The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey Teacher's Guide

The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey Teacher's Guide
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 61
Release: 2006-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 168336693X

Insights, Ideas and Activities for exploring the lessons and wisdom of Jewish folktales. A step-by-step guide to creative use of The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey in the classroom. Each lesson includes: A clear summary of the story—its origins and what it can teach us A series of thought-provoking questions An engaging activity relating to the story’s theme or the art of storytelling This comprehensive teaching tool will help you guide students toward understanding the timeless lessons of traditional Jewish folktales and their relevance to our lives today.

Jews and Judaism in the 21st Century

Jews and Judaism in the 21st Century
Author: Edward Feinstein
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2007
Genre: History
ISBN: 1580233155

"In this thought-provoking book, five celebrated leaders in Judaism, representing a broad spectrum of contemporary Jewish experience, reinterpret Jewish life, re-envision its institutions, and re-imagine its future in the shadow of the events of the twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.

The Spirituality of Welcoming

The Spirituality of Welcoming
Author: Ron Wolfson
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2006
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580232442

Synagogues should be effective and relevant centers of Jewish life but too often the focus is on programs not people, on revenue not relationships. The end result is frequently a corporate atmosphere where membership lacks commitment, core leadership and spiritual fulfillment. In this empowering, practical guide, Dr. Ron Wolfson shows you how to transform your synagogue congregation into a sacred community by focusing on strategies for successful change. Using a case-study format for creating an inviting spiritual center, Wolfson defines the welcoming congregation and the fundamental materials that are involved in building one. He addresses the services a welcoming congregation should provide, the themes the congregation should focus on, and the standards that a vital spiritual community should uphold. Tapping into his experiences as co-developer of Synagogue 2000, the transdenominational project designed to envision and implement the ideal synagogue of the spirit for the twenty-first century, Wolfson also provides essential problem-solving tools that you can use to alleviate roadblocks along the way.

A Man's Responsibility

A Man's Responsibility
Author: Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2011-05-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580235905

What is Jewish men's spirituality? In today's world, is it necessary? A provocative look at how a new generation of Jewish men can grow spiritually, and in doing so, strengthen the intangible bonds of family, love, duty and truth which ultimately lead to God. It unearths the male stereotypes that exist in Judaism and color our expectations for what it means to be a Jewish man in today’s world. It examines Jewish sources that reveal the traditional life cycle of a man—from son to partner in marriage to father—and in doing so uncovers the ideals that define being a Jewish man. It also views Jewish men within the context of a sacred community and what that means for the sacred obligations of manhood.

My People's Passover Haggadah

My People's Passover Haggadah
Author: Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580233546

This empowering resource for the spiritual revival of our times enables us to find deeper meaning in one of Judaism?s most beloved traditions, the Passover Seder. This Haggadah commentary adds layer upon layer of new insight to the age-old celebration of the journey from slavery to freedom?and makes its power accessible to all.It features traditional Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the Haggadah says. Introductory essays help the reader understand the historical roots of the ancient holiday, the development of the Haggadah and how to make sense out of texts and customs that evolved over more than a thousand years.Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, My People?s Passover Haggadah features commentaries by scholars from all denominations of Judaism. Readers are treated to insights by experts in such fields as the Haggadah?s history; its biblical roots; its confrontation with modernity; and its relationship to rabbinic midrash and Jewish law, feminism, Chasidism, theology and kabbalah. No other volume provides the English language reader with such wide-ranging understanding of the Haggadah, the key to having the most meaningful Seder ever.

Jewish Stories from Heaven and Earth

Jewish Stories from Heaven and Earth
Author: Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2011-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580235336

The Glory and Grief, Humor and Pride of the Human Experience— Inspiration from a Jewish Perspective From exile to rebirth, from degradation to renaissance, the Jewish People has undergone every human experience and emotion that God created. In this inspiring collection of stories, award-winning anthologist Dov Peretz Elkins captures the best and worst of Jewish experience in these spine-tingling tales of courage, devotion, passion and extraordinary achievement. Elkins taps the famous and the not-so-famous, world-renowned figures and the little-known “person next door,” for stories that illustrate the wonder, meaning, and purpose of life as viewed through the lens of Judaism’s core values. Though drawn from the Jewish tradition, these universal stories of kindness, hope, faith and discovery will intrigue the minds and warm the hearts of people from all walks of life.

Spiritual Activism

Spiritual Activism
Author: Avraham Weiss
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2010-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580234186

"Avi doesn't only talk the talk, or even walk the walk. He writes the instruction manual. This book shows a way, perhaps not the only way but one indispensable way, of being an activist on behalf of the Jewish people. Read it and learn." --from the Foreword by Alan M. Dershowitz I n this age of perpetual strife and conflict, we need now more than ever to find out how to be proactive in repairing our broken world. Rabbi Avraham Weiss's provocative and challenging guidebook will show you just that--and so much more. With easy-to-follow steps, accessible explanations of the principles of spiritual activism and an exploration into the foundations of spiritual activism as rooted in the Torah, Weiss offers more than simply a user manual--he provides an in-depth approach to changing your role in the world. Topics include: - Why, How and When Do We Engage in Spiritual Activism? - Choosing the Cause - Making Partners - Designing the Strategy - Leading Other People - Seeing the Big Picture - And more ...

Doing Jewish Theology

Doing Jewish Theology
Author: Rabbi Neil Gillman, PhD
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2011-02-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 158023576X

An Intellectually Rich and Challenging Exploration of Modern Jewish Theology "How we deal with revelation determines how we handle the issue of authority in belief and practice. How we understand authority determines how we deal with the claims of the tradition on us; how we deal with those claims determines how we shape our own Judaism. That conclusion opens the gate to a reconsideration of all of Judaism's theology, in particular how we understand God, for God is at the heart of Torah." —from the Introduction With clarity and passion, award-winning teacher, author and theologian Neil Gillman captures the power of Jewish theological claims and reveals extraordinary insights into Jewish identity, the purpose of religion, and our relationship with God. Drawing from Judaism’s sacred texts as well as great thinkers such as Mordecai Kaplan, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Paul Tillich, Gillman traces his theological journey over four decades of study, beginning with his own understanding of revelation. He explores the role of symbol and myth in our understanding of the nature of God and covenant. He examines the importance of community in both determining authority and sanctifying sacred space. By charting the development of his own personal theology, Gillman explores the evolution of Jewish thought and its implications for modern Jewish religious identity today and in the future.

A Wild Faith

A Wild Faith
Author: Rabbi Mike Comins
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2011-04-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580235891

Explore the connections between God, wilderness and Judaism. This comprehensive how-to guide to the theory and practice of Jewish wilderness spirituality unravels the mystery of Judaism's connection to the natural world and offers ways for you to enliven and deepen your spiritual life through wilderness experience. Over forty practical exercises provide detailed instruction on spiritual practice in the natural world, including: Mindfulness exercises for the trail • Meditative walking • Four-Winds wisdom from Jewish tradition • Wilderness blessings • Soul-O Site solitude practice in wilderness • Wilderness retreat For wilderness lovers and nature novices alike, this inspiring and insightful book will lead you through experiences of awe and wonder in the natural world. It will show you the depth and relevance of Judaism to your spiritual awareness in wilderness and teach you new ways to energize your relationship with God and prayer.

Healing from Despair

Healing from Despair
Author: Elie Kaplan Spitz
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2010-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580234364

Through healing, brokenness can become a source of hope and blessing. This wise and helpful guide traces the path of suffering from despair to depression to desperation to the turning point where suffering can be transformed into blessing.