May 2023 MBR The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Jewish Journey Haggadah: Connecting the Generations
Rabbanit Adena Berkowitz, author
Shira Hecht-Koller, photographer
Gefen Publishing House
255 Central Ave #B-206, Lawrence, NY 11559
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789652299123, $29.95, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Journey-Haggadah-Connecting-Generations/dp/965229912X

Synopsis: "The Jewish Journey Haggadah: Connecting the Generations" by Rabbanit Adena Berkowitz has the full Hebrew text accompanied by an easy-to-read English translation and transliteration showing the central role played by women in the Passover story. The Haggadah adds meaningful commentary, stories, questions for discussion, fun holiday parody songs, jokes, Seder recipes, and activities to delight both adults and children. When you use this Haggadah, your guests will be so engaged that they will forget to ask When do we eat?

Why the need for a new Haggadah? Because this Haggadah has been designed to: Foster a deeper connection to Passover to enable participants from all backgrounds, from generation to generation, to be comfortable using a Hebrew or transliterated text, together with an inclusive English translation; Provide a user-friendly format with suggestions for preparing for Passover and internalizing its messages afterwards; Show the central role played by women in the Passover story; Spark discussion and sharing of insights, teachings, anecdotes, and stories This Haggadah includes:

Critique: Of special note is the color coding for the different features comprising the Hebrew/English edition of "The Jewish Journey Haggadah: Connecting the Generations", along with fun songs, recipes and stories will liven up your seder. Furthermore there is a Kid's corner, along with tidbits and points for everyone to share. Simply stated, "The Jewish Journey Haggadah: Connecting the Generations" is a wonderfully extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, community, and synagogue library Judaic Studies collections.

Editorial Note: Rabbanit Dr. Adena K. Berkowitz ( is Scholar in Residence and co-founder of Kol HaNeshamah, NYC, an organization dedicated to reenergizing the spiritual lives of both not-yet-affiliated and affiliated Jews. With a background in law, Jewish studies, and psychotherapy. Rabbanit Berkowitz is the co-author, together with Rivka Haut, z l, of Shaarei Simcha: Gates of Joy, a mini prayer book and the first liturgical work in the modern era written by Orthodox women. A practicing therapist, she lives in New York with her husband Rabbi Zev Brenner and children Menachem Leib, Lizzy (and husband Sam Zakay), Pammy, Aderet, and Jessica Brenner. Shira Hecht-Koller, Esq., is the Director of Education for 929 English and the Director of Communal Engagement at Drisha. She teaches Talmud and Jewish identity to a wide variety of audiences, and writes and speaks on topics of education, creative living, and family life. (https://www.jofa.org/rabbanit-dr-adena-berkowitz)

Wounds into Wisdom
Tirzah Firestone
Monkfish Book Publishing Company
22 East Market Street, Suite 304, Rhinebeck NY 12572
www.monkfishpublishing.com
9781948626828, $16.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wounds-into-Wisdom-Intergenerational-Foreword/dp/1948626829

Synopsis: As members of the Jewish community, our past does not simply disappear. The painful history of our ancestors and their rich cultural wisdom intertwine within us to create the patterns of our future. Even when past trauma remains unspoken or has long been forgotten, it becomes part of us and our children -- a legacy of both strength and woundedness that shapes our lives.

With the publication of "Wounds into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma", Rabbi Tirzah Firestone brings to life the profound impact of protracted historical trauma through the compelling narratives of Israeli terror victims, Holocaust survivors, and those whose lives were marred by racial persecution and displacement.

The tragic story of Firestone's own family lays the groundwork for these revealing testimonies of recovery, forgiveness, and moral leadership.

Throughout "Wounds into Wisdom", Rabbi Firestone interweaves their voices with neuroscientific and psychological findings, as well as relevant and inspiring Jewish teachings. Seven principles emerge from these wise narratives -- powerful prescriptive tools that speak to anyone dealing with the effects of past injury. At the broadest level, these principles are directives for staying morally awake in a world rife with terror.

Critique: Of especially relevant interest to readers concerned with coping with the physical, psychological, and cultural impact of anti-Semitism in our contemporary times upon our selves, our families, and all members of the Jewish community (especially in view of the current rise of fascist authoritarianism and increase in acts of hate crimes against Jews), "Wounds into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma" by Rabbi Tirzah Firestone deserves as wide a readership as possible. Originally published in hardcover (2019), this new paperback edition from Monkfish Book Publishing Company features a new Preface by the author, a new Foreword by Gabor Mate, and a Reading Group Study Guide. While with the highest recommendation for personal, community, synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies/Issues collections, it should be noted that "Wounds into Wisdom" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Rabbi Tirzah Firestone (https://www.tirzahfirestone.com) is an author, Jungian psychotherapist, and a leader in the international Jewish Renewal Movement. Ordained by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in 1992, she is the founding rabbi of Congregation Nevei Kodesh in Boulder, Colorado. Rabbi Firestone served on the board of directors and as Co-Chair of T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.

These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah
Alden Solovy
Reform Judaism Publishing
c/o CCAR Press
355 Lexington Avenue, 8th floor, New York, NY 10017
www.ccarpress.org
9780881236156, $19.95, PB, 196pp

https://www.amazon.com/These-Words-Poetic-Midrash-Language/dp/0881236152

Synopsis: With the publication of "These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah", liturgist Alden Solovy distills the Torah into its very essence: the individual words it contains.

Echoing the midrash that the Torah has seventy faces, Solovy selects seventy of its Hebrew words that are pregnant with meaning. For each word, he delves into the etymology, translation, and usage, providing deeper insights into familiar texts. Then Solovy presents a beautiful poem (what he calls "poetic midrash") inspired by and interpreting each word.

From b'reishit ("in beginning") to shamayim ("heavens") to zachor ("remember"), "These Words" will change the way you look at the language of the Torah.

Critique: As informative as it is inspirational, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah" is a treasured addition to the growing body of Torah studies, as well as unreservedly recommended for personal, community, synagogue, and academic library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists, iIt should also be noted for rabbinical students, Rabbis, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Alden Solovy (https://tobendlight.com/about-the-author/alden-solovy) is a liturgist, author, journalist, and educator. He has written more than 700 pieces of new liturgy, offering a fresh new Jewish voice, challenging the boundaries between poetry, meditation, personal growth, and prayer. Solovy's teaching spans from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem to Limmud and Leo Baeck College in the UK, and synagogues throughout North America. Solovy is a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. He made aliyah to Israel in 2012.

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