Judaism for Dummies (Paperback, 2)

Introduction 1

Part I: What Jews Generally Believe 9

Chapter 1: That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish: Who’s a Jew and Why 11

Chapter 2: It’s All One: Judaism and God 23

Chapter 3: A Never-Ending Torah: The Unfolding of a Tradition 33

Chapter 4: A Path of Blessing: Judaism as a Daily Practice 45

Chapter 5: Jewish Mysticism 69

Chapter 6: Ethical Challenges 89

Part II: From Womb to Tomb: The Life Cycle 105

Chapter 7: In the Beginning: Birth and Bris 107

Chapter 8: Coming of Age: The Bar/Bat Mitzvah 117

Chapter 9: Get Me to the Chuppah On Time: Weddings 125

Chapter 10: Stepping Through the Valley: The Shadow of Death 137

Part III: An Overview of Jewish History 151

Chapter 11: Let My People Go: From Abraham to Exodus 153

Chapter 12: The Kings of Israel: The First Temple 165

Chapter 13: Bracketed by Exile: The Second Temple 173

Chapter 14: The Exiles Continue: The First Millennium 181

Chapter 15: The Greatest Horror, the Greatest Triumph 193

Chapter 16: Jewish Buddhists and Other Challenges of the New Age 211

Chapter 17: The Problem of Anti-Semitism 219

Part IV: Celebrations and Holy Days 231

Chapter 18: A Taste of Paradise: Shabbat 233

Chapter 19: In with the New: Rosh Hashanah 249

Chapter 20: Getting Serious: Yom Kippur 261

Chapter 21: The Great Outdoors: Sukkot 271

Chapter 22: Seeking Light in Dark Times: Chanukkah 281

Chapter 23: Celebrating Renewal: Tu B’Shvat 293

Chapter 24: A Jewish Carnival: Purim 297

Chapter 25: From Groan to Glee: Passover 307

Chapter 26: Spring Is Busting Out All Over: Shavuot 333

Chapter 27: A Day of Mourning: Tisha B’Av 345

Part V: The Part of Tens 349

Chapter 28: Ten People Who Helped Shape Judaism 351

Chapter 29: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Judaism 359

Part VI: Appendixes 371

Appendix A: Oy Vey! and Other Words You Should Know 373

Appendix B: A Sampler of Jewish Prayers and Blessings 385

Appendix C: Go Now and Learn 393

Index 397