Joseph Telush

Jewish Literacy- The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion- Its People and Its His

5 stars (Christian point of view) - I found this book very informative. Don't let the size scare you, it's any easy read. Everything on the basics of Judaism is in this book. Everything from history to religion. It left me wanting to know more....Rabbi Joseph Telushkin also includes a wonderful,useful index and references some interesting further reading books. This book has become a permanent part of my library. Highly recommned! 3 stars (Orthodox Jewish Literacy ) - As a non-Jew interested in getting a better grasp of all of the traditions and beliefs of the Jewish faith I'm glad I read through this book first before buying it. It is written by an Orthodox rabbi and assumes an Orthodox, literalist approach on all topics, the ordination of women and homosexuality to cite just two of the more controversial issues. Now, this would be fine if the book were marketed as an Orthodox text but it is advertised as a comprehensive book of general Jewish wisdom for everyone. What is a Jew? by Morris Kertzer (5th edition) and updated four times since 1953 is a much more comprehensive and wide-ranging introductory book that covers the stance of each branch of Judaism to various issues organized in an easy question and answer format. It makes very clear all the differences between the different branches (Orthodox, Conservative and Reform) and how they approach various moral/ethical/social issues. Since (according to a recent poll) about 85% of Jews consider themselves either Reform or Conservative (not Orthodox) I think any general book on Judaism should include much more diverse viewpoints possible within a Jewish framework than this book allows for. Jewish Wisdom is well-written, nicely annotated and a great resource for the Orthodox though. It's really quite good for what it is but readers looking for a broader overview beyond the limits of an Orthodox angle will need to look elsewhere. 5 stars (Belongs on every Jewish Bookself) - The author has a gift for being a...
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