Jewish Ritual: A Brief Introduction for Christians

by Kerry M. Olitzky, Daniel Judson

Overview

A window into the meaning of Jewish rituals throughout history and today—
written especially for Christians.

Ritual moments and opportunities guide the daily life of practicing Jews. These spiritual practices give expression to Jewish identity and reflect Judaism’s core beliefs and values. But what can they mean to Christians seeking to understand their own faith? In this special book, Rabbis Olitzky and Judson guide you through the whys and hows of nine specific areas of Jewish ritual.

• Observing the Sabbath
• Keeping Kosher
• Putting on Tefillin (Prayer Boxes)
• Wrapping the Tallit (Prayer Shawl)
• Covering the Head
• Studying Torah
• Praying Daily
• Saying Blessings throughout the Day
• Going to the Ritual Bath

Providing you with the biblical and historical background of each practice, insight into its contemporary use and significance—including the often divergent approaches of different Jewish movements—and personal stories from rabbis and lay people, this easy-to-understand guide illustrates the deep meaning these rituals have in the Jewish relationship with God. Linking these practices to familiar rituals in the Christian tradition, Olitzky and Judson help you better understand the roots of Christianity and how the fundamentals of Judaism relate to and reflect your own spiritual foundation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580235976
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/23/2011
Series:	A Brief Introduction for Christians
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, named one of the fifty leading rabbis in North America by Newsweek, is well known for his inspiring books that bring the Jewish wisdom tradition into everyday life. He is executive director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, and is author of many books on Jewish spirituality, healing and Jewish religious practice, including Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Resources; Introducing My Faith and My Community: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide; Jewish Paths toward Healing and Wholeness: A Personal Guide to Dealing with Suffering; Grief in Our Seasons: A Mourner's Kaddish Companion; Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery: A Personal Guide to Turning from Alcoholism&Other Addictions—Drugs, Food, Gambling, Sex...; Facing Cancer as a Family; Life's Daily Blessings: Inspiring Reflections on Gratitude for Every Day, Based on Jewish Wisdom; 100 Blessings Every Day: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Affirmations, Exercises for Personal Growth and Renewal Reflecting Seasons of the Jewish Year; and Recovery from Codependance: A Jewish Twelve Step Guide to Healing Your Soul. He is also co-author of Grandparenting Interfaith Grandchildren; Jewish Holidays: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Jewish Ritual: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Renewed Each Day, Vol. One—Genesis and Exodus: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations; Renewed Each Day, Vol. Two—Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations Based on the Bible and co-editor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal(all Jewish Lights).
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is available to speak on the following topics:

• The Jewish Twelve Step Path to Healing and Recovery
• Sparks Beneath the Surface: A Spiritual Read on the Torah
• Welcoming the Stranger in Our Midst
• How to Nurture Jewish Grandchildren Being Raised in an Interfaith Family
• Optimism for a Jewish Future

Rabbi Daniel Judson, spiritual leader of Temple Beth David of the South Shore in Canton, Massachusetts, is coeditor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal and coauthor of The Jewish Pregnancy Book: A Resource for the Soul, Body and Mind during Pregnancy, Birth and the First Three Months (both Jewish Lights). He is a frequent guest speaker at both Jewish and Christian congregations.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Why Would Christians Be Interested in the Rituals of Judaism?
A Note on the Text

1 Observing the Sabbath
2 Keeping Kosher: The Jewish Dietary Laws
Rabbi Mark Sameth
3 Putting on Tefillin (Prayer Boxes)
4 Wrapping the Tallit (Prayer Shawl)
5 Covering the Head
6 Studying Torah
7 Praying Daily
8 Saying Grace and Ninety-Nine Other Blessings throughout the Day
Rabbi Andrew Vogel
9 Going to the Ritual Bath
Debra Nussbaum Cohen

Notes
Glossary
Suggestions for Further Reading
Contributors

Editorial Reviews

Of the many guidebooks to Judaism, few address themselves specifically to Christian readers. Given today's permeable religious boundaries and the cross-fertilization between traditions, this handbook should be warmly welcomed on the religious bookshelf. Olitzky and Judson, both rabbis and authors, offer simple but profound explanations of the rituals that inform, shape and reflect Jewish life, identity and values. They include understandable rituals like Shabbat, universal practices like prayer and study and identifiable signs of Jewish identity like wearing a kippah. The authors also branch out to explain traditions Christians might find peculiar, like wearing tefillin (prayer boxes). Each chapter includes the ritual's biblical origin, evolution, modern perspectives, practical instruction, symbolic and spiritual values and Christian parallels. Some rituals have easy commonalities, like baptism and the mikvah (ritual bath), but others require deeper and more creative links: tefillin and the rosary, for instance, both enhance the "tactile sensation of prayer." To show how practices seek to "infuse life with sense of holiness," Olitzky, Judson and three contributing authors mix straightforward explanations with personal narratives that reflect their own experiences. "The history of Jewish-Christian relations is... a place of brokenness," they write, hoping their book will generate spiritual healing, "allowing Jews and Christians to see each others' religion with greater clarity and greater respect." (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

"I will be recommending this book to anyone who teaches adult education in parishes. A helpful guide to understanding the ritual practices of Judaism, some of their traditional and theological underpinnings, and how it all relates to us as Christians."
—Jon M. Sweeney, author, The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life

"Very sensitive and embracing … this book succeeds in translating for Christians the richness of Jewish ritual and tradition. It is a work of profound faith told through spiritually uplifting and engaging prose, as well as through the stories of those who have embraced a life of Jewish ritual and enriched their souls as a result."
—The Rt. Rev. Kirk Stevan Smith, PhD, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Arizona

From the Publisher