A moving guide to a practice that can connect one generation with another, sure to strike a chord in readers familiar with...
Goldman (Being Jewish, 2000, etc.) examines a central practice of his religion in this account of the yearlong mourning ritual he observed after his devout father died.
Jewish in the Modern Orthodox mode, the author undertook each day from September 1999 through August 2000 to recite the customary Kaddish, a reverent prayer in honor of the dead that never mentions death. A minyan of at least ten men (though some now count women too) must pray together for a mourner to properly utter Kaddish, which requires affirmations of “amen” to the words of praise. Goldman (Journalism/Columbia Univ.) describes the varied ways in which a minyan is gathered, nicely characterizing the participants who supported him in his regular Upper West Side minyan and at gatherings overseas. As a badge of grief, mourners traditionally do not buy new clothing and avoid live music and other entertainments. Like much Jewish practice, this custom is observed according to an individual’s understanding and philosophy. The author demonstrates his own way of dealing with tradition, considering the tension between simple observance and overarching theology. He does not offer instruction for all but rather one person’s appreciation of the value of worship integrated into everyday life. His family-centered memoir memorializes his parents, divorced for many years but united in the regard and respect of their son. “The riches they left me,” he writes, “do not need to be probated in court. There is no estate tax.” Goldman is thankful for the far greater gift they bestowed, that of an ancient ethical tradition.
A moving guide to a practice that can connect one generation with another, sure to strike a chord in readers familiar with Judaic custom and also in those who have no notion of it.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2003
ISBN: 0-8052-4184-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Schocken
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the...
Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children.
He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions.
Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2006
ISBN: 0374500010
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Hill & Wang
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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