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Jewish Books

Alvin Stern

The month following Tishrei is Heshvan – this “poor” month lacks any Jewish holidays, and is often referred to as MarHeshvan, meaning bitter Heshvan.; It is jealous of the other months and especially Tishrei, packed with so many holidays!;;; When I was a child, this month was publicized as Jewish Book Month – with an emphasis on visiting the shul library and purchasing new books for our personal libraries.; Today, our community marks its annual Jewish Arts and Culture celebration during this part of the year.

So, let’s look at some books we should each have in our homes.; First and foremost is a Siddur – a prayer book. There are many to choose from – the Siddur Sim Shalom we use in services has the prayers for Shabbat and Holidays and includes a section at the end for home observances.; There is a weekday version of Sim Shalom, which we use in the daily minyan.;; There are the full size editions and a pocket size for traveling.; Artscroll has several Siddurim, most come in large, medium and small forms so they can be used at home, in the shul or when traveling. While there are specific versions for the different holidays, there are also editions which include weekday, Shabbat and holidays (except for the High Holidays) allowing one to have only one Siddur. Artscroll has some good features for indicating special sections to add at various holidays and good instructions – though it is an Orthodox publication and therefore makes references to restoration of the Temple sacrifices, which the Conservative Sim Shalom does not.; There are also Siddurim that are arranged to help match the Hebrew and English translations word for word.;

Second, each Jewish home should have at least one Tanach – Hebrew Bible.; The five books of Moses are found in the Etz Chaim, which we use in shul.; The Reform movement published “The Torah” edited by Gunther Plaut, which contains excellent commentaries and readings. (I understand a new version has recently come out).; The entire Tanach (which includes the Torah, Prophets and Writings) is available from JPS, Artscroll and other sources.; Again, while the basic text is the same, the translations and commentaries will differ.

One should also have a guide to Halacha; Rabbi Isaac Klein’s “A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice” is the reference we use at TBS.; In addition, there are many guides to practicing our religion that are “lighter reading”- such as the Jewish Catalogs.; Rabbi Joseph Telushkin has produced books on Jewish literacy and Jewish humor – which should be considered in a home library.; There are excellent references to raising children Jewishly, excellent books for children of all ages, lots of novels with Jewish themes and many more reference books.;; There are beautiful “art” books that showcase items found in Jewish museums, or reproductions of famous Haggadot which can be included in one’s collection.

Some of the books mentioned here are available for sale in our Judaica Shop while others may be purchased online or at local booksellers.; Books are available for purchase at the JCC during the Arts, Books and Culture Festival as well. Many books may be perused in our TBS library before deciding which to purchase for personal use.; If you are looking for a great gift for Hanukah, or a child’s Bar or Bat mitzvah, consider books or a gift certificate to JPS – I recall receiving several for my Bar Mitzvah and using them to start my own personal collection (separate from my parents’).; We Jews are known as the People of the Book – we also need to be people who have Jewish books!