Authors: Robert Schoen
ISBN-13: 9780829417777, ISBN-10: 082941777X
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Loyola Press
Date Published: May 2004
Edition: New Edition
An easy-to-use guide for the millions of Christians who are curious about the lives of their Jewish friends, family, and coworkers.
Written in a breezy, conversational style and laced with humor, this primer on Judaism delivers precisely what the title indicates. Schoen describes himself as "a layman" and an "average Jewish American." He is actually an accomplished musician whose compositions have been played in recital and appear on two CDs. Schoen claims that he wrote the book to present a systematic response to questions about Judaism that were posed by his Christian friends. Schoen begins his guidebook with a clear explanation of the streams of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist. He then discusses what goes on inside the synagogue, followed by an examination of the Jewish holidays. The final sections deal with Jewish life cycle events, home life and beliefs and Judaism in the world. The book concludes with a plea for inter-faith cooperation. What is truly remarkable about this compendium is its thoroughness and lucidity. Schoen manages to touch briefly on practically all aspects of Judaism-from Israel, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism to the role of women, Jewish symbols, Jewish art and appropriate behavior at a bar or bat mitzvah, Jewish weddings and Jewish funerals. Although Schoen says he wrote the book as a manual for Christians, Jews can also benefit from this masterful overview of their religion, either as a refresher or as a quick source of new information. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Acknowledgments | ||
Preface | ||
The purpose of this book | ||
A range of Jewish lifestyles, beliefs, and behaviors | ||
Christians and Jews | ||
Going to church : the Jewish roots of Christian worship | 3 | |
Jews, Jesus, and Christianity | 11 | |
The Jewish religion | ||
From orthodox ... | 17 | |
To reform ... | 19 | |
To conservative ... | 21 | |
To reconstructionist | 23 | |
Contemporary synagogues and congregations | 25 | |
A personal observation | 28 | |
Inside the synagogue | ||
The Torah and the law | 33 | |
Prayers and blessings | 38 | |
Symbols - the Mezuzah and the Star of David | 43 | |
The role of the Rabbi | 46 | |
The role of the Cantor | 49 | |
Jewish education | 52 | |
Confirmation | 55 | |
Congregation membership and paying the bills | 56 | |
The temple | 58 | |
Jewish priests | 61 | |
Time for confession | 63 | |
Who's in charge? | 65 | |
Holidays and festivals | ||
Holidays and the Jewish calendar | 69 | |
Shabbat - the Sabbath | 73 | |
The high holidays - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur | 78 | |
Sukkot | 87 | |
Simchat Torah | 90 | |
Hanukkah - is it really the "Jewish Christmas"? | 92 | |
Purim | 97 | |
Passover | 101 | |
Shavuot - the harvest festival | 111 | |
Other religious events | 114 | |
Jewish life cycle events | ||
A Jewish wedding | 119 | |
Let's go to a circumcision! | 127 | |
Baby namings and rituals for daughters | 132 | |
Adoption | 135 | |
An invitation to a bar mitzvah and a bat mitzvah | 137 | |
A Jewish funeral - saying good-bye to Uncle Harry | 148 | |
You can only get a divorce if you're married | 155 | |
Home life, Jewish beliefs, and other interesting matters | ||
Is a Kosher hot dog really Kosher? | 161 | |
Jewish food | 168 | |
Degrees of orthodoxy | 171 | |
Conversion to Judaism | 173 | |
Intermarriage | 176 | |
Religious apparel and dress | 180 | |
Hasidim and Hasidism | 185 | |
Creation, heaven, hell, and life after death | 189 | |
Where, when, and how many | 192 | |
Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews | 194 | |
Women and Judaism | 197 | |
Judaism in the world | ||
Israel | 203 | |
Jewish art and music | 211 | |
Mysticism and the repair of the world | 214 | |
Money : stereotypes, charity, and the scriptures | 216 | |
Perform a mitzvah | 220 | |
Controversial social issues | 222 | |
Old wars and new wars | 227 | |
The chosen people | 229 | |
Anti-semitism | 231 | |
The Holocaust | 235 | |
A call for understanding and community | 243 | |
Glossary and pronunciation guide | 245 | |
Recommended reading | 261 | |
Index | 263 |