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God's Favorite Prayers [Paperback]

Tzvee Zahavy (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 14, 2011
This book invites the reader into the heart of Jewish spirituality, to learn about its idiom and imagery, its emotions and its great sweeping dramas. It invites the reader to meet six ideal personalities of Jewish prayer and to get to know some of God's favorite prayers.

What others are saying about God's Favorite Prayers:

"God's favorite prayers have all been right in plain sight for centuries, though never before experienced like this. With his characteristic blend of chutzpah and humor, Professor Rav Zahavy makes finding spiritual experiences into a real page turner! A fun, fascinating and totally refreshing way to finally learn how to pray."
--Dr. Arlene Rossen Cardozo, author of Sequencing, Woman at Home and Jewish Family Celebrations

"Tzvee Zahavy's artful melding of memoir, analysis, and typology enriches our understanding of liturgical experience and encourages us to emulate him by reflecting more thoughtfully on our own prayer lives."
--Rabbi Eliezer Diamond Ph.D., Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, Jewish Theological Seminary

"... An engaging, humanly sensitive introduction to the types of religious personalities whose views are expressed in the diverse parts of the Siddur and, more generally, in components of Jewish liturgical practices... A fine text for helping students and interested lay people gain an understanding and appreciation of the spiritual viewpoints expressed in Jewish liturgical texts."
--Joel Gereboff, Professor of Religious Studies, Arizona State University

"It is not often that one has the opportunity to share the authentic personal experiences of a distinguished scholar in the field of liturgy, who is also an award-winning teacher. These two elements stand out in Tzvee Zahavy's God's Favorite Prayers. Zahavy takes us on an amazing journey into the world of Jewish Prayer and into the personalities that make up the 'quorum' in the synagogue. His observations and insights will inspire people of all faiths, who truly seek out a way to make prayer, both personal and communal, a meaningful part of their lives."
--Rabbi Shimon Altshul, Director, the Ludwig and Erica Jesselson Institute for Advanced Torah Studies, Bar Ilan University

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tzvee Zahavy was born and raised in New York City. He is an internationally recognized creative and imaginative expert in the fields of Judaism, Talmud and Jewish liturgy.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 164 pages
  • Publisher: Talmudic Books (July 14, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0615509495
  • ISBN-13: 978-0615509495
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tzvee is an internationally recognized creative and imaginative expert in the fields of Judaism, Talmud and Jewish liturgy. He is author of the incisive book, "God's Favorite Prayers," which The Jewish Press says, "makes for fascinating reading. It is... intelligent, sometimes amusing, and always highly readable..."

Tzvee has a BA in mathematics, a master's degree in Jewish History, rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, and a Ph.D. from Brown University. He received a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Minnesota. He taught liturgy courses at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. He blogs at Tzvee's Talmudic Blog (tzvee.blogspot.com) and is a daily lap swimmer, a high handicap golfer and a frequent biker.

 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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4 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Book only Prof. Zahavey Could Write, November 27, 2011
This review is from: God's Favorite Prayers (Paperback)
Prof. Tzvee Zahavy has written a fascinating, readable, and erudite book that only he could write. Steeped in Talmudic learning, Prof Zahavy has written a book that is part "Jewish Catalog" The First Jewish Catalog: A Do-It-Yourself Kit(A trilogy by Michael and Sharon Strassfeld), part autobiographical, part biographical, part an historical account, and significantly, it does all that while dealing with that most difficult of subjects - prayer - making it meaningful and relevant for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike. He invites the reader into the heart of Jewish spirituality, to learn about its idiom and imagery, its emotions and its great sweeping dramas. The author invites the reader to meet six ideal personalities of Jewish prayer and to get to know some of God's favorite prayers.

An ordained Orthodox Rabbi and the son of a Rabbi, Prof. Zahavy studied with many of the great lights of Modern Jewish Scholarship (both religious and secular), as well as with traditional Rabbis, and this breadth of experience is the basis for his unique personal insights.

The book is an outgrowth of a course he as given, most recently at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Jews, Zahavy says, recite, sing and meditate prayers that derive from six distinct archetypes. He labels those six personalities: the performer, the mystic, the scribe, the priest, the meditator and the celebrity, and he goes on to define his terms and to give examples.

A prolific writer, Prof. Zahavy has written many academic articles and books. His readable English translation of the Talmud Tractate Hullin (mostly dealing with slaughtering of Kosher animals) is available on his blog [...].

The book will be of value to anyone trying to understand Jewish liturgy and prayer in general.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars ChARMING, ACCESSIBLE AND SPIRITUAL, October 25, 2011
This review is from: God's Favorite Prayers (Paperback)
Tzvee Zahavy has been my rabbi for many years. No, he has no congregation, but all my questions are answered thoughtfully, with depth and with an ability to engage the questioner (me!) in learning. A scholar and a writer, he appeals to the former professor in me. This book feels as if we are talking together. There is no condescension, no obtuse reasoning and no preaching. This books asks how to enter prayer with different consciousnesses, how to be aware of other daveners and how to make the time spent in synagogue and prayer one that is worthwhile and meaningful. Entering this space with a guide like Tzvee Zahavy. and a book like God's Favorite Prayers broadens our experiences in prayer. Rereading segments is easy and thought provoking.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fresh thinking - and feeling - about Jewish prayer, October 23, 2011
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This review is from: God's Favorite Prayers (Paperback)
After taking a class with Dr. Zahavy, I am glad to be able to review our material - and recommend it to others - in this conversational, efficient, and above all creative and inspiring little book. As someone initially drawn to traditional Jewish prayer by its appeal to my heart, I have gone years looking for an approach to the study of prayer and pray-ing that matched my emotional inclinations. This book picks up where my intuitions left off and develops them into elegant ideas for which I am grateful.
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