Product Description
Vol. 2 Acts, Epistles and Revelation may be purchased separately. See also, Vol. 1 Holy Gospels of the Orthodox New Testament, with patristic commentary, ISBN 9780944359174. 6 x 9 -inches, lavishly illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Excellent!
What makes this a great resource for Christians is that the text itself matches the quotes from the Fathers. Especially the Greek Fathers. The quotes from the Fathers guides the reader in seeing how the ancient Church believed and what they were taught from the Apostles themselves. Some things that the Fathers say may be a shock to Protestants and even Roman Catholics because the Western Church has departed from the Ancient Church for so long that it may seem foreign. However, that's what makes this publication so great, it reveals the faith once handed down to the Church by the Apostles.

Mr Peabody
I am not Eastern Orthodox and am not biased for or against this translation.Having said that, it is, in my opinion, one of the best translations of the New Testament available.The only other translation that I know of that is comparable is the International Standard Version (ISV).The Eastern Orthodox New Testament uses King James style English, but I find it easy to understand and the Greek is translated much more accurately.The ISV uses modern English and is a similar high accuracy translation.Using both of these translations for New Testament study is the way to go.

Let me also advise using the Septuagint for Old Testament study.This is the Old Testament translation that is quoted in the New Testament.Most Bibles use the Masoretic version of the Old Testament.When you compare the quotes in the New Testament with the corresponding verses in the Old Testament, you have to wonder what they are talking about.That is because they were quoting the Septuagint.

Use the Septuagint, The Orthodox New Testament, and the ISV New Testament and you can hardly go wrong.

Useful Adjunct for Bible Study
The attention to verb tenses and the proper translation of Greek words is appreciated and makes this Bible useful for a deeper meaning of the text.It has been noted by some that if you read the original Greek with the verb tenses in mind the New Testament is a much more active or "energetic" text than most English translations indicate.I also found the patristic notes very useful, though I agree that they would have been easier to use as footnotes.

With archaic English and some unusual verb constructions, I am not sure that I would recommend this version as a primary Bible text.However, it is always helpful to have more than one translation for comparison and this version definitely deserves to be one of the texts in regular use by Orthodox.

One note on verb tenses: As I do not read Koine Greek myself, it is difficult for me to determine exactly how well these are translated.I have noted, however, that at least one other Protestant translation that claims to do this (the Amplified Bible) sometimes does not agree with the ONT.And there does not appear to be a bias one way or the other: sometimes the ONT has a more active translation and sometimes the Amplified Bible does.

The reviewer who says this is no more than the Authorized Version with minor changes is not quite on the mark. Besides the frequent difference in verb tenses, Greek words are generally translated more accurately.For instance, the well-known fact that the KJV translates both Gehenna and Hades as "Hell" is corrected.And perhaps the patristic notes are merely copied from the Nicene Fathers series, but as most of us don't want to carry around the entire 38 volumes (well, 30 if you throw out the Augustine stuff) of the Nicene and Ante-Nicene Fathers, having some relevant passages bound into the same volume as the Bible text is useful.Combined with some other resources (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Theophylact's commentary, etc), the ONT helps to make Orthodox Bible study a true joy.

A mixed blessing
In many ways I think that this is an excellent study Bible - it is not, however, one I would recommend to those who are simply looking for a Bible to read casually.

The text from which this Bible is translated is the 1912 text authorized by the Ecumenical Patriarch.Similar in many ways to Textus Receptus, there are minor differences.The authors have deliberately chosen to use archaic English, in part because of the usage of "thee" and "thou" as the second person singular and "ye" and "you" for the second person plural -- this is an advantage for those who want to be able to distinguish which "you" the writer is referring to, but makes it somewhat awkward for modern readers.The translators are to be commended for accurately translating the Greek words in the same tenses used by the authors, but this does sacrifice some of the beauty which is found in the Authorized - King James versions.

The notes utilizing quotations from the Early Church Fathers is interesting and unique, but I wish that they had been included on the bottom of the page to which the referance appears instead of at the back of that particular book of the Bible.Also, this book is aimed at those already familiar with the teachings of the Orthodox Church -- it would be nice to have some commentary reflecting the teachings and understanding of particular texts by the Church in order to serve as a better evangelistic and catechetical work.

This Bible is attractively bound, and the type is large enough for these old eyes of mine to read.

THE Orthodox New Testament!
This is the book I have been looking for!While I appreciate the efforts of the editors of the Orthodox Study Bible, I found this 2-volume New Testament to be MUCH more to my liking.First and foremost, it features a new English translation made by Orthodox scholars primarily from an Orthodox text approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople.Secondly, it features the direct, in-depth references to the Holy Fathers that are so often lacking in the OSB.The decision to print icons with the text was an excellent one, as the reader can readily relate to both the written and visual Word of God thereby.Clearly the editors of this text went to very great lengths to prepare and present a truly ORTHODOX Bible, and for this they are to be greatly commended.A "must-have" for every English-speaking Orthodox Christian, and extremely valuable as well for those non-Orthodox seeking to learn what the Holy Fathers (who were Orthodox, after all!) have to say about the Holy Scriptures! ... Read more

Product Description
At first glance, Orthodox Judaism may not seem compatible with the prevailing world view of egalitarianism, regardless of race, gender or religion. But modern Orthodox Jews share an appreciation for egalitarianism as a positive moral value, and do not simply dismiss this contemporary ethos as incompatible with their faith. This collection of essays from leading Orthodox scholars in the field, explores the affinities and disaffinities between egalitarianism and Jewish tradition. ... Read more

Product Description
_The principal thrust of this book is to challenge the compartmentalization to which we seem all too easily resigned, to discover whether, and to what extent, the methods of modern scholarship can become part and parcel of the study of Torah, conceived as a religious-intellectual way of life. Not 'Modern Scholarship and the Study of Torah,' but 'Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah._ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

generally good, though with varying degrees of comprehensibility
This set of essays addresses the relationship between Orthodox and secular scholarship.While endorsing Orthodox Jewish assumptions about the Divine nature of the Torah, these authors also generally believe that historical context matters too. Some of the more interesting essays include:

*Barry Eicher's essay on historical context.He notes that Jewish scholars have always considered historical evidence to explain the Torah's laws; for example, Maimonides wrote that the Torah's prohibition on eating blood may be a reaction to pagan tribes' reliance on blood-eating to commune with spirits.He also discusses similarities and differences between Akkadian legal texts and the Torah; both allow parents to sell their daughters in cases of dire need, but the Akkadians allow the buyer to make the girl a wife of a slave, while the Torah tries to give the girl some protection by allowing only the buyer to marry her.

