MBR: The Judaic Studies Shelf
Midwest Book Review
Joseph's Bones
Ozzie Nogg
Oznas Books
PO Box 3353, Omaha, NE 68103-0353
oznas...@cox.net
0975398806 $15.00 1-402-342-7870
A first place winner in the 2005 Writer's Digest Press "International
Self-Published Book Awards", Joseph's Bones: A Collection Of Stories is
deftly written by Ozzie Nogg, whose personal stories and feature
columns exploring Jewish tradition, identity and values have appeared
in weekly newspapers around the country. Comprised of twelve original
short stories drawn from and inspired by her life as a rabbi's daughter
and reflecting a rich Jewish oral storytelling tradition, these are
tales that appeal to readers from all backgrounds because of Ozzie's
abilities as a writer. Each individual story begins with an original
illustration by the author and leads to a wonderfully engaging and
deftly written reminiscence that evokes life in a small Jewish
community. The stories comprising this award winning and
enthusiastically recommended little read include Joseph's Bones: An
Explanation, A Dedication; Bubble's House; One Little Kid; Aaron's
Aggie; The Cap Poppa Got from the Czar; My Brother's Keeper; A Lesson
in the Watermelon; Teshuvah on the Interstate; Still Standing; Poppa's
Bar Mitzvah; In the End; Treasure in the Lake; and Yizkor. Enhanced
with the inclusion of a Glossary, these stories about magical marbles,
gifts from the Czar, snow angels, and more, are replete with humor,
insight, and an uncommon wisdom when speaking of the human condition as
reflected within all of our families and communities regardless of our
ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds. It is so well written and
engaging, that Joseph's Bones would make a welcome addition to any
personal, academic, or community library "Judaic Studies" collection.
The Best Of Israeli Folksongs
Velvel Pasternak
Tara Publications
4001 Fallstaff Rd., Baltimore, MD 21215
www.tara.com & www.jewishmusic.com
192891800X $29.95 1-800-827-2400
Compiled, annotated and arranged by Velvel Pasternak, The Best Of
Israeli Folksongs: An Anthology is a compendium of more than 165 songs
that have become a valued contribution to Israel's music heritage and
popular culture. From Al Kol Ele; Hana'ava Babanot; Kachol Yam Hamayim;
and Ose Shalom; to Shalom Al Yisrael; Tsena Tsena; Vayiven Uziyahu; and
Zamar Noded, this outstanding collection (which includes a Bibliography
and a Discography) is a core addition to any personal, professional,
academic, or community library Music Studies, Ethnic Studies,
Multi-Cultural Studies, Folk Music, or Judaic Studies reference
collection. Two other Velvel Pasternak anthologies are also
enthusiastically recommended: The Best Of Jewish Love Songs: Hebrew,
Yiddish, Ladino, "Song of Songs", and Wedding (192891828X, $29.95) and
(co-edited with Eli Lipsker) Chabad Melodies: Songs Of The Lubavitcher
Chassidim (0933676-794, $29.95).
Jewish Values In A Changing World
Rabbi Yehuda Amital
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306-6316
0881258814 $18.95 www.ktav.com
Born in Hungary in 1924, a Holocaust survivor, an Israel immigrant in
1945, and receiving rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isser Zalman
Meltzer, Rabbi Yehuda Amital helped to found the "hesder yeshivot"
which enables religious students to study the Torah while serving in
Israel's military. An educational pioneer and head of Isrel's largest
hesder yeshiva, Rabbi Amital draws upon his undeniable expertise and
erudition, as well as the wealth of personal experience, to present
contemprory readers with an inspired and inspiring extended treatise:
Jewish Values In A Changing World. Emphasizing that the Torah offers a
message relevant to every generation, the need to respect all people
created in God's image, and the importance of the flowing coexistence
of religious life, humanity, and individuality, Jewish Values In A
Changing World offers a stable, astutely reasoned, and well-thought-out
discussion of moral principles in plain terms. As accessible to lay
readers as to religious scholars, Jewish Values In A Changing World
neither shies away from new transformations nor neglects the insights
of past generations, and is a highly recommended treatise on the role
of religion and morality in turbulent times.
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