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Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "TA-NAKH-RHYMES WITH BACH-IS AN ACRONYM FOR THE THREE categories of books that make up the Hebrew Bible: Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)..." (more)
Key Phrases: preceding entry, avodah zara, women rabbis, United States, Yom Kippur, Orthodox Jews (more...)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (82 customer reviews)

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Hardcover, Bargain Price Available from these sellers. Published April 25, 1991	Hardcover, Bargain Price	--	$18.64	$14.37
Hardcover Available from these sellers. Published April 26, 1991	Hardcover, April 26, 1991	--	$18.95	$6.53
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In 1988, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin undertook a mission to heal "Jewish ignorance," an affliction whose symptoms include the ability to name the three components of the Trinity, coupled with an inability to explain mitzvah. Telushkin's contribution to the cure is his wide-ranging, entertaining Jewish Literacy. First published in 1991, Jewish Literacy contains almost 350 entries on subjects ranging from the Ten Commandments to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Entries are numbered (for easy, encyclopedia-style reference) and organized topically (to smooth the experience of reading each page straight through). And the revised edition contains several new entries (including articles about the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the vice-presidential nomination of Joseph Lieberman) as well as numerous corrections, enlargements, and updates. One might expect Rabbi Telushkin's project of inspiring Jewish literacy to be overly earnest, but the author's understated wit adds considerable levity to most entries. The entry on "Sodom and Gomorrah," for instance, ends this way: "A number of years ago, some Israeli promoters of tourism suggested transforming the modern city of Sodom into a tourist haven with casinos, nightclubs, and even strip shows. The Chief Rabbinate in Israel sharply demurred, warning that there was nothing to prevent God from destroying the city a second time. The plan was dropped." --Michael Joseph Gross

From Library Journal

Traditionalist Rabbi Telushkin ( The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism) presents 364 brief explanations of the most important concepts and topics concerning Judaism, Jews, and their history and culture. Each entry runs from one to three pages in length. Basic religious terms, ethics, historical events, religious texts, Jewish personalities, and more are covered in a lively, popular style. A useful feature is that each entry is followed by a short bibliography of further readings on the subject. Despite the occasional superficiality of its coverage, this book is a useful introductory course for Jewish and non-Jewish "illiterates" from teenagers on up. A useful addition for general Judaica collections.
- Robert A. Silver, Shaker Heights P.L ., Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 784 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (April 26, 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688085067
ISBN-13: 978-0688085063
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 2.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (82 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,029 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#2 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( T ) > Telushkin, Joseph
#6 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Jewish Life
#41 in Books > History > World > Jewish

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
TA-NAKH-RHYMES WITH BACH-IS AN ACRONYM FOR THE THREE categories of books that make up the Hebrew Bible: Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
preceding entry, avodah zara, women rabbis, first aliyah, rabbinic ordination, religious divorce, right hand wither, responsa literature, blood libel

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Yom Kippur, Orthodox Jews, New York, World War, American Jews, Reform Judaism, Six-Day War, Oral Law, West Bank, Russian Jews, Soviet Jewry, Bar Mitzvah, Middle Ages, Soviet Union, Ten Commandments, Dennis Prager, Mishneh Torah, Simkhat Torah, Eastern Europe, Yeshiva University, Conservative Judaism, American Jewry, Bat Mitzvah, Louis Jacobs

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 185 books:

Guide to the Perplexed by Maimonides on 8 pages
Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism by Dennis Prager on 7 pages
A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice (Moreshet) by Isaac Klein on 6 pages
How To Run A Traditional Jewish Household by Blu Greenberg on 6 pages
The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust: Volumes 3 & 4 by Israel Gutman on 6 pages

See all 185 books this book cites

11 books cite this book:

The JGirl's Guide: The Young Jewish Woman's Handbook For Coming Of Age by penina Adelman in Back Matter
The Joy of Sects by Peter Occhiogrosso in Back Matter
Teaching Jewish Life Cycle by Barbara Binder Kadden on page 96
Single Jewish Female: A Modern Guide to Sex and Dating by Leah Furman in Back Matter
Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers by Joseph Telushkin in Back Matter

See all 11 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Judaism for Dummies by Ted Falcon

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Becoming a Jew by Maurice Lamm

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What is a Jew? by Morris N. Kertzer

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Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant

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	62% buy the item featured on this page: Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History 4.7 out of 5 stars (82)
	20% buy Jewish Literacy Revised Ed: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History 4.8 out of 5 stars (8) $25.20
	7% buy To Life: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking 4.6 out of 5 stars (29) $10.19
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Customer Reviews

82 Reviews

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4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (82 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent One-Book Overview, August 12, 2003

By	Douglas Moran (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A Rabbi once joked to me about learning about Judaism. He noted that some folks promote their religions by giving out pamphlets from fold-up tables. He noted, "If someone asked a Jew about Judaism, he'd have to do this," and he plunked down a stack of about 10 books on his desk with a loud whack.

