Bibiography

History

Bahat, Dan. The Atlas of Biblical Jerusalem. Jerusalem: Carta, 1994.

Ben-Chorin, Schalom. Brother Jesus: The Nazarene through Jewish Eyes. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2001.

Gray, John. A History of Jerusalem. New York: Frederick A. Preager Publishers, 1969.

Gulston, Charles. Jerusalem: The Tragedy and the Triumph. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978.

Mare, W. Harold. The Archaeology of the Jerusalem Area. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987.

Millar, J. M., and Hayes, J. H. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. 2nd ed. Westminster, 1986.

Millard, A. R. “Text and Archaeology: Weighing the Evidence, the Case for King Solomon,” Palestine Exploration Quarterly (January-June 1991): 19-27.

Scheindlin, Raymond P. A Short History of the Jewish People.

This is a brief introduction to Jewish history. It is a readable overview of time periods, rather than a comprehensive study.

Seltzer, Robert M. Jewish People, Jewish Thought

This is a comprehensive review of Jewish civilization, Jewish history and Jewish thinking.

Turner, George. Historical Geography of the Holy Land. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973

Yadin, Yigael. Jerusalem Revealed: Archaeology in the Holy City 1968-1974. New Haven and London: Yale University and the Israel Exploration Society, 1976.

Yerushalmi, Yoseph. Yizkor.

This is an examination of specific periods of Jewish history. In particular, Professor Yerushalmi is interested in the search for meaning within the context of creating communal memory.

Israel

Ben-Gurion, David. Israel: A Personal History.

Chacour, Elias. Blood Brothers. Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1984.

Hartman, David. Israelis and the Jewish Tradition.

Rabbi Hartman asks the question of whether traditional Jewish life and thought can have an impact on a secular Israel. Seeking to show and emphasize the pluralistic values embedded in Judaism, he argues that Jewish life and practice should be presented to secular Israel in the form of spiritual education rather than institutional command.

Hertzberg, Arthur. The Fate Zionism.

_________. The Zionist Idea.

Nusseibeh, Sari. Once Upon a Country.

Oz, Amos. A Tale of Love and Darkness.

Segev, Tom. The Seventh Million, 1948.

Christian Texts

Deane, S. N., Trans. St. Anselm: Basic Writings. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company, 1962.

Hayes, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996.

Johnson, Luke T. Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making in the Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.

_______. The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

_______. Writings of the New Testament. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1999.

Leyerle, Blake. “Landscape as Cartography in Early Christian Pilgrimage Narratives,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 64 (1996): 119-143.

Maraval, Pierre. “The Bible as a Guide to Early Christian Pilgrims to the Holy Land,” in The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity, ed. & trans. Paul M. Blowers. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1997, pp. 375-388.

Norris, Frederick N. The Apostolic Faith: Protestants and Roman Catholics. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1992.

Peters, F. E. Jerusalem: The Holy Land in the Eyes of Chroniclers, Visitors, Pilgrims, and Prophets from the Days of Abraham to the Beginnings of Modern Times. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.

Polkinghorne, John. Serious Talk: Science and Religion in Dialogue. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986.

Silberman, Neil Asher. Digging for God and Country: Exploration, Archaeology, and Secret Struggle for the Holy Land, 1799-1917. New York, 1982.

Verhey, Allen. The Great Reversal: Ethics and the New Testament. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing.

Vidal, Jaime R. “Pilgrimage in the Christian tradition,” in Pilgrimage; ed. V Elizondo, et al. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1996, pp. 35-47.

Walker, Peter. Holy City, Holy Places? Christian Attitudes to Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the Fourth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Wilkinson, John. Egeria’s Travels in the Holy Land, revised ed. Warminster, UK: Aris & Phillips, 1981.

Books on Prayer and Jewish text

Heschel, Rabbi Abraham Joshua. Man’s Quest for God.

This book is a deep and provocative exploration of spirituality and the meaning of prayer. It addresses issues such as halakha and its purpose; talking to God; and the meaning of our conversations with God. This book allows for an intense study of themes surrounding the human search for meaningful prayer.

Hoffman, Rabbi Lawrence, Minhag Ami: My People’s Prayer Book.

This multi-volume reference guide gives very complete explanations of the structures of the prayers and their origins. Scholars of different fields contribute their expertise, making this series a very helpful and encompassing tool to study the siddur. Each volume concentrates on a particular part of the service.

Holtz, Barry. Back to the Sources

Jewish Practice

Klein, Rabbi Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice.

This book is a wonderful reference for matters of halakha. It gives short and complete explanations of traditional Jewish practices. It is an important book for any Jewish home that takes religious practice seriously.

Telushkin, Joseph. Jewish Literacy.

Shabbat & Hagim

Heschel, Rabbi Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath.

This book is, perhaps, the most important work ever written on the significance of Shabbat to the Jewish people. It is a spiritual look at the meaning of Shabbat in modern life. It is thought provoking and beautiful.

Waskow, Rabbi Arthur. Seasons of Our Joy.

In this book, Rabbi Waskow presents a wonderful study of each of the Jewish holidays, beginning with Elul and Rosh Hashanah and ending with Tisha B’Av. This book is a compelling blend of sophisticated academic learning with deep spiritual wisdom.

Wolfson, Ron. The Shabbat Seder.

