Climbing Sinai

This entry has been cross-posted on the JPS blog.

One of the things I love about history is that sometimes, it goes “meta” on you.  What I mean is that on the one hand, there are historians who write about history.  And on the other hand, there are historians who write about how other historians write history.  It’s historiography: the history of history.  (Sick of the word “history” yet?  Too bad!)  For example, there’s E.H. Carr’s What is History?, or Mary Spongberg’s Writing Women’s History Since the Rennaissance, or The Historiography of Contemporary Science and Technology by Thomas Söderqvist.  One of the neat things about history is that there’s no one way to produce it: over time, historians’ accounts of, say, Classical history will be influenced by variations in research methodology, philosophical approach, and even values.

What’s all this got to do with Judaism?, you may wonder.  Well, it just so happens that earlier today, I began to read a wonderful little gem of a book called Zakhor: Jewish Memory and Jewish History, by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi: Jewish historiography!

In this book, Yerushalmi traces the development of how Jews not only studied, but remembered, their own history.  According to Yerushalmi, throughout much of its lifetime, Judaism has had an uneasy relationship with the formal writing and studying of history.  He claims that writers of Jewish history over the ages have typically engaged in what should really be called “selective memory” – recording and commemorating some events and not others, couching historical events in a religious language and context, or simply forgoing recorded history in favor of commemorative holidays or liturgical poems.  It’s all fascinating stuff, gracefully written, and completely accessible for any lay reader.

I also happen to know that JPS will, in the upcoming months, be publishing a work of Jewish history that dates back to the medieval period, and which is discussed in Zakhor.  So keep your eyes peeled, and when the book is finally published, look to Zakhor to read about its historical context.

Heck, read Zakhor right now.  It’s awesome.

- Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

Only a few hours into the day, I’ve decided that it’s high time for another link roundup.  As I mentioned last time, part of my job here at JPS is to surf the internet and keep abreast of what’s happening the Jewish book world.  As a result, I regularly stumble across tons of interesting blog posts, websites, and articles.  (Want my job?  Well, it turns out that since I’ll soon be leaving JPS to start grad school, the Online Sales and Marketing Associate position will be open, and JPS is looking to hire someone great!)  Anyways, today has just been so chock-full of goodies that I can’t really contain myself!  So here’s the catch of the day:

● Rachel Barenblat (alias: the Velveteen Rabbi) has been interview about her Jewish poetry, and what it means to her, at Read Write Poem.

● eJewish Philanthropy gives us a heads-up about a new Limmud Conference.  This time, it’s a one-day event at the Hampton Synagogue in WestHampton, New York – and it’s being organized under the umbrella of Limmud FSU.  So all you Jews from Russian-speaking families, here’s your chance to participate in an exciting day of informal learning sessions, discussions, and performances!

● Tablet Magazine presents a selection of Israeli pop music that draws freely from Jewish liturgy.  Liel Leibovitz presents not only a fun playlist, but podcasts a discussion about how Israeli pop artists explore their faith through music.  Have a listen, and see if you can spot the liturgical references.

● Charles London, author of Far From Zion: The Search for a Global Community, guest blogs at My Jewish Learning and the Jewish Book Council about Diaspora Jewry and the overhaul of the Museum of the Jewish People in Israel.

- Naomi

(That was a one-hit wonder by the Monotones, in case you’re curious.)

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

Following on the heels of Tisha B’Av (the most somber day in the Jewish calendar) is the festival of Tu B’av – the Jewish holiday of love.  In days gone by (during the Second Temple period, to be exact – around 2500 years ago), young, unmarried women would don white dresses and dance in the vineyards.  There, according to the Mishna, they would sing, “young man, consider whom you choose to be your wife” – and hopefully, some eligible bachelor would take notice.  (After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife…  Anyone?  Anyone?)  After the destruction of the Second Temple, the dancing and matchmaking of Tu B’Av fell out of practice, and the holiday went on a nineteen-hundred year hiatus.

Recently, however, the day has experienced a resurgence in popularity, especially in Israel.  The entertainment, beauty, and flowers and cards industries have begun to have a field day promoting Tu B’Av as the Jewish alternative to Valentine’s Day.  And uniquely, though it’s a Jewish holiday, there are essentially no rituals and no liturgy associated with it – so if you want to celebrate the day, pretty much anything goes!  Host a romantic dinner party, send some flowers to a loved one, sign up on JDate, or… check out some Jewish books on love and relationships (hey, you’re reading a Jewish book blog, what did you expect?).  Here are a few popular ones you may want to consider:

● Love Your Neighbor and Yourself: A Jewish Approach to Modern Personal Ethics, by Rabbi Elliot Dorff
● Treasury of Jewish Love: Poems, Quotations & Proverbs, by David C. Gross
● Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy, by Shmuley Boteach
● God, Love, Sex, and Family: A Rabbi’s Guide for Building Relationships That Last, by Michael Gold
● The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage, by Maurice Lamm
● Dating Secrets of the Ten Commandments, by Shmuley Boteach
● Kabbalah on Love (Technology for the Soul), by Yehudah Berg

Happy reading! XOXO,
- Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

One of the many hats I wear here at JPS is that of Official Internet Surfer.  (It’s a pretty cool hat actually – it’s got this wee little surfboard perched on top…  Ok.  Cue the tomato-throwing.)  In order to keep abreast of what’s happening in the Jewish book world, I keep a close eye on my Google Reader, do a regular scan of the Google Blog Search, and pay attention to the news shared by our many Twitter followers.  As a result, I regularly stumble across tons of interesting blog posts, websites, and articles.

