Attach your name to a future JPS classic!

JPS books are substantial works of Jewish scholarship, requiring significant resources. In return for your support of $1,800 or more, your name will be included in a future title of your choice (see list below). JPS also welcomes general gifts of any size.

Details of donor opportunities and benefits are described here.

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JPS Bible Commentaries

The JPS Bible Commentary: Psalms

Vol. 1 Projected Publication: 2018 — Sponsored by: Martin Goldman
Vol. 2 Projected Publication: 2020   SPONSOR
Vol. 3 Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR
Vol. 4 Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR
Vol. 5 Projected Publication: 2019 — Sponsored by: Cohn Memorial Foundation

By Benjamin Sommer, Marc Brettler, Alan Cooper, Adele Berlin, Yair Zakovitch and Avigdor Shinan

This new five-volume collection in the celebrated JPS Bible commentary series will reveal the 150 psalms’ complexity, their meanings, settings, and importance to all readers. Six preeminent scholars will bring their own insights and perspectives to these verses — a collection of Near Eastern poetry that can be read as theology, literature, ritual, and more.

Read more about this JPS project.

The JPS Bible Commentary: Lamentations

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Edward Greenstein

Includes the complete book of Lamentations in Hebrew and in English; a critical line-by-line commentary presenting the latest in scholarship and archaeological research; an introduction discussing literary, thematic, and theological issues; essays; and discussion of the influence and use of Lamentations in Jewish and Christian traditions.

The JPS Bible Commentary: Joshua

Projected Publication: TBA   SPONSOR

by Leonard Greenspoon

The Israelite conquest of the Promised Land.

The JPS Bible Commentary: Judges

Projected Publication: TBA   SPONSOR

by Diane Sharon

Deborah, Gideon, Samson,…the early experience of the Israelite nation.

The JPS Bible Commentary: I & II Samuel

Projected Publication: 2019, 2020 — Sponsored by: Anonymous

by Gary Rendsburg

From Samuel to Saul to David…monarchy comes to ancient Israel and Jerusalem becomes the center of the empire. The tale of King David is the greatest saga of the Hebrew Bible.

The Commentators’ Bible
The Rubin JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot: Genesis

Projected Publication: 2018 — Sponsored by: Joel D. & Tammy S. Rubin

by Michael Carasik

Read Donor Story: Rubin Family Sponsors The Commentators’ Bible: The JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot

First published 500 years ago as the “Rabbinic Bible,” the biblical commentaries known as Miqra’ot Gedolot have inspired and educated generations of Hebrew readers. With this edition, the voices of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Nachmanides, Rashbam, and other medieval commentators come alive once more, speaking in a contemporary English translation annotated and explicated for lay readers. Each page contains the original Hebrew Bible text, surrounded by the 1917 and 1985 JPS translations, and new English translations of commentaries. There is also an introduction, a glossary of terms, and other study aids.

JPS Study Bible Series

 The JPS Birthright Bible Commentary

Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR

by Eli Garfinkel

This unique Bible commentary will show readers—those who have been on Birthright trips and those who have not—that the Tanakh is not a dusty, irrelevant book but an eternally sacred text that has many connections to Israel’s roots and to our lives today. Each selection of Bible text is accompanied by a brief summary and a look at its main theme, as well as commentary that speaks to four themes: 1) Torat Yisrael, the theological, spiritual and ethical dimension of Judaism. 2) Medinat Yisrael, events in the Bible and modern Israel. 3) Am Yisrael, the Bible and the idea of Jewish peoplehood. 4) Musagei Yisrael, the Bible’s practical life lessons. Readers will come away with a new understanding of how the association between land, learning and wisdom is what it means to be a Jew, whether one is talking about the second century or the twenty-first.

Rabbi Eli Garfinkel is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Somerset, New Jersey. He is author of three Bible commentaries books used by Ramah campers, and he recently published Mayim La-Eidah, an interactive, digital commentary on Genesis that is available for the iPad.

The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary

Projected Publication: 2018 — Sponsored by: Gittel and Alan Hilibrand

by Sarah and Steven Levy

Rashi’s commentary on the Torah—regarded as the most authoritative of all commentaries—is now accessible to all Jews. For each Torah portion, The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary highlights Rashi’s comments, delves into the moral messages, relates them to 21^st-century dilemmas, and presents discussion questions for meaningful conversations.