*Yeshahayu Maori addresses textual variants in the Torah, trying to explain differences between the Masoretic text (what Jews have generally accepted as the text) and Talmudic quotations that suggest different spellings of the Torah. Most analysts, Maori writes, have suggested that the Talmud changes words to make more persuasive theological points.

*David Berger discusses trends in Jewish interpretation of morally questionable patriarchal behavior.Medieval commentators tended to defend the patriarchs at every turn, perhaps in reaction to Christian suggestions that the sins of biblical heroes rendered Judaism defective.Some modern Jews, by contrast, argue that the Torah's greatness is proven by its ability to show its heroes' flaws- perhaps as a reaction to secularists who consider the Torah to be a primitive document.

*Mordecai Breuer tries to reconcile traditional understandings of the Torah with the Documentary Hypothesis (the idea that the Torah's inconsistencies prove that it was written by multiple human authors).He acknowledges that if the Torah had been written by humans, it probably would have been written by multiple authors.But Breuer asserts that even if a human author may be "unable to employ strategies of authorial multiplicity", there is no reason why a Divine, infinite author must be equally consistent.In response, another essay points out that Breuer's views "can neither be verified or falsified."

The last couple of essays were less interesting to me than the essays discussed above, primarily because they presupposed a significantly higher level of Talmudic and Hebrew literacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Obstacle to genuine spirituality - Jewish or Christian
Orthodox?Meaning "correct thought"?Nope!Not in either faith!
Brit chadasha?Again, nope!That's just a dumb translation of "New Testament."

I'm perplexed when I try to figure out who this book was been written for.There's tons of transliterated Hebrew, but then there are also some Yiddish and "Yinglish" terms thrown in, all of it mixed up inconsistently and then barfed onto the page in one big unholy spew.

Sorry to be crude, but that's the only description that makes sense.

Look at this sentence:"the Bnei Yisroel may possess every ish the nachalat of his avot?"Seriously?Who's going to understand that?But it gets better!The next verse (Numbers 36:9) reads "Neither shall the nachalah remove from one matteh to another matteh for the mattot of the Bnei Yisroel shall make deveykus every ish to his own nachalah."Notice the Yiddish word "deveykus"?Yeah, that'll make the Orthodox real comfy, tossing that in there.

Need I read on to know it's garbage?Nope!But I did!

Take a look at Matthew 2:23."And Yosef made his home in the shtetl called Natzeret so that which was spoken by the Neviim might be fulfilled:he will be called a Natzri."[shtetl???]It goes on (Mt 3:1):"Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva appears... crying out as a maggid in the midbar of Yehudah saying make teshuvah for the malchut HaShomayim has come near."Ugh.Christians, are you offended yet?

So who's this "Bible" really for?

~ Not Jews - the inclusion of the Brit Chadashah is a tip-off that this is not only not an Orthodox Bible (maybe Greek Orthodox?), it's not a Jewish one at all.How dumb do these folks think we are, that they can toss the word "shtetl" at us and win our souls?Yiddish words are fun, but what a shallow epiphany if that's all it takes to win your loyalty.

~ Not Christians - they ought to be offended that Goble wastes their time forcing them to pick through this mishmash "Hebyinglish" rather than giving over the text in a way they can understand it.And lying to them that it's more authentically Jewish this way.My Tanach and that of every Jew I know uses REAL English.And p.s.the original Christian Bible was written in GREEK - translating an English translation of Greek into Hebrew and Yiddish won't make it more historical.

Despite the gibberish sprinkled liberally through this book's 1248 pages, there is nothing authentic or historical about this text.If you are hoping to reconnect with the Jewish roots of Christianity, there are many fine documents out there, but this book is just a waste of your time.

It may represent Goble's life work, but that makes it no more spiritually significant than if he'd been translating the Bible into Pig Latin, or if he'd been collecting Barbie dolls his whole life, for that matter.Just like the dolls, this is fluff - a curiosity at best and at worst, a derailment of the legitimate spiritual impulse to understand the Bible on a deeper level.

Learn Hebrew along the way
If you are studying Hebrew and want to learn the vocabulary along the way, this is a great way. Can be used alongside an interlinear or other Bible translation and you can read with greater appreciation for the Jewish roots of our Faith.

We need a Kindle version. Free PDF is available, but the print is a little small for the Kindle.

Fraudulent Nonsense
This shameful mix of English "translation" and transliteration of the Old and New Testaments--translated from the original Hebrew and Latin--is nothing more than a crude fraud on the part of Messianic Jews (Jews for Jesus) to present Hebrew speaking Jews with a new translation of the Bible that will blur the distinction between authentic Judaism and Messianic cults.In the tradition of Zola Levitt and other Christian apostate cult leaders, Goble attempts to convince Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews alike, and whoever is willing to listen to his false testimony, that traditional Hebrew scripture and liturgy supports belief in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah or worse.