The Passover Seder

Zion, Noam Sachs and Spectre, Barbara. A Different Light.

Biblical Commentaries

Alt, A., O. Eißfeldt and E. Kittel, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1990.

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles Briggs, eds. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.

Etz Hayim. The Jewish Publication Society

Fields, Rabbi Harvey. A Torah Commentary for Our Times.

Leibowitz, Nehama. New Studies in Genesis . . . Deuteronomy.

This series of commentaries on each book of the Torah is an excellent resource and was written by one of the great women Torah scholars.

Plaut, Rabbi W. Gunther, ed. The Torah: A Modern Commentary.

This humash contains scholarly introductions to many sections of the Torah. It includes traditional and modern commentaries and helps us to understand the words of Torah from a modern liberal perspective.

Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yithaki (Solomon ben Isaac), 1040 - 1105.

Rashi was the outstanding Biblical commentator of the Middle Ages. He was born in Troyes, France and survived the massacres of the First Crusade through Europe. Rashi was the first and probably most important commentator on Torah. His primary concern was in understanding every word in the text that needed elaboration or explanation. There are several English translations of Rashi’s Torah commentary, including by Hebrew Publishing Company, translation by Dr. A. M. Silberman and also a translation published by Art Scroll.

Scroll, Art. Humash, an Orthodox reading of the Torah with commentary.

The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday.

Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, Texas: Word Books, 1990.

Zornberg, Aviva. The Beginnings of Desire

(a commentary on the Torah portions in the book of Genesis), and The Particulars of Rapture (a commentary on the Torah portions in the book of Exodus). Dr. Zornberg

Gender and Judaism

Adler, Rachel. Engendering Judaism.

This is an exploration of Judaism and feminist theology, by one of the most important and influential Jewish feminist theologians of our day. Themes addressed include: women and prayer; gendered prayer language; women and halakha. This book was very significant in opening the discussion about ketubah language and alternative covenantal contracts between two people, including the now-famous “brit ahuvim,” lovers’ covenant.

Diamant, Anita. The Red Tent.

Greenberg, Rabbi Steven. Wrestling with God and Man.

A rereading of the Torah’s prohibition against homosexuality by the only openly gay Orthodox rabbi.

Plaskow, Judith. Standing Again at Sinai.

This is one of the most important texts on Jewish feminism. It is a critique of Judaism as a patriarchal tradition and an exploration of the increasing involvement of women in naming and shaping Jewish tradition.

Jewish Theology and Philosophy

Borowitz, Rabbi Eugene. Choices in Modern Jewish Thought.

This book provides modern understandings of many of Judaism’s great philosophers. It enables the reader to study some of the philosophical approaches to Judaism, and provides an understanding for on-going interpretation of Jewish law.

Buber, Martin. I and Thou.

This book is an exploration of Buber’s belief that our relationship with God is holy and mutual. This book is an introduction to Buber’s understanding of our ongoing encounter with God being “face-to-face.”

Gilman, Neil. Sacred Fragments.

Professor Gillman, who teaches philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary, offers a concise exposition and synthesis of the religious existentialism of Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig with the mysticism of Abraham Joshua Heschel. Professor Gilman's book covers the whole range of major Jewish subjects: from God to Holocaust, from prayer to Torah. His exposition is literate without being academic, accessible without being condescending.

Green, Arthur. Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology.

This is a work of contemporary Jewish theology. Professor Green, who teaches at Brandeis University, tackles the topics of the reality of God, creation, revelations, and the return to God.

Hartman, David. Heart of Many Rooms.

Here again Hartman presents Judaism as a religion that not only can be open to a plurality of values and practices, but that such a pluralistic value system is authentically Jewish.

________. Israelis and the Jewish Tradition.

________, Judaism, A Living Covenant.

Hartman shares his wisdom and insight on his 3 most important role models: Joseph Soloveitchik, Yeshiahu Leibowitz and Moses Maimonides. Although this is a highly philosophical text, it is beautifully and clearly written.

Leibowitz, Yeshayahu. The Faith of Maimonides.

In this short book, Leibowitz examines the philosophy of Maimonides.

Shoah (Holocaust)

Frankl, Victor. Man’s Search for Meaning.

This book explores the search for life’s meaning in a post-Holocaust world.

Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower.

This thought-provoking and painful story is told by a Survivor of the Shoah. It is the story of a concentration camp prisoner’s encounter with a Nazi officer who asks for his forgiveness.

Wiesel, Elie. Night.

This book is a first-hand account of the horrors of life in concentration camp. It is written by one of the most well-known Survivors of Nazi atrocities.

Kabbalah, Mysticism, Hasidut

Green, Art. Ehyeh.

This book introduces the fundamental ideas and spiritual teachings of Kabbalah. In addition, Green explains how the ancient language of Kabbalah can be retooled to address the needs of our generation.

Kushner, Lawrence. The Way Into Mysticism.

Through an analysis of mystical texts, Rabbi Kushner helps us access the depth of kabbalistic thought.

Rose, Or and Leader, Ebn D. God in All Moments: Mystical & Practical Spiritual Wisdom.

From Hasidic Masters

The editors have selected a small number of treasures from among the many hanhagot--Hasidic spiritual instructions or practices. They are wonderful inspirations for dealing with everyday life.