A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs [Hardcover]

Herbert C. Dobrinsky (Author), Rabbi Herbert C. Dobrinsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002

North America's growing Sephardic Jewry includes four major separate and distinct communities: Syrian, Moroccan, Judeo-Spanish and Spanish and Portuguese, each with its own unique history and vibrant body of traditions. Although Sephardic Jewry on this continent is steadily increasing in numbers and importance, its practices and customs are still virtually unknown to most American Jews of Ashkenazic (European) background, including many of those who are charged with the responsibility for the religious education of both children and adults. This volume, the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive compendium of the laws and customs of these four main communities of Sephardic Jewry in such areas as holiday observances, worship services, birth, Bar Mitzvah, marriage and divorce, death and mourning, dietary laws, family relations, and many other vital areas of personal, family, and communal life. Based upon extensive research, it serves as a fascinating opportunity to experience the full variety and scope of Jewish life as it evolved in diverse historical periods and cultural regions. Educators especially will find this volume to be a pedagogical took with a wide range of applications.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 566 pages
• Publisher: Yeshiva University Press (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881250317
• ISBN-13: 978-0881250312
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Law

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to Sephardic practice, February 3, 2000

By 

O. Hayon (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs (Hardcover)

This book is a tremendous asset to anyone wishing to add Sephardic practice to his/her ritual or liturgical life. Dobrinsky has researched the practice of several communities and presents them logically by classification (Family Occasions, Daily Practice, Synagoge Worship, etc.). It is easy to check all of the citations for a certain Sephardic community or for a certain area of Jewish life. Highly recommended for researchers or Sephardic Jews looking to integrate new traditions into their lives.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars reference guide, not a novel, December 26, 2006

By 

Ari Elias Bachrach (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs (Hardcover)

This is not the kind of book you just sit down and read cover to cover. It's more of a reference guide to sephardic customs and minhagim. As such, it's an invaluable tool for anyone with any interest in the subject. It's well organized, clearly written, and exhaustively researched. If you're looking for a veritable encyclopedia of sephardic knowledge, this is the place.