Jewish History

Menachem Begin: Portrait of a Leader – A Biography is the first complete biography of Menachem Begin, the man who always thought and spoke in terms of "we" rather than "I", the man who thought of himself as a simple Jew and accompanied the Jewish People on its path from the Holocaust to rebirth as a sovereign nation. This book reminds us that in the Second Lebanon War we learned nothing from the first one. In both we eagerly entered into battle without a clear picture of our final goal and what exactly we wished to achieve. Most significantly, the extensive evidence examined here ...

Take a journey through the ancient history of the Jewish people, a proud and stubborn people who desired to retain their freedom and uniqueness. They fought for this ideal for centuries with various success, but then came the mighty Roman Empire. At first, the Romans were their allies, but they eventually conquered the Jewish state into their vast realm.

In this comprehensive little book, Andrew Cort brings to life the history and legends of the twelve hundred years between the conquering of the Promised Land and the birth of Jesus. It includes the stories of Saul, David, and Solomon, the building of the Temple and the origin of the Freemason legend, the fate of the Ten Lost Tribes, the miracles of Elijah, the Babylonian Exile, Queen Esther and the Purim Festival, the influence of Aristotle and Epicurus, Judah Maccabee and the story of Chanukah, the building of the second Temple, the canonization of the Hebrew Bible, Caesar and Cleopatra, ...

As Nazi Germany launched its campaign of racial terror and pushed the world toward war, three misfits banded together to challenge Hitler’s dominance at the apex of motorsport: the Grand Prix. Their quest for redemption culminated in a remarkable race that is still talked about in racing circles to this day - but which, soon after it ended, Hitler attempted to completely erase from history.

In 722 BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire destroyed the kingdom of Israel, and after a siege of three years, the city of Samaria fell to the troops of Sargon II. As was a common practice in the ancient world, the victor uprooted the inhabitants and forced them into exile, scattering the refugees throughout Asia Minor and possibly Africa to destroy them as a cohesive group and prevent them from possibly revolting. That exile brought about the end of the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Only the much smaller and less important kingdom of Judah, nestled in the arid lands of the south, survived....

They’ve been called legalists, hypocrites, and the ultimate villains of the Gospels. But what if everything you think you know about the Pharisees is wrong? For centuries, they’ve been cast as rigid enforcers of outdated laws, standing in opposition to everything good and true. But history tells a different story. The Pharisees weren’t just rule-makers—they were the architects of a religious revolution. They took Judaism out of the Temple and into the home, shaping a faith that could survive war, exile, and destruction. Their debates laid the groundwork for modern Jewish thought, ...

Dig deep into the plain meaning of the Bible’s stories and commandments Would you like to know what the Old Testament (Pentateuch) is all about from a Jewish point of view? This book reveals the morals, ethics, and ideas behind the stories and commandments of one of the oldest books in the history of mankind – a book that serves as the foundation of Jewish and Christian religion. Given the difficult Hebrew in which the Old Testament was written and how challenging it is to translate and to explain, the author wanted to offer to the reader the simple meaning of the text (p’shat) in ...

Discover the ancient mysteries and timeless wisdom contained within "The Book of Jasher: A Beginner's Guide." This comprehensive guide unlocks the stories and teachings of one of history's most enigmatic texts, referenced in the Bible yet seldom explored in modern times. Why should you delve into the Book of Jasher? Uncover Hidden Narratives: Journey through stories lost over millennia, offering new perspectives on familiar biblical events. Explore Profound Wisdom: Learn the moral and ethical lessons that these ancient tales impart, providing guidance for today's complex world. Deepen Your ...

Could a Holocaust happen in the United States? Ten years ago such a nightmare would have seemed impossible. Now we are living in a different, more frightening world with rising antisemitism and democracy at peril. In NEVER AGAIN, A NOVEL OF THE AMERICAN HOLOCAUST, a leading Boston civil rights lawyer creates a thoroughly believable scenario in which step by credible step the United States government questions whether Jewish-Americans are seen as more Jewish and less American. And then takes what can appear to be necessary actions to protect its loyal citizens from terrorism at home. An ...

