Wise Words: Jewish Thoughts and Stories through the Ages » (First Quill Edition)

Jessica Gribetz lives with her husband and four daughters in New York City.

A comprehensive anthology of wise sayings, stories, and insights from the Jewish tradition addressing such topics as faith, friendship, ethics, nature, charity, kindness, marriage, death, the Holocaust, and Israel.

Wise Words celebrates the heart and soul of a people shaped by four thousand years of precepts, stories, rituals, recipes, and humor. It is an all-embracing collection of aphorisms and poetry from the Bible, the Talmud, Hasidic tales, and contemporary humor and literature — with a special emphasis on the all-too-often-forgotten voices of women. On any given topic, you can read the words of Isaiah, the teachings of Maimonides, the mystical wisdom of the Kabbalah, passages from Grace Paley, Nora Ephron, and Isaac Bashevis Singer, along with a sprinkling of Yiddish folk sayings that often get right to the heart of any subject.

Often joyous, occasionally tragic, the material is divided by major themes, including Jewish writers' insights on life, death, friendship, family, marriage, charity, kindness, ethics, food, holidays, nature, and art. Each section is framed by the author's own recollections as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother.

Library Journal

New York author Gribetz has compiled an anthology of wise sayings, stories, and insights from the Jewish tradition. Inspired by the memory of her devout father, who encouraged her to see beyond male/female religious roles, she has divided her work into sections addressing such topics as faith, friendship, ethics, nature, the Holocaust, and Israel. Gribetz has taken a large sampling of works from Jewish humorists, including such gems as Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann's observation that "Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly hard for them." Citations for the passages are briefly provided. Readers can dip into this book for meditation and ponder passages that range from a paragraph to a few pages. Overall, this inexpensive paperback is a winner, especially for readers seeking inspiration in the flavor of Chicken Soup for the Soul. It will circulate well in most libraries, particularly those serving a Jewish clientele.Paul M. Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., Ill.