Any honest and straightforward reading of the Hebrew Bible, whether in the original or in translation, clearly demonstrates a complete and total absence of anything pertaining to Jesus or the roles he plays in Christian theology and eschatology.No ridiculous blend of English and Hebrew terms can convince a serious Bible scholar otherwise.There is no textual basis for Christianity in the Hebrew Bible ("Tanakh") outside of post-Biblical Christian apologetics, and there is absolutely no concept of a "Brit Chadasha" (lit. "New Covenant" or"New Testament") pertaining to Jesus or Christianity in any ancient Jewish tradition, especially in Orthodox Judaism.

If Levitt or Goble wish to believe in Christian theology and teach its messages to others, let them do so honestly and based solely on the Gospels, and not by distorting in a most nefarious manner the historical record or the text of the Hebrew Bible.Jews have for centuries sacrificed their lives to live as Jews and have been slaughtered by the Church and Protestant denominations alike for rejecting Jesus and Christianity. Whatever his message, let Goble honor them--and all people of all faiths--with dignity by avoiding the stench of falsehood.Let the truth speak for itself, and let any creed succeed or fail on its own merits.

The "seal of God is Truth" and truth seems very absent from Goble's work. Even his very title is a complete and vicious lie, as well as an affront to Orthodox Jews and to academic scholarship, whether secular or religious.Goble, it seems, has taken his strategy from the play-book of Goebbels.

Deceptive Jews for Jesus
This is an affront to all Jews and Christians. Judaism is its own religion that has its own covenant with God. No Orthodox Jew or Conservative Jew or Reform Jew would ever consider the Christian scriptures as part of the Bible. This whole book is designed to convince people that Jews for Jesus is authentically Jewish. It is not. It is a form of missionary Christianity which is trying to convert Jews. Shame on the author.

Nothing to tell
Nothing to comment on OJB... It's a good translation for people who need origin of Hebrew Tanakh.

G-d's word with us. ... Read more

Product Description
University professor and social activist Tova Hartman, discouraged by failed attempts to make her modern Orthodox synagogue in Jerusalem more inclusive of women, together with other worshippers, set about creating their own own, Shira Hadasha ("a new song").

Since it opened in 2002, this new synagogue's mission--to develop a religious community that embraces halakhah (Jewish law), tefillah (prayer), and feminism--has drawn thousands to services. The courageous act of creating the synagogue--against amazing odds--is testimony to Hartman's own deeply felt commitment to both feminism and modern Orthodox Judaism.

The story of the creation and ongoing development of similar "partnership minyans" in Jerusalem and elsewhere anchors and ties together this book's five essays, each of which explores a vital contact point between contemporary feminist thought and aspects of Jewish tradition. Hartman discusses three feminist analyses of Freudian psychology for reading Jewish texts; modesty and the religious male gaze; the backlash against feminism by traditional rabbis; the male imagery in liturgy; and Orthodox women and purity rituals. Throughout, Hartman emphasizes the importance of reinterpretation, asking her readers to view as "creative tensions" what seem like obvious and insurmountable contradictions between traditional and modern beliefs. Such tensions can offer unexpected connections as well as painful compromises. The conclusion revisits the construction of the synagogue as well as discusses its impediments and actualizing these types of social and religious changes.

Hartman's book will speak directly to scholars and students of gender, religion, and psychology, as well as anyone interested in the negotiation of feminism and tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A dishonest, irrelevant book.
Miss Hartman called herself elsewhere a protege of the lightweight ¨feminist¨Harvard U. Professor, Carol Giiligan. That set off for me red flags even before I read this awful book. Gilligan is given to simple-minded ideas, not serious critical thinking, but then, that can be said of virtually all ¨feminists.¨
Moreover, Hartman subscribes to what ahe calls ¨Modern Orthodoxy.¨There is no such thing, as there aren't such things as ¨reform, ¨conservative¨ or ¨reconstructionist¨ Judaism. There is only Judaism and it can't be amended like a Constitution or twisted to fit an era's zeitgeist, but that is what Hartman wants to do.
Hartman founded a so-called synagogue in Israel which grants equal status to women and even allows them to lead prayers, which is clearly and unambiguously proscribed under Jewish Law. In other book, Hartman uses the word subversive in its title and that is exactly what she and her cohorts are. Their thinking has brought about the virtual demise of Judaism in the U.S. and are now trying to extend their destructiveness to beseiged Israel.I'm sure they will fail.
¨Feminism¨ and ¨women's studies¨ programs have become increasingly marginalized in the U.S. even at left-wing schools, as many young women even at Seven Sisters schools pointedly refuse to call themselves ¨feminists.¨ Hartman's book represents the death wail of a dying movement, i.e. radical feminism. It espouses nonsense from cover to cover. and actually rates zero stars. Don't waste your time.

A breath of fresh air!
I highly recommend this easily accessible collection of essays by Tova Hartman to anyone wondering how feminism and Orthodoxy can be reconciled.There are no easy answers, but this thoughtful book offers an approach that is both philosophically honest and practically sensible.

For The Love of Torah and Integrity
This book is a gift to lovers of Torah and critical thinkers.Hartman combines an insightful use of feminist thought and a commitment to traditional Judaism to provide readers with a bold and sensitive understanding of important forces shaping Judaism today.I found all the chapters illuminating.However, the final chapter was in a class by itself.I had tears of joy as I read it.It was Hartman at her best -- courageous, nuanced and inspiring.Dr. Hartman, please keep going your way.I cannot wait to learn more from this important Jewish thinker in the future.

