The Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature [Hardcover]

Sharon R. Keller (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1992

Drawn from sources that reflect the complete historic, geographic, and emotional spectra of the Jewish experience, this rich anthology includes selections from the Bible and other traditional literature, as well as writings by Freud, Einstein, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Anne Frank, and others. 240 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amos Oz, Bernard Malamud, Emma Lazarus, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud are among the voices in this rich repository of Jewish culture. Opening with selections from the Hebrew Bible as well as from post-biblical literature, the book explores Jews' shared sense of destiny and evokes the texture of Jewish life from Moses' time through Diaspora communities to modern Israel. The magnificent illustrations (140 color, 100 b & w) range from third-century Syrian synagogue frescoes to works by Rembrandt, Chagall, Ben Shahn, Raphael Soyer and Larry Rivers. There are seminal historical documents such as Menasseh ben Israel's petition urging Oliver Cromwell to readmit Jews into England and Theodor Herzl's call for a Jewish national homeland. Holocaust writings by Anne Frank, Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel are particularly moving. This is an anthology to refer to again and again. Keller is a Bible and classics scholar at Hebrew Union College, New York City, and at New York University.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This volume will appeal to the educated reader interested in Judaism. This handsomely produced coffee-table book surveys the "landmarks" in Jewish history and culture, from the Old Testament to the founding of the state of Israel. Divided into necessarily subjective sections, it contains some interesting, well-chosen passages, as well as long quotations from outstanding sources. Each passage is preceded by a short biography of the author and accompanied by relevant illustrations. Some texts are fascinating, such as the one on the death of Moses, or profound, such as Golda Meir's memoir of life on a kibbutz in 1921. Yet the illustrations offer the most fascinating insights into Judaism across the ages. Some photographs are truly powerful. Although certain important aspects of Judaism are inevitably omitted in a volume of this size and other aspects are passed over too briefly, the author has chosen carefully to provide the basis for further reading and exploration by the reader.
- Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, Ct.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hugh Lauter Levin Associates; First edition. edition (November 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883638924
• ISBN-13: 978-0883638927
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 10.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,636,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars panoramic coffee table book, December 27, 2005

By 

Gary Selikow (Great Kush) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature (Hardcover)

This super 380-page coffee table book documents the history, art and literature of the Jewish Nation from tracts from the Jewish Bible (Tanach) to articles about Israel in the early 1990's.

Complementing the text are nearly 140 color and 100 black and white illustrations covering the range of Judaic arts and crafts including antiquities and ceremonial art, fabrics, precious metals, stained glass and paintings from many periods and countries.

Part 1 covers The Bible with excerpts from the Creation of the World and The Garden of Eden, through the accounts of Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Babylonian Exile and the rise and fall of Haman.
Part 2 covers Post-biblical literature including accounts of the victory of Judah the Maccabee, Flavius Joseph's account of the Fall of Massada and sections from the Midrash and Sanhedrin.

Part 3 covers Medieval and Rennaisance times and includes the writings of Maimonides and poets such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol and Judah HaLevi (whose poem To Israel in Exile shows how the Jewish Nation always yearned to be reunited with the Land of Israel) and also documents and writings pertaining to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and part 4 covers writing by and about Jews from lands such as Ethiopia, Morocco and Turkey.

Subsequent sections include writings by and about Jews and include writings by Baruch Spinoza , Israel Zangwill , IL Peretz , Israel Bashevis Singer , Sigmund Freud and Hayim Nachman Bialik , as well as extracts from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and the Proclamation by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 promising to restore the Land of Israel to the Jews , in return for their support.

There is a section about Jews in the Americas and includes the memorable work by American Jewish poet Emma Lazarus , Banner of the Jew:
"Wake Israel, wake! Recall today The glorious Maccabean rage..."

Then there is a section describing the horrors of the Holocaust, which includes writings by Anne Frank, Eli Wiesel, Primo Levi and Simon Wiesenthal.
The last section is about the Re-established State of Israel, and includes works by Theodore Herzl, Gold Meir , Chaim Weitzman , Albert Einstein , David Ben-Gurion and Amos Oz. It ends with essays by Edward Norden and Edward Grossman describing the difficulties faced by new immigrants to Israel from Russia and Ethiopia.

This is an important historical record at a time when Jews and Israel are faced with their greatest test of endurance since the Holocaust. We need to remember our history in these frightening and somber times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to Grow Jews, May 16, 2010

By 

Dr. Michael M. Eisman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature (Hardcover)

This is a very special book for me. My son Daniel, who was Down's Syndrome, found it in a book store in Baltimore just before Passover. He insisted on having it and while fighting Leukemia kept it with him his last year. He was eager to show me any picture he could identify and requested information on the ones he could not. Now, for the last eight years I have given a copy as a special award in his memory in two different synagogues to young people who have demonstrated his qualities (a love of Judaism and Jewish Life, an appreciation of art, and an empathetic soul). For years after receiving this award these yound people have taken this book with them to college and many of them tell me how much it has meant to them as they continue their Jewish growth. While I could extoll the fine choice of reading and art I hope that these young people by their actions have said it all. see [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book., June 22, 2009

By 

Gina "Momma of Three" (The Garden State) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Jews - A Treasury of Art and Literature (Hardcover)

This book really is quite beautiful. The text is very interesting. I like how the pictures flow around the text. If you have any interest in Jewish history you will find this book a good read.