Customer Reviews

Living a Jewish Life: A Guide for Starting, Learning, Celebrating, and Parenting

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several years ago I purchased this book. In my quest to learn more about my heritage I started reading this book again. Upon just finishing it right now, I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

There are oh so many great qualities about this book. Probably the greatest aspect is the way it is organized. Main sections consist of an Introduction, Home, Observance, Community, and Life Cycle. Each of these main sections discuss critical aspects of the Jewish religion sucha s keeping Kosher, the Holidays, Shabbat, Jewish Calendar, Jewish Schooling, Bar Mitzvah, Wedding, and other milestone activities. Furthermore, at the end of each chapter, the authors Anita Diamant and Howard Cooper list further readings for both adults and children. This is extremely helpful for anyone who wants to learn more about a specific aspect of Judiasm whether it be the origins of Purim, Jewish Cookbooks, or more informaiton about the different approaches of Judiasm(Conservatism, Reform).

The Sabbath(Shabbat) section is especially helpful as many of the prayers and the meanings are explained. Those who do not have a strong command of Hebrew need not fear. The explanations here are to the point and provide enough information to leave you to want to find out more. The sections on the holidays are also very informative.

The Community aspect of Judiasm is detailed in a very pleasing way. In the middle of the book, there is a comprehensive listing of service organizations which can be of great assistance to a wide audience.

I could sing the praises of Living A Jewish Life for several more paragraphs. The bottomline is that it covers so many topics in an easy to read manner that anyone with even the slightest interest in the Jewish relgion should check out this fabulous book.

Whether you are a lost Jew, the spouse of a Jew, or just someone who is interested in Jewish observances and traditions, this is a worthwhile book to own. The authors emphasize Judaism as a series of choices that you can make or not make. They discuss, in admitted brevity, the various facets of Jewish life and Jewish customs as they have evolved since the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Each chapter concludes with a list of books for further reading. You will be tempted!

this book is wonderfully inspiring. it presents jewish values and traditions in a non-intimidating fashion. it's not written like a text. the language is engaging, interesting, and informative. not only is this book a reference on different jewish customs, but it includes reasoning behind each and every one; reasoning that can fit into your lifestyle regardless of faith. it provides numerous ideas for implementing different aspects of judaism into your home. it does this so well that i found myself want to jump into everything all at once. it presents judaism in a new and refreshing light, something that is joyous and most likely you haven't heard before. it also includes wonderful ways to pass on these traditions to kids.

This book is a wonderful reference for jewish holiday traditions. My rabbi recommended that I purchase this book because he found it to be the most complete and concise books on the subject of holidays. It has become one of the most commonly used reference books in my library. This is a must have for both jewish people and persons interested in learning of the jewish traditions.

This is a wonderful book. As a recent convert I found it enormously helpful in establishing family rituals. It is easy to read and explains Judaism and its practices in a way that anyone, regardless of level of expertise, can enjoy and learn from. I highly recommend this book to either the novice beginning to practice Judaism or long time Jews who wish to reconnect with the rituals they practiced in the past.

I got an extra copy of this book at my first meeting with the (Reform) rabbi who did my original conversion. It's really an incredible concise guidebook for establishing a Jewish home and working rituals and traditions into everyday life. Ms. Diamant doesn't operate under any assumptions about the reader's prior experience or lack thereof in living a Jewish life and maintaining a Jewish household, so there isn't any talking down to the reader nor failure to explain something due to falsely assuming this is basic knowledge to everyone. There are chapters and sections on all sorts of subjects, such as the b'rit, Kashrut, Jewish publications, what to look for in a shul, weddings, new traditions (such as marking the arrival of menopause with a special celebration, like one last special visit to the mikveh), how to decorate the home, all of the holidays, and b'nei mitzvah. Ms. Diamant explains what to do and why it is done, though she never preaches to the reader and dictates that this absolutely has to be done, and that it can only be done in this certain way, or else. She acknowledges that within liberal/progressive Judaism, there are many new traditions and ways of doing things, as well as old longstanding traditions that are still widely done, and that there is more than one right way to do these things. For example, in the section on naming a baby, she mentions that it's still common for people to name a baby after a relative, sometimes with the tenuous connection of the first initial, but doesn't say that a baby must only and always be named after a relative the way a lot of (Ashkenazic) North American Jews seem to believe. She also explains that there are multiple ways to observe the laws of Kashrut, with different levels. Some people are going to go whole hog and be glatt kosher, others will only keep kosher at home, others will keep kosher at restaurants but will eat kosher fish and things from the salad bar in non-kosher restaurants, and others will eat meat from the kosher animals (such as cows, chickens, and turkeys) but won't mind if the meat doesn't come from the kosher butcher or doesn't have a hechsher on it at the supermarket.

This book makes plain that it's a guidebook for those in the denominations of Liberal Judaism-Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal, Humanistic, and New Age. It is not intended to be a guidebook for those in more traditional spheres. I myself have always had strong leanings towards Orthodoxy, and would seriously consider affiliating myself such if ever they resolve some of the pressing issues they've been facing in recent years, particularly the ones relating to womens' roles. But it seems silly to complain about this book for not presenting an Orthodox perspective on anything when it states at the beginning that this isn't that type of book, and why. Someone looking for a more frum perspective would be better-served going elsewhere (such as Blu Greenberg's book 'How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household') instead of going to a guidebook that's intended for those of more liberal persuasions.

This book is perfect for the young Jewish family, or for an individual to use after converting. I found it very informative and helpful. It is easy to follow and understand, a great follow-up for those who read Anita Diamont's book, "Choosing a Jewish Life."

Informative, simple, and wonderfully organized! A useful addition to any Jewish library. May I also recommend A Little Joy, A Little Oy to get a similar variety of Yiddishkeit! It's so nice to see books about Jewish heritage written in an entertaining style that covers an abundance of topics.

This is a classic for anyone wanting to know how the Jewish faith is lived out on an every day basis. Great for Jews who want to come back to the traditions and rituals. A very basic non-controversial book. Highly recommended.

As some other reviewers already mentioned, this book is a great guide to progressive Jewish practice, but if you are a Jew looking to follow in the footsteps of your ancient spiritual and religious tradition, then you need to turn to Orthodox Jewish sources. One place to dip your toe in is The Outsider's Guide To Orthodox Judaism. Good luck on your journey!