Well, I’ve decided it’s high time that I start sharing my findings with my gentle readers.  Every once in a while I’m going to do a mini-compilation of my interesting and relevant findings for that day.  So here it is, the catch of the day:

● Marc Tracy of Tablet Magazine shares some original, awful Jewish poetry, as a tribute to MyJewishLearning’s Bad Jewish Poetry Contest.  “Shall I compare thee to a matzah ball?”  Oy vey.

● At Mixed Multitudes, Tamar Fox looks back at a full year of mourning and saying kaddish for her mother.  She’s been blogging about the experience this entire year – after reading this post, I think I’m going to go back and read her thoughts from the very beginning.  A tremendously moving meditation on an age-old Jewish tradition.

● At eJewishPhilanthropy, Joshua Avedon discusses the “innovation pipeline” for new Jewish nonprofit organizations.  His Google Chrome analogy is helpful to those relatively unfamiliar with the world of Jewish innovation and social entrepreneurship.

● According to Beattie’s Book Blog, Merlin Digital has just launched the slimmest e-book device in the market.  Is this development good or bad for the book world?  It all depends on how you look at it, I suppose.

Happy surfing!
-Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

Today is Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, and it is considered to be the saddest and most serious day in the Jewish calendar.  Tisha B’Av was the day when it was decreed that the Jews would wander in the desert for 40 years before they could enter the Land of Israel.  In 586 BCE, on Tisha B’Av, the Babylonian army destroyed the First Temple.  In 70 CE, on the ninth of Av, the Second Temple was destroyed – an act which forever altered Judaism and almost marked the downfall of the religion.

After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Rabbis began to notice a pattern, that the month of Av – and especially the ninth day of that month – was a herald for many disastrous events to befall the Jewish people.  Both the expulsion from England in 1290 and the expulsion from Spain in 1492 occurred on Tisha B’Av.  The emptying of the Warsaw Ghetto – 9 Av, 1942.  The bombing of the JCC in Buenos Aries, in which 90 people were killed and 300 injured – 9 Av, 1994.

Of course, not every calamitous event in Jewish history has occurred during the month of Av, and many a Tisha B’Av has passed with nary a bother.  But because of the deep significance of the Temple’s destruction to the Jewish psyche, Tisha B’Av has become the representative day of mourning for all the sufferings of the Jewish people.  And when an event like the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing occurs, its sting is just a little sharper, because it happened on Tisha B’Av.

Tisha B’Av is observed with ritual mourning practices, as if mourning the passing of a loved one.  In addition to a 25-hour fast, Jewish tradition mandates refraining from wearing leather, washing one’s body, and using perfume.  Active mourning rituals include the reading of Eicha (Lamentations) and Kinot (Hebrew elegies written at different periods in Jewish history).  And while regular Torah study is discouraged (because the study of Torah is meant to be joyful), the study of Job and Jeremiah, as well as the portions of Talmud and Midrash that discuss the destruction of Jerusalem, is encouraged.

My suggestion?  If you can, set aside a little time today to do just that.  Read through the book of Lamentations, or, with a friend, read and discuss the many probing questions posed by the book of Job.  Reflect a little.  Think about humanity’s capacity for cruelty, and where that has led us over the centuries.  And think about what we can all do to offset that, and to make our world just a little bit kinder.

-Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

After five years of determined city living, this week I’m going back to my roots: the suburbs.  That’s right.  Quiet, uncrowded streets, picket fences, and Donna Reed look-alikes everywhere!  Now, this is only a two-week stint of house (and dog and teenager)-sitting, but it’s already had a dramatic impact on my daily routine.  There’s the dog-walking and the much, much longer walk to the nearest coffee shop.  There’s also the longer morning commute – no more walking to work, or hopping on a bus.  But therein lies something truly wonderful.  In my five years of living a city life, I had almost completely forgotten something integral to my personality: I. Love. Driving.  I love it!  The freedom to go wherever I like, whenever I like – bus schedules be darned.  There’s the thrill of doing 60mph on the expressway, singing along to the radio…

… Wait.  Problem. This week isn’t just any old week.  Thursday marks what is perhaps one of the most somber days in the Jewish calendar: Tisha B’Av.  It’s a day of fasting and mourning, a day that marks not only the destruction of the First and Second Temples, but also the many other major disasters that have befallen the Jewish people.  It’s such a serious day that a tradition has arisen to extend the mourning period for the three weeks (or nine days) prior to the holiday.  For many people, that means three weeks of no weddings or parties, no new clothes… and no music.