A courageous practical companion to navigating the jagged edges of two traditions
Tova Hartman is a brilliant scholar and a religious practioner, never caught up in a web of competing ideologies. She analyses the places where Judaism and feminism intersect or can be reconciled and is honest and compassionate in the places where they can only meet bearing their jagged edges. What I like most about Hartman's style is her 'straight talk.' She is direct, witty, and is biting only when necessary to make a point that has been eluding us for 10 centuries. Hartman is not afraid. She is respectful, engaging, and she is in the struggle with those of us who get a headache wondering how to teach our children and how live our lives with deep commitments to Judaism and feminism. Hartman is a courageous leader as well as a part of us and our struggle. For anyone wanting guidance and clarity, read this book and give it to all the women and men you know.

a scholar of religion (greater Boston)
I devoured this book.Tova Hartman, professor of gender and education in Israel, has written a brilliant and important work on the dilemmas of Modern Orthodoxy, and much, much more.Unlike so many books of this sort, however, it is not one long kvetch (complaint), but is full of many constructive suggestions for how Modern Orthodoxy, and religious tradition in general, should move forward.
The book is extremely clear, engaging, and wide-ranging.Hartman shows her range as a scholar, integrating feminist scholarship and scholarship on psychology (she was a student of Carol Gilligan at Harvard), philosophy--both secular and Jewish, and Jewish law.Her knowledge in all of these areas is deep, but she is never show-offy in how she uses it, and she explains her positions with exemplary clarity.Moreover, in each chapter, she moves back and forth between examining important religious issues (e.g. mechanisms for religious change, prayer which has males as its focus, etc.), and discussions of Shira Hadasha, the remarkable Jerusalem synagogue which she founded over a decade ago--an inspirational Orthodox synagogue that "pushes the envelope" in many ways, including the involvement of women as synagogue and prayer leaders (within limits).The synagogue has had a strong influence on synagogues in several continents, and this book, which provides insights into its development, and its theological underpinnings, is of great interest.
Feminism Encounters Jewish Religion is not a critique of tradition--it is written from within the tradition, and calls for an expansion of what tradition might mean.I am certain that many will disagree with some of what it ways--e.g., I for one, found it a bit too conservative in its attitude toward change in Jewish prayer.However the wide-ranging nature of its clear arguments make this a very important book for any scholar who is interested in mechanisms for change in religion, in Judaism, or in change in religion.But this is far from a book for scholars alone--anyone interested in how religions do and might change will be stimulated both by the book's intellectual strength, and the significant illustrations of how Hartman, and Shira Hadasha of Jerusalem, accomplished remarkable changes in a short time-period.
As a person who is deeply sympathetic on both the personal and scholarly level to the problems that Hartman is addressing in such an honest fashion, I can only hope that the book will be widely read and discussed, and will have a positive impact on the wide variety of communities that can benefit from its insights.
... Read more

Product Description
British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks launched his tenure of office in 1991 with the aim of an inclusivist Decade of Jewish Renewal. Within a few years fulfilling his installation prediction that I will have failures, but I will try again, another way, another time he was attracting calls, from opponents and supporters, for his resignation and the abolition of his office. Reviewing Sacks early writings and pronouncements on the theme of inclusivism, Persoff demonstrates how, repeatedly, the Chief Rabbi said irreconcilable things to different audiences and how, in the process, he induced his kingmaker and foremost patron to declare of Anglo-Jewry: We are in a time warp, and fast becoming an irrelevance in terms of world Jewry. Citing support from a variety of sources, Another Way, Another Time contends that the Chief Rabbinate has indeed reached the end of the road and explores other paths to the leadership of a pluralistic and, ideally, inclusivist community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Devastating
JEWISH QUARTERLY (United Kingdom):

[Persoff's] indefatigable journalist's instinct and connections have served him well in what is undoubtedly the best-researched book on contemporary Anglo-Jewry.

JOURNAL OF JEWISH STUDIES (Oxford):

Will prove invaluable for all future studies of the subject.

TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION (United Kingdom):

Chief rabbis have generally been off-limits as far as critical analysis is concerned, certainly while they are living. Persoff's study breaks this mould and uses a wealth of archival material to expose the contradictions embedded within an office well past its use-by date, unable to unite a pluralised and polarised Anglo-Jewry.

THE FORWARD (New York):

"Another Way, Another Time" is the first full-scale study of the Sacks chief rabbinate, and the picture presented is devastating. With the aid of copious original sources such as newspapers, correspondence and interviews, British historian and veteran journalist Meir Persoff shows how Sacks's top priority has been staying in the good graces of the Haredi, or strictly Orthodox, faction, whose high birthrate has made it the fastest-growing component of British Jewry. To achieve this, he has repeatedly acted to delegitimize the non-Orthodox movements - Reform, Liberal and Masorti - sometimes in ways personally insulting to their leaders. He has even gone so far as to delegitimize himself, withdrawing the first edition of a book he published in 2002 that aroused Haredi complaints, and rewriting the offending passages before republication. Ironically, it is clear from the documentation that Persoff has gathered that the Orthodox circles Sacks strives to placate will never consider him Orthodox enough no matter what he does.

Persoff makes his case that Sacks, by nature a thinker rather than a politician, made a poor career choice in seeking the chief rabbinate. But the book does not come to grips with the question of whether even someone far more politically adroit could have succeeded, given the structural constraints of the position that Persoff himself describes in detail. Simply put, a man who represents only the most moderate form of Orthodoxy - which used to be, but is no longer, professed by most British Jews - cannot also speak for the entire spectrum of the Jewish community, which today ranges religiously from far left to far right. In that sense Sacks may be an unfortunate victim of history. If so, the book's title is certainly apt: the position of Chief Rabbi was "another way" for "another time," but not for the religiously fractured present.

MANNA (The Forum for Progressive Judaism, London):

[A]n important book, especially for Anglo-Jewry, because it chronicles and documents its many internal disputes with and around the office of the current chief rabbi ... [It] is also a description of a paradigm shift ... the shift of the Jewish community in Britain away from its once-largely monolithic structure ... The intellectual standing of Lord Sacks gives his office much more prominence than reality would warrant. The fact that the Board of Deputies, following established practice, remains wedded to the Chief Rabbinate is calculated to enhance the standing of both institutions. But the writing is on the wall, and the collapse is likely to come when Rabbi Sacks retires, which some hope will be soon ... Now, when it is an incontrovertible fact - relentlessly argued in the book - that Rabbi Sacks' standing is declining, there are reasons to ignore him as much as possible. Except, perhaps, to join forces with [Lord] Stanley Kalms to bring about his retirement, for example into a chair at Yeshiva University in New York or another academic post.

