Of all Judaic rituals, that of giyyur is arguably the most radical: it turns a Gentile into a Jew - once and for all and irrevocably. The very possibility of such a transformation is anomalous, according to Jewish tradition, which regards Jewishness as an ascriptive status entered through birth to a Jewish mother. This book provides a close reading of primary halakhic texts as a key to the explication of meaning within the Judaic tradition.

Amadeus Angel knows there must be more to life than suffering at the hands of his so-called parents. He also knows there must be some explanation for the lines on his hands forming knots, his crystalline tears, and his lavender eyes. But he never expects that an invitation to attend Eden Prep will unravel these mysteries, providing the catalyst for a plan thousands of years in the making.

In A Question of Tradition, Kathryn Hellerstein explores the roles that women poets played in forming a modern Yiddish literary tradition. Women who wrote in Yiddish go largely unrecognized outside a rapidly diminishing Yiddish readership. Even in the heyday of Yiddish literature, they were regarded as marginal. But for over four centuries, women wrote and published Yiddish poems that addressed the crises of Jewish history—from the plague to the Holocaust—as well as the challenges and pleasures of daily life: prayer, art, friendship, nature, family, and love. Through close readings and translations of poems of eighteen writers, Hellerstein argues for a new perspective on a tradition of women Yiddish poets. Framed by a consideration of Ezra Korman's 1928 anthology of women poets, Hellerstein develops a discussion of poetry that extends from the sixteenth century through the twentieth, from early modern Prague and Krakow to high modernist Warsaw, New York, and California. The poems range from early conventional devotions, such as a printer's preface and verse prayers, to experimental, transgressive lyrics that confront a modern ambivalence toward Judaism. In an integrated study of literary and cultural history, Hellerstein shows the immensely important contribution made by women poets to Jewish literary tradition.

In this text the reader is allowed both the freedom to accept and the freedom to affirm those human traits and values that western culture has traditionally identified with woman.

Please see the Zohar Home Page for ancillary materials, including the publication schedule, press release, Aramaic text, questions, and answers.

For over a century the ten-volume Dictionary of the Bible has been the definitive reference. "It is a Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, together with the Old Testament Apocrypha, according to the Authorized and Revised English Versions, and with constant reference to the original tongues. ... Articles have been written on the names of all Persons and Places, on the Antiquities and Archaeology of the Bible, on its Ethnology, Geology, and Natural History, on Biblical Theology and Ethic, and even on the obsolete or archaic words occurring in the English Versions." James Hastings (1852-1922) was a distinguished scholar and pastor. He was founder and editor of the Expository Times and is also well known for editing the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, the Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, and the Dictionary of the Apostolic Church.

With diverse and robust voices, women are reclaiming their place at the seder table. This complete sourcebook and guide shows you how to do it, too. For the first time, contemporary Jewish women's writings on the Passover seder are gathered in one comprehensive and compelling sourcebook--an unprecedented and powerful resource for those planning a women's seder and those seeking to infuse their Passover celebration with the creative and courageous voices of Jewish women. Arranged according to the order of the seder, this practical guide gathers the voices of more than one hundred women in readings, personal and creative reflections, commentaries, blessings and ritual suggestions that can be incorporated into your Passover celebration as supplements to or substitutes for traditional passages of the haggadah. It also includes a detailed guide to planning a women's seder, based on information from successful seder organizers around the world. Whether you are organizing a women's seder in your community or planning a family seder in your home, this inspiring and accessible resource will help you take an active role in re-creating the educational and spiritual experience of Passover--and in shaping Judaism's future. Contributors include: Dr. Rachel Adler * Dr. Rebecca T. Alpert * Rabbi Renni S. Altman * Zoe Baird Dr. Evelyn Torton Beck * Susan Berrin * Senator Barbara Boxer * Dr. Esther Broner Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin * Tamara Cohen * Anita Diamant * Dr. Carol Diament Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD * Eve Ensler * Dr. Marcia Falk * Merle Feld Rabbi Susan P. Fendrick * Rabbi Tirzah Firestone * Dr. Ellen Frankel * Nan Fink Gefen Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg * Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb * Dr. Susannah Heschel Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar * Rabbi Naamah Kelman * Naomi Klein * Irena Klepfisz Maxine Kumin * Rabbi Noa Rachel Kushner * Rabbi Joy Levitt * Hadassah Lieberman Ruth W. Messinger * Dr. Faye Moskowitz * Joan Nathan * Dr. Alicia Suskin Ostriker Dr. Judith Plaskow * Marge Piercy * Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen * Anne Roiphe Danya Ruttenberg * Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso * The Honorable Jan Schakowsky Rabbi Susan Schnur * Rabbi Susan Silverman * Dr. Ellen M. Umansky Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg * Dr. Chava Weissler * Cantor Lorel Zar-Kessler