Judaism for Dummies

Judaism isn?t a race or even a particular culture or ethnic group. There are about 13 or 14 million Jews spread around the world, including about 6 million in the United States and about 5 million in Israel ? so Judaism clearly isn?t ?a nation.? So what does it mean to be Jewish? Here are the basics:

Being Jewish (being ?a Jew?) means you?re a Member of the Tribe (an M-O-T). The tribe started with a couple named Abraham and Sarah about 4,000 years ago, it grew over time, and it?s still here today. You can become part of the Jewish tribe in two ways: By being born to a Jewish mother or joining through a series of rituals (called converting).

Judaism is a set of beliefs, practices, and ethics based on the Torah. You can practice Judaism and not be Jewish, and you can be a Jew and not practice Judaism.

Whether you're interested in the religion or the spirituality, the culture or the ethnic traditions, Judaism For Dummies explores the full spectrum of Judaism, dipping into the mystical, meditative, and spiritual depth of the faith and the practice. In this warm and welcoming book, you'll find coverage of

Orthodox Jews and breakaway denominations

Judaism as a daily practice

The food and fabric of Judaism

Jewish wedding ceremonies

Celebrations and holy days

4,000 years of pain, sadness, triumph, and joy

Great Jewish thinkers and historical celebrities

Jews have long spread out to the corners of the world, so there are significant Jewish communities on many continents. Judaism For Dummies offers a glimpse into the rituals, ideas, and terms that are woven into the history and everyday lives of Jewish people as near as our own neighborhoods and as far-reaching as across the world. more

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From: Amazon
Posted: Sep-12-2009

Judaism for Dummies

Non-threatening book introducing you to basics. If you're trying to comprehend and maintain introductory knowledge of Judaism, this is a nice start.

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From: Amazon
Posted: May-10-2009

great beginner book

This book covers the very basic concepts of Judaism. For the beginners that want to learn about this very exciting area of study, or for the people who want a base into learning Juaism. I found this book very helpful!

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From: Amazon
Posted: Jan-27-2009

Great, interesting read!

I am Jewish, and I bought this for my fiance who is not Jewish. It explains in a non-judgemental way all of the different kind of sects of Judaism in the modern world and what they believe and practice. It explains age-old traditions, who still practices them, and why, from clothing to dietary...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-08-2008

The perfect introduction

Before reading this book I had very little knowledge of Judaism. It taught me so many basic so incredibly quickly, and helped me identify those subjects I wished to research further.I particularly like the transliterations from Hebrew, which actually served as the starting point for being able to...

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-01-2008

VERY good reading!

Very good and simple to understand. Everything is well explained. Its been so long most of this is new to me but its very easy with this text. And Ive been reading it to my 7yr old son and are learning together. I recommend it very strongly to anyone interested in Judaism.

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From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-01-2008

VERY good reading!

Everything is well explained. I recommend it very strongly to anyone interested in Judaism. Starts simple but by Chapter 2 its heavily into Orthodox with hardly a mention of Conservatism!

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From: Amazon
Posted: Sep-19-2008

Not bad

It was good and I certainly know a lot more about Judaism than I did before, but the authors are fairly liberal. I would have liked to learn about Judaism from Orthodox Jews rather than men who have no problem referring to God as "she."

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From: Amazon
Posted: Sep-08-2008

The author is BIASED.

I am a GENTILE and I wanted to learn all about REFORM JUDAISM, and the author devoted less than ONE PAGE to the subject. So the book should have been called, CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM FOR DUMMIES. It's a waste of money unless you are keenly interested in only one sect of Judaism.

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From: Amazon
Posted: Feb-13-2008

Really helpful

This book is really helping me to understand even more judaism, I didn't even imagine that I could find all the information I need to get started in just one book!

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From: Amazon
Posted: Jan-07-2008

For those who are unsure about the principles of Judaism

This book is especially helpful for those who align themselves with Judaism or simply do not understand the Jewish community or faith and its long-standing oppression. It explains in detail the differences in Jewish religion and their cultural importance. It is a book that contains humor and...

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