The Jewish Book of Why

Rating:
Summary: Good to have but leaves out important questions
Review: I really like these books and the way they are written. The question and answer format make it easy to use it as a "reference" and also allows one to read a few pages at a time.

The question and answer format is also wonderful because alot of what Judiasm is about is questions. "Question Everything" must have been the eleventh commandment.

What is missing are important topics. I wrote to the author in 1996 and he was kind enough to repy to my question. I wrote:

"I enjoy reading your book . . . However, there is a major omission that I need to ask about. Why is the subject of War (and violence) not covered?

Your biography says you were/are active as a military chaplain. I imagine that your role as chaplain and advisor to chaplains would put you in a great position to speak to the question of war and Jewish Law.

Perhaps your wrote about this in another book? If so, could you direct me to that source or perhaps some other Jewish writer has expanded on the subject."

A week later I got this reply from Mr. Kolatch; "I wish I knew how to answer your letter of February 7th. The best I can say is that the subject of war did not fit the theme of The Jewish Book of Why. No, I haven't written anything on the subject, nor is there a book I can recommend."

So you can see, this very important subject was left out, even though Mr. Kolatch was surrounded by military people for most of his career. What a lost opportunity. How sad for us all. His revsions in 2000, didn't answer my questions either.

I hope Mr. Kolatch will write about this concern in his next book. AS I said in my letter to him: "What learning about violence is there to pass on to my 5 sons?"



Rating:
Summary: "The Jewish Book of Why" : A Jewish Work of Art
Review: It was incredibly informative and I learned alot. Perhaps my unanswered questions are in the second edition!

Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: It was incredibly informative and I learned alot. Perhaps my unanswered questions are in the second edition!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Jewish Guide
Review: The Jewish Book of Why is among the best Jewish books ever published. The book gives insight to Jewish customs like marriage, birth, divorce, holidays, and a lot of Jewish history. Whether reading the book or just leaving it on the coffe table to peruse through, The Jewish Book of Why will be great for a jew, a person that is interested in Judaism, and yourself. I highly reccomend this book. For more jewish reading I reccomend the second Jewish Book Of Why. This is a great book that you will definitley enjoy.

HAPPY READING!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Reference
Review: This book makes an excellent reference because it answers many important questions about Jewish beliefs. Whether its customs related to holidays, marriage, death, clothing, food or otherwise each questions is answered in ane asy to read manner. The authortakes an open minded stance which further adds to the book's value. I frequently look back at this book and learn something new each time I pick it up. Just timeless!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Reference
Review: This book makes an excellent reference because it answers many important questions about Jewish beliefs. Whether its customs related to holidays, marriage, death, clothing, food or otherwise each questions is answered in ane asy to read manner. The authortakes an open minded stance which further adds to the book's value. I frequently look back at this book and learn something new each time I pick it up. Just timeless!

Rating:
Summary: "The Jewish Book of Why" : A Jewish Work of Art
Review: This book makes Judaism accessible to a wide range of people. If you are Jewish and you do not remember or do not know the reasons underlying some Jewish symbols, practices and ways (or you just remember one reason out of the 2? 3? 4? ... reasons for one thing), the "Jewish Book of Why" is incontestably a good reference (although not authoritative). Its handy and easy-to-read format favours learning because it renders the answers to your questions, clear and "to the point", pretty much in the same way as a dictionary. But what is most interesting is that the book does not only ask "why" and answers "because" to all the questions one might ALREADY have about Judaism. By going through the entire book like a novel, one will also discover all these Jewish symbols, practices and ways that make Judaism very rich and inspiring as a religion, an art, a culture. That is why, I rank this book as a Jewish Work of Art.

Rating:
Summary: Covers a lot of ground
Review: This book was originally published nearly 20 years ago so the fact that it is still a popular seller is a testament to how good a volume this is. A lot of ground is covered in an easy to understand question and answer format. The first few chapters cover Jewish life cycle events such as birth and childhood, marriage and divorce, and finally the end of life itself .. death and mourning. Then the book covers other areas of Jewish life such as rituals, holidays, etc. Obviously a basic book on Judaism written in this format cannot be exhaustive (of course there is now a Second Jewish Book of Why). However, in a very understandable manner, this book explains a lot. This book is very informative but I recommend that it not be considered the last word, ie, it is not authorative. If there is an argument as to what Jewish law requires, this book is a valuable guide but the authority would be original sources.

Rating:
Summary: Things you've forgotten and things you never knew!
Review: This is a wonderful book to own or give as a gift. It contains a thoughtful array of Jewish traditions, some significant and some trivial, but all heart-warming and colorful. It's an easy book to read from cover to cover, but it is written in a way that encourages the reader to flip it open to any page and enjoy for a few minutes. An ideal book for elderly relatives who may not have the interest in reading for long periods. Learn why Jewish holidays are celebrated differently when in Israel. Understand the differences between Sephardic and Ashkenazic practices. Hear about Jewish customs in Africa, the Orient, Western and Eastern Europe, Germany, Turkey, Kurdish regions, the US, Israel, and other Middle Eastern countries. Incredibly well researched and a pleasure to explore.