Why is this night different from all other nights? Every year when families gather for the Passover holiday, the youngest child poses that question as part of the poetic Four Questions near the start of the Seder. The answers are no less than the story of people bound in slavery, their suffering in a foreign land, and their ultimate liberation - the story of Passover. Here the Four Questions are presented in breathtaking luminous paintings by Ori...

This is an informative and entertaining three-part program that discusses the topics of spiritual enlightenment and religious thought. The series poses questions such as: Does God exist? How can a person ive a life of virtue? and examines it in relation to religion and spirituality. It explores the genesis of spiritual thought and investigates the central doctrines of Confucianism, Shinto, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam.

Written in 75 AD by the Jewish historian and Roman citizen Titus Flavius Josephus, "The Wars of the Jews", describes Jewish history from the capture of Jerusalem in 164 BC. to the destruction of the city in 70 AD. Josephus, born in Jerusalem in 37 AD with the name Yosef ben Matityahu, was from a Jewish family with a father of a priestly heritage and a mother who claimed to have royal blood. Josephus fought against the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman...

God-Optional Judaism is a wonderful, chock-full resource for families and individuals who want to find their place in the Jewish world without necessarily believing in God. Funny, accessible, and open-minded, the book touches on key elements of Jewish history and philosophy, all the major holidays (food recipes included!), and contemporary issues of intermarriage, education, conversion, feelings towards Israel, and spirituality. It offers alternative,...

An inspiring, frank, and engaging “spiritual autobiography” that will touch anyone seeking deeper meaning in their religious life. As we come to recognize the need to nurture our spiritual lives as adults, The Year Mom Got Religion offers sensitive and intelligent wisdom from a woman who learned how awakening to religion can transform, and disrupt, a life. Lee Meyerhoff Hendler relates her awakening to Judaism. She also shares the hard lessons...

What can we do to repair, rewind and reset Jewish time to ensure a thriving existence in the future? The generation of the late twentieth century experienced a rupture in Jewish time. As a result of our confrontation with Modernity, the integration of Jews into the American mainstream, the shattering tragedy of the Holocaust and the miraculous rebirth of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, we can no longer look easily to the past for lessons of...

Visionary solutions for a community ripe for transformational change-from fourteen leading innovators of Jewish life. "Jewish Megatrends offers a vision for a community that can simultaneously strengthen the institutions that serve those who seek greater Jewish identification and attract younger Jews, many of whom are currently outside the orbit of Jewish communal life. Schwarz and his collaborators provide an exciting path, building on proven examples,...

A Step-by-Step Guide for Honoring the Dead and Empowering the Living When someone dies, there are so many questions-from what to do in the moment of grief, to dealing with the practical details of the funeral, to spiritual concerns about the meaning of life and death. This indispensable guide to Jewish mourning and comfort provides traditional and modern insights into every aspect of loss. In a new, easy-to-use format, this classic resource is full...