Judaism for Dummies »

Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D., writes and lectures about Jewish spirituality and is the founder of a synagogue for Jewish meditation in Los Angeles. David Blatner is an award-winning, bestselling author of eight books.

Being Jewish can describe a tribe of people, a set of religious beliefs, wildly-differing cultural norms, and much more. Fortunately, Judaism For Dummies sorts out all of the questions on faith and tradition in a fascinating and down-to-earth format Rabbi Ted Falcon is a nationally recognized writer, lecturer, and teacher. He is the author of A Journey of Awakening, and is one of the modern pioneers of Jewish spirituality and the founder of Makom Ohr Shalom, a Synagogue for Jewish Meditation in Los Angeles which is still the largest synagogue of its type in the country. His work frequently appears in the Jewish press.

PART I: What Jews Generally Believe.

Chapter 1: That's Funny, You Don't Look Jewish: Who's a Jew and Why.

Chapter 2: One Singular Sensation: Judaism and God.

Chapter 3: Torah, Torah, Torah: The Unfolding of a Tradition.

Chapter 4: Setting Intentions: Judaism as a Daily Practice.

Chapter 5: Jewish Mysticism.

PART II: From Womb to Tomb: The Life Cycle.

Chapter 6: In the Beginning: Birth and Bris.

Chapter 7: Coming of Age: The Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

Chapter 8: Get Me to the Chuppah On Time: Weddings.

Chapter 9: Stepping Through the Valley: The Shadow of Death.

PART III: An Overview of Jewish History.

Chapter 10: Let My People Go: From Abraham to Exodus.

Chapter 11: The Kings of Israel: The First Temple.

Chapter 12: Sects and Violence: The Second Temple.

Chapter 13: From One Exile to Another: The First Millennium.

Chapter 14: The Greatest Horror, The Greatest Triumph.

Chapter 15: Jewish Buddhists and Other Paradoxes of the New Age.

Chapter 16: The Question of Antisemitism.

PART IV: Celebrations and Holy Days.

Chapter 17: Shabbat: Paradise Regained.

Chapter 18: In with the New: Rosh Hashanah.

Chapter 19: Getting Serious: Yom Kippur.

Chapter 20: The Great Outdoors: Sukkot.

Chapter 21: Guilt or Gelt: Chanukkah.

Chapter 22: Planting a Tree on Tu B'Shvat.

Chapter 23: The Jewish Halloween: Purim.

Chapter 24: From Groan to Glee: Passover.

Chapter 25: Spring Is Busting Out All Over: Shavuot.

Chapter 26: TishaB'Av: A Day of Mourning.

PART V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 27: Ten Great Jewish Thinkers.

Chapter 28: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Judaism.

Chapter 29: Ten Folks You Should Know.

PART VI: Appendixes.

Appendix A: Oy Vey! and Other Words You Should Know.

Appendix B: A Sampler of Jewish Prayers and Blessings.

Appendix C: Calendar of Jewish Holidays.

Appendix D: Go Now and Learn.

Index.

Book Registration Information.