JPS Bible-Related Books

Megillat Esther

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Rabbi David Silber, with Rachel Furst

Megillat Esther contains the text of the book of Esther, in both Hebrew and the JPS translation, with commentary; and a collection of essays that address a range of thought-provoking issues raised by the megillah itself.

It is a work that lends itself to two radically different readings. It can be seen as a comedy or satire as well as a dark and troubling drama. Silber delves into both possibilities, and discusses the question of ambiguity in biblical narrative.

How did the holiday of Purim emerge from the story of the famous Jewish Queen? There are clues in Esther, chapter 9, as readers will discover. And they will learn of its connections with the Purim of the Talmud and the folk observance of the holiday.

The Talmud of Relationships: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Amy Scheinerman

Talmud of Relationships deftly guides readers through this core Jewish text, which seems enigmatic at first glance but is rich in wisdom. Rabbi Scheinerman draws from talmudic discussions and stories, and occasionally from midrashic literature to address life’s deepest questions. She shows us how to use the gifts of the Talmud to explore issues that we all face: finding balance in our lives, maintaining healthy personal relationships, coping with our ego and self-image, addressing our responsibility to social justice and treating others as we ourselves want to be treated.

Path of the Prophets: The Ethics-Driven Life 

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Rabbi Barry Schwartz

In this book devoted to the legacy of the biblical prophets, Path of the Prophets identifies the prophetic moment in the lives of 18 biblical figures, offers up an intimate view of their inner thoughts, illuminates their ethical legacies, and demonstrates their relevance to our 21st -century lives. While the Bible almost always refers to men as prophets, Path of the Prophets includes women as prophets.

By broadly defining “who is a biblical prophet?”— expanding beyond the three major and twelve minor prophets identified in the Nevi’im section of the Hebrew Bible—the author introduces heroic biblical women whom readers may never even have heard of (such as Shiphrah, Hannah, and Tizrah), while deepening readers’ interpretations of more familiar biblical figures not generally thought of as prophets (such as Abraham, Joseph, and Judah).

Each chapter’s biblical hero is announced by a first-person retelling of the story—an innovative interpretation of what that prophet was actually thinking when making bold proclamations, as the Bible rarely describes the prophets’ inner lives. The key biblical narrative follows—and then “The Prophetic Moment,” the crucial turning point, that shining second in our hero’s life, contextualized in history and theology. Building from here, the text considers our hero’s legacy—challenges and triumphs, and just how his or her ethical intentions live on. The chapter culminates with “Living the Bible,” a guide to integrating biblical-ethical values and a challenge to each of us: to walk the prophetic path today.

The JPS eTanakh

Projected Publication: TBA   SPONSOR

A path-breaking digital edition of the JPS TANAKH that will be linked to the JPS Bible commentaries, The Rubin JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot, and other classic commentaries old and new.

JPS Historical Books

The Lost Scriptures: Discovering the Sacred Library of Ancient Israel

Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR

by Malka Simkovich

In this story of the “lost literature,” of the Second Temple period (539 BCE–70 CE), Simkovich takes us to Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, to the worlds of the Jewish sectarians and the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus, to the genizah in Cairo and the ancient caves that for centuries kept the secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

She recounts the history of Judaism during this vibrant time and gives us samplings of some of the period’s most important works. In so doing she introduces us to the Jewish people living in that era and the vast array of texts they composed, cherished, and preserved for centuries. She also tells the story of how modern scholars discovered, collected, and published this literature, which has revolutionized our understanding of what Judaism looked like in the centuries that were most foundational to its formation.

Malka Simkovich is visiting professor at Catholic Theological Union, a contributor to TheTorah.com and editorial assistant of the Harvard Theological Review.

Ancient Israel: Archeology, History, and the Bible

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Rachel Hallote

Hallote reconstructs the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah from approximately 1200-539 BCE into a single narrative, using three sources: biblical texts, archaeological evidence, and extra-biblical texts and inscriptions. In so doing she explains how and why court historians of the 6th century BCE created a national history in the Bible that gave the ancient Israelites hope for the future– even after they were exiled from their land– and gave birth to early Judaism.

