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Summary: Belongs on the shelf of every Jew AND christian.
Review: Both Jews and christians should read this book. It is a great resource for people of both faiths to have in their personal libraries.
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Summary: Judaism 101 for Jews and Non-Jews Alike!
Review: In this fabulous book Rabbi Telushkin sets forth in simple, easily readible short essays each and every apect of Judaism, Jewish life and Jewish history. There is nothing that isn't covered and although the coverage is necessarily superficial, it is an incomparable resource for anyone seeking basic information about the Jewish people. Telushkin divides the book into sections covering the Jewish Bible, subsequent Jewish history, the holocaust the history of Zionism and Israel, the Jewish annual cycle, the Jewish life cycle and other aspects of Jewish life. Telushkin's love and fascination with Judaism shines through on every page. The book is not intended to be more than the title says it is, a basic introduction to Judaism. It is miles wide but only inches deep. Nevertheless, a thorough reading of this book will indeed give the reader a basic Jewish literacy.
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Summary: Fantastic Book
Review: This book is great! It was recommended to me by a rabbi and I thought it was huge. It was such a wonderful read, I could not put it down. It was thorough, yet easy to understand. I learned so much!
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Summary: Great reference book- a must
Review: This is a truely wonderful book. It is a great reference work with information about just about anything Jewish you can think of yet it is a good read. Most reference books are very dry (how interesting can a several paragraph entry about a topic be) yet as with everything he writes Rabbi Telushkin makes this a very interesting book.It is a must for non-Jews and Jews who aren't well educated in Judaism who want to know more. It has entries on scores of topics to give a short overview of most of the important people, events and ideas for Judaism. Even for educated Jews this can be a good reference work, and it is an enjoyable read. Rabbi Telushkin is a Modern Orthodox rabbi who studied under some of the greatest minds in late 20th century Orthodox Judaism (at Yeshiva University) so he knows his subject. However, he is a liberal minded Orthodox Jew who treats the liberal movements in Judaism in quite a fair, balanced and non-judgemental manner. He never talks down to you when you read no matter what you previous knowlege of the subject or point of view.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent overview of Jewish heritage!
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Summary: An Outstanding Book for A Closer Look into Judaism
Review: Rabbi Telushkin's format in writing this book is very well thought out. It's easy to "look up" what you want to know or even better yet, easy to read all the way through. The subjects he touches on are very interesting and insightful. If you're just starting to look into Judaism, this is one of the best books to start out on. It includes history <Biblical to modern day>, practices, and pretty much explains WHY. I recommend this book for anyone. Perfect for the Jewish family to add to their coffee table!!
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Summary: Bite-sized Judaism...!
Review: This was listed as a required text for an Intro to Judaism course I took some years back. When I bought it, it was shiny and new, with a dust cover and smooth pages that turned easily. My only complaint about this book has got to be that the pages no longer flip so smoothly. Or maybe that the dust cover is gone and even the cloth binding isn't in the hottest shape. The corners are dog-eared and when I pull it down from the shelf, as I frequently do, it practically opens itself to the most frequently-referenced sections. In short, like the fabled Velveteen Rabbit, this marvellous book has been loved almost to death. Telushkin breaks the entire body of Jewish wisdom down into convenient chunks, avoiding the temptation to elaborate but instead offering extensive bibliographical references for further reading. This book is organized in hypertext fashion, with cross-references to related subjects for those who are interested, but these are never overwhelming, and you'll almost always get the answer you're looking for from this book. Far from oversimplifying Judaism, as some might suspect, Telushkin's approachable style and ready bibliographies "hook" the reader in the manner of the great Rabbi Hillel, who left his student with the dictum, "-- now go and learn." Telushkin simplifies his material not as the END but as the beginning to a whole lifetime of Jewish learning.
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Summary: Judaism 101 -- excellent for those considering conversion
Review: This book contains approximately three hundred one to three page entries on almost every aspect of Jewish culture, religion, and history. The entries are further subdivided into related chapters: the Torah, Biblical Judaism, the Roman Era, medieval european Judaism, American Jewery, Soviet Jewery, Antisemitism, Life Cycle events, Jewish Holidays, The State of Israel, and others. J.L. is encyclopedic in scope, but the entries have a more familiar feel to them, in part due to Teluskin's own personal anecdotes that are found in many of the entries. This makes the reader feel like he is not reading an academic text, but rather listening to a friend or family member share his accumulated knowledge and wisdom. I think most Jews will find a lot that they didn't know, or had forgotten, within these pages. For those who are considering conversion, this is a wonderful book to read cover to cover, because it exposes the reader to a full cross section of Judaism.
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Summary: Great Reference
Review: This is a great book for anyone who wants a clear, concise explanation of Judaism and the Hebrew Bible. The book is well organized and the format makes it easy to reference specific characters and stories.
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Summary: Good starting point for discovering or rediscovering Judaism
Review: Read it cover to cover and your time will be well spent.
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