This book is an account of Rasputin as a healer, equal rights activist and man of God, and why he was so vilified by the aristocracy that their libelous and slanderous rumors became accepted as history. For nearly a century, Grigory Rasputin, spiritual advisor to Russia's last Tsar and Tsarina, has been unjustly maligned simply because history is written by the politically powerful and not by the common man. A wealth of evidence shows that Rasputin was discredited by a fanatically anti-Semitic Russian society, for advocating equal rights for the severely oppressed Jewish population, as well...

Available and annotated for the first time in English, Aron Simanovitch’s memoirs offer an intimate view of Rasputin through the eyes of his dear friend and secretary. Simanovitch reveals Rasputin’s progressive ideas for social and economic reform that outraged the nobility. In the process, he paints a Peyton Place image of early twentieth century Petersburg society, with its gossip, plots and intrigue. But more importantly, his revelations about Rasputin’s humanitarianism lend a three-dimensional view to this controversial figure of Russian history.

How did it happen? Why did we allow it to happen? Could it happen again? These are the three questions most often asked about the Holocaust, the whirlwind of murder during which the Nazi-led government of the Third Reich systematically slaughtered 6 million Jews, along with millions of victims from other targeted populations Gypsies, Slavs, the mentally retarded, the insane, homosexuals, and the physically deformed. In The Holocaust: An End to Innocence, Rossel examines the Nazi rise to power, the role of prejudice and propaganda in the Holocaust, and echoes of the Holocaust that plagued ...

Marthe Cohn was a young Jewish woman living just across the German border in France when Hitler rose to power. Her family sheltered Jews fleeing the Nazis, including Jewish children sent away by their terrified parents. But soon her homeland was also under Nazi rule. As the Nazi occupation escalated, Marthe's sister was arrested and sent to Auschwitz and the rest of her family was forced to flee to the south of France. Always a fighter, Marthe joined the French Army and became a member of the intelligence service of the French First Army.

This short, informative and elegant introduction depicts for you the sweeping development of Judaism from Biblical times to the present day. This wonderful book helps seekers and students of all ages and all faiths to better understand all of the diverse components and contributions of Judaism throughout the ages.

What was the apostle Paul's relationship to Judaism? How did he view the Jewish law? How did he understand the gospel of Jesus's messiahship relative to both ethnic Jews and gentiles? These remain perennial questions both to New Testament scholars and to all serious Bible readers. Respected New Testament scholar Matthew Thiessen offers an important contribution to this discussion. A Jewish Paul is an accessible introduction that situates Paul clearly within first-century Judaism, not opposed to it.

Nicole Krauss' first novel, Man Walks Into a Room, was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and her short fiction has been collected in Best American Short Stories. Now The History of Love proves Krauss is among our finest and freshest literary voices.

The Palestinian Delusion is unique in situating the Israeli/Palestinian conflict within the context of the global jihad that has found renewed impetus in the latter portion of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Briskly recounting the tumultuous history of the "peace process", Robert Spencer demonstrates that the determination of diplomats, policymakers, and negotiators to ignore this aspect of the conflict has led the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the world down numerous blind alleys. This has often only exacerbated, rather than healed, this conflict.

Father, Son, Stone blends history and mystery to reveal the secret of the most controversial religious site in Jerusalem — known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. When the Western Wall collapses from excavations to enlarge al-Aqsa Mosque, Justice Meir Bar- Aben of the Supreme Court of Israel presides over a secret hearing, initiated by the Israeli Prime Minister, to take back control of the Temple Mount from the Muslim Authority. What is revealed during the hearing changes Jerusalem, and the people who live there, forever.

Guiding us through a rich tapestry of new discoveries and ancient scriptures, The Jewish Gospels makes the powerful case that our conventional understandings of Jesus and of the origins of Christianity are wrong. In Boyarin's scrupulously detailed account, the coming of the messiah was fully imagined in the ancient Jewish texts. Jesus, moreover, was embraced by many Jews as this person, and his core teachings were not at all a break from Jewish beliefs and teachings. Jesus and his followers, Boyarin reveals, were simply Jewish.

Although she grew up following some holiday rituals, Abigail Pogrebin realized how little she knew about their foundational purpose and contemporary relevance; she wanted to understand what had kept these holidays alive and vibrant, some for thousands of years. Her curiosity led her to embark on an entire year of research, observation, and writing about the milestones on the religious calendar. Whether in search of a roadmap for Jewish life or a challenging probe into the architecture of Jewish tradition, listeners will be captivated, educated, and inspired by My Jewish Year.