Jewish History

In Rabbi Sholem Kowalsky's lifetime, he observed pre-war Poland, the Holocaust, the rescue and rebuilding of Jewish life in the United States and the re-establishment of our ancient homeland, Eretz Yisrael.

He partook in the development of the day school movement, served three congregations, and organized a foundation to promote Torah and Yiddishkeit.

And through it all he had the vision of his grandfather smiling down at him and urging him onward.

An enlightening and enjoyable read.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising has become a symbol of heroism throughout the world.

A short time before the uprising began, Pawel Frenkel addressed a meeting of the Jewish Military fighters: “Of course we will fight with guns in our hands, and most of us will fall. But we will live on in the lives and hearts of future generations and in the pages of their history... We will die before our time but we are not doomed. We will be alive for as long as Jewish history lives!”

On the eve of Passover, April 19, 1943, German forces entered the Warsaw ghetto equipped with tanks, flamethrowers, and machine guns.

Against them stood an army of a few hundred young Jewish men and women, armed with pistols and Molotov cocktails.

Who were these Jewish fighters who dared oppose the armed might of the SS troops under the command of SS General Juergen Stroop? Who commanded them in battle? What were their goals?

In this groundbreaking work, Israel’s former Minister of Defense, Prof. Moshe Arens, recounts a true tale of daring, courage, and sacrifice that should be accurately told – out of respect for and in homage to the fighters who rose against the German attempt to liquidate the Warsaw ghetto, and made a last-ditch fight for the honor of the Jewish people.

The generally accepted account of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is incomplete. The truth begins with the existence of not one, but two resistance organizations in the ghetto. Two young men, Mordechai Anielewicz of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), and Pawel Frenkel of the Jewish Military Organization (ZZW), rose to lead separate resistance organizations in the ghetto, which did not unite despite the desperate battle they were facing.

Included is the complete text of “The Stroop Report” translated into English.

This unique Hebrew language Haggada introduces Ethiopian customs into the traditional Haggada as it tells the dramatic story of the Ethiopian Jewish community's journey to Israel in the 1980s and 1990s.

Photographs, reproductions of rare documents, and original stories published for the first time bring this contemporary Exodus story to life.

Journey to Freedom celebrates Ethiopian Jewish culture and provides a beautiful opportunity for the Ethiopian community to tell and retell its important story.

Most Jews and Christians are unaware that an extraordinary sea-change is taking place in Jewish-Christian relations.

Author Moshe Aumann, former Consul-General and Minister-Counselor for Church Relations at the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, poses a crucial question in this exciting book: does this sea-change point to a fundamental and historic resolution of the centuries-old conflict between Christianity and Judaism?

Part of The Complete Idiot's Guides® popular religion and history titles. 

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jewish History and Culture contains information about Jews in early American history through the 19th century as well as coverage of Jewish history and culture in the places you might least expect - Asia and South America.

Miracle worker, revered Rabbi, devoted Talmudic scholar, holy man, leader and teacher of the Sephardic community in Morocco and Israel -- these all describe one man: Rabbi Yisrael Abuchatzeirah, lovingly known to his thousands of followers as Baba Sali, Arabic for "our praying father."

Known for the many miracles he performed, Baba Sali was so adored by his followers that his death in 1984 drew more than 100,000 mourners to his gravesite in less than twenty-four hours. The authors of this book, Rav Eliyahu Alfasi, Baba Sali's shamash (attendant), and Rav Yechiel Torgeman, Baba Sali's grandson, offer us a precious glimpse of his life and teachings and clearly demonstrate that the Talmudic expression "The tzaddik (righteous person) decrees, and G-d fulfills" was entirely true of Rav Yisrael Abuchatzeirah, the "praying father" of Sephardic Jewry.

Israel is a melting pot that other freedom loving nations can truly envy.

With so many people from so many lands rediscovering the home of their forefathers, a tidal wave of different Jewish customs has found its way to the Promised Land.

What happens to these customs? Are they integrated into the Israeli culture? Do immigrants cast away their customs upon arrival? Or are immigrants able to retain the customs of their fathers while fitting into the mainstream Israeli culture?

