience, view difficulties as a chance to change, and realize that everything is part of God’s divine plan. Only then are we able to find joy in spiritual growth. By carrying the torch of Kabbalah masters, Karen Berg, spiritual director of The Kabbalah Centre, reminds us that light isn’t revealed through light; it is revealed through darkness.

Distinguished philosopher Hilary Putnam, who is also a practicing Jew, questions the thought of three major Jewish philosophers of the 20th century - Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Emmanuel Levinas -- to help him reconcile the philosophical and religious sides of his life. An additional presence in the book is Ludwig Wittgenstein, who, although not a practicing Jew, thought about religion in ways that Putnam juxtaposes to the views of Rosenzweig, Buber, and Levinas.

A masterly analysis of the Book of Leviticus, the newest volume in the award-winning series of commentaries on the Hebrew Bible by “a celebrated biblical scholar, keen on weaving together traditional Jewish exegesis, psychoanalysis, and postmodern criticism” (The New York Times Book Review)...

By listening to this audiobook, one develops internal observations and approaches that did not previously exist within. This audiobook is intended for contemplation of spiritual terms. To the extent that we are integrated with these terms, we begin to unveil the spiritual structure that surrounds us, almost as if a mist had been lifted.

For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.

We've combined the meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls briefing and several key strategic perspectives sessions by Dr. Peter Flint and Dr. Scott Carroll into a single six-session pack! The foremost authority on Paleo-Hebrew literature Peter Flint, PhD, discusses the meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, their significance for understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity.

Many students, history enthusiasts, and concerned observers yearn for a factual, balanced understanding of the decades of turmoil and tense relations in the Middle East. Presenting 'The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Simplified,' an all-encompassing guide that will empower you by unmasking the complexities and historical depths of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, offering a well-researched, unbiased, and accessible digest of the grand story of two nations intertwined in an enduring and heartrending struggle.

Plagues, pandemics, and infectious diseases have shaped the history of the Jewish people. Of course, there were the ten biblical plagues that famously smote the Egyptians—from the rain of frogs to the deaths of the firstborn—but that is just the start of the story. In The Eleventh Plague, Brown investigates the relation between Judaism and infectious diseases throughout the ages, from premodern and early-modern plagues, to rabbinic responses to smallpox and cholera, and to the curious practice of "Black Weddings" in which two orphans are married in a cemetery.