Celebrating the Jewish Year - by Paul Steinberg (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

2009 National Jewish Book Award Winner, Jewish Family Literature

JPS's holiday books take us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. As we move from season to season, Paul Steinberg shares with us a rich collection of readings from many of the Jewish greats--Maimonides, Rashi, Nehama Leibowitz, Irving Greenberg, Shlomo Carlebach, Marge Piercy, Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Arthur Green, and others--and he guides us in discovering for ourselves the many treasures within each text. Some of the readings teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation; others give us inspiration and much food for thought. These stories, essays, poems, anecdotes, and rituals help us discover how deeply Jewish traditions are rooted in nature's yearly cycle, and how beautifully season and spirit are woven together throughout the Jewish year.

Rabbi Paul Steinberg is lecturer in Jewish Studies and Education in the Graduate School of Education at American Jewish University. He also serves as associate rabbi and educator at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California. Prior to joining VBS, Rabbi Steinberg served as the Rabbi and Director of Jewish Studies and Hebrew at Levine Academy: A Solomon Schechter School in Dallas, Texas. He holds master's degrees in both education and rabbinic studies and was ordained from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. He is the author of The Study Guide to Jewish Ethics (JPS, 2003), articles on Hebrew Bible and Jewish education.

Janet Greenstein Potter is the editor of several JPS publications, including the National Jewish Book Award Finalist Wise and Not So Wise, Praise Her Works, Zayda Was a Cowboy, Sarah's Journey, and The Kids' Catalog of Animals and the Earth, a book about the environment and the Jewish tradition.

Review Quotes

"Helpful and informative as well as pleasurable reading, the book's mixture of styles ranges from popular, reasoned, conceptual, to more scholarly."--Jewish Book World

"Paul Steinberg explains customs in simple terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, including gentiles and Jews alike."--Midwest Book Review

"Reading Celebrating the Jewish Year is a great way to prepare for the holidays; it would also make an excellent text for a classroom or discussion groups. Those interested in the Jewish holidays will want to add it to their collection."--Off The Shelf

"The last installment in Paul Steinberg's 'Celebrating' series is, like the others, a rich resource for understanding the Jewish holidays and laws."--Hadassah Magazine

"This is the kind of book where a reviewer says 'every family should own one.' All three volumes will make excellent contributions to the celebrations of our Jewish holidays."--Sybil Kaplan, National Jewish Post and Opinion

"The organization of the book is simple and elegant. Each holiday is explained fully; descriptions of traditional customs and observances are offered, along with differing perspectives on the significance of the holiday, ways to interpret the appropriate texts, and alternative meditations."--Linda F. Burghardt, Jewish Book Council-- (7/31/2017 12:00:00 AM)