Customer Reviews

The First Jewish Catalog: A Do-It-Yourself Kit

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The "First Jewish Catalog" is a book I consult again and again--to answer friends' questions and my own. I have lent it out and bought copies to give. There is information on how-to for every regular holiday in the Jewish calendar. A treat for the knowledgeable as well as those new to Jewish celebration.

This has been called the "Whole Earth Catalog" of Judaism, and it certainly is that. A little skimpy on halacha (Jewish law) and day-to-day practicalities, this book is all about having a good time, making a difference, saving the world.

Illustrated throughout with scary 1970's black-and-white photos, cartoons, and clips of Yiddish proverbs, this book actually manages to overcome its "feel-good" message, providing a joyful introduction to important Jewish themes. It might be nice to see an updated edition of this book, but in the meantime, it and its siblings certainly fill a gap.

If nothing else, the "Jewish Catalog" books capture an era in Jewish thought, informed by the youth movement, when havdalah was hip because you could use incense, and Jewish music was anything Jews felt like singing together. We may mock it now, but maybe we could use a little of that enthusiasm today.

I use this constantly as a Jew. Get the original, not the newer printings. The original was done in the '70's and it just has this very open, dowhatchalike feel. Everything is covered from living Kosher to Shabbat to the Shoah. It's a 'how-to' manual for the Reformers. Good things abound. Take what you like and leave the rest.

It's a lot of fun and good info, now getting dated.

The Jewish Catalogue is certainly indicative of the Jewish renewal movement fueled by the sixties counter culture. It was written to reinvest "spirit" or intention "kavanah" into Jewish practices by young people who were dismayed by the increasingly ossified nature of institutional, organized Judaism. So the Jewish Catalogue contains such gems as how to make your own eternal light, ner tamid, out of a can; how to macramé a Torah scroll cover; the proper method of tying your own tallit; how to make a mezuzah; creating your own yahrzeit candles. Along with these do- it-yourself versions of Jewish worship and practice, there are the rudiments of halakhah: The basics of keeping kosher; the order of prayers for holidays and daily worship; the Passover Seder. This book is not a Shulchan Aruch or a Mishneh Torah in terms of detail, and some of its information is outdated (like contact information). Even more of its details can now be gleaned from the internet (how to build a sukkah, for example). Yet the Jewish Catalogue gains the ground it has lost over time by possessing a great deal of charm. The form of Yiddishkeit presented here is one that few people could have major objections to; do-it-yourself Judaism, after all, was probably the pre-modern form of the faith.

i love this book, people of all ages and all religious "ranges" can relate to it! It is funny, easy to read and understand, plus it is very "jewish" you can hear your parents and grandparents speak through the many yiddish exppressions found here. I used this book as a source of information to learn about the Mikveh for my wedding, and now, I am one of the best educated on the subject! I recomend it wholehartedly.

I'm not even Jewish, and this is one of my all time favorites (I discovered it at the library). It belongs in the hall of fame for its genre: the large-format black-and-white early 1970s counterculture workbook/"catalog." Make your own prayer shawl, make your own yarmulke, make your own wallhanging to indicate the direction of Jerusalem, make your own challah....make your own is definitely the name of the game. I'm not personally likely to do most of those things (though I do like challah), but I just can't get enough of the b&w photos of young people sitting cross-legged on the floor with their long wavy hair, bell bottoms, beards and beads; and the eclectic, semi-disorganized format really holds your interest and keeps you coming back for more. I'm not qualified to measure the vision of Judaism presented in this book against traditional standards; but hippie optimism and "make your own" seem to marry well with the concept of tikkun olam. The connection to a traditional faith is definitely what makes this catalog a cut above the rest, such as the secular "Whole Earth" - makes it easier to take the nostalgia seriously at this late date, I suppose.

Although it took a while to arrive (we live in Hawaii), the book was in great condition. It looked like it was printed yesterday.

I must admit that when I first read this book - a very long time ago when I was beginning to research my Jewish roots - I enjoyed it quite a bit, mainly due to its format and informality. However, as time marched on and I became considerably more knowledgeable, I realized that the Jewish Catalog suffered from the same ills nearly all diaspora-based books suffer from: the treatment of Judaism as merely a religion and/or compendium of traditions, rather than the territorially-based nationality it actually is.
Any semi-literate who reads the Bible from Abraham till the end of Chronicles II, must necessarily perceive the inseparable interconnection between G-d, the commandments, the Israelites and the Land of Israel. However, throughout the centuries, the rabbinical establishment has succeeded in virtually removing the latter from the quadrangle; Israel has become not much more than an abstract notion rather than a genuine homeland; it's just another country out there which 90% of all American Jews never even visit.
The Jewish Catalog, for one, sadly reflects this state of affairs, relegating Israel to the end of the book, a mere afterthought. A non-Jew could easily get the impression that Jews are folks who love to eat deli, occasionally blurt out 'Mommela Tottala' and perhaps step into some synagogue for a few minutes on Yom Kippur.
If one is searching for an interesting, informative book on what Judaism is really all about, I can recommend one which doesn't even mention pastrami, Yiddish or even rabbis. It's called the Bible.