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Rating: 
Summary: Great, funny, easy to read!
Review: i love this book, people of all ages and all religious "ranges" can relate to it! It is funny, easy to read and understand, plus it is very "jewish" you can hear your parents and grandparents speak through the many yiddish exppressions found here. I used this book as a source of information to learn about the Mikveh for my wedding, and now, I am one of the best educated on the subject! I recomend it wholehartedly.
Rating:
Summary: Seventies hippie nostalgia, Jewish-style....
Review: I'm not even Jewish, and this is one of my all time favorites (I discovered it at the library). It belongs in the hall of fame for its genre: the large-format black-and-white early 1970s counterculture workbook/"catalog." Make your own prayer shawl, make your own yarmulke, make your own wallhanging to indicate the direction of Jerusalem, make your own challah....make your own is definitely the name of the game. I'm not personally likely to do most of those things (though I do like challah), but I just can't get enough of the b&w photos of young people sitting cross-legged on the floor with their long wavy hair, bell bottoms, beards and beads; and the eclectic, semi-disorganized format really holds your interest and keeps you coming back for more. I'm not qualified to measure the vision of Judaism presented in this book against traditional standards; but hippie optimism and "make your own" seem to marry well with the concept of tikkun olam. The connection to a traditional faith is definitely what makes this catalog a cut above the rest, such as the secular "Whole Earth" - makes it easier to take the nostalgia seriously at this late date, I suppose.
Rating:
Summary: Seventies hippie nostalgia, Jewish-style....
Review: I'm not even Jewish, and this is one of my all time favorites (I discovered it at the library). It belongs in the hall of fame for its genre: the large-format black-and-white early 1970s counterculture workbook/"catalog." Make your own prayer shawl, make your own yarmulke, make your own wallhanging to indicate the direction of Jerusalem, make your own challah....make your own is definitely the name of the game. I'm not personally likely to do most of those things (though I do like challah), but I just can't get enough of the b&w photos of young people sitting cross-legged on the floor with their long wavy hair, bell bottoms, beards and beads; and the eclectic, semi-disorganized format really holds your interest and keeps you coming back for more. I'm not qualified to measure the vision of Judaism presented in this book against traditional standards; but hippie optimism and "make your own" seem to marry well with the concept of tikkun olam. The connection to a traditional faith is definitely what makes this catalog a cut above the rest, such as the secular "Whole Earth" - makes it easier to take the nostalgia seriously at this late date, I suppose.
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Summary: Whole Earth Catalog for Jews!
Review: It's a lot of fun and good info, now getting dated.
Rating:
Summary: Incomparable resource!
Review: The "First Jewish Catalog" is a book I consult again and again--to answer friends' questions and my own. I have lent it out and bought copies to give. There is information on how-to for every regular holiday in the Jewish calendar. A treat for the knowledgeable as well as those new to Jewish celebration.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun and funky, if a little out of date...
Review: This has been called the "Whole Earth Catalog" of Judaism, and it certainly is that. A little skimpy on halacha (Jewish law) and day-to-day practicalities, this book is all about having a good time, making a difference, saving the world. Illustrated throughout with scary 1970's black-and-white photos, cartoons, and clips of Yiddish proverbs, this book actually manages to overcome its "feel-good" message, providing a joyful introduction to important Jewish themes. It might be nice to see an updated edition of this book, but in the meantime, it and its siblings certainly fill a gap. If nothing else, the "Jewish Catalog" books capture an era in Jewish thought, informed by the youth movement, when havdalah was hip because you could use incense, and Jewish music was anything Jews felt like singing together. We may mock it now, but maybe we could use a little of that enthusiasm today.
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