Book review

A forgotten voice from 1391: 'Hasdai Crescas: Collected Writings' - book review

Hasdai Crescas became crown rabbi of Aragon under King John I and Queen Violant de Bar. He counted among his friends Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet and Rabbi Simeon ben Tzemah Duran.

Inaugurating Hasdai Crescas Street in Jerusalem, 2011. Front row (from left): Esti Eisenman, specialist in Crescas and initiator of street naming; Prof. Warren Zeev Harvey, leading specialist in Crescas. Back row (from left): Regional council member Yael Anatbi, and Prof. Yomtov Asis.
HELPING MOURNERS to heal.

'The Jewish Journey Through Loss': Combining halacha and psychology in order to heal - review

Thee are no illustrations, except for an unexpected one on the last page.

'The Morning the Apples Began to Sing': A story of wonder and imagination - review

EMILY’S JOURNEY in the land of doors. Artwork by Orit Magia

'Emily Saw a Door': Learning to create spaces for each other with creativity, acceptance - review


'To Be Holy but Human': A look into the life ‘hesder yeshiva’ creator Rabbi Yehuda Amital - review

One of a kind: Rav Amital was that unique and unparalleled leader who lived at a time when he was needed the most.

Israelis carry the body of Rabbi Yehuda Amital during his funeral in Jerusalem, on July 09, 2010

'Life-Tumbled Shards': A journal on family, loss, and search for self-healing - review

We are all part of the trauma-filled family of Israel struggling to cope with a divine-given destiny beyond our comprehension. Sometimes God says “No.”

Loss (illustration)

'Awakening to Radical Islamist Evil': A record of the Israel-Hamas War - review

Monty Penkower’s book is less of a “what went wrong” analysis and more a log book of entries as to what, mostly, went right, and in some cases, wrong.

 PALESTINIANS ATTEND the funeral of senior Hamas deputy military commander Marwan Issa. (illustration)

'The Sunflower House': A Nazi past discovered under the floor - review

The Sunflower House is a well-written story of love amid the harsh reality of the difficult conditions faced by the protagonists.

 A NAMING ceremony conducted by SS members at a Lebensborn home in Rheinhessen, Germany, c. 1936-1944.

'Are We There Yet?' Building and sustaining healthy marriages - review

For couples contemplating, or embarking on, marriage, or who are already navigating its hidden depths, Are We There Yet? is essential and rewarding reading.

Marriage

'The Life of the Soul': A look at Judaism's view on 'gilgul' and reincarnation - review

With such erudite scholarship, The Life of the Soul is a landmark contribution and resource to the study of Jewish mysticism.

 An illustrative image of a young woman by the beach holding hands with a transparent figure.

'The Man Who Would Be King': Saudi crown prince pushes for liberalization of his society - review

Everyone with an interest in the Middle East will welcome this study by Karen Elliott House of a man who is bound to play a vital role in the region’s future.  

 SAUDI CROWN Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2025.

'Judaism: A love story': The latest book by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin - review

This is a book that will open readers’ hearts and minds to Rabbi Riskin’s vision of Judaism, not just as a religion but as a profound and enduring love story.

 Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (at home with portrait of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik)

'Are We There Yet?': Getting over marital roadblocks - review

Chana Levitan, a couples therapist and educator, presents the stories of 18 couples who overcame specific roadblocks in their relationships and are still driving that car called marriage.

 ‘THE WEDDING REGISTER’ by Edmund Leighton, 1920.

'Ancient Jewish Food': What’s cooking in the Talmuds? - review

A new book by food scholar Susan Weingarten offers a glimpse into what Jews ate almost 2,000 years ago and how the food was prepared.

 An illustrative image of wheat and dairy products next to a Torah scroll.