Basic Judaism (Harvest Book.)

The short simple title gives a hint that the contents of this book will be just as concise, elegant, and to the point. I have read many books in my journey of discovery into Judaism and this one quickly became a favorite. I am always looking to increase my basic knowledge of Jewish theology, ethics, values, tradition, and history. I stumbled onto a small, used, worn, 172 page paperback copy of this book and was delighted and impressed with how Rabbi Milton Steinberg was able to simply and eloquently cover such a complex subject. I then bought a new copy to give my daughter.It takes someone who has truly mastered the material to give such a lucid and orderly presentation and Rabbi Steinberg's love of Judaism shines through each page.

This is a Study in Philosophy. It covers the Topic of What is GOD. There is no time for any argument with a atheist. It starts when the Hebrew peoples are released from Bondage in Egypt. We learn lessons about how to deal wit people. Then there is prayer. So you say that Prayer doesn't help! OKay but it sure doesn't hurt to try! Every day should be a personal Yom Kippur. Where is the back ground for Catholic's, Presbyteries, and the world of Islam? It is drawn from the Old Testament, the Torah. Before you start throwing stones you owe it to yourself to read this narrative of the Jews.

I was studying Judaism with a local Rabbi and he recommended this book to me as a source of background information. It does help the reader identify moments in history and is a good purchase for anyone who may be ignorant of the subject matter.

This is a very interesting book. I found it fascinating because he presents ideas about aspects of Judaism that I hadn't thought too deeply about and I came away with a better understanding of the religion. Of particular interest to me was his discussion of Jews in relationship to Jesus and Christianity. To me, a less than ardent believer, reading this was a wonderful experience.

This is one of the books I was told to read for my conversion to Judaism. It is very concise and gives the reader the very basics of Judaism. It focuses on what is common among the various streams of Judaism. The language used is a little antiquated, but it is a beautiful read. This book is a good introduction to Judaism and is an excellent starting point if you are a beginner to Judaism.

There are two things one should know about this book. One, (as the author points out) this book "is a book about the Jewish religion - not about Jews or Jewish problems, or Jewish culture, or Zionism, but about those beliefs, ideals, and practices which make up the historic Jewish faith." Two, it is indeed - very - basic. Perhaps my thirst for detail keeps me from appreciating this short a summary. I found MUCH more information in three hours on the Internet than turns up here.... Perhaps the book suffers because the author is trying to span the breadth of Judaism, from Reform to Orthodox, in one volume.... On a positive note, Rabbi Steinberg does not beat about the bush - to give one example. he straightforwardly describes the differences between (the various forms of) Christianity and Judaism. His views on St. Paul are "challenging". Christians may not like his judgments, but I thought many of them seem quite on-target. On the negative side, do not expect from this volume a listing of the 613 Jewish commandments (though they are mentioned). Do not expect any description of the Jewish lunar calendar, or any listing of the months. Do not expect any description of the Hebrew language. Do not expect any detailed description of the liturgy of the Shabbat service. I could forgive much of this (since the book is only 172 pages long) except for the fact the author is verbose - especially in the first half of the book. (Incidentally, be aware that "Basic Judaism" lacks all of the following: a bibliography, a glossary, any appendices, and an index!) Though I found this a pleasant read, I wouldn't use it as a starting point for any in-depth study of Judaism.

This wee book is packed full of easy to understand information for anyone interested in learning about Judaism, or for Jewish folks who may be teaching a class on basic Judaism. It reads easily, is divided into logical sections, and is a nice size and price for use in churches, mosques, library groups, anywhere interfaith dialog can be found. The information in it is accurate, free of bias regarding Orthocdox, Conservative or Reformed Judaic points of view without ignoring that the differences in the three groups exist. A lot of little books like this which approach broad and deep subjects end up being facile and useless. This one does not.

There were many sources available from which to order this used book. I selected the one that rated the condition of their book "Very Good". Needless to say, I was quite surprised when it arrived in two pieces with the binding split neatly down the middle.. I glued and taped it together as best I could. It's an excellent book- I only wish the vendor's appraisal skills were as good.