JERUSALEM POST (Israel):

Meir Persoff, in this well-researched volume, examines the record of Sacks, who took on the post in September 1991, and comes to the conclusion that the British Chief Rabbinate has outlived its usefulness. It has, he writes in the preface, "indeed reached the end of the road." An even more damaging assessment of the office and of its current holder comes in the foreword by Professor Geoffrey Alderman, an academic and an acerbic weekly commentator on Anglo-Jewry in the Jewish Chronicle, who writes that "under Professor Lord Sacks, the office of chief rabbi has become an object of scorn across much of the Jewish world."

The Hugo Gryn controversy, from which Sacks never fully recovered, was far from the only one in which he was embroiled, trying to avoid rebuke from the Right while at the same time avoiding alienating the Left. There were, among others, the issues over the role of women in Orthodox life; whether marriages performed under Progressive auspices should be recognized by the Chief Rabbinate, even when the couple concerned were halachically Jewish; and whether Progressive rabbis should be called up to the Torah in Orthodox synagogues. The most recent one, only a few months old - and Persoff is to be congratulated on making the book so up to date - focused on the admission criteria of the JFS, the largest Jewish secondary school in Europe. Sacks emerged from none of these covered in glory, being criticized for whatever he did or said by both sides.

There is probably no one better qualified than Persoff to write such a book, having been at the heart of communal matters in his career at the Jewish Chronicle for more than 40 years and, since his retirement to Israel, having the time to research archive material - and the knowledge of what to look for - not only in England but in America as well. He set out with the aim of proving that the Chief Rabbinate will not - indeed should not - survive. Personally, I hope he is wrong because, among other things, it brings prestige to Anglo-Jewry from the outside world. Having read the book, however, I am beginning to have doubts.

JEWISH CHRONICLE (London):

Persoff argues that "many (if not most) regard the Chief Rabbinate as divisive, and would not miss it should it cease to exist." Building on this statement, by analyzing how the inclusivist vision explicitly laid down as a template for the Sacks Chief Rabbinate has repeatedly failed to be implemented, he collates an impressive array of sources to demonstrate how separatism, bitter infighting and a marked failure to cultivate inclusivism have prevailed. He examines the variety of crises that have mired the Chief Rabbi, including the fate of Jewish Continuity, the Women in the Community project, and the Hugo Gryn affair, and highlights the Chief Rabbi's role in recent controversies over conversion, especially as played out in the JFS case.

In a chapter entitled "The Mirage of Unity," Persoff shows that calls have repeatedly been made throughout the history of the Chief Rabbinate for the abolition of the office. He assesses how, from both the religious left and right, it has been criticized either as unrepresentative or as an inappropriate secular construct. While drawing attention to the perpetual problems of the Chief Rabbinate, he largely follows the received historiography of Anglo-Jewry. This suggests that a once-largely unified community, which sought to uphold an umbrella model encompassing all who wished to be included, has become increasingly polarized as a result of religious shifts. Quite aside from internal shifts, the transformation of British sensibilities towards religion over that period is also significant. Indeed, Persoff's analysis points to the growing importance of ethnicity, rather than religion, as a factor in Anglo-Jewish identity.

As Lord Sacks approaches retirement in 2013, Persoff argues against the lasting value of the post. The latest data on synagogue affiliation highlights how Anglo-Jewry is changing. Mainstream Orthodoxy is losing its majority share - indicating the seeming necessity to reconsider the future role of a Chief Rabbi.

CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS (Toronto):

Meir Persoff's "Another Way, Another Time" is a devastating indictment of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' 20-year tenure [as Chief Rabbi]. It illustrates in embarrassing detail the yawning gap between learning and erudition, which the incumbent has in spades, and wisdom and maturity, which he seems to be lacking to an even higher degree. But perhaps nobody could have done better, because the office itself has become obsolete.

The book is replete with examples. On the one hand, the chief rabbi is trying to present Judaism as an open and inclusive faith calculated to make a good impression on the gentiles. On the other, he sees himself as an advocate of an Orthodoxy, the right-wing of which is determined to "out-frum" him. The radicalism that has come to dominate the Orthodox world has no room for alternatives in Judaism and no respect for other faiths.

By now, many of those who once supported him seem to realize that his office has become irrelevant. Some may even wish that he'd retire now as a first step towards abolishing the Victorian institution (which the British mandate bequeathed to the yishuv and from which Israel is now suffering). This may even help revitalize Anglo-Jewry, which the dwindling community badly needs and richly deserves. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of essays seeks to understand the tension between contemporary and traditional elements in the thought, practices, and life of Modern Orthodox Jewry. Together, they are a fascinating study of the balance that occurs between modernity and traditionalism, whereby faith and practice emerge from the encounter adapted but not wholly transformed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

cultural literacy enhancer
A very short (150 pp.--I read it in about 3 or 4 hours) guide to the leading intellectuals in modern Orthodoxy, including Moses Mendelssohn, Samson Raphael Hirsch, Joseph Solovetchik and some I never heard of.Interesting discussion of whether Israel should move towards a separation of church and state. ... Read more

Product Description
A Modern Orthodox Life by Rabbi Emanuel Rackman brings together some 13 sermons, 62 columns (out of nearly one thousand columns) published in the New York Jewish Week from 1971 through 1992 by one of Modern Orthodoxy s most distinguished figures. Some of the writings in this volume go back many years, but the thoughts they express are as pertinent today as they were when first set down. They cover a broad range of topics that will be of interest to thoughtful readers of every Jewish background. All in all, this volume is a moving and profoundly human distillation of the wisdom of a lifetime spent in the rabbinate.