Rachel Hallote is professor of history at Purchase College, SUNY. She is co-author of Photographs of the American Palestine Exploration Society, and author of Bible, Map and Spade and Death, Burial and Afterlife in the Biblical World.

The Land of Truth: Talmudic Tales

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Jeffrey Rubenstein

Making the world of Talmud stories fully accessible to a wide audience, renowned Talmudic scholar Rabbi Jeffrey L. Rubenstein popularizes both well-known and unknown tales, analyzes the stories in their Talmudic context, and illuminates their relevance for modern readers. He explores the content, the history, and the “narrative art” of each story.  To ground the reader in the culture of the time, he elucidates rabbinic life (the academy, master-disciple relationships, etc.) and Jewish life under Roman rule (Roman persecution, taxation, bathhouses, etc.).  To elucidate the stories’ deeper meanings at the time, he explains how the storytellers used irony, wordplay, figurative language, and other art forms to communicate their intended messages.

Each story also becomes a vehicle to explore topics of contemporary relevance. From the story of “King Yannai and the Sages,” a confrontation between the King and the Rabbinic court, for example, he discusses the balance of governmental power, between the executive and judicial branches, as played out in several famous controversies in American political history. Honi’s 70-year sleep, which culminates in his praying for his own death, becomes a window into reflections on the multi-decade sleeps from other cultures, including the Rip Van Winkle story, and the indignities of aging in our time. The story of marital conflict between a man who emigrates from Babylonia and marries a woman in the Land of Israel finds echo in the popular writings of Deborah Tannen (You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation) and John Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus).

By connecting 21st century readers to past generations through storytelling, this book help to bridge a deep divide between modern Jews and the traditional worlds of their ancestors.

JPS Jewish Identity Books

Typically Jewish

Projected Publication: 2019

by Nancy Kalikow Maxwell

In this light-hearted, non-fiction book, award-winning writer Nancy Kalikow Maxwell searches personally—from her kitchen to garage to cemetery plot—and beyond ethnic stereotypes for the true source of her Jewish identity—and what “typically Jewish” truly means.

Folktales of the Jews

Edited by Dan Ben-Amos; Dov Noy, Consulting Editor

Volume 4: Tales from Central Asia
Volume 5: Tales from Other Lands

Projected Publication:
2018 (vol. 4)   SPONSOR
2020 (vol. 5)   SPONSOR

The tales in this series have been selected from the Israel Folklore Archives (IFA), a treasure house of Jewish lore. Each tale is accompanied by commentary explaining the tale’s cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes and accompaniments.

JPS Anthologies of Jewish Thought

The JPS Anthologies of Jewish Thought, a ten-volume series encompassing comprehensive works on the denominations of modern Judaism and other important schools of thought, will feature the presentation of key primary sources with commentary.

The Zionist Ideas

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Gil Troy

A collection of texts that identifies the schools of Zionist thought and traces them over time: Political Zionism (Herzl), Labor Zionism (Gordon), Religious Zionism (Kook), Revisionist Zionism (Jabotinsky), Cultural Zionism (Ha’am) and American Zionism (Brandeis). The classic Zionist texts are followed by illustrations of Israeli “Prophets” like Ben-Gurion, Meir, Herzog and Rabin who started to implement the vision. The final section brings the discourse up-to-date. A contemporary companion to the classic The Zionist Idea by Arthur Hertzberg.

Other pending volumes include:

Conservative Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism
Jewish Feminism
Mussar
Responsa
Antisemitism
Prophetic Judaism

Other new or forthcoming titles in this anthology include:

The Rise of Reform Judaism
The Growth of Reform Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader

JPS Series in Jewish Intellectual History

The JPS Series in Jewish Intellectual History, a ten-volume collection of innovative works, is intended to address the general sweep of Jewish history in novel ways, and to provide highly readable surveys of specific eras in the Jewish saga.

The New Hasidism: Roots

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Arthur Green and Ariel Mayse

For more over a century, diverse religious philosophers and theologians have sought to articulate visions of Judaism that might best be called Neo-Hasidic, founded on certain basic tenets of Hasidism and developed in relation to key figures, texts, and stories associated with the Hasidic movement.