So what’s a driver to do?  I can’t just drive in silence!  That’s when it hit me: Hey!  I work for a Jewish Publisher!  What about Jewish books – audio books?!  I can simply combine two of my favorite things – driving and Jewish learning – into one super-awesome activity!

JPS, in cooperation with the Jewish Braille Institute, has an audio Bible in the works.  In the meantime, here are some great Jewish audio book resources for you to enjoy during the Three Weeks and beyond:

● Audible.com offers about 60 Jewish-content audio books, ranging from “Maimonides and Medieval Jewish Philosophy” to “Yenta Unplugged (Excuse Me, I’m Talking).”
● ClassicSinai.com has 26 fascinating (and free!) mp3 downloads on topics like “Genesis and the Big Bang,” “The Matrix and Jewish Reality,” and “Crash Course in Jewish Holidays.”
● Want to learn about Judaism from the best the academic world has to offer?  The Teaching Company offers entire audio courses by renowned professors on subjects such as “Beginnings of Judaism,” “Jewish Civilization from Mohammad to Spinoza,” and “Jewish Intellectual History: 16th to 20th Century.”

Happy driving!
-Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

So I was doing my usual Google Blog Search this morning, looking for any interesting chatter on the net about Jewish books.  I was scrolling through, and there were the usual book reviews, the typical news articles with a mention of “books” here and “Jewish” there, yadda yadda yadda.  Then, all of a sudden!  I see: “Book Patrol: ‘Speak a Jewish Word and Make an Extra Sale’“.  Huh?

Curious, I clicked on the link, and found myself reading a fascinating article about a piece of ephemeral American Judaica (ephemera is any piece of written or printed material not intended to be preserved, like a pamphlet, letter, or flyer).  Stephen J. Gertz writes:

My girlfriend’s father died recently and in amongst his belongings she found a curious pamphlet.

The Joseph Jacobs Handbook of Jewish Words and Expressions.  For use of anyone calling on the Jewish trade… for making friends with Jewish merchants was issued in 1954 by the Joseph Jacobs Organization, an U.S. advertising agency that specifically targeted the Jewish market. It was created for any business interested in cultivating the Jewish trade, and Calvert Distillers co-opted it for use by its salesmen and distribution to the liquor store owners they called upon so that both could more effectively service their customers with a little schmear of Yiddish to grease the ethnic gears and help all concerned put a little extra gelt (money) in their pockets and mach a leben (make a living). It’s hands across the Old and New Testaments, brotherhood with a dollar sign.

He then goes on to relate the significance of this fun little pamphlet to the history of the Prohibition-era, and post-Prohibition, liquor business.  During the 1920’s, distillery inventories were warehoused and distributed through the few exemptions to the Volstead Act (which included, among a few other things, sacramental wine.  Kiddush, anyone?).

The original owners of these warehoused goods were issued government receipts and a lively trade developed for brokering the receipts which were sold by the original owners to raise cash, and then brokered for resale. Control the receipts, and you controlled the legal flow of booze in the U.S. The brokers and buyers of the receipts were, to a man, Jews.

Later, when the Volstead Act was repealed, distilleries needed significant capital to resume production.  Translation: these guys needed sugar daddies to meet the country’s pent-up demand for alcohol.  What a great business opportunity!  The result?

By the mid-1930s, Jews controlled the distilled spirits industry in the U.S., completely responsible for its finance, sales and marketing.

By the 1950’s (when this pamphlet was published), the industry was still run by Jews, but non-Jews were starting to enter the business in droves.  Clearly, at that time, knowing a little bit of Yiddish couldn’t hurt your career.

A fun, fascinating peice of Jewish history, to be sure.  This article is also a brief lesson in the value of ephemera:

Thus, this little booklet can serve as the cornerstone to a collection that can grow in many interesting directions. A far-sighted dealer could build a collection of American liquor business-related ephemera, perhaps with the Jewish slant and form a collection more valuable as a whole than in its parts and sell to a university, a Jewish or a liquor industry trade organization. An individual could do the same and gain much personal nachas (joy), something to really kvell (beam with immense, swollen pride) over having amassed a collection of material that has gotten little attention and, having done so, brought to light a slice of our cultural history and heritage heretofore passed over.

History isn’t only learned from books, folks.  You can read the whole, unabridged, article here.

-Naomi

This entry is cross-posted at the JPS Blog.

For the past few months, the team at G-dcast has been producing and broadcasting a weekly 4-minute cartoon about the parshah – the Torah portion read that week in synagogue.  The G-dcasts are colorful, they’re creative, they’re an easy introduction to the parshah’s content, and – almost always – they raise insightful and thought-provoking questions posed by the text.

The parshah this week touches on one of my favorite vignettes in the entire Torah – the story of the daughters of Zelophehad (now, here is where I would normally recap that story for you myself, but I’ll let G-dcast do the work this time).  I was curious to see how G-dcast would approach this material, and I really like the “spin” that they’ve put on the story.  There is definitely a feminist undercurrent in this week’s parshah, and G-dcast has decided to run with it.

Parshat Pinchas from G-dcast.com

More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com

-Naomi