History

Rembrandt's Jews puts this myth to the test as it examines both the legend and the reality of Rembrandt's relationship to Jews and Judaism. In his elegantly written and engrossing tour of Jewish Amsterdam--which begins in 1653 as workers are repairing Rembrandt's Portuguese-Jewish neighbor's house and completely disrupting the artist's life and livelihood--Steven Nadler tells us the stories of the artist's portraits of Jewish sitters, of his mundane and often contentious dealings with his neighbors in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, and of the tolerant setting that city provided for Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews fleeing persecution in other parts of Europe. As Nadler shows, Rembrandt was only one of a number of prominent seventeenth-century Dutch painters and draftsmen who found inspiration in Jewish subjects. Looking at other artists, such as the landscape painter Jacob van Ruisdael and Emmanuel de Witte, a celebrated painter of architectural interiors, Nadler is able to build a deep and complex account of the remarkable relationship between Dutch and Jewish cultures in the period, evidenced in the dispassionate, even ordinary ways in which Jews and their religion are represented--far from the demonization and grotesque caricatures, the iconography of the outsider, so often found in depictions of Jews during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Through his close look at paintings, etchings, and drawings; in his discussion of intellectual and social life during the Dutch Golden Age; and even through his own travels in pursuit of his subject, Nadler takes the reader through Jewish Amsterdam then and now--a trip that, under ever-threatening Dutch skies, is full of colorful and eccentric personalities, fiery debates, and magnificent art.

NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FINALIST

Part of the Jewish Encounter series

In Sacred Trash, MacArthur-winning poet and translator Peter Cole and acclaimed essayist Adina Hoffman tell the story of the retrieval from an Egyptian geniza, or repository for worn-out texts, of the most vital cache of Jewish manuscripts ever discovered. This tale of buried scholarly treasure weaves together unforgettable portraits of Solomon Schechter and the other heroes of this drama with explorations of the medieval documents themselves--letters and poems, wills and marriage contracts, Bibles, money orders, fiery dissenting tracts, fashion-conscious trousseaux lists, prescriptions, petitions, and mysterious magical charms. Presenting a panoramic view of nine hundred years of vibrant Mediterranean Judaism, Hoffman and Cole bring modern readers into the heart of this little-known trove, whose contents have rightly been dubbed "the Living Sea Scrolls." Part biography and part meditation on the supreme value the Jewish people has long placed on the written word, Sacred Trash is above all a gripping tale of adventure and redemption.

The Shocking Secrets of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Artwork

The recent cleaning of the Sistine Chapel frescoes removed layer after layer of centuries of accumulated tarnish and darkness. The Sistine Secrets endeavors to remove the centuries of prejudice, censorship, and ignorance that blind us to the truth about one of the world's most famous and beloved art treasures.

The system of Jewish law is designed to guide us in major and minor areas of our lives. However, how is it applied in unprecedented situations? In this fascinating new work, rabbi and educator Aviad Tabory goes through watershed events and major issues in modern Israeli history, examining them through the lens of halakha. Examples include the 1961 capture of Adolph Eichmann and the obligation to bring murderers to justice; the Eli Cohen affair in Syria and how far one may go to protect the State of Israel; the 2005 Disengagement from Gush Katif and the issues surrounding the destructtion of synagogues; the religious ramifications for Jerusalem the capital when the American Embassy moved to Jerusalem. This work looks at halakha within the context of the pertinent historical, political, cultural and social issues at each time.

"We fight, therefore we are." This revision of Cartesian wisdom was enunciated by the late premier of Israel, Menachim Begin. It is the leitmotif of this brilliant study of the military origins of modern Israel. J. Bowyer Bell argues that the members of Irgun, Lehi (the Stern Gang), and the Zionist underground in British mandated Palestine had clear motives for the violent path they took: the creation of a sovereign homeland for the Jewish people in oppressed lands. These advocates of terror pitted themselves against not only the British and the Arabs, but also against less violent brethren like Ben Gurion, Moshe Dayan, and Yitzhak Rabin.

This is the definitive story of desperate, dedicated revolutionaries who were driven to conclude that lives must be taken if Israel were to live. The dynamite bombing of the King David Hotel, the assassination of Lord Moyne in Cairo, and Count Bernardotte, in Palestine were but a few acts of terror which forced the British out of the Middle East. Terror Out of Zion evaluates whether these acts were extremist or necessary, and whether these men and women were fanatics or freedom fighters.

Terror Out of Zion serves as a primer for those who would understand contemporary political divisions in Israel. It is based on careful historical research and interviews with surviving members of the Irgun, chronicling bombings, assassinations, hah- breadth prison escapes, and endless cycles of retaliation in the terror that gave birth to Israel, but, no less, continues to inform its political relations. Bell has fashioned an adventure story that also explains the sources of current tensions and frictions within Israel.

