17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Celebrate the Feasts : of the Old Testament in Your Own Home, April 20, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Celebrate the Feasts of the Old Testament in Your Own Home or Church (Paperback)
A wonderful resource! Written from a Christian perspective, Martha Zimmerman gives step-by-step instructions on how to celebrate Old Testament feasts in your home. Included holidays are Passover, Sabbath, Feast of Booths, and others. Each section is devoted to a particular holiday, and contains recipes, lists of needed items and, most importantly, ways to teach and include children in the festivities. What we found especially poignant were the New Testament fulfillment verses that Mrs. Zimmerman has interwoven throughout the traditional services. A wonderful resource for today's Christian families!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Needs Extensive Revisions, April 23, 2003
This review is from: Celebrate the Feasts of the Old Testament in Your Own Home or Church (Paperback)
I have studied Jewish holidays in both their Jewish and Messianic context, and I can confirm the position of another reviewer: that is, the book presents less of a Christian perspective than a Christian revamping. The problem is that often times Christians will drastically alter the method of celebration. For example, in the Passover haggadah, the fifteen steps are completely missing in a logical fashion, despite the fact the fifteen steps are designed to replace the use of the Psalms of Ascents from the Second Temple period, when the haggadah was formed. Another example is Shavout. She recommends playing a game of "slaps" to keep one awake all night to study Torah. However, I do believe that I have the backing of several authorities when I say that if one must force themselves awake, it is less meritorious than had they just gone to bed when they got tired. Zimmerman states in the portion about Kashering for Passover that we are "teaching principles, not rules." However, it is important to remember in the laws of Pesach that the alien who desires to celebrate Pesach must abide by the same rules of removing leaven as a Jew. Not that I am advocating a legalistic or even strict interpretation of the rules of Kashrut for Pesach, but I am saying you cannot pick and choose which part of the holiday you will keep and which you will not.
Of course, there is also a demonstrated lack of understanding of Talmudic regulations towards the holidays, again in regards to Shavout. Zimmerman and her family mark the first fruit to grow on their fruit trees to be offered when they ripen, in accordance with the Biblical command, I will admit. However, agricultural injunctions are only applicable inside of Israel. One might protest, "well, that is the Talmud and she is following the Bible," but the tradition of staying up all night reading Torah is not found in the Bible, either. There is also the omission of other holidays, such as Chanukah and Purim. Even though they are not mentioned in the Torah, there are indications in the New Testament that Jesus celebrated at least Chanukah. All this is to say that there are some very serious problems with the book.
Nevertheless, there are some things to be said for the book. First, it shows Christians that there is not only a way to celebrate these holidays, but also that it can be relevant to them. Most Christians view these holidays as archaic and inapplicable to modern Christianity (there is a similar crisis in some portions of Judaism) and many are distrustful of Messianic Judaism for whatever reason. It is for that reason important for a Gentile, Protestant Christian to approach these holidays from the starting point of being a Gentile, with no pretensions as to a Jewish background whatsoever. In essence, one of our own is doing it, maybe we can, too. Secondly, it demonstrated to liberal and conservative Protestants that perhaps they, as a community, can celebrate these holidays, for the same reasons above.
I would really give this book 2 1/2 stars if I could. It needs some serious revisions to the recommended method of implementation for the holidays; a more thorough understanding of the Talmud wouldn't hurt either. I also would have liked to see her refer more on how she went about implementing her decision to celebrate Biblical/Jewish holidays within her family and later in her church community. Specifically, these tips would have been helpful, I'm sure. On the whole, it's a good start, though I do recommend that you do not take anything as authoritative unless you can see it backed up somewhere else, preferably from a traditional or Messianic source.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful in our homeschool., November 14, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Celebrate the Feasts of the Old Testament in Your Own Home or Church (Paperback)
This book looks so good! Just what I need.
It is called Celebrate the Feasts and it is all about making the traditions described in the Old Testament real and alive to you and your family. Martha Zimmerman wants us to experiences the Word of God through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling.
The writer does not want the book to used in a legalistic way but rather to tie in and have the jigsaw all fit together!
First, Martha Z explains why the feasts were important and then she lists the materials you'll need to oberve your own. (she does think that most materials will be found in your own home) and then she gives details on how to celebrate these feasts in your own home.
Feasts that are looked at are - Sabbath,
Passover
the Omer (Feats of the First Fruits)
Shavuoth (Feats of Pentecost)
Rosh Hashanah (Feats of Trumpets)
Yom Kippur ( Day of Atonement) and
Sukkoth (the Feasts of Tabernacles)
Even I can understand this book!
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