FROM THE CONGREGATIONAL LIBRARY
BOB LOCKE, LIBRARIAN
Judaism For Dummies
By Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner
Undoubtedly you are familiar with the “Dummies” series of reference books with black, yellow, and white covers. These are not traditional reference books, over-loaded with technical details and advice you‟ll never use.
Each book covers a wide variety of subjects, ger-mane to its overall theme. It uses a lighthearted ap-proach, and even cartoons and humorous icons to dispel fears and build confidence. Lighthearted, not lightweight, the book is a perfect survival guide to solve your personal and communal religious problems.
The first thing you see when you open the book is a “cheat sheet” which contains:
• Hebrew Alphabet (letter , name, and the sound of the letter,
• Some basic blessings
• A brief timeline of Jewish history; and
• An “emergency Jewish vocabulary,” e.g., chutzpah, shalom, mazel tov, etc.
The book has an Introduction and an Index and is divided into six parts:
1. What Jews Generally Believe
2. From Womb to Tomb
3. An Overview of Jewish History
4. Celebrations and Holy Days
5. The Part of Tens (Great Thinkers, Folks You Should Know, and
6. Answers to Ten Common Questions about Judaism
Sen. Joe Lieberman calls this book, “A concise and upbeat primer on the Jewish faith, Judaic history, and what it means to be a Jew.” The call number for this jewel of a book is
220 Fal & Bla