Esther Shklaim, in her book, A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Unity through Diversity (Devora Publishing, October, 2006), finds the answers to these questions and more.

The young people interviewed for this book explain the Jewish holiday customs as practiced in their family's country of origin. They reveal how immigrating to Israel has impacted these ancient traditions. A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Unity through Diversity, filled with over 200 illustrations, is a masterpiece that brings to life the unique flavor of the Jewish holiday experience across the world.

The book shows the diversity of customs and traditions that have found their way to Israel. They reflect a flourishing Jewish history that is forming a cohesive Jewish future, as the Children of Israel return to their home.

There is a well-known conundrum concerning Jewish history: The conventional chronology of the Western world - and academia - is in direct conflict with traditional Jewish sources over the history of — history. Incredibly, there is a gap of roughly 200 years: For instance, the Talmud says the Second Temple stood for roughly 400 years, while mainstream historians today conclude that it stood for almost 600 years.

This conflict has major implications on what occurred to who, and when. It also seems to question the accuracy of the entire Jewish tradition as accepted dating methods seem to contradict core parts of the traditional Jewish narrative.

In presenting fresh and startling astronomical, mathematical and archaeological evidence, Rabbi Alexander Hool has charted new ground in his quest to find the solution to this ancient problem. The Challenge of Jewish History is revolutionary: it questions all assumptions, dispels unfounded myths, and transports us back in time over 2,500 years. 

With a subject of great significance and fascination to all those interested in history, and a wealth of scholarship and sources to impress academics, this intriguing book gives us a new perspective on Jewish — and world — history.

Join the inner circle of Rabbi Avigdor Miller's disciples, as they accompany him on his daily walk. Seen through the eyes of his talmid, Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky, this was a time when Rabbi Miller could engage in meaningful discussion in a casual context away from the classroom or podium so closely associated with his public persona. In this intimate setting, he shared his thoughts and insights, and often pondered verses from Mishlei (Proverbs). 

The author has chosen to focus on a specific era of Rabbi Miller's life: 1957-1964, the years before Rabbi Miller became well known as the author of monumental books and a master of oratory. In those years, the rabbi was building his unique Torah community, helping each individual reach for his spiritual potential, as indeed, he worked tirelessly on his own self-perfection.

Rabbi Dolinsky recounts with reverent affection not only what he learned through his Rebbe's words, but through his actions and choices as well. Rich in anecdotes, this is a work of historic significance and a wellspring of Rabbi Miller's wisdom, practical advice and profound hashkafah.

About a thousand years ago, European Jews began speaking a language that was quite different from the various tongues and dialects that swirled around them. It included Hebrew, a touch of the Romance and Slavic languages, and a large helping of German.

In a world of earthly wandering, this pungent, witty, and infinitely nuanced speech, full of jokes, puns, and ironies, became the linguistic home of the Jews, the bond that held a people together.

Here is the remarkable story of how this humble language took vigorous root in Eastern European shtetls and in the Jewish quarters of cities across Europe; how it achieved a rich literary flowering between the wars in Europe and America; how it was rejected by emancipated Jews; and how it fell victim to the Holocaust. And how, in yet another twist of destiny,

Yiddish today is becoming the darling of academia. Yiddish is a history as story, a tale of flesh-and-blood people with manic humor, visionary courage, brilliant causes, and glorious flaws.

It will delight everyone who cares about language, literature, and culture.

This beloved classic, completely revised and annotated for the contemporary reader, explores the holidays, Festivals and fast days of the Jewish calendar and explains their laws and customs.

Midrashic commentaries and insights of great Jewish thinkers and spiritual leaders enhance the heartwarming, inspiring text.

3 volume gift boxed set.

Individual volumes not sold separately.

Did you know that the great Jewish sage and physician Maimonides practiced medicine while lying flat on his back?

That a famous passage penned by George Washington was actually the work of a rabbi?

That a Jewish athlete represented Nazi Germany in its infamous 1936 Olympic Games?

That Yasser Arafat was made by the KGB?

