AVODAH
ANCIENT POEMS FOR YOM KIPPUR
Translated and Edited by MICHAEL D. SWARTZ and JOSepH YAHALOM
PSU Press. October 2004
Avodah: Ancient Poems for Yom Kippur is the first major translation of one of the most important genres of the lost literature of the ancient synagogue. Known as the Avodah piyyutim, this liturgical poetry was composed by the synagogue poets of fifth- to ninth-century Palestine and sung in the synagogues on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Although it was suppressed by generations of Rabbis, its ornamental beauty and deep exploration of sacred stories ensured its popularity for centuries. Piyyut literature can teach us much about how ancient Jews understood sacrifice, sacred space, and sin. The poems are also a rich source for retrieving myths and symbols not found in the conventional Rabbinic sources such as the Talmuds and Midrash. Moreover, these compositions rise to the level of fine literature. They are the products of great literary effort, continue and extend the tradition of biblical parallelism, and reveal the aesthetic sensibilities of the Mediterranean in Late Antiquity. The book's format is innovative and appropriate for this complex, allusive genre of poetry. The Hebrew and English appear on facing pages with the references printed in a column to the side of the page. As the ancient listener would hear the poem chanted in the synagogue and recall the biblical references and legends based on them, the modern reader will read the body of the poem and be able to consult the references without being distracted by footnotes. The book contains an extensive introduction that not only describes the Avodah genre of piyyut but also places the poetry of the synagogue into the context of the art and civilization of the Mediterranean in Late Antiquity. Avodah: Ancient Poems for Yom Kippur is the first volume in The Penn State Library of Jewish Literature, overseen by Baruch Halpern and Aminadav Dykman. This series will constitute a library of primary source material for the Jewish and Hebrew literary traditions. The library will present Jewish and Hebrew works from all eras and cultures, offering both scholars and general readers original, modern translations of previously overlooked texts. Michael D. Swartz is Professor of Hebrew and Religious Studies at the Ohio State University. Joseph Yahalom is Professor of Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalam. Click to read more.
Rosh Hashanah Readings
Inspiration, Information And Contemplation
Edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
Summer 2006, Jewish Lights
A powerful collection of writings about Rosh Hashanah that will add depth and holiness to your experience of the spiritual New Year. This compelling companion to Yom Kippur Readings helps create a bridge between the words of our ancestors and the meanings, themes and ideas that are the central spiritual agenda of the life of the modern Jew.
Drawn from a variety of sources-ancient, medieval, modern, Jewish and non-Jewish-this selection of readings, prayers and insights explores the opportunities for inspiration and reflection inherent in the subjects addressed on the Jewish New Year: sin, repentance, personal and social change, societal justice, forgiveness, spiritual growth, living with joy and hope, commitment to high ideals, becoming our truest and most authentic selves, deepening our capacity to love and savoring the divine gift of life. These readings enable you to enter into the spirit of Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe in a personal and powerful way while they uplift and inform. They will add to the benefits of your High Holy Day experience year after year.
Yom Kippur Readings
Inspiration, Information and Contemplation
Edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
Summer 2006, Jewish Lights
A powerful collection of writings about Yom Kippur that will add spiritual depth and holiness to your experience of the Day of Atonement. As Rosh Hashanah ends and you look ahead to Yom Kippur, what do you think about? The familiar melody of Kol Nidre? The long hours of fasting? The days of self-examination? You know that the Day of Atonement is the holiest on the Jewish calendar, but sometimes it just feels long, tiresome and devoid of personal meaning. The readings in this book are for anyone seeking a deeper level of personal reflection and spiritual intimacy-and a clearer understanding of just what makes Yom Kippur so holy. Drawn from a variety of sources-ancient, medieval, modern, Jewish and non-Jewish-this selection of readings, prayers and insights explores the opportunities for inspiration and reflection inherent in the themes addressed on the Day of Atonement: sin, forgiveness, repentance, spiritual growth, and being at one with self, family, community and God. These readings enable you to enter into the spirit of Yom Kippur in a personal and powerful way while they uplift and inform. They will add to the benefits of your High Holy Day experience year after yea
GERSHON'S MONSTER
A STORY OF THE JEWISH NEW YEAR
By Eric Kimmel
September 2000. Age 5 and Up. Every Rosh Hashana, in Jewish communities around the Earth, some Jews symbolically dispose of their sins by emptying their pockets of bread crumbs into streams, rivers, or seas. Some do this symbolically, others with meaning, and a few forget Isaiah's admonition against choosing the improper fast. The process is known as tashlikh. Eric Kimmel, a prolific Jewish children's book author, presents this book for the High Holidays based on a Hasidic tale about tashlikh. The book is based on a Hasidic tale of the Ba'al Shem Tov (BeSHT), and also incorporates the writings of Rabbi Maimonide's 12th Century Laws of Repentance (Chapter 2), and Rabbi Benay Lappe's "Six Steps for Doing Teshuva."
