“Featuring well-chosen primary sources, magnificent artwork and memorable infographics …provides readers with a magnificent one-volume guide to Jewish history, teachings and practices.” – Jonathan Sarna, Brandeis University
A comprehensive 496‑page coffee‑table‑style book exploring the teachings, observances, and history of Judaism.
What is Judaism? What does it mean to be a Jew? What is Judaism’s message to the world?
The Book of Jewish Knowledge offers 1200 answers in 1200 voices, presenting the story of Judaism via the variety of media that capture the Jewish experience: a Biblical account, a traditional Jewish practice, a painting by a Jewish artist, a Midrashic parable, a Talmudic discourse, a historical document, a poignant photograph, a gefilte fish recipe, a prayer from Psalms, a Scriptural aphorism, a Halachic (Jewish law) responsum, a Kabbalistic diagram, a philosophical essay, a 12th-century travelogue. Collectively, these present the reader with an encyclopedic overview of Jewish history, an in-depth examination of four millennia of Jewish wisdom, and an intimate tour of Jewish traditions and observances. This groundbreaking volume surveys the full scope of Jewish teaching and Jewish life, while also doing justice to the depth and beauty of Judaism. Whether this is your first book on Judaism, or if you are approaching it with a lifetime of learning and engagement, you are sure to gain a new appreciation of the range and grandeur of Jewish knowledge and experience.
The Book of Jewish Knowledge consists of five sections: Jewish History, Jewish Teaching, Jewish Practice, The Jewish Year and Lifecycle Milestones.
These sections are further divided into 160 sub-sections and topics (e.g., “The First Jews,” “The Exodus,” “Business Ethics,” “The Synagogue,” “Shabbat,” “The Passover Seder,” ”Education, ”Marriage,” etc. )
Contains a short biographical description of each of the 225 personalities and works cited in the book. There are works from over 100 artists and photographers and 78 full-color graphs, tables and maps.
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) Serving learning centers in over 2,000 communities and on the internet JLI is the world’s preeminent provider of adult education. JLI’s mission is to make Jewish learning accessible and personally meaningful to every Jew, regardless of background or affiliation. JLI’s insightful curricula utilize cutting-edge pedagogic techniques, embracing the multiple intelligence model and utilizing multimedia and an array of approaches to engage, educate, and inspire all kinds of minds in a dynamic Jewish learning experience. The courses are translated into nine languages, offer continuing educational credits for multiple professions and are taught by JLI trained and certified instructors.
The Book of Jewish Knowledge Pub.: The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Pub. date: Sept. 30, 2022 496 pgs., Reg. Ed., $79 ISBN: 978-1-63668-011-8 Slipcase Gift Ed. $99 ISBN: 978-1-63668-012-5 Editor in Chief: Rabbi Yanki Tauber, Creative Director: Baruch Gorkin