That's how it gets after 3500 years, I'm afraid.

Well, here it is for your perusal; Judaism between two covers. It's not complete, but it's pretty much the best damn overview of Judaism that I have ever seen. It's well-written, concise, informative, and thorough. There is very little authorial agenda in the book, and he clearly tries to treat potentially hot "political" issues (such as the divisive "Who is a Jew" issue) as even-handedly as possible (Telushkin is an Orthodox Rabbi). Further, the book is laid out in such a way, like encyclopedia entries, that a person looking for information on a particular topic--such as the Jewish take on Jesus, say--can find it quickly and easily.

If you are interested in learning about Judaism at all, or if you are a Jew yourself who wants a good starting point for educating yourself, I highly recommend this book.

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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A groundwork for understanding, October 6, 2002

By	Russell Belfer (San Mateo, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This encyclopedic tome is wonderfully readable, filled with fascinating insights for Jews and non-Jews. It's not a book to read in one sitting, but it is written so clearly and enjoyably that I have found myself picking it up frequently, reading through a half-dozen entries, and have gradually worked my way through the book.

One of the things I like most about the book is how it mixes the familiar and unfamiliar; covering topics that I think I know about, confirming some of my recollection but pushing me to understand things in new ways. For example, in the discussion about the ten commandments, Telushkin discusses the significance of not taking god's name in vain -- he points out that this is generally misinterpreted. He posits that the appropriate interpretation is that the "shall not" refers to acting in the name of god when one is doing something ungodly (i.e. doing bad things while claiming to be a representative of god). This is, in a sense, "ranked" as worse than murder. I thought this was very eye-opening.

I've found the combination of history, biography, religious studies, and Jewish trivia to be very good reading. Numerous times I've read a section and turned to my fiance with a "you've got to read this." My understanding of Judaism is definitely better for the reading, particularly Judaism in the context of a mostly Christian society. I highly recommend this book.

(By the way, I bought this very cheaply in the discount section of a local bookstore, so you may want to look around before making your purchase. But it would be worth the full price, even if you can't find it for less.)

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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect balance accessible yet packed with info, February 3, 2000

By A Customer

I've been looking in vain for the right balance for years. So many "catch-up" books on Judaism are filled with abstrusse, over-complicated talmudic esoterica that made no sense. And on the other hand, many of the books aimed at people with less learning in Judaism were pitched too low, they assumed no knowledge whatsoever - they'd take pages and pages to explain that passover was about the exodus from Egypt, and you'd learn very little else. This book, on the other hand, is a marvel. It's filled with memorable quotes, and perceptive and balanced commentary. It's a great read, too - Rabbi Telushkin is a natural writer (has several works of fiction under his belt). For the first time, I feel I've come away from one of these books actually REMEMBERING and UNDERSTANDING large chunks of the history and philosophy it traverses. I'm very greatful, because I've been through about fifteen books in the past that either left me bored out of my mind or lost and frustrated or just feeling blank! Thanks Rabbi Telushkin!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book to gain a general yet complete overview of Judaism and the Jewish people
This book is helping me a lot in my conversion process I have started recently.
It is written in an easy language (I'm not mothertongue but I don't have problems) for... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Pace Mauro

4.0 out of 5 stars well written comprehensive information about jewish culture and the jewish bible
I am a christian and I wanted to have a book which provide information about the jewish culture and the tannack (jewish bible) from a Rabbi perspective, I found what I was... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Samuel Rivera

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Admit You Didn't
Regardless of what belief system you prescribe to, this book presents a broad horizon of historical events, facts, and the "Whys and Wherefores" behind the Jewish culture and... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Gary Tobin

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Amazing
I was prepared for an onslaught of WAY too much information. I'm converting, and I'm determined to get my study on, but I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Susannah Merrill

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Wonderful
I love this book. I received it as a gift, read it for personal growth, used it for an Old Testament class, and gave it to my husband to help him understand Judaism. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Gemini Enigma

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History
This book has helped me understand the Jewish Faith as I never have. As a Christian, I wanted to know more about the Jewish religion. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Virginia Womble

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for a refresher
I was raised by an Israeli, with a very strong Jewish background. Most of the book, I remembered from all those years in Hebrew school. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Leah Carmel

5.0 out of 5 stars Wide open Sanctuary of knowledge
Perhaps the learned Christians should revisit the Judaic wisdom?
This book invites you to do so. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Paul Rosenberg, Ph.D.

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything I wanted to know but was afraid to ask...about Judaism
I thoroughly enjoyed Rabbi Telushkin's book: Jewish Literacy. I started the book off skipping around reading a few sections here and there on issues I was curious about. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Marie G

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes heavy learning feel light
When I went on my Birthright Israel trip, I was like many young Jewish people and just didn't know all that much about my religion and it's history. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Mistypaw

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