These and many more such intriguing stories make up Jack Cooper's fascinating collection of historical windows on the life of the Jews.

Covering biblical times through to today, these unusual vignettes on the sidelines of history come together to form a story that is anything but a sideline, depicting a resourceful people who have survived and thrived despite the worst history has thrown at them.

Whether you read it straight through, or pick out individual stories to read as the mood strikes, you're in for a captivating read!

An important work of history.

A vital book of hashkafah.

Our gedolim have made it clear that we owe it to ourselves, to the generation that suffered under Nazi brutality and, perhaps most of all, to future generations, to study the Holocaust through the prism of Torah and emunah.

Written by a renowned educator, Tragedy and Rebirth gives us the tools to begin to deal with the issues, and, even more important, the questions that come up when we learn about the Holocaust.

Tragedy and Rebirth includes chapters on:

• Historical background of the Holocaust
• Searching for hashgachah, Divine Providence, in a time of concealment
• Spiritual resistance
• Hatzalah - rescue activities
• Dealing with questions about the Holocaust
• The miracle of Jewish survival and the rebuilding

Every chapter includes excerpts from important books on the subject, including many eyewitness accounts, a recommended reading list for further study. 

 

Discover how Orthodox Judaism rose from near oblivion to a significant influence in America!

The story of Orthodox growth in twentieth century America is one of struggle and determination, setbacks and near-miraculous victories.

To understand the Orthodoxy of today, examine the roots of its resurgence in the first half of the twentieth century.

How did this “minority within a minority” of American Jews establish a cultural framework that carried them into the 21st century?

When and why did the Hebrew Day School movement take root?

What legal and moral battles were fought by a handful of activists who founded the Orthodox Union, the Young Israel movement and Agudath Israel?

At the heart of this wonderful volume are 52 biographical vignettes of leading figures of Orthodox Jewry.

These are not only warm and exciting -- they bring to life the great struggles in American Jewish life and the courage, imagination, and conviction of the pioneering leaders and laymen.

Studded with hundreds of fascinating historical photos, biographical vignettes and a glossary of Hebrew terms, this book that will explain the mystery of Orthodox vibrancy to every Jew.

8 1/2" x 11" Coffe-table Gift Edition.

A meaningful and illuminating gift!

It's usually called the Yom Kippur War. Or sometimes the October War.

The players that surround it are familiar: Sadat and Mubarak, Meir and Sharon, Nixon and Kissinger, Brezhnev and Dobyrnin. It was a war that brought Arab and Jew into vicious conflict. A war in which Israel almost unleashed her nuclear arsenal and set two superpowers on a treacherous course of nuclear escalation. And a war that eventually brought peace.

But a peace fraught with delicate tensions, disputed borders, and a legacy of further bloodshed.

The Two O'Clock War is a spellbinding chronicle of the international chess game that was played out in October 1973. It is a story of diplomacy and military might that accounts for many of the dilemmas faced in the present-day Middle East.

This is a war that Israel never thought was possible.

Surprised by the fury and excellent execution of the Arab onslaught, and perhaps more than a little complacent, Israel suddenly found itself on the point of losing a war because of a lack of ammunition, planes and tanks.

The United States, after much vacillation, finally elected to help Israel, beginning a tremendous airlift (code name: Operation Nickel Grass) which incurred the wrath of the Arab states, and their sponsor, the Soviet Union.

Fortunately the airlift came just in time for Israeli ground forces to stabilize their positions and eventually turn the tide in the Sinai and Golan Heights. And it was all made possible by an operation that dwarfed the Berlin Airlift and the Soviets' simultaneous efforts in Egypt and Syria.

The Two O'Clock War is bound to become the definitive history of a war that quite literally approached Armageddon.

Between 1962-1967 the famous Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik zt"l, affectionately known as "The Rav", addressed the conventions of the Mizrachi movement.

Five of those lectures became famous and were translated from their original Yiddish to Hebrew, and subsequently into English.

Although the English is not the Rav's own and is twice removed from the original Yiddish, the power of his ideas emerges with clarity of force and resonance.