A New Hasidism: Roots is the first-ever volume to present and reflect upon the writings of these diverse and influential religious thinkers in a Neo-Hasidic context. Martin Buber and Hillel Zeitlin were products of fin-de-siècle Europe. Abraham Joshua Heschel, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and Shlomo Carlebach all made the transition from old world to new in their thinking as well as their lives. This long-needed volume enriches our understanding of Neo-Hasidic thought, a rich and passionate Jewish spiritual path that interacts openly with the modern world.

The New Hasidism: Branches

Projected Publication: 2018   SPONSOR

by Arthur Green and Ariel Mayse

For more over a century, diverse religious philosophers and theologians have sought to articulate visions of Judaism that might best be called Neo-Hasidic, founded on certain basic tenets of Hasidism and developed in relation to key figures, texts, and stories associated with the Hasidic movement.

A New Hasidism: Branches is the very first volume to diverge from the classical Hasidic path in bringing influential writings from bygone eras up to date. Beginning with a revised version of editor Arthur Green’s -Hasidic Credo, it then revisit key themes from Neo-Hasidic perspectives, addressing such delicate issues as what constitutes halakhah, the legitimacy of other religions, women’s roles, and whether a new Hasidism needs a rebbe. Chapters illuminating Neo-Hasidic perspectives on psychotherapy and the environment demonstrate the applicability of Hasidic thinking to contemporary realms.

Pending volumes include:

Hellenism and Judaism
The Rise of Rabbinic Judaism
The Medieval Jewish World
The Jewish Christian Encounter
The Jewish Muslim Encounter
The Birth of Modern Judaism
Controversies in American Judaism
Controversies in Modern Israel and Zionism
Great Cities of Jewish History
A People’s History of Judaism

JPS Essential Judaism Series

The JPS Essential Judaism Series is intended to provide a source-rich survey of key themes in Jewish thought for use in adult education and undergraduate studies.

Thinking about God: Jewish Views

Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR

By Kari Tuling

Who (or what) is God? How does God relate to the world—and to the Jewish people in particular? Thinking About God: Jewish Views investigates how Jewish thinkers have historically approached these questions.

Pending volumes include:

Thinking about God
Thinking about Good and Evil
Thinking about Life and Death
Thinking about Repentance
Thinking about Prayer
Thinking about Love
Thinking about Charity
Thinking about Integrity
Thinking about the Chosen People

Other new or forthcoming titles in this series include:

Thinking about the Torah
Justice for All

JPS Daily Inspiration Series

The JPS Daily Inspiration Series will present the wisdom of classic and modern works of Judaism in a bold new way: excerpts and commentary that follow the cycle of the weekly Torah portion and Jewish Year.

A Year with the Sages

Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR

by Rabbi Reuven Hammer

The second volume in the JPS Daily Inspiration series, A Year With The Sages invites readers to spend a year with the words, ideas, and inspiration of the Sages, as seen through meditations on each of the 54 weekly Torah portions as well as on the Jewish holidays.

The masterful teachings of the Sages, the great rabbinic leaders from the time of Ezra until the conclusion of the Babylonian Talmud, are recorded in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds, the Mishnah, the Tosefta, and the Tannaitic Midrashim. Their astute and judicious sayings and stories have profoundly transformed Judaism.

Here, Rabbi Reuven Hammer illuminates them by connecting them to the week’s Torah portion, offering reflective commentary on both the Torah and the Sages’ quotations, and sharing a personal story—all helping us to integrate the Sages’ great spiritual insights into our lives.

A Year with Mordecai Kaplan

Projected Publication: 2019   SPONSOR

By Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben

This first volume in the JPS Daily Inspiration Series invites readers to spend a year with the inspiring ideas of Mordecai Kaplan. For each of the 54 weekly Torah portions, Reuben interweaves an idea from the Torah with a quote from Kaplan, commentary, and a personal anecdote, all of which contextualize and illuminate Kaplan’s enduring teachings.

Pending volumes include:

A Year with the Torah
A Year with the Prophets
A Year with the Wisdom Writers
A Year with the Talmud
A Year with the Midrash
A Year with the Kabbalah
A Year with Maimonides
A Year with Heschel
A Year with Buber