Rabbi Emanuel Rackman is Chancellor Emeritus of Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, and previously served for many decades first as its President beginning in 1977 and then as its Chancellor. Before taking up his responsibilities at Bar-Ilan, he was Provost of Yeshiva University in New York City, where he taught political science and jurisprudence. During his long and fruitful career, he has also served as spiritual leader of Shaaray Tefila in Far Rockaway, NY. (1946-1967) and the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan (1967-1977), as president of the New York Board of Rabbis (1955-1957) and the Rabbinical Council of America (1958-1960), as chairman of the Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy in the U.S. Armed Forces, and as associate editor of Tradition, a publication of the Rabbinical Council of America.

Born in Albany, NY in 1910, he graduated Columbia College in 1929 and graduated Columbia Law School in 1931 and was ordained at R.I.E.T.S. in that same year. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Columbia in 1952. He served as a chaplain in World War II and in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years thereafter. He also headed Jewish Studies at the City University of New York from 1971 to 1977.

This book is a treasure for anyone interested in passionate, rational Judaism. Reading Rabbi Rackman s sermons and essays, some going back many decades, I was struck by how relevant they are today, and how important his voice was, and is, particularly in an Orthodox Jewish community that has become more fundamentalist in practice and less compassionate in spirit. There is no better time to reflect on and appreciate Rabbi Rackman s shared wisdom.
Gary Rosenblatt, Editor and Publisher, The Jewish Week, New York

No one can describe or model the essence of Modern Orthodox Judaism better than Rabbi Rackman. This fascinatingly readable collection of sermons from the 50 s and 60 s, and columns from the 70 s through the 90 s, is at once a history of Modern Orthodox thought in America and the impressive measure of one of its most eloquent, informative, and inspiring spokesmen.
Haskel Lookstein, Senior Rabbi, Congreation Kehilath Jeshurun, New York

If you read these works and afterwards check the original date, you will understand what way ahead of his time means. This book contains a lifetime of wisdom, of compassionate caring, of courage and fearlessness in speaking out for justice when others fell silent. Read this book for its stimulating Torah, its insightful spirituality and, most of all, to encounter the mind and soul of a great rabbinic leader of our times.
Blu and Yitz Greenberg; Blu Greenberg is a founder and Past
President of JOFA and Yitz Greenberg is a Past President of
the Jewish Life Network and CLAL.

This book -- and Rabbi Rackman -- provide a model for how Jewish life ought to be conducted and how Jewish principles and commitments should find expression in both private life and the public arena.
David Ellenson, President, Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion.

Rabbi Emanuel Rackman is a legend in our times. Caring, incisive and courageous, his essays reflect bold responses to the ... Read more

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When we think about Judaism, we often focus on mechanical repetition and cookbook-like observances and rules. Yet, according to author Lewis D. Solomon, the ceremonies, rituals, and all the accompanying rules and regulations are the byways of Judaism, not its highways or its essence. For many, the ceremonies and rituals, although designed to open and touch the spiritual dimension of existence, often block their spiritual life and vitality. Jewish Spirituality: Revitalizing Judaism for the TwentyDFirst Century offers the vision of a personal, intimate experience of a living God as the source of health, joy, love, abundance, and wholeness. It is designed to help us meet and surmount our daily problems as well as the crises we all face in living and, ultimately, in dying. True to its practical orientation, Jewish Spirituality focuses on an approach to living that is liberating, promotes and unfolds our inner human possibilities, and helps us realize our highest self as well as those of others around us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jewish Spirituality
I'm not Jewish, but very interested in Judaism.I found this book to be very affirming, offers hope and generally presents a warm, nurturing and spiritual approach to Judaism.Absent is a negative, blaming or punitive perspective.I highly recommend it!

Cherish This Book!
This is a wonderful book that opens your heart and soul to the possibilities of a richer life as a Jew. What is useful in the 21st century, what is authentic Judaism, and how to deepen your relationshipwith the Eternal (no matter what comes). What is beautiful will not perishif we all hearken to the wisdom of this work. ... Read more

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This is the book form of a set of Sherman lectures (1990-1991) delivered by the writer for the Department of Comparative Religion at the University of Manchester. They deal with the new context of Jewish life since 1945 and three associated sources of discontent - the ideology of the soil of Israel, the invention of orthodoxy, and the alienation of Jews from their past through the influence of the Shoah. Where these sources of discontent are investigated, the writer also aims to juxtapose positive counter-measures. ... Read more

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During the German "Kulturkampf" in the 1870s, the Frankfurt rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch enjoined all Jews of his community to exercise a right given by Prussian law: to withdraw from the united community which was dominated by Reform forces in order to belong only to a separate Orthodox community, founded according to Jewish law (Halakha).

This work investigates the significance of these events for Orthodox Judaism in the 20th century. Focussing on the philosophy of Isaac Breuer, the grandson of Hirsch, Frankfurt attorney, novelist and co-founder of the Orthodox world movement Agudat Israel, this book describes the dilemmas of observant Jewry vis-à-vis the secularist Zionist movement.

It shows the genesis modern Jewish Orthodoxy and helps to understand its activities, in a new "Kulturkampf", in the state of Israel until today. ... Read more

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"An outstanding book, original, well written, and incisive. It will become the point of departure for all other research in the area."-William B. Helmreich, author of The World of the Yeshiva "Danzger's volume treats a subject that is both fascinating and complex. Especially noteworthy is his exploration of an inclusionary strain in Orthodox Jewish life that is often overlooked by sociologists and other contemporary observers."-Norman Lamm, Yeshiva University "The issues raised in this book are critical for our times."-Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Founding Rabbi, Lincoln Square Synagogue "In a clear and lucid style, he examines the reasons for return, the schools established by Orthodox Judaism to deal with this return, and the values and conflicts thus engendered."-Library Journal "If one were to select the most important of the books on baalei teshuvah, 'returnees to Judaism,' the choice would clearly be Danzger's Returning to Tradition. This book goes far beyond the work of Janet Aviad and others. It offers the reader a clear, unified, and comprehensive approach to understanding the world of the baal teshuvah.It is based on many years of careful research into that community, both in Israel and in the United States. The author is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the group he has chosen to study. He knows where they hang out, what their problems are, and the diversity of backgrounds from which they originate...First rate."-William B. Helmreich, American Jewish History ... Read more

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The Hertz Pentateuch has been a mainstay of synagogues inthe English-speaking world for more than half a century.Originallypublished in five volumes (1929-1935), it was the firstEnglish-language commentary on the entire Torah that was intended fora Jewish audience.The editor, Joseph Hertz, was the first rabbinicalgraduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary and later served as chiefrabbi of the British Empire from 1913 until 1946.