Now let's get to the lovely book. Gershon the Baker and noble wife Fayge live in Constantsa on the Black Sea. Is (Constant)sa a town where change does not occur? Gershon the Baker is uncaring and self-absorbed; he sweeps his flaws into his cellar each Friday and forgets them. He never make amends or apologizes. Gershon cares nothing about other people's feelings. He barges into rooms; he knocks things over; he never says, "Thank You." At Rosh Hashana, he takes all his sins and flaws that he swept into the cellar, places the into a sack, and takes them down to the Black Sea. There he deposits them and forgets them. But do sins just disappear if true repentance is missing?
When Gershon travels to Kuty to see a famed rabbi in order to plead for the birth of a child, he is oblivious to the rabbi's teachings that Gershon is undeserving and uncaring. But the wonder rabbi relents, and Fayge gives birth to twins within a year. But what about Gershon's ways? They influence the family, the kids, the community, and the Black Sea, until one day, they rise up like a sea monster as the twins are playing on the beach.
Can Gershon the Baker change? Will repentance be true? Will the twins be saved? Is there a way to lessen the final decree? Click here to order this book from Amazon.com, read more reviews, or to add your own review.
Dutton, July 2003
One Rosh Hashanah, a boy overhears some chickens planning a strike. They are sick of being used for Kapores, the New Year custom in which people swing a live chicken over their heads, hoping to erase their bad deeds. When all of the chickens run away, the women try to coax them back with grain, the men try to get them back with force, and the rabbi tries to negotiate. Finally the boy pleads, "Without Kapores, I will never be able to make my papa proud." A chicken responds, "Boychick, for this you need a chicken?" This amusing and telling story about wise chickens and foolish villagers will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever wanted to be a better person
2005
Continuing her narration of the story of the Patriarchs in the Book of Genesis, After These Things recounts the relationship between Abraham's tragic son Isaac and Isaac's son Jacob. In following the psychological trail of the children of Abraham, the first properly constituted family, we discover all the complexities of love, power, and desire that make them so quintessentially human.
Rosh Hashanah Yom Kipper Survival Kit by Shimon Apisdorf
Hardcover - 130 pages Revised edition (September 1997). Do you know someone who just mumbles their way through the High Holy Day services? Do you need a refresher in understanding the symbolism and the goals of you and your community during the New Year season? Read this. The Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit allows you to understand the prayers before saying them; appreciate the hidden meaning behind the sounds of the shofar; gain insights into Yom Kippur as an opportunity for personal growth; access new keys to your ultimate potential; follow the services, discover their relevance to life - and - never be bored again. Click to read more. Click here to order this book from Amazon.com, tax free, read more reviews, or to add your own review.
On Apology
by Aaron Lazare
September 2004, Oxford
One of the most profound interactions that can occur between people, apologies have the power to heal humiliations, free the mind from deep-seated guilt, remove the desire for vengeance, and ultimately restore broken relationships. In On Apology, Aaron Lazare offers an eye-opening analysis of this vital interaction, illuminating an often hidden corner of the human heart. Why do people apologize? Why is it so difficult to apologize? Why do some apologies heal while others fail--and even offend? Is it ever too late to apologize? Is the ability to apologize a sign of strength or weakness? In what ways are public apologies different from private ones? What is the relationship of apology to forgiveness? Lazare answers all these questions in this fascinating volume. Indeed, the author offers a wide-ranging dissection of the apology. He discusses the importance of shame, guilt, and humiliation, the timelessness of emotional pain, the initial reluctance to apologize, the simplicity of the act of apologizing, the spontaneous generosity and forgiveness on the part of the offended, the transfer of power and respect between two parties, and much more. Throughout, the author looks not only at individuals but also at groups and nations--for instance, Abraham Lincoln's apology for slavery, the German government's apology to the victims of World War II, and the U.S. government's apology to Japanese-Americans interned during World War II. Readers will thus find not only a wealth of insight that they can apply to their own lives, but also a deeper understanding of national and international conflicts and how we might resolve them. Everyone has the opportunity to apologize now and then. On Apology opens a window onto this common occurrence to reveal the feelings and actions at the heart of this profound interaction. Click to read more.