A young Jew crossed the bridge and approached the gate to the city of Cologne. Ragged, wounded, more dead than alive, he collapsed before the two astonished gatekeepers.

They would have thrown him to the dogs, or better yet, left him to the ravaging Crusaders who were not far behind - thousands upon thousands of them.

But because they thought he might earn them a few coins reward, they dragged him to the home of the Parnas, the benefactor and head of the Jewish community.

Gershom for that was his name, had escaped from the nearby community of Mainz where the Crusaders had left a trail of Jewish death and destruction behind them.

He arrived in Cologne with a fearsome tale to tell. Yet despite the urgency of his warnings, the Parnas refused to believe or to act, not until it became clear that further delay would mean the destruction of the Jews of Cologne.

Brave and resourceful, Gershom endangered his life again and again as he helped his fellow Jews on a difficult and dangerous road to partial safety. 

The Parnas is a fictional novel, based on careful historical detail.

Far removed from the Jewish life we know, its stark portrayal of the early Middle Ages is the story of bravery, belief and Jewish courage. 

Enjoy the most comprehensive and hilariously entertaining lexicon of the colorful and deeply expressive language of Yiddish.

With the recent renaissance of interest in Yiddish, and in keeping with a language that embodies the variety and vibrancy of life itself, The New Joys of Yiddish brings Leo Rosten’s masterful work up to date.

Revised for the first time by Lawrence Bush, in close consultation with Rosten’s daughters, it retains the spirit of the original—with its wonderful jokes, tidbits of cultural history, Talmudic and biblical references—and is enhanced by hundreds of new entries and thoughtful commentary on how Yiddish has evolved over the years, as well as clever illustrations by R. O. Blechman.

Did you know that cockamamy, bluffer, maven, and aha! are all Yiddish words? If you did, you’re a gaon, possessing a lot of seykhl.

The closing years of the fifteenth century marked the beginning of a new era. The epoch of the Rishonim, the "Early Commentators" was over.

Just as the era of the Mishnah had given way to that of the Talmud, and that of the Talmud had given way to that of the Geonim and Rishonim, so too a new era was now beginning.

In addition, the map of Torah began to shift eastward.

Spain, Portugal, and France had disappeared; and Italy and Germany were dimming, but Torah greatness was finding new homes.

Poland, Bohemia, and Moravia were coming to the fore in Europe, as were Eretz Yisrael and Turkey in the Middle East. Other countries, too, were proving the eternal validity of the Divine promise that the words of the Torah would never depart from the mouths of Israel. New golden eras were in the making in new lands.

This book tells the story through the lives and accomplishments of those who made it happen. It presents the sages and leaders who taught and shaped the continuing destiny of Israel.

The famous names are all here, and so are the lesser known ones.

Their ideas, accomplishments, and books are here. And by coming to know them, we come to appreciate better the indestructibility of the nation of Torah.

Following the tradition of its predecessor, The Rishonim, this book has been exhaustively researched and has been years in the making. It includes maps, charts, and indices, among them in index matching authors with their most important works. In addition, it contains an introduction providing a historical perspective on the spread of Jewish settlement and the development of new communities.

For anyone who seeks an understanding of the panorama of Torah's eternity, this is a book that must be read and consulted as a constant reference.

In 1941, three brothers witnessed their parents and two other siblings being led away to their eventual murders.

It was a grim scene that would,of course, be repeated endlessly throughout the war.

Instead of running or giving in to despair, these brothers — Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski — foughtback, waging a guerrilla war of wits against the Nazis.

By using their intimate knowledge of the dense forests surrounding the Belarusan towns of Novogrudek and Lida, the Bielskis evaded the Nazis and established a hidden base camp, then set about convincing other Jews to join their ranks.

As more and more Jews arrived each day, a robust community began to emerge, a "Jerusalem in the woods."

After two and a half years in the woods, in July 1944, the Bielskis learned that the Germans, overrun by the Red Army, were retreating back toward Berlin.

More than one thousand Bielski Jews emerged — alive — on that final,triumphant exit from the woods.

