Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1: What Jews Generally Believe 9
Chapter 1: That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish: Who’s a Jew and Why 11
Chapter 2: It’s All One: Judaism and God 25
Chapter 3: A Never-Ending Torah: The Unfolding of a Tradition 35
Chapter 4: A Path of Blessing: Judaism as a Daily Practice 47
Chapter 5: Jewish Mysticism 71
Chapter 6: Ethical Challenges 91
Part 2: From Womb to Tomb: The Life Cycle 107
Chapter 7: In the Beginning: Birth and Bris 109
Chapter 8: Coming of Age: The Bar/Bat Mitzvah 119
Chapter 9: Get Me to the Chuppa On Time: Weddings 127
Chapter 10: Stepping Through the Valley: The Shadow of Death 139
Part 3: An Overview of Jewish History 153
Chapter 11: Let My People Go: From Abraham to Exodus 155
Chapter 12: The Kings of Israel: The First Temple 167
Chapter 13: Bracketed by Exile: The Second Temple 177
Chapter 14: The Exiles Continue: The First Millennium 185
Chapter 15: The Greatest Horror, the Greatest Triumph 197
Chapter 16: Jewish Buddhists and Other Challenges of the New Age 215
Chapter 17: The Problem of Anti-Semitism 225
Part 4: Celebrations and Holy Days 237
Chapter 18: A Taste of Paradise: Shabbat 239
Chapter 19: In with the New: Rosh Hashanah 257
Chapter 20: Getting Serious: Yom Kippur 271
Chapter 21: The Great Outdoors: Sukkot 283
Chapter 22: Seeking Light in Dark Times: Chanukkah 293
Chapter 23: Celebrating Renewal: Tu B’Shvat 305
Chapter 24: A Jewish Carnival: Purim 309
Chapter 25: From Groan to Glee: Passover 319
Chapter 26: Spring Is Busting Out All Over: Shavuot 345
Chapter 27: A Day of Mourning: Tisha B’Av 357
Part 5: The Part of Tens 361
Chapter 28: Ten People Who Helped Shape Judaism 363
Chapter 29: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Judaism 371
Part 6: Appendixes 383
Appendix A: Oy Vey! and Other Words You Should Know 385
Appendix B: A Sampler of Jewish Prayers and Blessings 397
Appendix C: Go Now and Learn 405
Index 411