In A Vindication of Judaism, Harvery Meirovich describes the manner inwhich Hertz added a distinctive Jewish voice to theChristian-dominated world of biblical scholarship.Hertz sought bothto enhance Jewish literacy and to reaffirm the essential relationshipbetween the Bible and the Jewish people.A staunch advocate of"positive-historical Judaism," the ideological cornerstone ofConservative Judaism, Hertz cast his net wide in endeavoring to reachhis audience.He drew on general world culture and archaeologicalresearch as well as traditional sources in order to demonstrate thesophistication and continuing relevance of biblical thought.At thesame, he attacked what he perceived as the excesses of Reform Judaismand the pernicious influence of Hellenism, including Christianity, onbiblical thought.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, Meirovich carefully analyzesHertz's contribution as well as his polemical stances.Like all ofthe great Jewish biblical commentators, Hertz sought to be respectfulof tradition and, at the same time, attentive to the intellectualcurrents and spiritual needs of his time.With meticulous attentionto both traditional sources and modern scholarship, Meirovich shows adeep understanding of the extraordinary contribution that the HertzPentateuch has made to modern Jewish culture. ... Read more

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Discredited Conservative/Masorti Revisionism
Meirovich would have us believe that Chief Rabbi Hertz was a staunch advocate of Conservative Judaism, despite Hertz's established reputation as an Othodox rabbi. Hertz's graduation from the JTS in 1894 is cited as proof of Meirovich's revisionism. But the JTS was established in 1887 by a number of prominent Orthodox rabbis, some of whom severed their ties with the seminary shortly after S. Schechter took over, as well as a few right wing "Historical Judaism" rabbis, who today would either be Modern Orthodox or the most right wing Conservative rabbis on the planet! Many members of the JTS faculty banded together to form the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America--the OU! Rabbi Hertz's mentor, who was also Dean of the seminary,Rabbi Bernard Drachman, was president of the OU and first English translator of Rabbi S. R. Hirsch's "The Nineteen Letters". (Rabbi Hertz calls Rabbi S. R. Hirsch "the greatest scholar and most ardent defender of traditional Judaism of the 19th century", giving us a pretty good idea of what kind of Judaism Rabbi Hertz meant when he said "traditional Judaism". His assessment that Rabbi Hirsch was a greater scholar than Dr. Z. Frankel also cues us in to which form of Judaism Rabbi Hertz claimed loyalty to).Rabbi Hertz himself refers to the JTS as "the Orthodox rabbinical school, the JTS of New York", and additionally received semicha from six Orthodox rabbis not associated with the JTS because he wanted a universally accepted semicha. Rabbi Hertz's father, Rabbi Simon Hertz, was a disciple of Rabbi Ezriel Hildesheimer in his Eisenstadt yeshiva, from whom he received semicha. We can gather what type of home the young Joseph Hertz was brought up in. Additionally, Rabbi Hertz refutes every last detail of Bible criticism in his famous Chumash commentary, accepting the complete Mosaic authorship of the entire Chumash. As for halacha, it was Rabbi Hertz who insisted (against the objections of the United Synagogue) on hiring Rabbi Yechezkal Abramsky as Av Beth Din of the London Beth Din. Together, Rabbis Hertz and Abramsky worked to strengthen kashruth standards in England. (Rabbi Hertz also hired the well-known Hirschian scholar Dr. I. Grunfeld to serve on this beth din). Rabbi Abramsky said a eulogy on Rabbi Hertz after the latter passed away. Thus, Rabbi Hertz is responsible for the right-wing turn in British Orthodoxy that the Masorti bemoan! Even Agudath Israel, the ultra-Orthodox group, publicized the statement that Rabbi Hetz was a friend of Jewish religious causes after he passed away. Thus, Meirovich's entire thesis is nothing but a fallacious bit of Conservative/Masorti revisionism to bring the popular Chief Rabbi Hertz into their own camp. Don't waste your time reading it. ... Read more