Rabbi Berel Wein – rabbi and historian, writer and lecturer, kashrut supervisor and rosh yeshiva – looks back at the dramatic events of his life.

From religious controversies and educational dilemmas, through challenges of community building and synagogue politics, to encounters with great rabbis and travels throughout the Jewish world, Rabbi Wein’s tale is one of Jewish leadership in twentieth-century America, at once highly public and deeply personal.

With great humor and disarming honesty, Teach Them Diligently tells the story of the trials and the triumphs, the struggles and the joys of a life devoted to Jewish community service.

The Talmud is a unique repository of debate among generations of Jewish sages.

While we may be familiar with the names Hillel, Shammai, Ben Zakkai and other Talmudic sages, and we may understand the schools of thought they represent, we are less likely to know much about their individual personalities, their inner lives, the historical contexts in which they lived. 

Talmudic Images presents intimate portraits of thirteen, key Talmudic sages. It offers glimpses into their very human lives, enabling us to better understand and more fully appreciate their remarkable contributions to the body of Jewish wisdom.

Includes a glossary, annotated bibliography and timeline.

Wonderful stories from 2,000 years of Rabbinic literature and Jewish history, arranged by the weekly Torah readings.

By G. MaTov; translated by Shaindel Weinbach; illustrated by Miriam Bardugo.

For the Werdyger family of Cracow, Poland, as for many thousands of other Gerrer chassidim, life before the war was a richly textured and profoundly fulfilling tapestry focused on the chassidic court of the Imrei Emes, the saintly and world-renowned Gerrer Rebbe; the days and nights were filled with Torah study, prayer, charitable deeds and the warm camaraderie of the Gerrer community.

For young Duvid Werdyger, a gifted singing prodigy, they were also filled with the wonderful melodies of the huge repertoire of Gerrer niggunim.

It was a moment of great honor and excitement, and it set the tone for the rest of this remarkable man's life, dedicated to bringing joy to his people through the wonderful gift of his music.

Songs of Hope, the seventh volume in the Holocaust Diaries collection, is the story of his travails and eventual triumph.

During the war years, as he watched his world collapse around him under the vicious German onslaught and he himself spent years in ghettos and concentration camps, young Duvid's deeply ingrained joy and faith enabled him to survive with an unbroken spirit and without ever losing hope.

After the war, when he finally returned to the land of the living, he became one of the important pioneers in the field of recorded Jewish music, and his warm and joyous voice brought the music of hope into thousands of homes, playing a vital role in the rebirth of a vibrant and dynamic worldwide Jewish community.

Songs of Hope provides poignant images of the exalted Jewish culture of pre-War Poland, its brutal destruction and its eventual in America and Eretz Yisrael. But most of all, it is the heartwarming story of a gifted young singer, who, blessed with deeply ingrained joy and faith, survives years of suffering and enslavement with unbroken spirit and becomes a pioneer in the world of Jewish music.

The recent cleaning of the Sistine Chapel frescoes removed layer after layer of centuries of accumulated tarnish and darkness.

The Sistine Secrets endeavors to remove the centuries of prejudice, censorship, and ignorance that blind us to the truth about one of the world's most famous and beloved art treasures.

Autobiography of the defendant in the notorious 1912 blood libel in Kiev.

Introduced & edited by Shari Schwartz.

10-page photo section.

From the best-selling nonfiction author, Michael B. Oren comes his first novel.

Set in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest, the site of a brutal, last-ditch assault by the Nazis in December 1944, Reunion reunites the surviving members of the 133rd Infantry Battalion for one last chance to relive their youth, bury some old ghosts, and try to find answers to the mystery that has haunted the men for fifty years.

Through these disparate and vivid characters, we learn of the other story of the 133rd—a story of the lingering effects of war, the potency of the human spirit and the courage that even simple men can muster, both at the beginning and the end of their lives.

The history of yeshivos, Jewish institutions of Torah learning, from the Biblical era until World War II.

From the yeshivos of the Tannaim, Amoraim, and Gaonim through the development of yeshivos in Europe and Israel.

With biographical sketches, footnotes and bibliography.