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Winner of the 2011 African Studies Association Herskovits Award Beyond the Royal Gaze shifts the perspective from which we view early African politics by asking what Buganda, a kingdom located on the northwest shores of Lake Victoria in present-day Uganda, looked like to people who were not of the center but nevertheless became central to its functioning. Drawing on insights from a variety of disciplines—history, historical linguistics, archaeology, and anthropology—Neil Kodesh argues that the domains of politics and public healing were intimately entwined in Buganda from the sixteenth through the early nineteenth centuries. Drawing on extensive fieldwork conducted throughout Buganda, Ko...
The Nach Yomi Companion comprises the daily synopses that have appeared online as part of the Orthodox Union´s Nach Yomi (www.ouradio.org/nach). Each and every chapter of the Books of the Prophets, from Joshua through The Twelve Prophets, is clearly summarized, incorporating the thoughts of Chazal, Rashi, the Radak and others. With this handy volume, written in clear and engaging language, readers can get an overview of the Prophets, decipher troubling passages, or prepare themselves for further, more in-depth study.
Ibn Ezra addresses the importance of the knowledge of grammar, stating that one cannot fully understand the text of the Torah without it. He also discusses the study of the Bible and the Talmud, arguing that one cannot properly comprehend the Talmud if one does not know the sciences, for there are many passages in the Pentateuch and the Talmud that are either incomprehensible or given to misinterpretation by one who has no prior knowledge of the sciences.
The Passover Seder is probably the most broadly observed Jewish ritual, as the Exodus from Egypt remains at the forefront of the Jewish consciousness. Since the Torah relates many of its teachings to the bondage of Egypt, Jews are encouraged to internalize the oppression in Egypt, the Exodus through the Red Sea, and the transition from slavery to freedom. As If We Were There: Readings for a Transformative Passover Experience breathes new life in the Passover story by providing 21 daily readings, beginning with the first day of Hebrew month Nisan until the last day of Passover. Each day focuses on a specific aspect of the Exodus experience, as Rabbi Rothstein takes the reader on a journey of intellectual and spiritual development while we study, analyze, and ultimately internalize the events and messages of the Exodus story.In the second part of the book, a memoir of his father's Seder, Rabbi Rothstein utilizes humor and nostalgia to introduce the reader to a Seder that succeeded in finding ways for Jews to see themselves as if they had been redeemed from Egypt.
Samuel David Luzzatto (1800-1865), known by his Hebrew acronym Shadal, was the leading Italian Jewish scholar of the 19th century. A linguist, educator, and religious thinker, he devoted his talents above all to the interpretation of the Bible. As a master of Hebrew grammar and usage, he focused on the plain meaning of the text. Although he was a devout believer in the divinity, unity, and antiquity of the Torah, Shadal approached the text in a remarkably free spirit of inquiry, drawing upon a wide variety of sources, ancient and contemporary, Jewish and non-Jewish. As a result, his interpretations may strike even the modern reader as fresh and novel. Among the highlights of Shadal's Exodus ...
Expanding the narrow script of what it means to be Parisian, Laila Amine explores the novels, films, and street art made by Maghrebis, Franco-Arabs, and African Americans, including fiction by Charef, Chraïbi, Sebbar, Baldwin, Smith, and Wright, and such films as La haine, Made in France, Chouchou, and A Son.
The tragedies of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are never far from the pages of the mainstream press. Yet it is rare to hear about the reality of life on the ground, and it is rarer still when these voices belong to women. This book records the intimate journey of a Jewish-American physician travelling and working within Israel and the Occupied Territories. Alice Rothchild grew up in a family grounded by the traumas of the Holocaust and passionately devoted to Israel. This book recounts her experiences as she grapples with the reality of life in Israel, the complexity of Jewish Israeli attitudes, and the hardships of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Through her ...
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was the charismatic leader of the Chabad Hasidic movement and its designated Messiah. Yet when he died in 1994, the messianic fervor he inspired did not subside. Through traditional means and digital technologies, a group of radical Hasidim, the Meshichistim, still keep the Rebbe palpably close—engaging in ongoing dialogue, participating in specific rituals, and developing an ever-expanding visual culture of portraits and videos. With Us More Than Ever focuses on this group to explore how religious practice can sustain the belief that a messianic figure is both present and accessible. Yoram Bilu documents a unique religious experience that is distinctly mod...
From angels and the afterlife to suffering and Divine providence, The God Book addresses all things spiritual through classic works of Jewish philosophy. Works summarized include the Rambams Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed), Ramchals Derech Hashem (Way of God), ibn Pakudas Chovos HaLevavos (Duties of the Heart) and Hilchos Deios from the Rambams Mishneh Torah.