About the Book
JPS’s holiday books take us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. Blending the old and the new, they ground us in the origins and traditions of each holiday and open up to us ways we can add our own expression to these special days. Although synagogue ritual is touched upon, the real focus here is on our personal connections to each holiday and our home observance. View the full Celebrating the Jewish Year series.
As we move from season to season, Paul Steinberg shares with us a rich collection of readings from many of the Jewish greats—Maimonides, Rashi, Nachmanides, Shlomo Carlebach, Marge Piercy, Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Arthur Green, and others—and he guides us in discovering for ourselves the many treasures within each text. The readings teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation; others give us inspiration and much food for thought. These stories, essays, poems, anecdotes, and rituals help us discover how deeply Jewish traditions are rooted in nature’s yearly cycle, and how beautifully season and spirit are woven together throughout the Jewish year.
Awards
Named a 2007 National Jewish Book Award Runner-Up in the category of Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice.
Praise
His [Steinberg’s] careful, thorough and reasoned explanations will deepen understanding of each holiday’s history and tradition, allowing celebrations to become, in fact, more celebratory.
– Publishers Weekly
Organized with much thoughtfulness, [the author] includes a richness of materials for each holiday … there’s much good and inspiring writing here.
– The Jewish Week
Those looking for one book to help them understand the fall holiday season would do well to read “Celebrating the Jewish Year.”
– The Reporter
A superb addition to personal, family, school and community library Judaic Studies reference collections, Celebrating the Jewish Year is very highly recommended and informative reading that will help the reader to create a memorable holiday experience for themselves and their loved ones that will be enhanced in both meaning and spirit.
– Midwest Book Review
This is the kind of book where a reviewer says ‘every family should own one.’ All three volumes will make excellent contributions to the celebrations of our Jewish holidays.
– Sybil Kaplan, National Jewish Post and Opinion
