A Time to Every Purpose Letters to a Young Jew

by Sarna, Jonathan D

• ISBN13: 9780465002467
• ISBN10: 0465002463
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-26
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

At the turn of the twenty-first century, the central question confronting Jewish leaders in America is simple:Why be Jewish?Jonathan D. Sarna, acclaimed scholar of American Judaism, believes that "Why be Jewish?" is the wrong question. Judaism, he believes, is not so much a "why" as awaya way of life, a way of marking time, a way of relating to the environment, to human beings, to family, and to God. Judaism is experienced throughdoingdoing things Jewish, doing things for fellow Jews in need, doing things as a Jew to improve the state of the world. The more Judaism onedoes, the more one comes to appreciate what Judaismis.Using the Jewish calendar as his starting point, Sarna reflects on the major themes of Jewish life as expressed in a full year of holidaysfrom Passover in the spring to Purim eleven months later. Passover, for instance, yields a discussion of freedom; Shavuot, a discussion of Torah; Yom Kippur, the role of the individual within the Jewish community; Chanukah, issues of assimilation and anti-assimilation.An essential brief introductionor reintroductionto the major practices of Jewish life as well as the many complexities of the American Jewish experience, this book will be essential reading for American Jews and the perfect gift for the holiday season.

Author Biography

Jonathan D. Sarna is Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, and chairs the Academic Board of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives. Author of American Judaism: A History, he is also the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History and of the 350th commemoration of Jewish life in America, 1654–2004. He lives in West Newton, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

A Note on Transliteration from, Hebrew
A Note on the Jewish Calendar
Freedom: Passover	p. 1
Food, Family, and Jewish Distinctiveness: Maimuna	p. 17
Remembering the Holocaust: Yom ha-Shoah	p. 27
Celebrating Israel: Yom ha-Atsma'ut	p. 41
Torah: Shavuot	p. 59
Antisemitism: Tishah be-Av	p. 77
Love, Marriage, and Declining Numbers: Tu be-Av	p. 89
Judgment Without Resolution: Rosh Hashanah	p. 97
The Individual and the Community: Yom Kippur	p. 109
Making Choices and Improving the world: Sukkot	p. 123
Assimilation and Anti-Assimilation: Hanukkah	p. 135
Going Green: Tu bi-Shevat	p. 147
Continuity and Happiness: Purim	p. 155
For Further Reading	p. 165
Notes	p. 177
Index	p. 189
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.