Can Judaism be saved from its most dangerous currents?That’s the question Rabbi Arthur Green poses in this urgent exploration of the spiritual and ethical challenges facing Judaism today. Green examines the tension between universalist values and exclusivist tendencies across Jewish history, showing this tension’s roots in biblical, rabbinic, mystical, and Hasidic teachings.Green challenges us to confront the darker currents within Jewish history and thought while embracing...

A welcoming introduction to the most important ideas in Judaism.In an age of fluid identity, many people are honestly asking the question "Why be Jewish?" What in this religious and ethnic legacy is worth preserving? Does Judaism have something unique to offer a contemporary seeker free to choose a way of life and a system of values?Here is the answer of a leading spiritual teacher who has faced these questions in conversation with generations of students. ...

The new Jewish spirituality lies somewhere between God's elusive presence in our world and our search for authentic language to describe it. Personal journeys seldom have a clear beginning, and they rarely have a definite end. If there is an end to our journey, surely it is one that leads to some measure of wisdom, and thence back to its own beginning. But somewhere along the way, we come to realize that we must know where we have been going, why we have been going. Most of all, we come to...

“A major contribution to the understanding of Hasidic Wisdom and thought; it brings the reader closer to Hasidism’s greatest teller of tales.”—Elie WieselThe search for spiritual meaning drives great leaders in all religions. This classic work explores the personality and religious quest of Nahman of Bratslav (1772–1810), one of Hasidism’s major figures. It unlocks the great themes of spiritual searching that make him a figure of universal religious importan...

What can Kabbalah teach us about our lives today?What can it teach us about our future?According to the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, *Ehyeh,*or “I shall be,” is the deepest, most hidden name of God. Arthur Green, one of the most respected teachers of Jewish mysticism of his generation, uses this simple Hebrew word to unlock the spiritual meaning of Kabbalah for our lives.When Moses experienced his great moment of call at the Burning Bush, h...

The basic vocabulary of Jewish spiritual life, explained with humor, insight and relevance to guide you on a historical and spiritual journey through Judaism.Judaism itself is a language, a group's way of expressing beliefs, longings, aspirations and dreams. The vocabulary of Jewish life is the framework that Jews use to hand their past down to their children. It is also the vocabulary that people of other faiths need to know to understand Judaism and Jewish life.

A fully updated and revised edition of a classic text on Jewish prayer.The power of prayer for spiritual renewal and personal transformation is at the core of all religious traditions. Because Hasidic literature contains no systematic manual of contemplative prayer, the texts included in this volume have been culled from many sources. From the teachings of the Hasidic Masters—the Ba'al Shem Tov, the Maggid Dov Baer of Meidzyrzec, and their immediate disciples—the e...

A Centennial, writes Hebrew College President Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, “is an invitation to reflect on the last century of teaching and learning at Hebrew College, to ask ourselves what has changed and what has endured, to explore accomplishments and share ongoing struggles, to articulate our aspirations for the next one hundred years.” A compilation of captivating essays on Jewish studies alongside powerful personal memoirs from the College’s earliest years until today, Ḥiddushim capt...

A powerful collection of writings about Yom Kippur that will add spiritual depth and holiness to your experience of the Day of Atonement.As Rosh Hashanah ends and you look ahead to Yom Kippur, what do you think about? The familiar melody of Kol Nidre? The long hours of fasting? The days of self-examination? You know that the Day of Atonement is the holiest on the Jewish calendar, but sometimes it just feels long, tiresome and devoid of personal meaning. Th...

Find inspiration for a satisfying spiritual life of practice through the combination of contemporary mindfulness meditation and classical Hasidic spirituality."The lessons in Kedushat Levi were not originally intended as intellectual curiosities or as demonstrations of R. Levi Yitzhak's brilliance. They were meant to inspire religious passion and deeper spiritual practice. I believe that these teachings will come to life in us when we bring them into our l...

The first-ever English translation of and commentary on The Book of Departure, which compiles the end-of-life stories of 42 holy men, sheds light on Jewish traditions about death, the afterlife and how to care for people in their final days. Modern insights drawn from these stories help caregivers make greater meaning out of end-of-life care.

The most powerful Hasidic teachings made accessible—from some of the world's preeminent authorities on Jewish thought and spirituality."The teachings of Torah, from beginning to end, are read here as a path toward liberation, a way of uplifting your soul and allowing it to journey homeward, back to its Source in the oneness of all being. Or, even better, to discover that oneness right here, in a loving but transformative embrace of both world and self."—from...