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Contemporary Judaism from the perspective of Jewish history.Reviews the events of each era and presents their impact on present-day religious observance.Vol 1:Creation to the Destruction of the Second Temple. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hard to rate--Jewish Orthodoxy vs. Science, reason, etc.
This is a difficult book for the layman to read.It's written in an academic style and its' contents are philosophy and Orthodox Judaism including difficult concepts and arguments.I think the author did a very creditable job analyzing Breuer (as far as I can tell).He analyzes the influences and effects of Kant, Schopenhauer, Kabbalah, and others on Breuer and his works as well as to compare/contrast Breuer's works themselves as a development over time of his point of view and philosophy.In the last chapter, the author provides his own view of Breuer--both the plusses and minuses.I must agree with Oskar Wolfsberg's criticism (cited on page 84) that "Breuer evaded a genuine confrontation between science and Torah, that Breuer's system is thoroughly deductive, descending from dogmatic presuppositions and avoiding a scientific, presumably inductive method; tha Breuer's conclusuions sound too much like his premises, and that Breuer proceeds 'with the arrogance of the dogmatician' who knows everhtin in advance without a shred of evidence."But, I would extend this criticism to the entire book (sans the last chapter).I cannot say whether Mittleman's analysis of Kant is correct, but as a scientist, I certainly take issue with Breuer's view of science.I would go farther, since Breuer's philosophy addresses the "I," to say that he ignores psychology.Kind of astounding, really, especially when Jung and Freud were practically contemporaries of his.I agree with Mittleman that Breuer's usage of Kabbalah was only at the edges--he used it only for his own means--bending it to his will as he did Kant.Not that there's anything wrong with such syncretism in developing one's own philosophy.However, I strongly object to Breuer's turning the word "freedom" on its head.Essentially he transposes "freedom" for "slavery" (to the past) and "slavery" to "freedom" in the present (e.g. modern Democratic and Republican forms of government).Mittleman points out Breuer's rejection of personal freedom, but doesn't go far enough IMHO.I also object to the author's continued use of German (and other languages) vs. translating them into English (except for Breuer's neologisms).This may be academically wonderful, but for me it seem like affectation.We don't live in Jung's era anymore.This is somewhat analogous to Breuer who was caught between two worlds--modernity and the Orthodoxy with which he was brought up.Unfortunately, he did not reconcile the cognitive dissonance so readily apparent to his readers, failing to individuate and, indeed, heavily criticizing the process of individuation.His seems to me to be an act of desperation, an attempt against the impossible to reconcile the irreconcilable.His genius was that he accomplished what he did and serves as a remarkable example of a genius unwilling to step off the diving board into an unforeseen future--despite the fact that he was a major force in Orthodoxy attempting to establish their involvement in contemporary politics (e.g. the creation of Israel).So, I compromised and gave this book 3 stars.I can see someone shaking his contemporary head and giving it 1 star; I can see someone nodding his academic head and giving it 5 stars.Different strokes for different folks. ... Read more

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In 1936, Joseph Margoshes (1866-1955), a writer for the New York Yiddish daily, Morgen Journal, published a memoir of his youth in Austro-Hungarian Galicia entitled Erinerungen fun mayn leben. In it, he evoked a world which had been changed almost beyond recognition as a result of the First World War, and was shortly to be completely obliterated by the Holocaust. In telling his own story, Margoshes gives the reader important insights into the many-faceted Jewish life of Austro-Hungarian Galicia. We read of the Orthodox and the Enlightened, urban and rural life, Jews and their gentile neighbours, and much more. The book is an important evocation of an entire Jewish society and civilization, and bears comparison with Yehiel Yeshaia Trunk's masterful evocation of Jewish life in Poland, Poyln. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Part Memoir, Part Call for Change, Part Love Letter to Her Faith and her Daughters...
The subtitle of Straight Talk by Sally Berkovic -- "My Dilemma as a Modern Orthodox Jewish Woman" -- pretty much tells what the main thread of the book is.Ms. Berkovic has deeply mixed feelings about the world of Modern Orthodoxy that she lives in, but she seems to live mostly satisfied within that world, or at least the joys of her life outweigh the issues that anger and frustrate her.It's looking at her two young daughters, and wondering what they will learn from her, or whether the contradictions of Modern Orthodox practice, particularly for women, will push them either toward the more rigid ultraOrthodox world or out of Orthodoxy all together.

The book begins as a letter to her daughters, explaining where she comes from as the daughter of Holocaust survivors raised in Australia, with a less than ideally submissive and unquestioning outlook.She veers off into interesting analysis of the problems for modern women with traditional practice--being shut out of certain rituals and leadership position, the conflict between what's needed to have a career in the modern world and what is expected of women within the religious world, the dependence on the halachic rulings of rabbis who often don't seem at all cognizant of the reality of women's lives.Her analysis did not strike me as particularly strident (though I am not inside the Orthodox world myself) but the sincere words of someone who wants to find a place within this world that is secure both halachically and spiritually.

Her call may not be terribly loud but it is urgent because the problems she recognizes are real--if one risks being trapped in a marriage by a man who won't give a get (Jewish divorce), one is more likely to choose not to have a traditional Jewish ceremony at all, or to leave behind the rules that say that it's the get or nothing, when the rabbis and authorities don't seem all that responsive to the problem and don't bring to bear all the pressure they could on the men who are acting dishonorably.She outlines unrevolutionary steps that can be taken to show young women a world which doesn't just confine them but embraces and supports them -- women's prayer groups, rituals for daughters' births and bat mitzvahs, Jewish education in day schools and Hebrew schools that places more emphasis on learning Torah and even Talmud than on conforming to standards of modesty.

Ms. Berkovic is bravely honest about both her struggles and the joys she finds in her life.I admire her for being so open in telling her own story and in sharing what she finds both wonderful and frustrating about her faith and her life.

The best thing is that this is not a heavy tome but a very readable, at times laugh-out-loud funny (her imagined supermarket conversations with a Muslim woman were great), and a quick read.But her ideas are very serious and worth considering; I hope that this book has reached a readership within the Orthodox community as they, like all Jewish communities, struggle with the issues of intermarriage and retention of the next and coming generations in the Jewish faith.

This is a "should" read for Jewish women
As an orthodox woman myself, I was at first skeptical of the title.It is remarkable how the author manages to get her slightly feminist point across, without being pushy or preachy about it and while making it clearthat she is orthodox and intends to remain that way.From the title Ithought that it would be a book trying to remove women from orthodoxy, butthat's not at all the case.It will make you think and maybe re-think someaspects of your life and it provides the reader with plenty of footnotesand bibliography that will assist anyone who desires to do further readingon the topics presented.At times the writing style made it a little hardto continue to read but overall this is a good book and while it is notgoing to make me change my life, it may just be a great starting point forsomeone who is looking for resources and ideas for greater participation oforthodox Jewish women in the ritual life of their congregation andfamilies.The author does a very good job at showing the different levelsof observance and ritual adherence by women within the orthodox community. ... Read more