Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Judaism - General

How can my congregation become more vital?
How can we both honor the past and embrace the future?

" The Self-Renewing Congregation] calls for 'renewal'...from within, not without--a renewal that begins with institutional self-reflection, proceeds through a process of self-engagement, and ends with self-generated innovations that can deepen the synagogue congregation as a sacred community. The core of this book offers any congregation seeking this path a compelling and realistic roadmap, a vision, and a process that is rooted in applied research and practical...

Open your heart and mind and discover--through the sacred art of lovingkindness--the image and likeness of God in yourself and others.

"The question at the heart of this book is this: Will you engage this moment with kindness or with cruelty, with love or with fear, with generosity or scarcity, with a joyous heart or an embittered one? This is your choice and no one can make it for you.... Heaven and hell are both inside of you. It is your choice that determines just where you reside."
--from the Introduction

We are all born in the image of God, but living out the...

Ideas and activities for leading a pick & plan your mitzvah project workshop.

A companion to The Mitzvah Project Book: Making Mitzvah Part of Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Your Life, this workshop leader's guide is packed with fun activities to choose from or to use as inspiration for crafting your own activities. Clear instructions, materials lists and goals will help you lead a meaningful workshop that shows participants how to make the world a better place through good deeds big or small. Participants will:

• Become familiar with the meaning of...

Insights, Ideas and Activities for Discussing with Teen Guys What It Means to Become a Jewish Man

A step-by-step guide to creative use of The JGuy's Guide: A GPS for Jewish Teen Guys in the classroom or at home. For each chapter in the book, this guide includes enough material for two or three hour-long lessons, each featuring:

• Clearly stated goals
• A warm-up activity
• Guidance on using portions of the book, along with engaging discussion questions
• A text selection, in Hebrew and English, connected to the topic of the...

The essential guide to Jewish fun in the classroom

This celebration of Jewish life is the ideal guide for teachers who want to put a new spin on classroom holiday celebrations, lessons on Jewish traditions, and everyday activities. The Jewish Lights Book of Fun Classroom Activities is full of crafts, recipes, games, and history that will captivate your class and help your students connect with Judaism in fun, creative ways.

With over eighty easy-to-do activities that re-invigorate age-old Jewish customs and make them fun for students and teachers alike,...

Fresh translation and facing-page annotations bring the compelling wisdom of the Hebrew prophets to life.

Hundreds of commentaries and dozens of Bible translations make the Hebrew prophets available to modern-day readers, but most often these sources focus on history or apologetics, losing the reader who is searching for spiritual insight.

The Hebrew Prophets: Selections Annotated & Explained makes the wisdom of these timeless teachers available to readers with no previous knowledge of the prophets. With fresh, contemporary commentary, Rami Shapiro reveals the...

Multicultural, Nonsectarian, Nondenominational

"If there were an Eleventh Commandment, what would it be?"

Children of many religious denominations across America answer this question--in their own drawings and words--in The 11th Commandment. This full-color collection of "Eleventh Commandments" reveals kids' ideas about how people should respond to God.

An insightful exploration into Christianity today--written especially for Jews.

For many Jews, discerning the differences among various Christian groups is perplexing. As a result, they are stuck with an outdated understanding of Christian beliefs, practices and attitudes, especially with regard to their relationship with Judaism, Jews and Israel.

But Christian views are evolving, particularly since the landmark 1965 Catholic statement known as Nostra Aetate that forever changed the landscape of Jewish-Christian relations. This intriguing, brief introduction focuses...

Peoplehood--everyone's talking about it. But what does it actually mean and why is it important to the future of Judaism?

"Why is this conversation important? Why does it merit your attention? If you care about Jewish identity and community, then you know that we have no trouble identifying the problems that fragmentize us as a people but have far less success identifying that which unites us. Without a unifying, collective notion of Jewish identity that is meaningful and robust, it is virtually impossible to make a strong case for Jewish continuity."
--from the...

You can achieve your dreams of financial stability for your congregation.

"At almost every institution around the country, there is money left unasked for and, as a result, not given. 'Wait, ' you might say. We have an annual appeal every year Every family in our congregation is asked for a donation at High Holiday services. If they haven t given, they just don t want to give to us. That may be how you perceive the interaction, but do your congregants see it the same way?
from Chapter 1

Successful synagogue fundraising is no easy task, but it is...

How can my congregation transform itself? How can we re-dedicate ourselves to learning?

Improving spiritual connection in our communities takes work Combining expert advice and experience garnered from congregations throughout North America, Becoming a Congregation of Learners shows us how transformative change is possible. A complete resource full of ideas, information and support, this is a guide for those of us involved in, or interested in, energizing our spiritual communities.

Isa Aron, director of Hebrew Union College's Experiment in...

Become a real superhero Learn how to use the powers God gave you to continue the work of creation and repair the world.

"We don't have to pretend to use the powers God has given us. These powers are real and they are super Our God shares God's powers with us so we can make our lives better and the lives of others better. When we learn how to use God s superpowers, we become God s partners God s superheroes on earth."
from the Introduction

This inspirational guide for kids ages eight to twelve is a marvel, showing them (and their families) that it s easy...

Provides the requisite knowledge and practical guidelines for some of the most common counseling situations.

Today's rabbis, in addition to being spiritual leaders of their congregations, are also expected to be competent counselors to members of their community. Yet rabbis often feel inadequately prepared for the difficult challenges of their counseling role.

To many, rabbinic counseling appears deceptively simple, requiring no more than good intuition, fair judgment and sincere empathy. Good counseling, in reality, is a complex process requiring a combination...

"'A covenantal vision of life, with mitzvah (divine commandment) as the central organizing principle in the relationship between Jews and God, liberates the intellect and the moral will. I seek to show that a tradition mediated by the Sinai covenant can encourage the development of a human being who is not afraid to assume responsibility for the ongoing drama of Jewish history. Passive resignation is seen not to be an essential trait of one whose relationship to God is mediated by the hearing of mitzvot."
--from the Introduction

This interpretation of Jewish...

Insights, ideas and activities for discussing with students what Jewish People have to say about Israel.

A step-by-step guide to creative use of A Dream of Zion: American Jews Reflect on Why Israel Matters to Them in the classroom. Each session includes:

• A clearly stated goal
• An opening hook to grab students' attention
• Intriguing discussion questions to guide students in a personal exploration of the meaning of Israel to them
• Activities to help students broaden their thinking on Israel