The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews

Author: Martin S. Cohen

Number Of Pages: 981

Release Date: 30-04-2012

Details: Product Description A decade in the making, The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews contains a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one s own moral path in life. Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more . . . The Observant Life explains the way halakhah (Jewish law) impacts on the way Jews actually live in the world and interact with the world. It will serve as an excellent guide for anyone seeking to create a course devoted to contemporary Conservative theology and belief. The Observant Life is hailed by Jonathan D. Sarna, the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University. With this volume, the Conservative movement spells out in unprecedented detail and wondrously accessible form how to live the observant life . Combining the timeless teachings of Judaism on a range of expected and unexpected topics, with a keen sensitivity to ethics and to the challenges of modern Jewish life, this guide provides a comprehensive and up-to-date answer to an age-old question: what does it mean to be a good Jew? Review The Observant Life displays Conservative Judaism at its thoughtful and instructive best. Thoughtful Jews and religious persons of all faiths will want to own and consult this volume for Jewish wisdom and guidance. --Rabbi David Ellenson, President Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion An incredible guide to living in this century according to Jewish law, The Observant Life deals [with] . . . every aspect of our lives and brings the wisdom of our faith and its sages to the situations at hand, [it features] solid scholarship, thoughtful explanations and wise guidance for 21st century Jews. --Ruth W. Messinger, President American Jewish World Service I found reading The Observant Life to be an enriching experience. It was not just that I learned more about the Jewish tradition, ritual and halakhah . . . readers like me will find this book of enormous value and will refer to it over and over again. --Ambassador Dennis Ross Counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy former American envoy on Middle East peace. An incredible guide to living in this century according to Jewish law, The Observant Life deals [with] . . . every aspect of our lives and brings the wisdom of our faith and its sages to the situations at hand, [it features] solid scholarship, thoughtful explanations and wise guidance for 21st century Jews. --Ruth W. Messinger, President American Jewish World Service I found reading The Observant Life to be an enriching experience. It was not just that I learned more about the Jewish tradition, ritual and halakhah . . . readers like me will find this book of enormous value and will refer to it over and over again. --Ambassador Dennis Ross Counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy former American envoy on Middle East peace. About the Author Martin S. Cohen, the senior editor of this volume, is the rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York, and the chairman of the editorial board of Conservative Judaism, a quarterly journal published jointly by the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary. His latest book, The Boy on the Door on the Ox, was published by Aviv Books in 2008. Michael Katz, the associate editor of this vol

EAN: 9780916219499

Languages: English

Binding: Hardcover

Item Condition: New