People ask what constitutes a good Jewish library. “What books should I have on my shelf?” This column is devoted to suggesting a few books that are appropriate for every Jewish home. I have sorted them out into different categories. This list is by no means complete. It is a starting point.
Prayer. There are two aspects to prayer. The first is prayer itself. Every Jewish home needs to have a siddur. There are almost as many variant editions of prayer books as there are Jews. The best kind of siddur focuses on understanding the prayers, not necessarily on creative readings. To that end, I highly recommend Or Hadash, the new Conservative companion to the prayer book. While they have a severe traditional bent to them, they contain graceful kernels of wisdom at the bottom of almost every page. That alone makes the purchase well worth the investment. Make sure that you choose an edition that has the right-sized print for you.
The second aspect to prayer is about prayer. Jewish Meditation by Aryeh Kaplan speaks to developing the inner path to approaching real, meaningful prayer. It is excellent. The book offers genuine insight into how to connect deep prayer with God. To obtain information about what the prayers mean I recommend, How To Pray as a Jew by Hayim Halevy Donin. From how to dress to when to bow this book is an invaluable resource. For inspiration, virtually any book by Rabbi Kerry Olitsky or Rabbi Abraham Twersky will prove its worth on your shelf. Personally, I am a fan of the many short inspirational works by Rabbi Nachman.
Literature. Take a look at Joseph Telushkin’s, Jewish Literacy for an overview of some of the finest concepts that our rich heritage affords. This book will open windows to a plethora of stores of knowledge.
Law. To Be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin provides the reader with a far-reaching guide to religious practice, including Holy Days. A less thorough but inspiring volume is Jonathan Wittenberg’s The Eternal Journey.
Torah. Every home needs a Bible. By far, the best translation available is the Jewish Publication Society version. While this volume (The Torah –just the first five books- or The Tanakh- the whole Bible) are most accurate English versions, they contain no commentary, no explanations. Just the Text.
Take a look at Etz Hayim for a brand new commentary on the Humash (Five Books of Moses) for the Conservative movement. The Text is clear, the translation accurate but the commentary is not grand. Two alternative editions are the Reform movement’s The Torah and the Artscroll Orthodox edition. In the first instance, the Reform edition is insightful and well-written. In the second book, there is a wonderful and oft-inspiring commentary on the bottom.
Talmud. A new book, both fun and eye-opening, is Swimming in the Sea of Talmud by Katz and Schwartz. This recent arrival takes the reader into specific Talmud excerpts and runs through their meaning. I also wholeheartedly recommend Adin Steinsaltz’s reference volume of the Talmud. It provides a broad overview of what the Talmud is. If you want to peer into the Talmud, the most readable volume is the one called Berachot.
History. By far the most readable and complete (by no means comprehensive) book on Jewish history is Chaim Potok’s Wanderings. A slightly more involved volume comes to us from Solomon Grayzel, A History of the Jews. Both are available in paperback.
Holocaust. Perhaps the best overview to the most powerful event of our time was written by Lucy Dawidowicz, The War Against the Jews. Of course, the ever-powerful statement by Elie Wiesel is Night is a must.
Israel. Besides the ever-moving tale in Exodus by Leon Uris, there are few other books which do a good job of spanning the whole history of the modern Jewish state.
And, of course, Rabbi Alfred Kolatch’s Jewish Book of Whys is a splendid and simple synopsis of what most Jews need to know.
While this list is far from complete, it is a good beginning at opening new vistas of personal learning and growth. As Hillel remarked thousands of years ago, “Go and learn.”