Publishers' Weekly wrote that "Bell's book crackles with suspense and explodes with tales of carnage and violence; it could hardly be otherwise. Yet he writes with compassion and insight into the black despair that engendered the terrorist's brutal deeds." And a highly laudatory New York Times review said "excellent ... a skillfully written, fast-paced anecdotal narrative of one of the bloodiest and least documented chapters of Zionist history . . . the story is more than mere history; it is detailed portrait of the formulating experiences of Israel's new leadership."

How the Jewish people went from farmers to merchants

In 70 CE, the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts, trade, moneylending, and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World, from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? The Chosen Few presents a new answer to this question by applying the lens of economic analysis to the key facts of fifteen formative centuries of Jewish history. Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein offer a powerful new explanation of one of the most significant transformations in Jewish history while also providing fresh insights into the growing debate about the social and economic impact of religion.

How the Jewish people went from farmers to merchants

In 70 CE, the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts, trade, moneylending, and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World, from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? The Chosen Few presents a new answer to this question by applying the lens of economic analysis to the key facts of fifteen formative centuries of Jewish history. Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein offer a powerful new explanation of one of the most significant transformations in Jewish history while also providing fresh insights into the growing debate about the social and economic impact of religion.

The First World War was a calamity which significantly impacted the Jewish people. Millions of Jews were personally affected whether upon the battlefields by being in close proximity to the fighting, or as refugees. The era of the First World War ignited existing hatreds against Jewry and posed unprecedented challenges in a world rife with peril. With the War's end in 1918, dangers and hardships facing Jewry continued. Amid this bleak and ominous picture, the Balfour Declaration gave hope for Jewish statehood. The aftermath of the war eventually led to the rebirth of the Jewish State.

On April 9, 1948, forces of the Etzel and Lehi Jewish underground military organizations attacked the Arab village of Deir Yassin west of Jerusalem. The nature of this attack became one of the most controversial issues in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Professor Eliezer Tauber’s serious and in-depth research sheds light on this event, as we discover what really happened at Deir Yassin. This work will have a major impact on how we understand Israeli and Palestinian history.

A Masterpiece on the Mishkan!

"It is virtually impossible to attain an understanding of the true depth [of the Mishkan] without delving into this book." - HaRav Mordechai Gifter, zt "l, commenting on the author s Hebrew sefer, which served as the basis for this book

The Mishkan. It was one of the most glorious structures ever built - the" home "for the Divine Presence, and the central focus of the Jewish nation during their forty-year sojourn in the desert. Yet, despite the fact that every year we review the Torah portions that describe the Mishkan, many of us have a poor understanding of its appearance.

Over twenty years ago, Rabbi Dovid Meyers recognized the significance of studying and clarifying this important portion of the Torah. With the strong encouragement of HaRav HaGaon Rav Mordechai Gifter, zt "l (Rosh HaYeshiva of Telshe), Rabbi Meyers began researching this topic in the original sources. After years of research, he published his Hebrew sefer, Meleches HaMishkan V'Kailav, to much acclaim, and many educators have adopted it as an essential aid in teaching this vast topic.

Now, for the benefit of the English-speaking public, Rabbi Meyers has written The Mishkan Illuminated, based on his original Hebrew sefer.

This groundbreaking work features :

The complete Hebrew text of Parashas Terumah, including Onkelos and Rashi, plus portions from Tetzaveh and Ki Sisa
English translation of the verses
In-depth, yet easy-to-read, explanations of all aspects of the Mishkan and its vessels
Extensive footnotes and supplementary notes, which provide immense detail and clearly explain many differing opinions
Full-color, precisely detailed illustrations that reflect the author's painstaking research
Scholarship based on numerous consultations with Maran HaRav HaGaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit "a, and other Gedolei Yisrael
An unparalleled way to review the entire Parashas Terumah
About the Author Rabbi Dovid Meyers received his semichah (ordination) from Telshe Yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio. He was a member of the Telshe Yeshiva Kollel for eight years, and has been a rebbi in Mosdos Ohr Hatorah of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for twenty-one years, teaching Parashas Terumah every year to his students.
Hardcover | 8.5 "x 11" "coffee-table" size

Jews have long embraced their identity as "the people of the book." But outside of the Bible, much of the Jewish literary tradition remains little known to nonspecialist readers. The People and the Books shows how central questions and themes of our history and culture are reflected in the Jewish literary canon: the nature of God, the right way to understand the Bible, the relationship of the Jews to their Promised Land, and the challenges of living as a minority in Diaspora. Adam Kirsch explores eighteen classic texts, including the biblical books of Deuteronomy and Esther, the philosophy of Maimonides, the autobiography of the medieval businesswoman Glückel of Hameln, and the Zionist manifestoes of Theodor Herzl. From the Jews of Roman Egypt to the mystical devotees of Hasidism in Eastern Europe, The People and the Books brings the treasures of Jewish literature to life and offers new ways to think about their enduring power and influence.