Israel Books

"Between Sodom and Eden" represents an astounding tour de force. Walzer's book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Israeli society and politics, as well as the sometimes surprising approach of Judaism to homosexuality. His prose brings alive the tensions, conflicts, and contradictions of a society in search of its identity as Israel becomes an increasingly multicultural, post-Zionist society. That Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world today on gay rights will surprise most Americans, who think of the Jewish state as the land of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (with its reputed condemnation of homosexuality). The cast of characters in Walzer's book -- a transsexual pop Diva, openly gay high school students and kibbutzniks, lesbian politicians, and a cast of supportive straight politicians and educators, to name just a few -- guarantees new surprises on each page.

Thanks to Judith the world has the recorded actions in this volume speaking louder than words. These stories bring further light to words spoken so nobly before:

"I like to believe that people, in the long run, are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."

ATTRIBUTION: President DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

This book speaks loudly to all those dedicated to peace.

The collaborative effort of Haim Gordon, Rivca Gordon, and Taher Shriteh, Beyond Intifada: Narratives Of Freedom Fighters In The Gaza Strip showcases the personal testimonies of six Palestinians (four men and two women), who tell of the conflicts of the Gaza Strip that began with the 1993 peace process, and continue down to the present day. A deeply personal and emotionally moving account that lends human faces to the strife and turmoil that have been ongoing within the Holy Land, Beyond Intifada is a welcome contribution to International Studies collections with respect to the Palestinian/Israeli ethnic, political, cultural, and national disputes.

Beyond Security was the first book I read on the Israeli-Palestinian Issue. Since then I have researched the topic intensively and have found that many of Mroz's points remain the same even to this day.

Also, I have to give him a good review...he's my dad ;-)

Seriously though, if you are interested in the topic, this is a great book to read which will help you understand the multiple and intricate dynamics of the conflict...

If you are in need of a fantastic Bible Study that takes you through the Bible book by book, yet does not get bogged down in the interpretation of a particular word or phrase, this is the book for you. I own this volume and I absolutely treasure it. It was my first "through the Bible" study, and I learned so much from it. There is a wealth of Biblical knowledge here for the beginning Bible student.

Jewish history and religion provided the essential framework from which Christianity arose through the person of Jesus Christ. One cannot understand Christianity without understanding early Jewish history. This volume explains the significance of the Torah (the first 5 books of Moses), then goes on to explain how King David's empire grew into the nation of Israel, and then how the empire decayed and was eventually overthrown, and what forces caused the destruction of Israel. The author then explains how Christianity grew out of the foundation of faith laid by the Jews and the significance of Jesus Christ.

It begins of course in Genesis and gives a succinct, yet substantial summary of the themes of each Bible book. Think of it as an overview of the entire Bible. I especially liked the Old Testament chapters, as I had never really understood the prophets, when they lived, who they were preaching to, and why their message was significant then and why these ancient texts are still of value today.

The reading is easy in large print, and there are some helpful illustrations and maps to aid in understanding the Biblical text.

This is a book that you will refer to over and over again. I think you will treasure it as I have. I highly recommend this Bible companion.

Jim Konedog Koenig

A flawless book as far as I can judge.
The auther put in a lot of time, considering the quality of the photographs and the diversity of subjects covered.
On the cover there is a picture of a orange/ cream yellow imago just coming out of the chrysalis. Almost every page (324 pp.) features similar colour plates. The pages without pictures are filled with fascinating in-depth natural historical information on all species portrayed.
I would like to compliment the author for his excellent book.

"Israel Galindo's experience in teaching is a variety of settings has prepared him to write a needed addition to the field of curriculum for children. He addresses the sensory nature of learning for children so that the children are engaged in creative activity and learn at the same time. Addressing these topics biblically helps the children form opinions and approach issues from a Christian perstpective." --Dr. Allen Jackson, New Orleans Theological Seminary.

"This book is a resource for those adults wanting to bring meaningful experiences to children about their church, home, family, and faith. A must for any adult working with children in a faith community!" --Jessica Shields Flowers, Director, Vienna Baptist Children's Center

"The educational approach used in The Bible, Life! puts the emphasis on active learning, as opposed to teacher performance. As children participate in their learning experience, the teacher engages them in reflection and analysis by asking questions and engaging them in conversation. In this way, children are not merely entertained or "kept busy" by doing an activity. They learn to reflect and make connections between what they do and what they are learning about self, God, church, and faith." --From the Introduction.

From book's back cover:

A well-structured class in Judaism will not ignore the prophets as a major course of study. Whatever other contributions Judaism has made to civilization, the prophets occupy a unique and distinguished place in the religion, culture, and history of all civilized people. For Jews, it is a gross error to think that it is possible to understand Judaism without knowledge and comprehension of the prophetic messages and the personalities of the prophets who proclaimed these messages.

The prophetic message combines religion and ethics. Professor Zvi Adar points out: "In prophecy, religion and morality are so intertwined that those who separate them distort the meaning of prophecy... The prophets themselves demanded, 'The righteous shall live by his faith' (Habakkuk 2,4), i.e., the righteous person is the one who lives and acts according to his faith. Those who stress only the moral-social aim in teaching the Bible will, by implication, be accepting one vital issue in prophecy and rejecting the second and central one... The Bible is the first and foremost classical creation of the people of Israel. There is no better one through which to give a true Jewish humanistic education... We find in it national, moral, and religious education join together to become elements of humanistic education." - Aharon Kessler

Don't let the title of this book mislead you-this is a brilliant work of scholarship that illuminates many aspects of life in Bible times, and especially focuses on the theory and practice of warfare as indicated in biblical law and thought-a subject that leads to surprising insights through the wonderful analysis by the author. This is, incidentally, a subject that has been much misunderstood, and little that was in print could have been considered useful until the publication of this path-breaking work.

"Biblical History of Israel and the Kingdom of God" should help Christians and non-Christians understand why God nurtured a people to become His "kingdom of priests, a holy nation." It should give America and the nations lessons to avoid the fate of biblical Canaanites as well as that of Israel. It presented convincing arguments that Jesus' presence (parousia) rather than actual physical return was the trigger in the setting up of the "Kingdom of God on Earth" with the glorified Jesus reigning "from another place" or in heaven over God's Kingdom on Earth - and will never return until God has succeeded to make Jesus' enemies a footstool for his feet." The book also presented irrefutable arguments why present-day Israel must accept all Christian nations as co-heirs with the Jewish people to God's promise to Abraham to make him the "father of many nations." This book is a "must read" for every Christian, Jew, and Muslim as well as for all the nations if they are to understand future historic developments in Palestine.