The Kosher Pig: And Other Curiosities of Modern Jewish Life (Paperback)

by Richard J. Israel (Author) "Apious Jew was told by his doctor that he had a rare disease, one that could only be cured by his eating pork..." (more)
Key Phrases: hevra kadisha, wedding contract, kosher meal, Yom Kippur, New York, Shulhan Arukh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Rabbi Israel's collection of essays is "about modernity and being Jewish, about the ironies that result from trying to appropriate the Jewish tradition while at the same time attempting to live fully in the modern world." Israel discusses such important topics as keeping kosher (there is a separate essay on kosher wine), praying, synagogue attendance and decorum, hospitality, fasting, weddings and funerals, sports, spiritual discovery, and even bees (the author is a beekeeper, and, yes, so he argues, Jews can eat honey). Israel, director of the Rabbinic Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, writes with a touch of humor, but his underlying message is thoughtful and astute. Both Jew and non-Jew will enjoy the book. George Cohen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
From Booklist Rabbi Israel's collection of essays is 'about modernity and being Jewish, about the ironies that result from trying to appropriate the Jewish tradition while at the same time attempting to live fully in the modern world.' Israel discusses such important topics as keeping kosher (there is a separate essay on kosher wine), praying, synagogue attendance and decorum, hospitality, fasting, weddings and funerals, sports, spiritual discovery, and even bees (the author is a beekeeper, and, yes, so he argues, Jews can eat honey). Israel, director of the Rabbinic Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, writes with a touch of humor, but his underlying message is thoughtful and astute. Both Jew and non-Jew will enjoy the book. George Cohen

Reflections on the mismatch between traditional Jewish living and contemporary lifestyles. Richard Israel was the only rabbi in Bombay, India, a beekeeper, a successful marathon runner, and the director of Hillel Jewish Student Centers on various college campuses. These diverse experiences give him a unique vantage point on the chaos which is modern Jewish life. He gets caught in the tension between being a traditional Jew and being a modern American...and suspects that, indeed, he may be neither.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Alef Design Group (February 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881283151
• ISBN-13: 978-1881283157
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,432,751 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, and a deceptively wise one., February 1, 1998

By	Nigel Savage (New York) - See all my reviews

The Kosher Pig is one of the great undiscovered Jewish books of our generation. It is funny, charming, entertaining, eclectic, but it is also deceptively wise. Richard Israel is rooted in Jewish tradition, but he has spent a rich professional rabbinical career dealing with real live American Jews - and it shows. His Jewish knowledge in a technical sense is balanced and informed by his understanding of people. The combination is rare and valuable. His chapter on davenning [praying] is one of the best short introductions to the topic I've ever read. His essay on how to give a dvar torah [a short homiletical speech - except that's not quite right, because a dvar torah is so much less formal than the English "homiletical speech"] is absolutely the best on the topic I've ever read. A book to enjoy for oneself, and also a great gift for someone who is Jewishly questing and growing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and interesting little book, June 20, 2005

By	Daniel (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

I read this book during my flight, and was disappointed to have to put it down when the flight landed and I only had a few pages left. It is a very nicely written book that offers the author's (a traditional rabbi) interesting, funny, and touching perspective on everything from beekeeping to the Hevra Kaddisha (society that cares for the dead) to jogging and exercise. Altogether, the book gives you a fresh perspective on being Jewish in America and will make you laugh more than once as well.


I'm really surprised I haven't heard of this book earlier!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book, August 13, 1997

By A Customer

I thought that this book was very funy about tackling a very solemn set of issues. I would reccommend it