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Eyewitness to Jewish History
 
 
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Eyewitness to Jewish History [Hardcover]

Rabbi Benjamin Blech (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Book Description

0471462330 978-0471462330 August 13, 2004 1
Come face-to-face with the major figures and events in Jewish history

"It's been a long and glorious-and sometimes tragic-4,000-year run for the Jewish people. That magnificent panorama is on display in Eyewitness to Jewish History. This, however, is no ordinary history book. Instead of a historian telling the story, Rabbi Benjamin Blech . . . allows the actors in this long-running play to speak for themselves."
-Washington Jewish Week

Prepare to feel the joy and pain of the Jewish experience as you never have before. In Eyewitness to Jewish History, Rabbi Benjamin Blech takes you aboard a literary time machine in which you'll do more than read about major events in Jewish history-you'll witness them, take part in them, and feel their deep and lasting impact.

Featuring hundreds of excerpts from diaries, journals, letters, newspaper accounts, public testimony, official communications, and ancient documents such as the Torah, this unique chronicle provides memorable snapshots of daily life from biblical times to the modern day. These vivid and passionately written accounts, arranged in chronological order, transport you across space and time to witness crucial events from the birth of the Jewish people and the building and destruction of the two Temples to the Golden Age of Spain, the horrors of the Holocaust, the founding of the modern State of Israel, and important steps in the ongoing effort to achieve peace in the Middle East.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's been a long and glorious -- and sometimes tragic -- 4,000-year run for the Jewish people. That magnificent panorama is on display in Eyewitness to Jewish History . This, however, is no ordinary history book. Instead of a historian telling the story, Rabbi Benjamin Blech ... allows the actors in this long-running play to speak for themselves."-- Washington Jewish Week

From the Inside Flap

Throughout history, Judaism and Jewish culture have enriched the entire world with revolutionary conceptions of God, justice, freedom, learning, and, indeed, the very meaning of history. Eyewitness to Jewish History brings you face-to-face with the people, places, and events that have shaped and been shaped by the Jewish experience, from ancient times to the modern day.

This unique chronicle transports you into the past through the vivid and passionate accounts of people who witnessed and took part in these pivotal moments in history. Drawing from diaries, journals, letters, newspaper accounts, public testimony, official communications, and ancient documents such as the Torah, Rabbi Benjamin Blech enables you to feel each historic moment as if it were happening to you.

Traveling in this literary time machine, you’ll meet Abraham and witness the birth of the Jewish people, flee with Moses from Egypt and ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, and struggle with the prophet Samuel over the formation of the Kingdom of Judea. You’ll be there the first time the Torah is translated from Hebrew into another language, labor with Talmudic scholars to preserve and interpret Judaic Oral Law, and revel in Jewish accomplishments during the Golden Age of Spain.

You will taste the bitter hatred, violence, and oppression that Jews have endured over two millennia–merciless Crusader attacks, the unspeakable persecution of the Inquisition, pogroms in Russia, countless expulsions from country after country, and, ultimately, the unimaginable horror of the Holocaust.

In every period of Jewish history, however, great evils have been balanced by even greater good. You’ll witness the founding of the modern State of Israel, the remarkable accomplishments of Jews in every aspect of American life, and important steps in the ongoing effort to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Supplemented with Rabbi Blech’s insightful comments, helpful clarifications, and thought-provoking questions, Eyewitness to Jewish History is must-reading for anyone who seeks a deeper and more immediate understanding of Jewish history and the Jewish experience through the ages.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 13, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471462330
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471462330
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great book for anyone!, September 21, 2004
By 
This review is from: Eyewitness to Jewish History (Hardcover)
This is a GREAT book. I never thought I would utter those words about a history book, but I just can't help it when it comes to "Eyewitness to Jewish History." I'm not a history buff, and at times, I find history books to be a bit bland. However, I must say that this book was an absolute page-turner; I could not put it down. It's a great book for the advanced who know all the history and a must for everyone else (including those who know nothing).
When I first got the book, I did so to learn the history. However, anyone who knows Benjamin Blech and his writings know that he combines masterful, clear lessons with artful, articulate literature. My recommendation: Anything that has Benjamin Blech's name on the cover is a must-read; he is magnificent -- a brilliant teacher who's an even better writer. If you like his writing, you'll love this, and if you have never heard of him, you'll be searching for all his books when you finish reading this one.
Oh by the way, it's also an accurate depiction of history that teaches both clearly and marvelously. It's a joy to read, and you will learn something too. This book is an absolute must; it has both my deepest appreciation and my highest recommendation.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
When does Jewish history begin? Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
religious ferment
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, United States, Medieval World, Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Joshua, Sabbatai Zevi, Yom Kippur, God of Israel, Jacob Marcus, Rabbi Simeon, Source Book, Eastern Europe, Rabbi Akiva, World War, Baal Shem Tov, Chaim Weizmann, Documentary History, Modern World, Resh Galuta, Balfour Declaration, King David, East Side, Kingdom of Poland, Lord God, Lord the King
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