Beginning Anew : A Woman's Companion to the High Holy Days by Gail Twersky Reimer (Editor), Judith A. Kates (Editor)
Paperback - 384 pages (September 1997). In illuminating commentaries on the biblical texts read on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper, a number of contemporary female authors, scholars, theologians, and educators offer a fresh perspective on Jewish history, tradition, and religion. This elegant series of articles focuses on the relationships of the Jewish matriarchs to the women around them. Why is the bible always discussing barren women, like Hannah, Sarah, and Rachel? What is it like to give your husband your handmaid as a concubine? Why did Sara banish Hagar? Was she still angry over her prior barrenness? How do you think Hagar felt? How did Sarah feel? Why do we read these texts on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur? Insightful, thought-provoking, and wise--a treasure for all Jewish women seeking insights for the New Year. Click to read more. Click here to order this book from Amazon.com, tax free, read more reviews, or to add your own review.
Companion Guide to the Yom Kippur Prayer Service by Moshe I. Sorscher, Kenneth Auman, and Solomon J. Sharfman
Less than $8. Paperback - 118 pages (June 1998). Rabbi Buchwald of Lincoln Sqaure writes that, "Having Moshe Sorschers wonderful volume for the High Holidays is like having a special angel as a companion to make the prayer experience more meaningful and spiritual." This reader-friendly guide contains transliterations of every important prayer said or sung in unison by the congregation, as well as page references to the Artscroll Machzor, both volumes of the Birnbaum prayer book, the Metsudah Machzor and the Lubavitch Machzor. Other features include: full glossary, inspiring parables, outline and explanation of services, and explanations of the major prayers. Click to read more. Click here to order this book from Amazon.com, tax free, read more reviews, or to add your own review.
Disclaimer: We provide this data as a service to readers. We are not responsible for the results of the use or misuse of the data and/or the review of the works above. Amazon.com fulfills book orders
![[Honey for Rosh Hashana]](http://www.myjewishbooks.com/plainbear.gif)
![[dropping apple for rosh hashana]](http://www.sefersafari.com/droppingapple.gif)
Click here to SEND free Rosh Hashana E-Cards to the Mishpacha ![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0271023570.jpg)
AVODAH![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/1580232396.jpg)
Rosh Hashanah Readings![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/158023271X.jpg)
Yom Kippur Readings
Inspiration, Information and Contemplation![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/043910839X.gif)
GERSHON'S MONSTER![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0525468625.jpg)
When the Chickens Went on Strike![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/1844080153.jpg)
After These Things (Paperback)![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/1881927148.gif)
Rosh Hashanah Yom Kipper Survival Kit by Shimon Apisdorf ![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/earth.gif)
Thoughts for the Month of Elul by Rabbi Avigdor ha-Levi Nebenzahl, C. Margaliot (Editor), P.R. Tal (Translator) ![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0195173430.jpg)
On Apology![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/cart.gif)
Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide To The History, Prayers and Themes by Reuven Hammer ![[book]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0684826879.gif)
Beginning Anew : A Woman's Companion to the High Holy Days by Gail Twersky Reimer (Editor), Judith A. Kates (Editor) ![[cover-art]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0805210482.gif)
Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy Days by S.Y. Agnon (Editor), Maurice T. Galpert, and Nahum Glatzer ![[cover-art]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0765799731.gif)
1,001 Questions and Answers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Jeffrey M. Cohen ![[cover-art]](http://www.sefersafari.com/0933873174.gif)
Building Jewish Life--Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur by Joel Lurie Grishaver, Jane Golub (Illustrator), Alan Rowe (Illustrator)![[cover-art]](http://www.sefersafari.com/067082772X.gif)
Days of Awe : Stories for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Eric A. Kimmel, Erika Weihs (Illustrator)![[cover-art]](http://www.sefersafari.com/1580130038.gif)
The Magic of Kol Nidre : A Yom Kippur Story by Bruce H. Siegel, Shelly O. Haas (Illustrator)