Books : Religion & Spirituality : Authors, A-Z : ( T ) : Telushkin, Joseph

Joseph Telushkin is renowned for his warmth, his erudition, and his richly anecdotal insights, and in Words That Hurt, Words That Heal he focuses these gifts on the words we use in public and in private, revealing their tremendous power to shape relationships. With wit and wide-ranging intelligence, Rabbi Telushkin explains the harm in spreading gossip, rumors, or others' secrets, and how unfair anger, excessive criticism, or lying undermines true communication. By sensitizing us to subtleties of speech we may never have considered before, he shows us how to turn every exchange into an opportunity.

Remarkable for its clarity and practicality, Words That Hurt, Words That Heal illuminates the powerful effects we create by what we say and how we say it.

If you have ever wondered what being born Jewish should mean to you; if you want to find out more about the nature of Judaism, or explain it to a friend; if you are thinking about how Judaism can connect with the rest of your life -- this is the first book you should own. It poses, and thoughtfully addresses, questions like these:

Can one doubt God's existence and still be a good Jew?
Why do we need organized religion?
Why shouldn't I intermarry?
What is the reason for dietary laws?
How do I start practicing Judaism?

The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism was written for the educated, skeptical, searching Jew, and for the non-Jew who wants to understand the meaning of Judaism. It has become a classic and very widely read introduction to the oldest living religion. Concisely and engagingly, authors Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin present Judaism as the rational, moral alternative for contemporary man.

Here are more than 100 of the best Jewish jokes you'll ever hear, interspersed with perceptive and persuasive insight into what they can tell us about how Jews see themselves, their families, and their friends, and what they think about money, sex, and success. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is as celebrated for his wit as for his scholarship, and in this immensely entertaining book, he displays both in equal measure. Stimulating, something stinging, and always very, very funny, Jewish Humor offers a classic portrait of the Jewish collective unconscious.

As he did so brilliantly in his bestselling book, jewish literacy,Joseph Teluslikin once again mines a subject of, Jewish history and religion so richly that his book becomes an inspiring companion and a fundamental reference. In Biblical Lileracy, Telushkin turns his attention to the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Old Testament), the most iniluential series of books in human history. Along with the Ten Commandments, the Bible's most famous document, no piece of legislation ever enacted has influenced human behavior as much as the biblical injunction to "Love your neighbor as yourself." No political tract has motivated human beings in so many diverse societies to fight for political freedom as the Exodus story of God's liberation of the Israelite slaves--which shows that God intends that, ultimately, people be free.

The Bible's influence, however, has conveyed as much through its narratives as its laws. Its timeless and moving tales about the human condition and man's relationship to God have long shaped Jewish and Christian notions of morality, and continue to stir the conscience and imagination of believers and skeptics alike.

There is a universality in biblical stories:

The murder of Abel by his brother Cain is a profound tragedy of sibling jealousy and family love gone awry (see pages 11-14).

Abraham',s challenge to God to save the lives of the evil people of Sodom is a fierce drama of man in confrontation with God, suggesting the human right to contend with the Almighty when it is feared He is acting unjustly (see pages 32-34).

Jacob's, deception of his blind father, Isaac raises the timeless question: Do the ends justify the means when the fate of the world is at stake (see pages 46-55).

Encyclopedia in scope, but dynamic and original in its observations and organization, Biblical Lileracy makes available in one volume the Bible's timeless stories of love, deceit, and the human condition; its most important laws and ideas; and an annotated listing of all 613 laws of the Torah for both layman and professional, there is no other reference work or interpretation of the Bible quite like this Stunning volume.

"Why is this conversation important? Why does it merit your attention? If you care about Jewish identity and community, then you know that we have no trouble identifying the problems that fragmentize us as a people but have far less success identifying that which unites us. Without a unifying, collective notion of Jewish identity that is meaningful and robust, it is virtually impossible to make a strong case for Jewish continuity."
--from the Introduction

This call to Jewish community explores the purpose, possibilities, and limitations of peoplehood as a unifying concept of community for a people struggling profoundly with Jewish identity. It defines what peoplehood is--and is not--and explores both collective and personal Jewish identity and the nature of identity construction. Drawing on history, sacred texts and contemporary scholarship, The Case for Jewish Peoplehood identifies some of the obstacles that challenge a shared notion of peoplehood: personal choices, construct of membership and boundaries, growth of Jewish illiteracy, identity fragmentation between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry, and the generational divide affecting traditionalists, baby boomers, and generations X and Y.
To help you join the conversation, the authors support a vision for the future and provide practical guidance and recommendations for getting there.

"Accessible and stimulating. Opens the windows and doors wide to invite all of us to participate in a spirited conversation about the changing nature of Jewish peoplehood in the twenty-first century."
--Shifra Bronznick, co-author, Leveling the Playing Field: Advancing Women in Jewish Organizational Life; founder and president, Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community

"Effectively combines a broad review of the Jewish peoplehood concept with a nuanced understanding of how Jews live their lives. The authors take a conceptual framework with its origins in the works of Kaplan to a new plane, understanding that at a time of unlimited choices and unprecedented freedom, Jewish peoplehood takes on a myriad of meanings, while guided by unified values and powerful inspiration."
--Dr. Jeffrey Solomon, president, Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies

"As the issue of Jewish peoplehood assumes greater urgency, Drs. Misha Galperin and Erica Brown have provided us with a rich resource. A must read for all concerned about the Jewish future."
--Dr. John Ruskay, executive vice president and chief executive officer, UJA-Federation of New York

Once, Geller, a rationalist to his core, would have found the question absurd. But then Robin Norris, a beautiful actress desperate to overcome a problem with her singing voice, steps into his office, and his life. Geller hypnotizes her, and Robin quickly assumes the identity of Beverly Casper, a talented teenager who, thirty-two years earlier, had vanished into thin air, never to be seen or heard from again - until today, in Jordan Geller's office. The details Robin reveals under hypnosis eerily parallel a current murder spree, currently taking place in the Los Angeles area.

Should Geller go to the police with vivid, unknown details of the crime? Or should he go to his mentor, the renowned Dr. Elinor Fisher, who has made no secret of her contempt for hypnosis and reincarnation?

Heaven's Witness will not only keep you turning pages, it might well compel you to reconsider your most basic views about this world - and the next.